Fruits Basket

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I find that there are people who absolutely love (this seems to be the majority) Furuba or people who can't stand it.

I believe that it's hard not to like Furuba. At first I thought it was just going to be funny, because the first 7 or so volumes are full of hilarious scenes (mainly because whenever the Juunishi are hugged by the opposite sex, they change!). But once you get to volume 6 everything seems to start to gravitate in a different direction.

The story line, when it's revealed, is a little cliche in my opinion. Hence the rate of a 9. Don't get ... me wrong, its a beautiful story and one I find myself learning from over and over again no matter how many times I read it. It's about growing up and becoming who you're meant to be and finding the reason why you were born. It's almost hard to believe sometimes, the pain the characters have to go through in Furuba. But I'm so engrossed in each pain that it's not something that can be put down easily.

The characters are the winning point in Furuba. In reality they'd be a bunch of loners, depressing and sad. And just about every one of them is believable. Their personalities range from overtly happy (meaning there hiding the pain) to stubborn as a horse (go figure) and just down right conceited (he knows who he is). Even 'God' too. The growth of each of them is stunning and gorgeous and reading them grow is like watching the sun rise on a rainy day. I've laughed obnoxiously, cried until my chest hurt and felt the red hot burn of hatred while reading this manga. My favorite character is Kyo because he's absolutely adorable and I think I would also try to solve everything with anger myself. And the one character that I hated and grew to love was Yuki because he, in my opinion, is the one who grows the most. The one problem I have though is our main character. I love and I hate Tohru Honda. It's hard to place into words, what Tohru is. Because she becomes everything at once. A mother, a sister, a friend, a confident, a hero and the reason for someone else's life. But she's also the saddest girl I have ever seen. Bottled up with the most horrifying feelings. Even in the beginning it's obvious. Losing your mother would tear anyone's heart it two. I love her and what she does for everyone in the story. Because if I were to meet her myself, I think I would react much as all the Zodiac do. I would treat her as if she were the sun itself. But where, but in a manga, do you find someone so selfless.

The enjoyment I had and continue to have for this manga is absolute. I own every single volume and I'll pick up one all the time and just read it. There's a lesson in every chapter and words, that even though I don't think anyone in the real world has the heart to say, that make me want to become a better person. Someone who would give and give and give and ask for nothing in return. It makes me want to smile. To be the reason that someone else could smile. It makes me want to to the rock that someone can stand on. It's hard to read this manga and not feel ashamed for something you've done. It makes me ashamed to feel that I don't do as Tohru does. Which is why I believe that everyone should read this manga. Because it's heartwarming, sad, and where life continues to grow.

People underestimate children and teenagers. When you're a kid, you're a blank slate that can be easily damaged. When you're a teenager, you tend to go through a lot of crap and as you get older, the baggage from when you were a teenager can carry over to your adult life. Yet there's this preconceived notion in our society that children/teenagers are stupid and that the problems that they go through when they're this young are trivial in comparison to the trials and tribulations they'll go through in their adult lives. Fruits Basket is a manga which tells the story of Tohru Honda and her ... life with the Sohma family and is also a tale of emotional hardship.

Though Fruits Basket might seem like a supernatural comedy at first with its reverse harem premise and some occasional cuteness/man service to boot, it quickly turns into something much darker and deeper as it dives into the story of the Sohma family (specifically, the 12 members of the Chinese Zodiac, plus the cat) and their history of abuse/neglect and emotional hardship. At the forefront of all this is our plucky heroine, Tohru Honda who by the start of the series is an orphan. While many people like to criticise Tohru's characterisation as being "too perfect," I'd like to take the time to say that it's not entirely true.

