The Chinese Zodiac is an astrological system that coordinates each year to an animal. Whenever a member of the opposite sex hugs them or they become weak or stressed , they turn into the animal of which year they were born into; i.e. Yuki- rat, Shigure- dog, Kyo- cat, Akito- god. There are twelve "official" animals in the Zodiac: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the boar.
Zodiac Legend
Long ago, God told all the animals he was throwing a banquet tomorrow, and not to be late. The mischievous rat told his neighbor, the cat, that the banquet was the day after tomorrow. So, the next day, all the animals lined up for the banquet, and the rat rode there all the way on the ox's back.
All the animals had fun, except for the cat, who was at home sleeping and dreaming for a banquet that would never come.
The "True" Zodiac Legend
Zodiac Legend: Volume 22
The Chinese's legend
In the Chinese's legend, God had 12 places to be taken for the 13 animals he had invited for the Chinese Years.
The animals were:
- The cat
- The rat
- The ox
- The Tiger
- The rabbit
- The sheep
- The dragon
- The pig
- The dog
- The rooster
- The snake
- The monkey
- The horse
Back then, the cat and the rat were best of friends. However, upon receiving the words of the race, the rat wanted to win the race. It didn't even want its best friend to win. The cat wanted to race too. It told the rat that he would sleep and trusts the rat to wake him up in the morning of the race. However, on the morning of the race, the rat slyly didn't do it and ran off.
At the last leg of the race, the ox had taken over the rat. Even more determined to win, the rat jumped onto the ox's back. As the rat was light, the ox didn't know and carried on running. At the finishing line, the rat jumped off the ox's back to win the first place of the Zodiac.
When the dragon finished the race, God wondered why he had not taken first place. In reply, the dragon said that he had to first bring rain to crops and help the people. God was pleased at that.
The pig was far too lazy to wake up. However its friend, the dog, woke it up and told him to get going. That's why the dog and the pig's positions are close: the dog ran in front of the lazy pig who walked all the way in the race.
As for the cat, he remained sleeping, waiting for his best friend rat to wake him up.
Only after God declared the Zodiac did the cat wake up. It rushed to the end of the race, only find out the rat betrayed him. From that day onwards, the cat and the rat's relationship soured till the cat kept on chasing the rat.
Which animal in the Sohmas
- The Rat: Yuki Sohma
- The Ox/Cow: Hatsuharu Sohma
- The Tiger: Kisa Sohma
- The Rabbit: Momiji Sohma
- The Dragon: Hatori Sohma
- The Snake: Ayame Sohma
- The Horse: Isuzu Sohma
- The Sheep: Hiro Sohma
- The Monkey: Ritsu Sohma
- The Rooster: Kureno Sohma
- The Dog: Shigure Sohma
- The Boar/Pig: Kagura Sohma
- The Cat: Kyo Sohma
- The god: Akito Sohma
Trivia
- Only 12 of the cursed members (the last two being Kyo and Akito) appear in the anime.