Ranked #502

Fruits Basket

Story & Characters
10/10
At first glance Furuba is just another Shoujo manga with nothing different to it; the average, beautiful, kind girl getting all the pretty boys. Okay so it really is that, however there's a special touch to the way the series develops itself and how you watch each character grow and interact with each other as the story progresses.

The story starts with Tohru Honda, your as average-as-you-can-get japanese girl who has lost her mother in an accident and was living alone in a tent in the Sohma's property. Of course she wasn't aware of that until they told her, to her surpirse they take her in in exchange for her doing all the housework (it was her who suggested not staying in the house 'for free'). It's when she's there that she discovers the family's biggest secret... The family has been cursed by the vengeful spirits of the Chinese Zodiac animals and when they are hugged by a member of the opposite sex they transform into the animal they were cursed by. When Tohru comes in their life they all learn to open up their heart more and realize that not all the people in the worlds are bad; this girl affects each one of them in a unique way.

It's a beautiful Anime with heart-touching subjects, there is much you can learn from it and definitely worth buying if the chance should present. There is just about everything in this series:bishonen, angst, drama,comedy, romance, shounen-ai hints and a light-hearted, kind bishojo showing us the way.

Art
8/10
The character designs are beautiful and would characterize everyone in the series a bishonen and bishojo. The colors of the hairs and eyes of the Sohma Family match with the animal they were cursed by and it gives each one of them a unique touch.

Tohru's design is supposed to be as average as possible since she represents a normal japanese girl.

There's is also a 'big abuse' of Super-Deformed characters (Ex. Chibi form) but it just serves to highlight the emotion they are expressing and make the show even more funny.

Sound
9/10
The music is simply beautiful, although the 26-episode long series only has one opening(For Fruits Basket) and one ending (Chiisana Inori) (both performed by Ritsuko Okazaki) it serves it's purpose leaving you with a serene calm sensation!

The soundtrack used as background music is delicate and simple

However if you haven't watched the series and just purchase the soundtrack for the sheer pleasure of it you will be disappointed since it is nothing special by itself, you must see the anime first so you can relate each short song to a scene.

As far as the seiyuu's gone they all seemed to fir their character perfectly. Tohru's voice was Yui Horie who also voiced for Love Hina's Narusegawa Naru. Her sweet, sharp voice goes in tune with Tohru's personality perfectly.

Enjoyment
10/10
You won't find a boring episode in this series. Each one develops and focuses's on a character's situation. Although the series was cut short abruptly and much ends were left untied (the manga is still running) seeing by itself will leave you satisfied (if not with a small crave for the continuity of it).

As mentioned before there's much you can learn from this anime since it deals with how we must see our own beauty and not be jealous of other's (among other important themes).

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I first came into contact with this anime months ago when I was browsing through netflix, saw something that remotely interested me, and decided to throw it into my queue. It wasn't until almost four months later that I finally watched the first episode, on a recommendation from a friend. At first I was unsatisfied, and I did enjoy the show, but not as thoroughly as I have enjoyed many others.

Story (6)- the story is perhaps the weakest part of the anime, starting out with a strong emotional beginning, only to let that pathos base disintegrate under the weight of the increasingly quirky Sohma family. While Tohru's pain and loneliness are a constant theme, they never are treated as completely as they should be, and the viewer is left with an uncomfortable feeling of problems left hanging by themselves, metaphorically duct-taped but never actually solved.

Art (9)- While not necessarily perfect in animation (there are many shows that outdo it in basic artistry) this show's vibrant, calming backgrounds create a soothing atmosphere, which compliment the themes of unity and happiness within a family. Whenever I considered abandoning this anime in favor of something else, I was suddenly grasped by a beautiful and tranquil scene, reminiscent of old Chinese painting styles that quickly changed my mind.

Character (7)- If the show featured only Shigure, then the characters would have been much more engaging. Sadly, it doesn't, and many of the characters grow boring very quickly. The "I'm the cat and I hate the rat!" device can only go so far...

Sound (6)- Music does contribute to the mood of the show, but it is not especially extraordinary or gripping.

This show was enjoyable, but more so for me on the artistic level. If you are looking for a plot-driven, deeply philosophical series, this anime will scratch your back for a while but leave an irritating itch in the end. If you want to see an anime with a unique, and nice look (that's the best word to describe the look to this show, just completely and entirely nice), then this show will be much more engaging. All in all, not a bad show in any respect, but could still be forgone for a more captivating series. read more

Story: 7
The plot was simple and plain, mostly giving a moral a episode involving friendship, hilarious classic lines, mostly from Shigure, and emotional backstories that make you want to cuddle the poor little puppies. It's not that the story was at all bad, it just wasn't very good. But the story and writing was fluff, not just a little fluff, I mean so fluffy that it's like falling into a vat of cotton candy with rose petals. This show is that fluffy. Then again I'm a guy so I may not get the whole point since this show is the physical manifestation of GIRLINESS, the ultimate shoujo. I felt very awkward but oddly I liked it more as I watched, which I still wonder whether that is a good thing or not.
The last two episodes change the mood of the series, drastically. They were both slower than the rest of the series with long still shots. Though as a rule the series is slow, but I think it was the perfect pace for a storyline of this type. But the final episodes were the strong point of the plot of the show (even though it doesn't happen the same way in the manga). The ending was not satisfactory, but it did get me dying to read the manga, so was that their goal?
The friendship speeches could have been very annoying, but they weren't (shounens could take some lessons from this series). In fact they were well spoken and argued the fact fairly logically, but incredibly fluffy. The moral of the episode format was admittedly heartwarming and not predigested like so many other shows (especially when it comes to most things made by westerners).