Yes, Tohru is certainly kinder than most people and embodies certain characteristics that one might find rather stereotypical/idealistic. However, it should be noted that Tohru is not infallible. She actually is a flawed individual and is capable of making mistakes. Her cheerful demeanour simply masks the strife that she's endured. In fact, being TOO and cheerful and upbeat is her coping mechanism for all the shit she's gone through. Her behaviour doesn't go unnoticed. People do call her out on being "too happy" all the time, and what's more is that we get to see the child crying out for her lost mommy and daddy as the manga progresses. Each instance we see the part of her personality that her bubbly exterior masks is brief, but it's more than enough to remind us that she isn't perfect.

Another purpose that Tohru's cheerful demeanour serves is to lighten the mood of the overall story. This is a manga which deals with VERY heavy subjects such as parental/psychological abuse, neglect, and emotional codependency. Tohru and virtually every member of Zodiac is a seriously damaged individual with a history of great strife. Without something to lighten the overall tone of the story (if only a little), Fruits Basket would immediately become a work thoroughly entrenched in the melodramatic. Despite what most people who suffer from depression like to say, their lives aren't all bad. There's always going to be a light spot, some jovial mood every now and then, etc. In that sense, Tohru is even more of a necessity and not a hindrance to the storytelling.

When it comes down to lightening the mood, Natsuki Takaya did an excellent job with Fruits Basket. In fact, this is what I love about it so much. Far too often in anime and manga, we tend to get what seems like a light-hearted narrative that quickly devolves into a melodrama which tries too hard to evoke an emotional response out of the viewer/reader and Fruits Basket manages to avoid these very pitfalls by carefully blending the comedy with the drama/romance without creating some sort of dichotomy between these elements. With the right blend of comedy, drama, and romance along with some very well-written characters who play off of each other very well, she was effectively able to throw something depressing at you while reminding you that it's not all bad and that things will eventually get better for the characters.

When it comes down to characters, virtually everyone in the cast is properly fleshed out and play off of each other really well. Characters of particular note are Yuki, Kyo, Hatori, and Rin. We know exactly who each member of the cast is, we know their back-stories, and we see them grow and change as individuals. Tohru's friends, Saki and Arisa are also given their own time to shine in the sun and prove to be invaluable to Tohru's character growth. However, if there had to be a character that stood out to me more than anyone else, it would have to be Tohru's mother, Kyoko Honda. Surprisingly, even a deceased character is given time in the spotlight via flashback to show just how much of an influence that she's had on Tohru and vice-versa and for that, I applaud Natsuki Takaya.

Unfortunately, I can't really say the same about Takaya's artwork. It's going to be hard enough for people who are unfamiliar with the shoujo aesthetic to get used to the artwork in Fruits Basket, and her artwork certainly isn't bad by any means. What's more is that her artwork does go through quite a bit of refinement as the series progresses. However, the biggest fault that the manga has when it comes down to artwork is the relative lack of detail put into everything along with the fact that it seems like character faces/hairstyles sometimes end up recycled for side/supporting characters. I had a hard time trying to figure out whether or not Kyo was in the panel, or if it was one of the student council members, just as an example. Regardless, Takaya certainly did an adequate job of the artwork and it works for what it does.

So final thoughts: Fruits Basket is definitely one of the best mangas I've ever had the pleasure of reading. People often think of the shoujo demographic as being rife with big eyes, man service, reverse harems, debauchery, idiot girls fawning over guys who are complete dicks to them, etc. That's not entirely the case. Yes, that is certainly true for anime/manga on the lower end of the spectrum. However, if you're really looking for a shoujo series to read that's in the top of its class, I cannot recommend this manga enough. Now, there is an anime adaptation currently available from Funimation that was produced by Studio DEEN back in 2001. However, it only covers the first 38 chapters or so of the manga which is relatively early in its run. It's still worth watching, don't get me wrong but you might find it a bit too jovial compared to the rest of the manga.

