Sohma Ritsu

Sohma Ritsu  (草摩 利津) is the Monkey of the Chinese Zodiac, and is extremely apologetic. He takes after his mother, whose position he is in training to take over. Most Sohmas call him "Ri-chan", and to Shigure's amusement, Tohru calls him "Ri chan san". He makes his debut in Chapter 45, and episode 23. He cross dresses to ease his nerves and looks up to Ayame.

Background
He had a dream of seeing Akito before she was born but was too young to understand it. During his early childhood, both of his parents always had apologized for everything, even if it wasn't their fault, just like Ritsu. Feeling useless to his parents, he decided to dress like a girl to feel more comfortable at home and around his parents, but that just made them apologize even more. His parents suffer from anxiety, and because of family genetics, Ritsu has inherited it from his parents as well.

He is two years younger than Hatori, Shigure, Ayame and Kureno. He also got his dresses from Kagura.

Personality
He is depicted as a beautiful but unstable young man with very low self esteem, and a tendency to overreact to everything he does. He apologizes frantically for everything, even for things that are not truly his fault. As Momiji said he may act hysterically if he panics, but deep down he has a kind heart. Despite this he looks up to Ayame by seeing him as a road model and wants to be like him.

Appearance
Because of his anxiety, Ritsu dresses as a female, as cross dressing is the only thing that helps him calm his nerves. He has blondish light brown hair, and is almost always seen in a kimono. Tohru innocently mistakes him for a woman the first time they meet because of his feminine looks. He cuts his hair short in the final manga volume and slowly starts to dress like a male by wearing causal clothing.

Chinese Zodiac Sign
Like all Sohma family members, Ritsu is curse by the Chinese Zodiac. He would turn into his Zodiac form whenever he is hugged by the Opposite sex, or If his body goes under a great deal of stress. Ritsu gets turn into a Monkey when Tohru accidently hugged him to make sure he wouldn't fall on broken glass that was on the floor. As a Monkey, Ritsu is blessed with a extremely agile body, able to climb to high grounds easily. He is also blessed with a highly reflex body, able to react fast enough to stop himself from falling off Shigure's house's roof. When Tohru, Yuki and Shigure see Ritsu on the Roof praying to God, all Shigure and Yuki could say was "How did he get up there?". Whenever he is not in his monkey form, he would be surrounded by Monkeys, as quoted by Kyo that all Sohma family members would get surrounded by there Zodiac Sign.

Fruits Basket Manga
When Ritsu's curse broke (the spirit of the monkey left him), he dropped a plate, or a vase, containing water and flowers. His mother was alarmed as he started crying.

Ritsu tells Kagura, while giving her one of his women's kimonos, that he has asked Mitsuru on a date (in at least one English version, Ritsu almost tears a kimono in half after Kagura asks if he'll marry Mitsuru). It's not stated clearly what Ritsu did later in life. It is said that he did went to learn from his mother on how to take over her onsen.

Fruits Basket (2001 Anime)
On her way to the household residence, Tohru bumps into Ritsu Sohma, the Monkey of the Chinese zodiac. Ritsu is known for being a cross-dresser, very apologetic, and deeply depressed. As the two appear at the household residence, Ritsu gives some presents to Shigure. Ritsu decides to leave before he causes any trouble for Tohru and the others. However, Tohru wanted to serve him some tea before his departure. Unfortunately, after Tohru accidentally breaks one of the tea glasses, this sends Ritsu into a panic attack, thinking it was his fault. Tohru tries to stop him from stepping in the broken glass, but she turns him into a Monkey, getting cut in the process. Ritsu goes to the roof of the house to commit suicide, but after Tohru convinces him not to, he nearly falls off the roof, twisting his ankle in the furtherance. Ritsu asks to stay at the household residence for three days, with Hatori looking over him. While walking back from school, Tohru runs into Ritsu again, who plans to bring a bag of jelly buns for Shigure. Tohru and Ritsu sit on a park bench to talk about his cross-dressing, his apologizing, and his depression. Tohru comforts him by saying that everyone has a reason to live, a reason that everyone must search for.

Fruits Basket (2019 Anime)
He is mentioned in the eleventh episode by his mother and Momiji.

Quotes

 * I'm sorry please forgive me!!!!

Mitsuru
When the two meet, they realize they have a common personality. In a bonus story in the first fan book, he and Mitchan are a couple.

Knownable Relatives

 * Sohma Okami (Mother)
 * Unnamed Father (Father)
 * Unnamed Uncle
 * Honda Tohru (Best Friend)
 * Mitsuru (Girlfriend)

Trivia

 * In an author's note, Takaya said that she regretted how little of a role Ritsu played in the main story. Appearing a total of five times, once in his introduction, a brief appearance at new year's, when his curse is broken, talking to Kagura about Shigure quitting his job as an author (which he heard from Mitsuru) and finally at the final Zodiac Banquet.
 * Natsuki Takaya derived his name from the eighth month, odakaritsuki or "rice harvest month", which is the month of the monkey, of the traditional Japanese calendar.
 * Ritsu is among the two Zodiac Members that Akito could not stand, the other being Ayame. It could probably explain why they do not live in the Main House.
 * In the last chapter Ritsu cut his hair.

Voice Actresses & Actors
all information on Sohma Ritsu came from http://fruitsbasket.wikia.com/wiki/Ritsu_Sohma
 * Japanese voice actress : Mina Tominaga (2001 anime), ??? (2019 anime)
 * English voice actress : Sarah Hussey (Young)
 * English : Mike McFarland (both animes)