Art: 6
The art was nothing spectacular, I didn't see it as particularly well done. The backgrounds were good but the animation was simplistic and not overly smoothe. Though the simplistic style helped when it came to punchlines. The character designs were good, but still didn't overly impress me.

Sound: 8
Music, not that great. Just listen to the intro. Nothing in the series popped out and I think more dynamic music could have helped. The voice acting in the dub on the otherhand was perfection. Everyone was cast wonderfully, though at times I found Kyo a bit annoying, but it was probably the personality of the character more than anything. Yuki had a soothing and calming voice, actually the majority of the cast was soothing and relaxing on the ears, save three characters, but they're meant to be that way. This is a good series to watch before bed, so you can have a night of nice voices and fluffy happy dreams.

Character: 9
The characters in this series are probably some of the best made and most memorable of all anime. They are very deep and more than meets the eye. I paricularly loved Shigure with all his exasperation and pervy comments (which he said purely for reaction and a smack on the head). Tohru may seem a bit too good to be true, but I can find her believeable since I have a sister EXACTLY like her, so much so it was creepy and I'm so glad she lives in a protective family.
The secondary cast was surprisingly good, I can't say that any of the supporting characters had any notable flaws. The villain of the series remains mysterious and intimidating and to this day I have no idea what to make of him (again I must read the manga).

Overall: 7
A bucket of fluff and warm fuzzies that gives some good life lessons. This show IS worth checking out and I highly recommend it... to GIRLS. If you feel I rated it too low maybe I would have graded this show a bit more fairly had I been a girl. But this was only my second shoujo (after Ouran which doesn't seem shoujo in the least anymore). This series could have easily run another 26 episodes, there was so much more to the storyline to cover The full Fruits Basket English dub can be viewed at www.hulu.com/fruits-basket and www4.funimation.com/video/?page=show&b=31

Parental Caution:
-There is a significant amount of swearing, though it's limited to d*** (or dang), hell, crap, and sucks.
-One character makes a brief, mildly innappropriate comment (and no I'm not talking about Shigure's frequent creepy comments, those are oddly clean, just awkward and hilarious)
-When the characters turn back into humans they are naked, though this was sensored thoroughly with puffs of clouds and convenient obsticles.
-Another character argues in defence of some school boys who went to the redlight district. However he is displayed as in the wrong.
-Same character owns a store where he makes maid, nurse, school girl and other such male fantasy outfits, however none of them are revealing and the topic is not discussed at length.
-Many characters suffered something tramatising in their past.
-There is a crossdresser, but he does resolve his issues, and it may be of interest especially to parents.
-Simple awkwardness, the whole thing with this naive girl being surrounded by all these males may have parents on guard, but nothing comes of it and it's quite innocent. read more

Many people praise Fruits Basket and I just can’t get myself to understand why. (Sorry FB lovers) FB is what got me back into anime (and I’m now questioning how). Before that, I haven’t seen any other anime besides Pokémon and Hamtaro so I loved it a lot and was upset when it finished. Now that I’ve seen over 40 anime’s I REALLY don’t understand. I will give the show credit for the comedy because it was funny at times. Plus the characters were either hilarious (to some extent) or adorable or just plain awesome (still not as awesome in comparison to other anime’s though). Other characters such as Yuki and Tohru (the main characters) were very annoying. I can’t quite describe why they were annoying. It was something about their voice and attitude. This being a shoujo anime, I kind of expected it. I’m not trying to be sexist or anything. In fact some of my favorite anime’s are shoujo and since I am a girl, it’s what I should be watching.
Anyway, I found the story interesting but the script didn’t do it justice at all. It was somewhat irritating, too corny, and just bleh. Also, the ending left me on a cliff hanger so if you’re annoyed by cliff hangers you may not even wanna start watching this. But if you don’t mind cliff hangers (or will just continue with the manga to see what happens), need a stupid distraction, want to watch something cute, or are in the age range of 8-12, or are just really girly, then watch this anime. If not…then…I don’t know, watch something else :P ….if your friend is keeping you held captive and is making you watch it then good luck :D
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Fruits Basket is a wonderful and moving story which I consider myself fortunate enough to have been shown by a very close friend. This anime is so amazing it touch upon the strings of my heart. I laughed, I cried, and I truely felt for each of the characters.

The anime is centered around a young girl by the name of Tohru Honda, an amazing high school girl who is kind and honest. At the start of the anime she is still struggling to survive after her mothers tragic death. She is taken into the house hold of the cursed family, the Sohma's.

Animation

Is decently done, it is done beautifully but the main attraction of this anime is not the art but rather the story and the characters.

