Kyou Souma

Kagura Souma

Hatori Souma

Tooru Honda

Mitsuru

Kisa Souma

Yuki Souma

Motoko Minagawa

Shigure Souma

Ritsu Souma

Hatsuharu Souma

Momiji Souma

Ayame Souma

Akito Souma

Hiro Souma

Megumi Hanajima

Kazuma Souma

Saki Hanajima

Kyouko Honda

Arisa Uotani

Mine Kuramae

Kana Souma

Momo Souma

Minami Kinoshita

Rika Aida

Tohru Honda is 16 year old orphaned girl who gets invited to live in the house of her classmate, the handsome boy Sohma Yuki, and his cousins, 16 year old Kyo and 27 year old Shigure. However, these young men and parts of the rest of their family (both close and distant) hold a curse; if they are hugged by the opposite gender, they transform into animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Everyday is an adventure for sweet Tohru, as she gets to know everyone in the large family better (especially Yuki and Kyo), in both common and bizarre situations. But, the Sohma Family curse is certainly no laughing matter... it also holds horrible cruelty and heartbreak.

Disclaimer: I am Reviewing the English Dub. Also, there may be some spoilers along the way. You have been warned!!!] Also I Posting this from Mal 


“I don’t think anyone is born knowing the reason why they’re here it’s just something you have to find as you go along”- Honda Tohru (Fruits Basket)

At first glance, Fruits Basket may appear to be an anime catered specifically to girls, but when looked closely, it is obvious that it can be enjoyed by a much wider audience. Since Fruits Basket is a reverse-harem series with elements of fantasy thrown in, it is only natural to bracket it in the realm of Shoujo anime. However, that is not the case because Fruits Basket adds depth and originality to the generic world of reverse-harems.

Story 9/10
The Story is about an orphan girl named Tohru Honda whose life changes after encountering two members of the Sohma family: Shigure and Yuki. Ooh and guess what else? Similar to other fantasy shows, there is a curse upon the Sohma family, which turns them into their designated horoscope animals when hugged by the opposite sex. Fruits Basket is a loveable anime that essentially centralizes around Tohru Honda as she gets deeply involved with the Sohma family.
One of the good parts of the story is the fact, that they introduced a character in each episode, many times for comedic value while also efficiently advancing the story. The fact that the story had like no plot at points really made this worth watching and when it did have plot or story telling was spot on.
The subtle Romance that is seen here and there can be hard to notice if you have not seen an romance anime before if you have then it will be easy to notice, The romance parts of the show are not “lovey dovey” like in most romance anime it’s just enough there to make you go, “awwwwwww that’s cute”.
There is a love triangle between Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru, and then there are side characters who just loves “Prince Yuki” as he is so lovingly named.
The one flaw I had for the story was that at times the emotions were lacking in terms of the situation. For example, instances where there should have been seriousness, there wasn’t, and vice-versa. Some things were just simplified or brushed over.
Pros: Unlike most anime of the Shoujo genre tend to do with the over dramatic scenes (that can often make you hate the characters because you often cannot relate to them in these situations) these were very few and far between.

Art/Animation 10/10
The animation compliments the story beautifully. It complements the mood of the Anime very well. It is pretty light-hearted water color art (I think). Personally, I love anime done with water colors but it’s not for everyone and I realize it can be a turn off to some folks. Yet, when it needed to be dark, the dark art style/animation was done beautifuly and captured the mood accordingly.

Something to point out is that the people doing the background added a lot detail which was wonderful to see. The characters moved in the background scenes furthering the story even more, such as continued fight scene’s occurring as if you were really there.

Sound/Music 9/10
The accompanying music/dialog of the show is great. The soundtracks played in this anime fit with ongoing situation while also enhancing the viewer’s the mood accordingly. There is no soundtrack in this anime that is misplaced or out-of-place and the opening is very fitting for it tells the story abstractly for what is happening throughout the entirety of the shows. As the show wraps up it does tend to feels a little out-of-place towards the end of the show but at a very minimal level.

The voice cast they have for doing the show is marvelous. Everyone played their roles successfully and they were enjoyable to listen to. Two of the primary characters, Yuki and Kyo were a perfect fit for the characters they played, whereas Yuki’s brother was over the top in such a successful way that only anime can do. It was obvious that the voice cast team was carefully considered.

Characters 9/10
Characters are always one of three things likeable or unlikable or worse--indifferent. Personally, Fruits Basket had mostly all likable characters to some extent. Each character has a different personality and if feels like they gave each character individuality.

One character that was thoroughly enjoyable and even a role-model to some point is, Tohru Honda. The Shoujo genre is filled with the “simpleton” archetype. However, Tohru (although not the brightest) is an incredibly kind-hearted soul who holds this show up. She is the epitome of a kindred soul who actively helps out everyone that enters her life and impacts them in a positive way. Even though her life has been filled with hardships after she became an orphan, she always has a smile on her face. That is rarely seen in Characters who have not had a good life.