Currently, Fruits Basket is out-of-print. TOKYOPOP used to publish the series and it was one of their all-time bestsellers (with sales only being topped by Naruto, believe it or not). Unfortunately, TOKYOPOP went out of business in 2011 and as such, all their titles have gone out-of-print and Viz Manga/Yen Press/Dark Horse/Kodansha Comics have not yet picked it up for publishing. Fortunately, there are plenty of volumes in circulation for you to read at a fair enough price so you should be able to pick up the entire series on Amazon or possibly Right Stuf if you're lucky.

With all of that said, I'm done with this review. Feedback is greatly appreciated as always. This is also my first manga review so please be gentle, senpai >////

This was the first series that I actually finished, and it was also the series that got me interested in the whole aspect of manga and anime ^^. I hope to one day re-read it if I can get hold of the books, since Tokyopop disabled their upload on online manga sites.

Story: The one thing I love about this series is that there's no one set genre. One moment, you can explore deeply into your conscious, the next you can be laughing your ass off at a joke Shigure makes. Though the sudden change, the events that unfold still seem to follow ... very smoothly and it's very easy to link what's happening at any one part with any other parts of the series. This series also has a really good ending, it wrapped up very nicely and it leaves you with a heart-warming content feeling.

Art: The drawing at first felt weird. I think I was overwhelmed by Tohru's large eyes lol. But I think it's becoming my idea of manga drawings now, I tend to compare other series drawings with fruits basket. Just a habit of mine.

Character: Developing characters worked nicely into fruits basket. You find yourself following the path of each character, experiencing all their joy and sorrow; this allowed me to connect better with the characters. I don't think I'll ever forget them :)

Enjoyment: It's the highest scoring series in my list so far. Only reason I gave it 9/10 is cause saying it's 10/10 is saying it's the best, but I don't know if a new series will come that will beat it. So, for me 10/10 is reserved.

Overall: So very good, if only the anime is as good as the manga.

Ok, first, I thought that Fruits Basket was a little weird. My friend recommended it and I wasn't really in the mood to read an awfully long manga. So... maybe after one month, I tried reading it and then I knew I couldn't et away from the computer:P

I know you would think I'm crazy for giving it almost a full ten but they're true. Story - one of a kind, unique. I mean where would you get the idea of making the characters into animals when they hug the opposite sex? And I also love the development of the 'love' in the story. And ... it has drama, comedy, and romance which makes it my favorite. Fruits Basket is one of the mangas I first read and one of the mangas that I really enjoyed reading.

Art - Like almost all mangas, first, the art was...ok but it got better and better. The guys in the manga are all handsome(*coughs* hot*coughs*). But the girls are ...ok too but not that much because some of the girls looked masculine.

Character - Fruits Basket is one of the mangas that develops the looks of the characters. Try to look at the characters in the first chapter and at the very last and they looks matured and I like those kind of mangas, not the type that was shown for a year and still look like what they looked at the very first chapter. I also liked the attitudes and personalities of the characters. They were all funny in their own little ways. No one acted like emos. Some of the main characters changed over time from hard to soft(you know what I mean).

Enjoyment - I again gave it a ten because it's an awesome manga that made me cry(Yes, I did), laugh a lot and I mean A LOT!, and moved with the sweetness of the characters with each other(the main couple). It's like a full package deal XD

Overall, I loved it so much. I read it whenever I kinda feel lonely, and it always makes me laugh and somehow helps removing my loneliness :P It's a really really great read. It kinda refreshed my soul after reading it. It's the kind of manga that makes you want to read more and more.

Last, I LOVE IT SO MUCH (I now officially want to re-read Fruits Basket lol)

I'm being a bit more critical in rating this manga series. It's a really great manga though. So its definitely recommended for anyone who has seen the anime and who want to see a closure to the story.