Sound

Again decently done, the intro and ending songs are a credit to the singer and composers. I'd keep them on my MP3 player. Other then that the rest of the sound track is well placed but doesnt reach out like a few other animes I know. Again decently done, but not the reason I love this anime.

Characters

Oh so many things I wanna type here. But I dont want to spoil anything. (I stongy feel that no review should even come close to touching a spoiler) Each character is amazing and wonderful. I cannot say more than each character has made me laugh, smile, cry, and think.

Story and Enjoyment

Each characters past and story is touching to discover and moving to watch. Each one is orginal, sad, and tragic. Can Tohru help break there curse, can Tohru bring happiness to this strange tragic family? If your like me you wont be able to stop yourself from watching to find out! If I could rank higher than a 10 for enjoyment I would!

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Fruits Basket is a show that might certainly sound interesting the moment you check the synopsis. People turning into the Chinese zodiac animals, dark and mysterious secrets surrounding them, cute, clueless main heroine – isn't that a great premise for a shoujo series? But only as long as it's executed accordingly.

I decided to watch Fruits Basket after seeing how high it is rated. I wouldn't normally watch a shoujo series, since I find most of them exaggerated and unrealistic – that's why, I expected Furuba to really change my opinion regarding them. Instead, I found Furuba to be exactly what I mostly disliked and avoided in this genre – with a really more unnatural and forced tone. Do not get me wrong; I do not hate Fruits Basket; yet I really couldn't feel anything else besides disappointment the moment I completed it, and this review explains why.

STORY

Furuba's story is surrounded by a dramatical and emo[tional] darkness upon which Tohru shines like a ray of redemptive hope. Because of that, 50% of the story is actually made up of Tohru's (and sometimes other characters' too) internal struggling monologues that pretty much unfold along the lines of "Is is right? Isn't it right? Is it wrong? Isn't it wrong?". The other 50% of the story might actually trick the viewer into believing that something happens - when it's usually just a repetition of the same overly used gags. There's no beginning, no development, no ending. It doesn't get anywhere.

To put it simply, Fruits Basket doesn't have a plot. Its entire 'story' could be summed up through the following sequence of (randomly ordered) events: Tohru acts dumb yet unbelievably nice which, in turn, causes other characters to also act this way, even though it isn't part of their personality, repeat; Kyo and Yuki fight, repeat; cliché and unfunny member of the Sohma family appears, repeat; Kyo and Yuki fight again, repeat; irrelevant episodic character that barely says a line throughout the whole series has an entire episode dedicated to themselves, repeat; Kyo and Yuki fight yet again, this time in a more dramatic light. Repeat.

Another bad aspect of the story is that it's ridiculously sweet, to the point that it loses all the bits of realism it could have had. It's clear that the creators wanted to have a mixed show, that doesn't only focus on the dramatical solving of tragic events, but also contains its funny moments. This in turn causes Furuba to have serious flaws, both in terms of execution and logic. Many times, the scenes change too quickly from overly-serious to (attempted) pink surrounded, humorous gags that pop up out of nowhere. Other times the events just don't add up. A clear example of this is Tohru living in a tent at the beginning of the series because she doesn't want to 'bother' anyone [thing which the viewer should find utterly amusing]. Apparently, she has a lot of people that care about her (grandfather, friends) yet they never check upon how she's doing. Yet somehow, the rest of her relatives actually go through the trouble of hiring a detective to find out where she lives when they could have simply followed her from school or asked her.

And lastly, in terms of storyline, Furuba is really stretched out for the amount of events it has to offer. Perhaps, had Furuba been a 13 episodes series and not a 26 one, with the same amount of story, it would have actually been entertaining. It's not just the slow pace that pretty much puts you to sleep; there's also the fact that sceneries, lights, wind are constantly emphasized just so that there'll be something to fill the gap and make an entire episode of something that could have been summed up in 5-10 mins.

CHARACTERS

Fruits Basket's characters are clear examples of shoujo genre gone wrong. Not only are they cliché, predictable and pretty much one-dimensional; they give off the feeling of being unnatural. There's something forced into them, whether it's the personality, the way they interact or their role. They seem to just be there for the sake of existing; therefore they don't have any apparent purpose or impact upon the viewer.

Tohru:
Tohru is a girl who's gone through a lot in her life, as it is clearly shown since the very beginning of the anime. Considering the amount of bad events she experienced, you'd expect her to be really introverted and (perhaps) pessimistic. Yet Tohru completely overthrows that, by not only being happy-go-lucky all the time, but also exaggeratedly clueless and nice to everybody, no matter the circumstances. There's a thin line between being inhumanly selfless and being ridiculously dumb, and Tohru seems to be stepping on it quite often. Because of that, most of the other characters seem to half divinize her. There's also another particular thing about Tohru. She doesn't seem to have any ambition for herself whatsoever, so she never asks for help – which brings up the question, is she really weak or is she really strong? Perhaps both, but she certainly isn't realistic or enjoyable.

