Let's Play Rich Man-Poor Man!

is the third episode of the first season of the Fruits Basket 2019 Anime.

Summary
Kyo and Yuki both confide in Tohru about their insecurities, and she discovers that they have a lot in common for people who seem like such opposites.

Plot
In preparation for the school cultural festival, the class votes to establish a rice ball stand and must now decide flavors. When Yuki praises Tohru's three-flavor idea, Minami and Mai make fun of her, calling it a disgusting idea, until Arisa intimidates them with a lead pipe. Kyo suggests battle rice balls and is unanimously rejected. The class accepts Yuki's idea to use dud rice balls immediately after, irritating Kyo to get angry. He storms out of class after a flood of cats compounds his embarrassment.

Tohru finds Kyo on the roof still surrounded by cats and remarks they must love him. Kyo tells her all zodiac members attract their animals. Tohru asks Kyo if he will return to help with the festival. Kyo replies they don't need him since they have Yuki. He admits that Yuki is a good leader and seems jealous that everything comes to him naturally, such as martial arts which Kyo started first, but was surpassed by Yuki.

Tohru suggests everyone plays Rich Man-Poor Man. Kyo initially refuses, but after Arisa taunts him, he gives in and they bet the loser has to clean. Tohru wonders where Yuki is. At the same time, Yuki is turning down a girl's confession. She refuses and tries to hug him but he grabs her face to stop her. She tells him that he is kind but closed off and everyone says he is too special for normal girls. Yuki returns to the classroom to see Kyo playing with their classmates but decides against entering. Afterwards, while speaking with Tohru, he gets in an argument with Kyo who is cleaning after his loss. Tohru recalls Kyo wanting to beat Yuki to become a member of the zodiac. While she is thrilled at the idea of the cat being included, she doesn't want them to fight and tries to stop them. Kyo attacks Yuki but is quickly knocked down by a kick to the chin.

After work, Tohru falls down the stairs while thinking about Yuki. A blond child laughs and walks over to her. Seeing her notebook, he asks if she is Tohru Honda before enthusiastically speaking in German and giving her a kiss. Flustered, she quickly collects her things and runs, accidentally leaving behind a flyer for the school festival. She runs into Yuki who offers to walk her home.

On their way home, a drunk man pushes Tohru into Yuki, causing him to transform. Yuki explains that living at home felt like living in a cage. Despite escaping the main house, he still feels trapped and unable to interact normally with others, unlike Kyo who has always been more social. Tohru realizes that the two resent each other because they are both jealous of the other's attributes. Rain starts pouring as Yuki transforms back into a human.

After getting home, Yuki runs outside with a tarp and Tohru follows him. He takes her to his secret base, a vegetable garden, which they protect from the typhoon. Tohru says her mother taught her it's better to believe in people rather than doubt. She then says Yuki's kindness is like a candle that lights up to make her smile, and she is happy Yuki confided in her. Yuki agrees to play Rich Man-Poor Man next time and will work on learning to interact with others.

The next day Tohru practices making rice balls for the festival. Kyo tries one, but is disgusted when it has chives inside and decides to make his own. When Tohru praises his ability, Kyo tells her he had to make his own food when he was training but doesn't think it's a big deal. Tohru wonders why he can't see his own talents and wonders if it's on his back like a plum on a rice ball. She thinks perhaps everyone in the world has plums on their backs and gets jealous because they can see others' plums but not their own.

Though he is initially embarrassed, he tells her she has a plum on her back too. Yuki comes downstairs and force-feeds Kyo a chive rice ball, leading to another argument. Tohru imagines them getting along and becoming friends. The doorbell rings and Tohru finds a shy girl at the door asking if Kyo is there.

Trivia

 * The episode title is taken from one of Tohru Honda's lines.
 * The adaption order for this episode starts from chapter 8, and then chapter 4 after opening, followed by chapters 8 and 4 together throughout the episode.
 * Due to parts of chapter 8 being adapted into this episode, this episode marks Momiji Sohma's first appearance in the anime compared to the manga where he debuts a bit later.
 * This episode marks Kagura Sohma's first appearance in the anime.

Anime and Manga Differences

 * A small change from the manga is Hanajima no longer braiding Tohru's hair and Uotani not patting Tohru on the head while Tohru's trying to get her classmates to play Rich Man, Poor Man.
 * Tohru's reflection of Yuki and Kyo's good traits and their rivalry also included a brief scene of her changing into her school uniform before leaving work is cut out from the anime.
 * Some changes when Tohru first encounters with Momiji in the anime includes her not walking down from a flight of stairs before slipping down and Tohru being closer proximity to Momiji, with the boy not having to get up and walk as far toward her.
 * Because of Momiji's debut being added earlier than in the manga, this results in the circumstances leading to Tohru meeting with Yuki outside her workplace being changed. There is a removed scene from chapter 4 that shows one of Tohru's co-workers talking about a "pretty kid" waiting outside for someone, before Tohru realizes it is Yuki. Tohru expresses her surprised reaction to seeing Yuki, as depicted from chapter 4, after recovering from the shock of her encounter with Momiji.
 * Following the drunken man leading Yuki to transform after Tohru is pushed towards him, Yuki's comment remarking that it's his fault for his current situation is not in the anime.
 * Following Yuki and Tohru's arrival back to Shigure's house, there is a cut manga scene featuring Shigure and Tohru commenting on the unusual weather before an annoyed Yuki shoves Shigure as he rushes outside.
 * Tohru's prep of rice balls for the culture festival being depicted earlier in the anime which leads to some changes from the original events depicted in chapter 4. The prep work replaces a cut scene from the manga showing Kyo fuming over Tohru making a leek meal due to his hatred of the food. Also, the amusing scene where Yuki force-feeds Kyo, a leek gets replaced with Yuki force-feeding Kyo, a leek-flavored rice ball.

Episodio 03 (2019) Jouons au président et au clochard エピソード3（2019）