Story [10/10]: The base of the story was wonderful and perfect to weave a long story including people associated with the zodiac. The main concept that keeps the story rolling is the fact that each person, who is possessed by an animal spirit associated with the chinese zodiac, suffers from emotional hardships because either their own parents won't accept them or society wouldn't. The one causing them to ... suffer even more is their head of the house who is constantly mentally pressuring them to obey whatever he tells. And the one who comes to ease their pain is Tohru Honda. Interactions of each zodiac member with Tohru and a change in their attitude and stance against their own curse and the head of the house is what makes up the full 23 vols of this series. The story is heavily based on human emotions - mostly negative on the part of the zodiac members and a mixture of both positive and negative on Tohru's part. I also should add that the manga is not all comic, as the anime was for most of the part, as the series progresses. From the point in the manga equivalent to where the anime finished, you'll get to read a lot of negative thoughts and emotions. Sometimes while reading the manga, it really made me wonder- is this the manga of the same story as the anime? Overall though the story gets quiet dark , there are also lots of good comic situations- most really well executed in the anime. Since the series has a lot of volumes, the story isn't rushed. We get to read about the family background of most of the zodiac members is quiet a bit of detail. Each character's story makes a definite impact on the reader. Their gradual acceptance of the situation they are in and attempts to break free of all that emotional trauma of years is smoothly conveyed.

Art [8/10]: The art throughout the 23 vols is not having the same style. If you open the first vol and the last vol. and look for any character, you'll see the huge difference. I somewhat felt let down by that. But never mind since its the story that matters the most. other that the obviously changed style of drawing characters, the art is clean. Backgrounds are well drawn. Body proportions are also reasonably well drawn. Panels are not cluttered.

Character [8/10]: Another strong point of the manga. All characters have distinct personalities which you won;t be able to forget. All the characters have quiet a bit of dark streaks to their personality mostly because of their surroundings and the hardships they have had to face all the more fuelled by their twisted head of the family. The head of the family is abusive. This is one thing I didn't enjoy personally. But its also what drives the other characters to behave the way they do. The other thing that I didn't personally like was the way Haru and Rin's relationship has been portrayed- a little bit too involved for their age. Similarly, Akito's relationship with his own relatives also seemed a bit uncomfortable for me. I'm only explicitly mentioning this since this manga has been rated Teen (13+) by Tokyopop, so I wasn't expecting mature natured interactions between the characters. Apart from that, none of the characters are annoying and their gradual change of perspective of things believable.

Enjoyment and Overall [8/10]: Its easy to go berserk when you've been put in unpleasant surroundings or situations repeatedly. But to not break down in those situations and still enjoy today and look forward to tomorrow is what the protagonist of this series tries to convey. I think people today need such motivation more than ever. Overall, it was a fun long read. The plot was attention grabbing and the storytelling smooth. Recommended!

Okay, I decided a long time ago that my first review would go to Fruits Basket, so I guess it's about time. Before I start I want to say two things:
First of all, I finished Furuba almost a year ago, but I re-read a few chapters from time to time, and I still remember almost everything.
And second of all, my english may not be the best, so don't be surprised if there's something that sounds weird.

Story - 9/10

At first, it's not really something special. It's a cute girl who meets a family who turns into cute animals when they hug people. Cute.
However, that's not ... all there is to Furuba. This whole story isn't about people turning into animals, so don't stop reading before you understand that.
Furuba's story is darker than it seems. There are secrets, tragedies and unsolved mysteries that turned this 'cute' manga into something much deeper, something you'll remember for the rest of your life. And what's even more remarkable is that, despite all these tragedies and all this despair, everything gets a happy end. I admit it, I cried my eyes out.

Art - 9/10

At first, I was thinking about giving it 8, but then I thought about one of my favourite pages, one where you see Katsuya holding little Tohru and smiling, and realized how much I love this style.
Natsuki Takaya is, without a doubt, one of my favourite mangakas, and her style goes through a huge transformation between the first and the last book. Another thing you can't help but notice between book 1 and book 23 is how the characters have grown. If we take my favourite character, Kyo, as an example, I didn't notice until I started comparing. And wow, she's really done a great job here! Even when they're all grown up, you have no problem telling who the characters are. This gets an extra point from me, cuz I just happen to love to see characters grow up (and sometimes get a family, like in Clannad or Itazura na Kiss)
So, art is a 9.