Yuki:
Yuki is the least enjoyable out of the entire cast. Now, traps are one thing, effeminate characters other – but when some random character in the shows says: “Oh my, there's an interesting young person out there, but I can't tell whether it's a guy or a girl – isn't it exciting?”, that's a totally different thing. According to most of the other characters throughout the show and even himself, Yuki is a guy, though his personality, voice and appearance certainly don't show that. Why he was built that way is uncertain – there are a few attempts of making fun of this, but the humor fails, as usual.
Apart from when he's annoyingly correct by being the right person in the right place, Yuki is barely noticeable. However, his existence does seem to serve two purposes. First one is a Fruits Basket must: have a tragic, unexplainable and never actually detailed past that makes him dark and gloomy, which in turn asks for one of Tohru's miraculous healing techniques. Second is to serve as an opponent for Kyo – which is one of the most reused and unfunny gags throughout the show.

Kyo:
Kyo is probably the only character that actually suffers some sort of development. In the beginning, he's presented as a violent, leek-hating, anti-social idiot. In the end he's still violent and idiotic (though to a smaller scale), but at least he isn't lonely anymore and he's eaten leeks. Despite the fact that Kyo is also a cliché character, he's at least enjoyable, because he's a bit more realistic. Kyo has a lot of personality flaws, but there's one thing that compensates them: he at least sees Tohru as being weird and unhealthy for herself (which all the other characters seem to be blind to). Unfortunately, Kyo is never actually allowed to speak for himself since he's an outcast. It's clearly stated throughout the anime that the other Sohma members can't stand him; yet, as usual, it's never quite explained why. Despite this, Kyo could have had a lot of development and story going on around him. Unfortunately, the ending spoiled everything.

Sohma members+ Tohru's friends:
The rest of the Sohma family members and Tohru's friends were created so they would be as weird and different as possible, yet they all share the same characteristics. Their past is dark and tumultuous so they anchor around Tohru; on top of that, they are all one-dimensional commonly encountered types of characters. Shigure is the pervert, Kagura is the good-willed yet always screwing up girl, Momiji is the cute shouta boy, Risa is the sweet innocent girl and so on. But that's the end to it. There's nothing more to them; yet countless of repetitive unfunny gags are made of their only side. In the end, they are all too many and too similar to remember or enjoy.

ART AND SOUND

Furuba's art and sound are certainly nothing exceptional – yet they're not bad either. They all add up to the unrealistic, sweet and pink impression the show is trying to leave. There seems to be specific effort put into backgrounds and into the (often really big) eyes. The voice actors capture the personalities of the characters they portray really well (maybe sometimes too well, but it's in the series' nature to be exaggerated), especially during monologues or conflicts. The OP and ED were some of the very few generics that I constantly skipped – they were too slow-paced and fluffy for my taste. The background music also didn't really stand out – but is wasn't unpleasant.

ENJOYMENT

Furuba really isn't enjoyable, unless you're a fan of slow-paced, warmth and fuzzy feelings inducing series that stretch too much and don't get anywhere. I expected something funny like Ouran or Yamato Nadeshiko before watching this; yet I was thoroughly disappointed. The whole anime seemed to be a mixture of randomly thrown in characters trying to act dramatic and special, but not leaving any particular positive impression. They were predictable, boring and irrelevant. Also, I really couldn't get over the few logic flaws (like Japan leaving its orphans to suffer in tents, Tohru being able to magically teleport herself from the forest to the cemetery and back to the forest [during the last episode] or the too sudden mood changes from tragic to overly happy).

OVERALL

Even though Fruits Basket had a pretty good premise to start from and quite the numerous cast of characters, it really couldn't get past the “Everything is so sad, oh! Let's bring Tohru in so it'll be nice and shiny” feeling. Furuba is a series that doesn't leave any positive feelings while watching and certainly not after being completed. The viewer is basically left where it all started from – no plot or character development whatsoever, nothing explained, nothing major accomplished. Therefore, it really doesn't get past the state of being a mediocre series with nothing special. read more

When it first came out as manga I picked up Fruits Basket and fell in love with it instantly. A few weeks later, I insisted my mother buy a DVD from the anime series, sadly I only watched the last six episodes, and then a few months ago Hakoot let me borrow the series from her, and how happy I was.

Anyway, Fruits Basket is about the orphan Torhu Honda who starts the story out by living in a tent in the woods. A sequence of events leads to her staying in the house of her handsome classmate Yuki Sohma and his cousin Shigure. On accident she uncovers the secert of the Sohma's - that thirteen of them will turn into the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac... And the cat. Normally one who learns this secret has their memory erased, however, Tohru is an exception and the story mainly follows what happens between her and the Sohmas.

Story -

The story of Fruits Basket is simply heartwarming. It's a nice break from watching all of those "Gotta save the world!" type plots, with it's smallish subplots, and the backgrounds of most of the characters are very interesting and human. Gah. It's so wonderful that I can't think of the words... However, the story in the anime is cut short, meaning it doesn't follow most of the manga, stopping around manga volume eight when there are twenty-three volumes, and moreso Torhu doesn't meet two of the Zodiac animals! However, that is the only downfall.

Score: 9

Animation -

...I'm sure if you've read my other reviews then you know what I'm going to say. Animation was smooth. xD Well, it was. It was slightly like the manga style, however it looked a lot better. The eyecatches were amusing with the little drawings that represent characters (i.e. Onigiri for Tohru, Flower for Hanajima). Coloring was good... Okay... Moving on.