Kyo Sohma is the typical Guy who gets teased and picked on a lot by the other cast members. Kyo is the a person who has a hard time expressing emotions and is more kept to himself. He also has an outrageous rivalry with the other primary male character, Yuki. Eventually he opens up as the story progresses and he becomes more of a normal Human (although that is not quite right). He becomes the fan favorite as the show progresses and later on we learn that his life was not all rainbows and butterfly It is darker than we thought.

Yuki Sohma is a stereo typical dude in many ways. He is smart and hot and everyone wants to be his girlfriend, and he is the kind of person the males inspire to be. Unlike many shows he is extremely protective of Tohru throughout the whole show (surprisingly so is Kyo). To the credit of the show all the characters are flawed by their curse but with the help of Tohru they find all begin to find their way.

Shigure is the typical pervert comedy relief character done right almost to a “T”. The one flaw I had with his character is that his perverseness is played at some really strange times in the show, but he can be very serious and very manipulative.

The anime does a good job in creating a realistic and appealing characters, they are not two dimensional.

This show introduces characters like Kyo, Momji, and Hatori early on, and they too are very good characters that Tohru of course helps. Most of the characters are blessed with good development. Few shows have the ability to juggle this many characters this effectively. There are even character that have episodes entitled to them that help to flush that character out and give you a greater look into the Sohma family. I have to admit that some of the characters, after they were introduced, soon had me in tears. I felt sorry for them. The writers made one care about each character and in a different way.
Admittedly, some characters like Yuki Sohma’s character development were very subtle and discreet. The changes crept up on you, much like real life. Most of his changes were psychological. Out of the main cast he is the one that is done subtle and not at all normal for the Shoujo genre.

As for the extra “kawaii stuff”, you will have to decide for yourself.
The Yuki Fan-Club Girls, love ‘em or hate ‘em, this is something that only you can decide. Personally I liked them at the end for they also helped with character development. They made you stop and actually look at all the changes that had occurred in Yuki.

Enjoyment 9/10
Over all, the enjoyment level for me was a 9/10. I had an amazing time watching this show during both its good and bad times. I gave this show a “9” because of its witty comedy, awesome characters, and a story that was overall intertwined. It is must see show. The whole time I watched it, I was entranced, with that being said, I hope all of you will take the take time and watch this surprisingly brilliant anime and enjoy it as much as

My This show is great and if you loved this version of the show then you should deft watch the 2019 version 

___SPOILERS BEWARE!___

Fruits Basket is an anime centered around 16 year old Tohru who is just about to start living alone after the sudden passing of her mother in an accident. This is where the *normal* tale of Tohru begins although I am saying that extremely lightly since the Souma household that she involves herself with is anything but that. Tohru who is simply too innocent for this world yet is the kind of girl we all wish we had in our lives since she is adorably clumsy yet can say the perfect words that mean the world to people during desperate times.

img800(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/670745625670713353/907757889425395743/unknown.png)

The Souma household is quite huge since it consists of twelfth members who are possessed by the spirits of animals as told in the story, some members are much more meaningful to the anime than others. Firstly the essential MCs right by Tohru’s side would be Kyou who isn’t actually an official member but is possessed by the cat, right next to him we also have Yuki who is possessed by the rat. Moving down the ladder of how important the members are we arrive at Shigure who is possessed by the spirit of the dog, next I would say a split between Hatori who is possessed by the spirit of the dragon and Momiji who seems like a trap and is possessed by the spirit of the bunny, both have decent screen time and both have very nice backstories about the true nature of the curse and how it affected their lives. Both have lost someone extraordinarily precious to them so slowly but surely we see that not is all happy and dandy in the Souma household as it initially seemed. In this case behind a happy smile lies a very dark secret especially concerning Kyou but more on that later. Kagura who appears very early in the anime does get screen time here and there but doesn’t bring too much to the table, she is possessed by the spirit of the boar and must have been born with unconditioned love for Kyou….Later we are introduced to Hatsuharu who is possessed by the spirit of the ox and has a black and white version, one being gentle while the other is aggressive, also had a nice backstory involving Yuki. Next the extraverted Ayame who is possessed by the snake with an incredible attitude towards life, he is another example of a smile that hides a dark secret. The episode with his shop was simply brilliant as his shop is dreamland for many weebs, he says many things male weebs likely feel as well, in conclusion it was paradise. The last few members who exist but don’t offer much would be Hiro who is possessed by the sheep and only appeared in one episode, enough for him to get his fill and he was *very* unlikable for the majority of this episode. Lastly Ritsu possessed by the monkey who may very well be the real trap as I initially thought it was a she too…oh well it happens lol. He also appears in one episode only to never appear again.