Character - 10/10

This is doubtless the best part of Fruits Basket. The characters.
Let's start of with the main characters.
Tohru is probably one of my favourite shoujo heroines of all time. I've seen people who find her hard to believe, but in my point of view, it doesn't matter. Manga isn't reality, so she makes an excellent protagonist. She is sweet, helpful, a little slow, but with a heart of gold. Nuff said.
Kyo and Yuki were also good characters. I can say that now.
Kyo was my favourite right from the start, which is probably on of the reasons to why I disliked Yuki. He's acts mean and sometimes violent, but he really cares about Tohru (an excellent tsundere, that is). Yuki seems perfect at a first glance, but later you realize that he's not like you thought. After 23 books, I didn't hate him anymore.

However, the supporting characters are just as important as the main. They all have their own problems and personalities, and you get to see them work everything out, with the help of our lovable heroine. Everything gets a happy end, and I can only think of two (fairly important) characters who didn't fall in love.
In the end, you'll like at least one or two.

Enjoyment - 10/10

I love Furuba with all of my heart. It did take me a lot of time to finish it, since I read online with a bad internet connection, but in the end I'm so happy I did. There were so many moments and characters that touched my heart, and in the end I was crying like a little baby. The best manga I've ever read since the day I was born.

Overall - 10/10

Everything that needs to be said has been said. Wonderful story, beautiful artwork, and lovable characters. I'd recommend Fruits Basket to everyone I know.

2022 edit: the opinions expressed in this review are currently outdated, take with a grain of salt.

Young adult/teen characters in a abusive and closed-off family environment with a variety of resurfacing childhood traumas, and how a girl whose greatest strength is her kindness manages to awaken new changes in dealing with that trauma.

Fruits Basket was one of my first manga series ever. I started reading when I was about 12 years old. I didn't know what I was getting myself into- going from enjoying the animal transformations and the cute edgy orange haired teen boy, to seeing the series to the end ... even though I couldn't make sense of the themes and volatile relationships. Now, about ten years later, with much more perspective on un/healthy relationships and family dynamics, and better taste in people I date, I wanted to see if any of my nostalgia needed debunking and if I could clear my past confusion.

The short answer is that the good parts are better than I remembered, and the bad parts are as bad as I remembered. The main characters are still likable (except for Shigure and Akito), whoever your 2008 Sohma crush was they're still dreamy, the character interactions are engaging, and even when they're put in simple scenarios like The Hot Sprints Chapter, The Beach Chapter, The School Festival Chapter, ect, there's still great story and personality development. Before rereading this month, I thought Tohru was probably actually really bland and didn't do anything but I was wrong. You'd be surprised how many of the Sohmas have never had just a single straight up polite semi-nice person interact with them. She's not just a magical cure all fix for problems either, she has her doubts and moments where she has to learn something new, just like any other person, thus she is interesting. Tohru's best friends are often understated on why others like this series. Hanajima and Uotani are not only unique but lovable. I feel that I am vicariously living through them when they confront bullies in high school.
It wasn't just the silly handsome ratboy being eye candy, it was seeing my own personal desire to care for people an try to "fix" their problems and the cascades of twisted relationships found underneath. We've all had to deal with emotional issues between ourselves, friends, and family at some point, so you might see a scenario between these characters mirror something that happened to you. And even if that's not the case, you'll probably feel empathy and the desire for change towards these characters.
Like this, there are a lot of great moments in Fruits Basket, but no need for me to spoil the whole show.