Score: 10

Sound -

I listened to the dub of Fruits Basket, and Funimation did a pretty good job, Torhu sounds innocent and naive, but not to the point of being just plain annoying, Kyo is an arrogant.. cat, and Yuki is all... calm. All the character's voices fit well, however, White Haru's voice didn't fit my mind, but that's probably because I think of Yusuke...

Background music was wonderful, especially the non-vocal piano version of For Fruits Basket, the opening. Most all the music was soft except for those... tense moments... Unfortuantly... I... can't remember.

Score: 10

Character:

Ah. The characters. Probably the best part about this series. I think part of the reason that it's so likable is that someone will be able to identify with at least one of the characters and their situations. The characters are different , but yet in a way the same (in a good way), and seem very human. Again, Tohru is that sweet girl that you'd love to have as a friend, and I could picture it too, because she seems so human.

Score: 10

Enjoyment -

...Needless to say, I enjoyed this series very much, the characters were diverse and interesting enough to watch, and the plot was interesting as well... So. Yeah.

Score: 10


All in All -

Yay: Characters were good, nice and diverese, and interesting and deep.

Nay: Anime ended too quickly. Nuff said.

Score: 10 read more

Fruits Basket is an anime that sets a mood at the start and follows that mood til the end.

Story - 7

Definately dialogue driven rather then plot driven, Fruits Basket doesn't start you in one place and end in another, it simply delivers a message. With a mildly unrealistic female main character, helping a slew of male characters to overcome problems based on social interaction, the material seems almost redundant by the time you finish the show. True the message delivered is quite potent and subtly monumental, but the presentation and delivery of it would have been much better if it were more raw (less overworked). Don't look for action here, nor knee-slapping comedy, but expect to be slightly heart-warmed. I wouldn't recommend watching it all in one sitting as the pace can be slow, spacing it out will make it a much more enjoyable watch.

Art - 7

Certainly not the shows strong point, every character having the same sharp pointy nose, the same big eyes and the same shaped face. Eye color, and hair are the only defining features really, with no heavy people, no exceptionally short or tall people (save adults versus children), and little if any varied skin color. The environments were well done with great forest shots. A very pastel springlike feel to most of the artwork.

Sound - 8

The sounds of Fruits Basket have a pleasant feel to them, not very loud, or distracting, harmoniously catching your emotions and delivering them to wherever the show intends for you to be. The sounds work perfectly in performing their function, but on their own I think they would merely be acceptable, not being strong enough to be a focus.

Character - 7

Pretty standard character forms but most of them do well. The main character is unrealistically upbeat, and Yuki (her classmate) is a little weak in development only performing a story role, but the rest of the characters are pretty solid. I especially liked the trio of Yuki fans, and their interactions with Tohru's friend Hanajima. Mitsuru and her strange family are pretty unique as well.

Enjoyment - 7

I didn't feel like there was enough material to Fruits Basket, it felt a little too fluffy like cotton candy but not as sweet. There was the same feel to almost every episode, with little or no change of pace, and several redundancies. Overall it had a pleasant and fuzzy atmosphere with a few dark moments to add some flavor. A good watch for anyone who wants to see something with a strong heartwarming feel to it. Otherwise it might be kind of slow.

Overall - 7 read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review about my favorite anime of all time. Well here it is. Fruits basket is a great anime to watch if you are into romance/comedy/drama. Not only does it have a nice storyline but it has great characters. I am sure that you will have a favorite character in this series because each one is special in there own way. Here are three main reasons Fruits basket is my favorite anime.

1. The main character (Tohru Honda) is so likable. She is caring, puts others people's feelings before her own, works hard, and doesn't judge by appearances (you will know what I am talking about if you watch it). Me and her can relate in a lot of ways.

2.The romance in this anime is so cute. It's nothing over the top and is mostly expressed by feelings and actions (not the sexual actions). I couldn't even really call it romance but something special. Everyone sort of has this little bond or special feeling towards the Tohru. The one with Kyo and Yuki towards Tohru is my favorite because it's like this cute love triangle in its special way.

3. The amount of emotions you get from this anime. I cried out of happiness on some scenes and I cried on some other scenes because it was so touching, not really sad but you can sympathize with the situation. And then you have the comedy where you can just laugh and be happy.

Of course the story is also wonderful. I gave Fruits Basket a 10 for each category because it deserves it. The story was great and so was the ending. The art was beautiful. The music fit the anime. The characters were well thought out and likable and had there specialness in there own way. I surely enjoyed the anime all the way to the end and it rewatched it 3 times (not my last).

It was just amazing and very likable. That's all I can say to finish this review. read more

Another review of FB? Yes, another one, but this one is one worth reading if you want to know if you'll want to watch it or not.

First of all, the story. Honda Tohru, a girl whose mom has passed away recently, lives on her own in a tent. Untill she suddenly discovers the house of Sohma, where one of her classmates lives! The house is quite normal, but the members of the house aren't... This gives very funny situations and this is not something that you so often in anime, so this is the part that makes the story not too typical shoujo-like. Even if FB is named as shoujo, it's not only for girls!