img800(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/670745625670713353/907759977618354248/unknown.png)

I’ve left out some members who I want to touch on in more detail since I have quite a bit to say. Firstly Kisa who is possessed by the tiger but its her backstory in the same episode which really crushed my feelings. She shut her heart off due to bullying at school, now if you’re watched 3-gatsu then you will likely see the comparison I’m making here, a specific arc in that show totally blew me away so I was getting similar vibes here from Kisa’s short backstory. Bullying is no laughing matter since its realistic and such topics really carry a lot of weight, poor Kisa got bullied yet she's so adorably cute…At least there was Tohru to save the day who has an incredible power to sway people with her words, more on this later involving a specific *member* of the zodiac.

img800(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/670745625670713353/907721045388169256/unknown.png)

In the following episode, we have a cinematic take on the episode which supposedly is meant to showcase the *horrific and dreadful* lifestyle of Hana yet to the disappointment of the Prince Yuki club and its members she does in fact live in a normal house and has a normal room. This episode was very much welcome since we knew Hana was a close friend of Tohru’s yet we didn’t really know much about her, this episode did her justice and that smile at the end from Hana is priceless…its simply beautifully ecstatic showing a side of Hana we’ve never seen before. Really great episode.

img800(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/670745625670713353/907722939774951456/unknown.png)

Akito is another member I’ve left to discuss in his own paragraph since well he is the head of the family and supposedly doesn’t have much left to live as he possesses the worst of the curse. This character is still shrouded in mystery although we’ll seen glimpses here and there. Essentially he’s an asshole from what we’ve seen. Firstly didn’t approve of Hatori marrying Kana which resulted in Hatori losing the love of his life, didn’t approve of relationships within the household like Hiro and Kisa who clearly had feelings towards each other that grew beyond sibling love and the worst one of all didn’t approve of Tohru, if he didn’t approve of Tohru who is genuinely the most innocent, kind hearted and selfless person in the anime then he’s definitely a lost cause. Even in their initial meeting at school he referred to Tohru as “ugly and not bright” which comes from his initial feelings of hating anyone that involves themselves within the Souma household that isn’t actually a member. He disliked Tohru and that carried on right to the final episode, as for Tohru there isn’t a single person she can’t help or accept as we saw with Kyou most importantly. Tohru truly is a blessing for the Souma family that they were able to meet someone so incredible as I mentioned before, she is a girl we all wish we had in our lives as no day around Tohru would be dull.

img800(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/670745625670713353/907758547905949756/unknown.png)

This takes me to the character I want to talk about most, I’ve mentioned it briefly already earlier but it’s now time to mention the last three episodes since they were pretty ground-breaking at least going by the nature of what Fruits Basket had offered up to now. Kyou’s real form is revealed in episode 25 and it seemed like Tohru may have been the only one who could have accepted Kyou for what he truly was. Saying he isn’t a monster is an understatement since his true form is pretty disturbing compared to all the other tame animals that we’ve seen up to this point. If there was anyone that would have and could have accepted Kyou then it couldn’t have been anyone else besides Tohru, with all the traits she had shown up to now it was too much to bear even for her initially but then came her friends to the rescue. Hana feeling extraordinarily vibes told her to go back to do something only she could and well that’s exactly what she did. Even though she was terrified of Kyou she still took steps forward in order to get their happy days back and well she succeeded in doing just that. That extraordinary embrace between Kyou and Tohru is the single best moment of the anime without even a doubt for me, this scene is simply gorgeous, I could use many words to describe it but we know Tohru would put me to shame with her powerful words that carry so much weight anyway. Episode 25 I believe gave us the 2nd ED song and dear god did it carry so much emotion in addition to me already watching the staggering exchange between Kyou and Tohru. These scenes really touched my heart and the song only emphasised the meaning of them that much more. An amazing ending to an anime is very important for me in order to justify its worth, Fruits Basket earned itself quite a few points with this conclusion since it was so beautifully wholesome and left me fully satisfied. I seriously don’t need to ask for any more since this finale was spectacular.

img800(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/670745625670713353/907424130914197584/unknown.png)

I will leave on the note that this was the original 2001 adaptation of the manga and it fills me with much excitement to check out the reboot which is considerably longer at a later point along with much newer art and potentially some differences here and there. Where Fruits Basket ended is already satisfying for me but if the reboot has much more to offer then it only brings me joy and much anticipation since this series genuinely has potential to be a masterpiece well worth remembering for years if its adapted correctly.

img800(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/670745625670713353/907759131706929182/unknown.png)

*As you can see I really love my Tohru.*

[Fruits Basket 2019](https://anilist.co/review/15124)

A beautiful tale showing daily life struggles of being different than everyone else.

Fruits Basket Series Watch Order

Fruits Basket (2001)

Fruits Basket (1st Season)

Fruits Basket (2nd Season)