This isn't Natsuki Takaya's first manga, but the art definitely improves from the first chapters onwards. For my tastes, peak Takaya artwork happens between about chapters 35 through 77. I know that post chapter 77 Takaya has some sort of permanent hand injury and the only way she could continue to draw was by changing her style, however on a level of my personal preference, I dislike the new style. I feel it's much less expressive and less detailed than before and I feel it literally shows on the character's faces, and there's more lack of variety in other things like screentones and patterns. I have to give her props though, for not giving up and pushing through a lot of pain.

Now...for the bad unfortunately. Most of the main and side characters are part of a family community. This means that everyone is related to someone in some way. There are cousins who love their cousins in this story and it's put in a positive light, which really puts me off, especially when one of the central themes of this series is learning to find a better way in life with people who aren't connected to you in unhealthy ways. Incest is a pretty big moral taboo, and a lot more bad has come out of it compared to any good.
There is also a very large age gap between Tohru's mother and father. It seems she was about 14-15 years old when they got married and he's about 8-9 years older than her, putting him around 23 years old. They joke once that he's a pedophile, while all the chapters previous explained what a nice guy he was. Most if not all relationships with this kind of age gap where one side is 15 years old are abusive. Chapter 90 portrays the father in too positive of a light, and that's where I ended my reread this year because I was ready to make my full judgments.
I don't consider these to be spoilers though I know others might disagree. But it's a big part of my hangups about the series and I feel I couldn't complete this review without the above information.

Closing statement:
If you've never read this, you're curious, and can push past the incest and the one age gap, I say go for it. It's got a great mix of fun and seriousness, the characters are gems.
If you already read this and your nostalgia is creeping up on you, I say revive those old memories, and just hit the pause button after chapter 77. In addition to my warnings above, I feel that the story pacing after 77 becomes slower and starts to suffer.
If you read this and don't like it by the end of volume 2 or 3, drop it.

Thanks.

Story: There really is no plot. There is one single idea that tends to drive on the story, but I felt that it was too forced. Throughout much of the series, the characters don't even focus on this one problem that just barely manages to bind together the series.
Art: Although ,it's not the best I've seen, it's still pretty good. The art is clean and has originality. These kinds of drawings are fun to look at.
Character: This is one of the reasons why I dislike this manga more than others. Let's discuss the main character first. Honda is just too perfect. There is no human ... on earth that can possibly posses 0 bad traits. Characters that have faults are more fun to read about. They make the story more enjoyable and more realistic. Honda is just way too perfect for me to like.
Enjoyment: I enjoyed most of the story. I loved the humor and the interactions between the characters.
Overall: It would be a 6 (fine)

So here I'm about to pan one of the most-loved manga series of all time, what am I thinking...

I think the reason I have such a negative opinion of this series is because it is so fundamentally wrong on so many levels. But the largest is that it's a story of abuse, abuse, and more abuse; abuse as the default of human interactions; abuse carried through the generations; abuse that carries the weight of some kind of vast karmic mystery. And that's revolting.

Caution: while I will try to avoid spoilers, it's possible that I'll give something away as I will discuss plot in what follows.

It ... shouldn't take long for the reader to realize that this is one of those stories where incomprehensible painful circumstances are meted out to all characters indiscriminately. Our heroine Tohru is recently orphaned; and thrown out of her house by her grandfather, because his family doesn't like her. So she's living in a tent in the woods.

Cheerfully.

COME ON. This is a straight-up Stepford Smiler routine. If you ever meet someone who is this relentlessly cheerful under these circumstances, sleep with one eye open, because that is some INTENSE baggage, most especially to be dumping on a 14-year-old! With no support structure! Tohru's smile ought to be hiding profound psychological agony; Tohru's unrelenting smile should suggest to all that she has some serious unaddressed issues. But no, her principal characteristic is that she truly does love and forgive everyone, even when she ought to be torching the place. This also establishes early a central theme of the series, which is that extended family exists to torment everyone.