The art of FB is nicely drawn and is pretty to watch. Most of the boys are bishy-like and all the other characters look nice too. Sometimes a bit simple, but still fine to look at. The animal forms are also nice. You can see immediately what animal they have to be and they even remain their expressions. The quality is really of today, so that's not something to complain about. It makes it really easy to watch.

The sound was okay. The intro and ending song are somehow fitting to the anime. The voices are nicely casted, since you can really know what their emotion is. Angry, sad, happy or just joking around, you'll know immediately! The sound effects are okay, so it's all fine by me.

The characters all have their own issues. This gives a nice view why they act different than you'll think at first sight. There's enough development in the characters as they grow in the series, so nothing wrong with the characters too!

Enjoyment? Too high! Okay, that might be exaggerated, but I really enjoyed this anime. It's funny and at some times a little drama for the story, but nice to look at and with good seiyuus. The story is shoujo, but not so shoujo that's it's annoying, not at all! I can recommend Fruits Basket to anyone who enjoys who... Oh never mind, just watch it! Enjoy! read more

Fruits Basket was so cute to watch. It really took me back...one of those really old school super mangas that I used to read. The anime tells the story of Tohru Honda after the death of her mom. She somehow ends up living with some members of the Sohma clan - a most beautiful lineage if I might add despite some major personality flaws.

It is so engaging and definitely fun to watch. The anime only covers up to Volume 8 of the Fruits Basket manga so if you want to know how the story concludes, you need to read the manga to its conclusion.

Although Tohru is the sterotypical protagonist who can turn darkness into light, the other characters in the anime are also very very interesting and awesome. My favorite has to be Hana-chan who only wears black and has some type of supernatural powers. Of course the Sohma clan is great too. There are sooooo many of them and they are all so good looking and so flawed. You can't help but be thoroughly engaged by this family.

I say, watch it!! read more

Watched as a young teen: Loved it
Rewatch as an older teen: Hated it
(somewhat harsh review? please don't be offended)

Sure, when I first watched it I was caught up in the love story, and the humour of the series. I admit it, I was originally a fan! But recently I went back to rewatch what I had once found so brilliant, and I noticed something... I found it 'dreadful'.

It's a shoujo anime. Yes, it has a twist (or perhaps twists?), and a calming sort of mood to it, but almost everything is predictable, and there is certainly nothing appealing (to me) about most of the characters. Actually, the only I found tolerable (upon second viewing) was Haru, even then he wasn't exactly unique. Even Tohru's best friends were overused in the world of anime. An ex gang member, and a paranormal/psychic girl? Overused in shoujo, it seems... Though weren't be heart warmed when we discover how loyal they are to their friend Tohru who accepted them regardless of their quirks? Sure... If this is your first anime, maybe.

However, as far as entertainment goes, the series is very appealing to types who can stand the mary-sue infested reverse harem, such as this. In fact, for those types, this could very well be their favourite anime, and I can see why. It just isn't for me, and I'm sure anyone with any longing for character originality or story would agree. Though I understand the occasional desire to watch this sort of thing, it doesn't excuse the overall unbearable feeling it brings.

Still, a good watch for the younger romantic, or younger romantic at heart? read more

Fruits Basket was the first anime I finished and I absolutely loved it! The story is very unique and makes for a very good anime. There are very funny moments that makes it enjoyable to watch but also has more serious moments. I loved the characters and all the Sohma's fit their zodiac sign. Although Tohru is somewhat spacey, Yuki and Kyo tend to help her. The only episode I didn't not particularly like was, I think it was episode 17. It was about the Prince Yuki Fan Club. It was just a filler and quite frankly, very boring. There are 26 episodes and they're each about 20 minutes long. Overall, I do recommend you watch Fruits Basket. It was amazing! read more

My friend recently told me that she started watching Fruits Basket and she liked it so far. She was only two episodes in, so I didn't expect anything but. It got me to thinking about when I first watched Fruits Basket two or so years ago when I first started watching anime. I didn't know what to watch once I was finished Special A, and so many people online recommended Fruits Basket, so I gave it a try.

At first I thought that Fruits Basket was interesting, and had potential to be good, but they spent so long introducing new characters and not really giving them that much of a story that it just fell flat. Maybe if I read the manga I'd have a different conclusion, but I felt like everything was left hanging, especially the ending. It was an interesting enough story, although I thought it left for little romance with them pretty much not being able to touch.

Let me get onto Tohru (I'm actually suprised I still remember her name). She was clearly inhuman. She's got the least depth I've ever seen in an anime character. She's WAY to nice. No one on planet earth is that kind and modest. After a while it was just annoying. And she was way too innocent that it annoyed me. Yeah, I understand seeing guys naked is obviously going to get a reaction, but I swear she freaked out unnecessarily every time. I think the other characters are generic too. Her friends are generic weirdos, and the guys and girls of the zodiac are pretty much neatly tucked into a box. The anime tries to make it seem as though they have depth, but no. The character building was way too scarce for me to ever believe that.

The art was nice.

Overall, I think this anime is HIGHLY overrated. Which is strange, because apparently I like overrated things. (Death Note, Lovely Complex, etc). I don't know why everyone had so much praise for an anime that was discontinued. Maybe if you read the manga then I would understand. But if you didn't, why the hell watch it? It's not complete, nothing really goes on, it spends the whole anime building up a story that is inevitably not going to get solved within the anime. Torhu (God bless her heart) is the most annoying character in life. You never even know what she's thinking throughout the anime because she's too stupid to realize that these guys like her. THAT BEING SAID, this anime was good enough to finish... a lot of the time I just drop them. So... if that says anything to you?

I think I just needed to pass the time. Oh welll. read more

If you read description, you'll think "Ok, what do we have? A girl and lots of pretty boys around her who are obviously in love with her. She'll be in love over ears with the sexiest of them. Happy end."
Now, I advise you to look carefully. Of course, at first you'll have fun, watching clumsy and very cheerful Tohru getting involved with the strange mysterious members of the Sohma family. But if you watch it for the second time you'll find how incredible Tohru is because she still has ability to smile, having a bunch of troubles and sad memories behind her back. You'll find how difficult it is for the Sohma family to change their life, knowing about all the skeletons in the mysterious cupboard of the family.
Then, I advice you to watch it once again. Finally you'll notice all those important things Tohru says, disguised under the ease of this anime, and the situations which are so closely related to our lives. Maybe it'd help you to look at yourself from another angle as it did to me. read more

Before you read, you need; 1. something to measure with 2. A brain to remeber how terrible this anime really is.

**** warning, if you are a fanboy or a fangirl of this anime, you don't wanna read this. Because your thoughts of the world will collide with mine and create a black hole because of the paradox you have created.

Ugh. I really cannot understand why a lot of people liked this anime. But if you do like it, i have nothing against you. ( let me just make this clear ).
But I am planning on writing an honest review, and that is what i will do.

This anime is so far the most uninspiring thing i have watched so far.

What i strongly dislike about this anime, is its fail attempt at being deep and meaningful. From short preaches to overly sympathetic music, I really don't know where to begin.

How about we start with the story?
It's basically about a school girl who left without parents, rejected by relatives, and homeless.

(And let me just point out the fact that you won't be able to attend school if you don't have a home. Where does she take a bath? in the river? Not likely. Plus in reality no family would reject a pretty highschool girl. It's not even possible for her mental state to be normal. And it doesn't make sense at all that she was socially acceptable. But these are just opinions, so lets move on to the story.)

Until she finds a house that is willing to support a stranger. And again, she doesn't seem to be desperate for help. She rejects the offer at first, but later accepts. But there is some kind of a "attempted" dark atmosphere in the house. And later turns out to be that everyone has internal and external conflicts with either relatives or the fact that they turn to animals once in a while.
But then again, there's just too much comedy to keep a dark atmosphere.
And the anime tries to pull of this "They look happy and joke around, but they are actually LOLDEEP." MULTIPLE MULTIPLE times. So far, I'm already convinced that this anime is trying too hard to be deep.

ART-
someone wrote on their review that it is beautiful. I couldn't DISAGREE more.
If you notice, (and i even used paint tools to measure their facial structures.) the girl's eyes is 70% of her face. I am sorry but that is not beautiful. That is what we call CREEPY. I never saw anything that made me whoa


Characters- ( i am dying to talk about this one)

Lets start with the main character Tohru. The most fictional character i have ever seen. She is a goddamn SAINT. You cannot expect a person like this in real life. What really makes me angry is that whenever characters go through trouble, she gives them 5 sentences of counceling to make them fine. Her "theories" about the rice balls are just hard to agree. I wouldn't be surprised if they only gave 5 minutes of thinking to come up with this. And most of em are not even meanlingful. "keep up hope live life with bravery" ok herp derp.

Also, she has no personalities. Prepare to be amazed as i describe her whole personality in 4 words;
SHE IS RIDICULOUSLY NICE.

She does nothing but live for others and thinks NOTHING of herself.

and she keeps going on and on about this fruits basket story where she was rejected. That was a LONG LONG time ago. She had MUCH MUCH sadder events that happened to her and i cannot beleive she keeps bringing that crap up. And the anime plays the most ridiculously overly sympathetical music to be accepted FORCEFULLY.

And i'd just like to say to the people who say this anime is full of meaning;

this is like the most un-acceptable and the most fictional story ever.
You cannot expect a girl to be fine with all these traumas. It's just ridiculous.
It's like as if the writer was some guy who lives in la la land where everyone is happy and can be mentally repaired with 5 sentences of speech.

overall; this anime is for little girls who wish to believe that the world functions with these ridiculously nice characters. If you are about to watch this, i must warn you that this is the most unrealistic, hard to agree, overly-sympathetic anime in the world.

It would've made so much more sense if more bad things happened to her.
This is not a masterpiece folks.

But if you are to risk all this and watch it, please have a skeptical view and have a sharp mind.


*puts on anti-flame suit*

good day to you all. read more

The genius of this anime is not a complex story full of irony and plot twists; in fact the story is somewhat predictable. However, unlike much anime, this one does not depend on the characters emphatic exclamations of ‘I will do my best’ and willful hearts to solve everything. The characters experience realistic problems and misunderstandings. They struggle with their emotions and are often unable to overcome them in the face of their own logic. The main character is kind and giving, but the reason others love her is NOT because she sacrifices herself to others petty impositions. She is important in the story because she can see past what people say and do, to what is really wrong underneath. She also bears up under her own past admirably, but is not flawless and is as healed by her friends as they are by her.