Soon we meet the other family that will be the focus of the series, a large, wealthy, extended family straight out of a semi-feudal society. Which is itself made up of a bunch of smaller family groups, all of which have been torn apart by a karmic curse that exists for Reasons and which pretty much everybody would like to break, but nobody knows how. (Don't worry, reader! By the end of the series, nobody will still know how--although the Power of Plot Compels It, so I suppose there's that.) We also meet the two live-in love interests, a pretty-boy sweetheart who's too shy to look you in the eye, and an Angry Young Man. Of the former: well, that shyness is largely because of the abusive environment in which he was raised, with inappropriate relationships and responsibilities thrust upon him immediately, and rejection by his actual family; to the extent that he's suffering from learned helplessness and unable to make his own decisions. Of the latter, we can at least say that he is portraying a much more realistic response to abuse than Tohru does: he's been threatened, made to claim responsibility for things that he did not do, physically abused, socially rejected, and generally tortured his whole life; and his response is, understandably, to inflict that pain right back on everyone else, physically or emotionally.

This is supposed to be a romance?

One can predict, from the genre, that the theme is a Really Tolerant, Persistently Loving Girl needs to come along and rescue one of these poor tortured boys with the power of unconditional love; but the reality is these folks don't need a girl(or boy)friend, they need a therapist. Well, actually they need the police; and child protective services; and then several therapists. Because these are not problems that one person's unconditional love is capable of solving. These are problems that will need to be reflected upon at length, until all three of these characters have learned self-respect and the ability to set and enforce safe boundaries, and have recognized the maladaptive coping mechanisms and expectations their lives of abuse have instilled within them.

Not to mention that it is not the job of the first attractive accommodating woman to enter the life of a troubled young man to perform all the agonizing emotional labor needed to Fix His Dark Brooding Past. (But five bucks what's going to happen...)

It gets worse from there; it's a 23-volume series and there's only one direction for the stakes to go. But suffice it to say that this is a series that normalizes phenomenally troubling interactions and presents them as acceptable. It's a series that promotes an acquiescence to horrific circumstances; and a seriously messed-up response of just accepting and forgiving and accepting and forgiving, in a way that's revolting to watch.

This is the principal reason for my low opinion of the work, and I've gone on long enough anyway, but I should add that aside from its bad social modeling, the book is largely just meaningless melodrama. Several volumes seem dedicated to side characters who serve no real narrative purpose other than to provide extra bodies to pair people off with. I suppose one could call this "character development," but the growth that occurs is largely arbitrary and implausible; it feels more like filler.

The art's good enough--not my favorite, and rather lazy and repetitive in many places--but passable. (Although of course Takaya-sensei can draw way better than I can...) But overall the series is an offensive, tedious slog.

I made it all the way to the end hoping there would finally be some questions answered, or that the inevitable happy end would be earned somehow. If you're hoping the same--well, better luck to you than I had.

Art was dreadful. Series would be ended within one chapter by this era's current standards.

Characters were unrealistic. Where in the world would you find such 15/16 yo who understand and express themselves clearly? Tohru can be summarized in one word: Perfect. She's so blessedly perfect her flaws are also made into pitiable things that make her 'endearing'. You can just skip over every interaction she has with the 12 zodiacs. They can be summarized in one sentence: Tohru charms them over to her side. Also, the villain is impossible to sympathize with. Childhood trauma does not justify the things they did, and the author certainly ... did well chucking everything up to that last minute, after making us hate them intensely. Major plot twist? DUN DUN DUN. I don't care about it at that point. Just end it already.

In the end, the only salvageable beings are Yuki, whose diligence justifies his self-awareness, and Tohru's electromagnetic waves friend. However, even them are trampled over in the author's chase for 'Everyone finds their significant other. Let's give them all a happy ending!' which resulted in frankly creepy relationships.

The rooster pressed chest to chest with Tohru to apologize for not meeting up with his crush (ie. her best friend)? How romantic! An interning teacher 20+ yo touching the hair of a 14 yo student and kissing her on the forehead upon first meeting? It must be love at first sight! A woman having sex freely with one of her companions and then getting together with her crush thereafter without having a proper adult conversation about this?