I did not give the series a 10 because the animation was not particularly amazing, there were a few wasted episodes that dragged on and were unrelated to the main arc, and in the end they never solved the original question of what the curse of the zodiac is. Like many anime there is more to tell, though there is more closure in this story than in most.
read more

My Fruits Basket review (I watched Fruits Basket dubbed, not subbed)

Story: The story is brilliant. It's pretty much about a yong girl named Tohru, who lives in the woods in a tent after her mother's death. One day while walking to school, she finds a house and she decides to check it out. Apparently, a boy, Yuki Sohma, is known by Tohru, and walks to school with her and back. Yuki and his other family member that lives with him, Shigure, walk through the woods and find Tohru by the tent. She tells them that she's been living by herself in the tnt because of her mother's death, and Shigure and yuki take Tohru into their house t live with them for awhile. The next morning, another family member, Kyo, go's into their home going to challenge Yuki to a duel, when Tohru accidently hugs him, Kyo turns into a cat. Yuki and Shigure go to Tohru, but she hugs them, too. Yuki turns into a mouse and Shigure urns into a dog. 13 poeple in their famil apparently are part of the Chinese Zodiac. Okay, Im taking too long. The story is very well done.

Art: The art is very colorful, and very beautiful as well. The way how they make the eyes are very beautiful. If yo look at pictures of Fruits Basket, you can tell what I'm trying to say.

Sound: The sound is very good. They try to make the voice overs sound as good as loud as the background. It's close, but not quite. And Laura Bailey as Tohru is great!

Character: I liked all the characters in Fruits Basket with the exception of Akito. Tohru is a delight and will always put a smile on your face. Same with Yuki. Kyo and Shigure might not put smiles on your face, but they are great characters nonetheless. I don't like Akito because he's bossy and mean. That's why I put characters at a nine.

Enjoyment: From watching all the Fruits Basket episodes, I've never seen a Fruits Basket episode that I haven't liked. The dub by Funimation was great. One of their best dubs. I'm a fan of comedy and slice-of-life shows, so that's a big reason I liked this show.

Overall Fruits Basket is one of my favorite anime series and one of my favorite animes all together. I hope i didn't bore anyone with this review. read more

I remeber seeing the DVD in the shop and thinking how different it was, a story about zodiacs? who turn into animals when hugged? but i was thrilled at how many episodes were in each dvd, once it begun.

Soon as i watched the first episode i just couldnt stop watching, each new introduction for a new character would equal more love for the series. Each character had a wonderful trait about them.

There was so many characters and you just kept wanting to know who would be what animal. You follow Tohru as she stumbles upon them and from then on you enjoy discovering each new secret and story with her.

Falling so in love with each characters sub story.

Bringing tears of sadness and tears of laughter. I couldnt ask for a better anime, it captured sweet romance, and sadness as well as a beautiful developing storyline between everyone as well as the secret of the Sohmas.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves some sweet light hearted romance and a great laugh.
I just wanted to care for each and everyone just how Tohru did. read more

To be honest, I never would have bothered with Fruits Basket had I been able to sleep at 3 AM. But with nothing to do, and a lot of friends who greatly admired it, I downloaded the shoujo to buy it no more than two weeks later. The story is good, though not the best. A pretty young girl gets wrapped up in a science fiction/fantasy scenario involving a lot of beautiful young men. But while a synopsis may come off as dull and repelling to some, as it was for me, the elements of the show grip themselves together and create a truly unforgettable experience.

So we've now all read what I thought of the story when I read about the show online. It sounded weak and amateur. But the way the story is executed went far beyond my shallow expectations. "The curse" I read in every blurb plays a very small part in the anime, I believe, at least in the sense that it doesn't seem to be the driving force through most of the storyline. What the show took to heart and really projected was the interactions of our beloved heroine, Tohru Honda, and the people she meets along the way.

This brings me to the characters. These people may not be found in every corner of the Earth, but they are real enough to believe and connect with. The characters have carefully selected individualized emotions that they keep to themselves, and we viewers have to watch them be masterfully uncovered, in order to better appreciate the show ourselves. Even if the plot doesn't appeal to you, I would suggest you put your time towards Fruits Basket for the genius cast of characters created.

The sound and the music was designed flawlessly for the art. While I don't appreciate all of the images and sequences (particularly when facing a more dramatic moment), I do enjoy the upbeat and lively look and sound of the anime. The music will, I repeat will, get caught in your head, and makes the pictures in front of you into an even cuter scene than what was already, silently, there. I hate to compare for a review, but I will here anyway (may it be the only time I do!): the anime's sound and art better projects the "love life" feel of Fruits Basket than the manga is able to do. I would suggest putting the anime before the manga. Then go back for the completed story.

Even animes I hold in the highest regard often go untouched on my shelf after I've finished them, but as for Fruits Basket, each DVD is incredibly worn down. I have watched and rewatched and watched again and never once has my interest in the show deteriated. This is one of my most beloved animes, and I can't imagine it ever being someone's "waste of time." It's within my top five.

-shoujokiss7 read more