Urgh.

The question to ask is: What did Fruits Basket do correct in its treatment of its characters? Why bulldoze everyone's character in order to tailor to the taste of the audience (who are evidently middle school girls swooning at every kiss and hug even though it'd only be sexual harassment in reality)? Where did Fruits Basket go wrong with such potential at the beginning?

In the end, all I can say is this:

This was unmistakably the biggest waste of my time, and the most uncomfortable manga I have ever picked up. Go read a novel on human nature instead. It might be more fruitful for you.

I wrote this assuming you read the description!

I gave this series a 10 in almost every category (the category that I didn't was art, because it was admittedly unimpressive at the beginning, but it does improve). It is my favorite story of all time. It doesn't matter if you bring me novels, animes, comics, cartoons, movies, or anything else, because I'm sure this series will rein supreme.

From the outside it looks like your average shoujo series: cute, optimistic, orphan girl living in bishi heaven and knowing something secret about them. But it's not! Natsuki Takaya writes characters that really take flight into a life of ... they're own. No character is perfect (even miss-goody-two-shoes main character has a few dark secrets).
The "curse" that the family who's lap she's fallen into is under is no laughing matter. Essentially the curse is simply a social setting within the family, only that the members of this social circle turn into the members of the chinese zodiac (as well as the cat) when they are hugged or bumped into by a member of the opisite sex. As the series goes forward this seemingly silly curse becomes something of dark nature and you see that the people living under this curse have had to give up so much, including love, family, memories, and hope.
You see through the eyes of every character from the main characters deceased mother to the head of "Prince Yuki Fan Club". This continuous switching of perspective makes it impossible to hate any character completely for the mangaka always seems to be making you sympathize with them.

Yet the series stays lighthearted. It's sweet, cute and hilarious in the weirdest ways. If you give this series a try i can garuntee you'll never regret it!

Fruits Basket is by far the greatest manga I have read and will ever read. It tops both my manga and anime experiences. So far, I have read 22 out of the 23 volumes, but I can say that it is my favorite with no doubt in my mind. The story is truly a Romantic Dramedy, a love story with extreme drama splitting it apart, but with comic relief intertwined within the pages.

The story blew me away with it's deep emotions and feelings. It is the kind of story that makes you experience a ray of emotions, but in the end you still enjoy ... it. It is only enhanced with the wonderful art, that really helps your own emotions come out as you picture the emotions in the eyes of each character. It is a wonderful ride as the volumes increase, and the characters both look and act older. The details become even more exciting as you think about how the characters have changed from the first volume to the last.

Fruits Basket is not just another manga you should read on the computer. Since I received the first volume, my goal has been to own them all. It is a very deep story that keeps you on your toes, and is even something that you can incorporate into your own thinking process and life. All of the characters have their own unique look, personality, back story, and dynamic changes that make it that much more enjoyable. Over the course of reading, I've laughed, cried, blushed, felt angry, overjoyed, and a rainbow of other emotions. I am proud to say that volumes 1-22 are sitting upon my shelf while my other owned manga stays hidden away in another area. Soon, 23 will be up there to complete my collection. Fruits Basket is amazing, and recommended for anyone who enjoys a dynamic story filled with ups and downs, but mainly ups. Once I finish the series, Fruits Basket will definitely be a manga that I reread, and be one that I pull off my shelf to read as my release.

"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." --Tohru Honda

Well, whenever the manga came out and I had a few of my classmates reading it, I just couldn't even look at them right. I thought the plot was silly and I just avoided it for the longest time. But one day I was at the library, and I saw a DVD set of Fruits Basket. And this was this year, 2014. I knew it was pretty dated, but I was like "hey why not, I'm more open minded now." ...

And I must say, from the first episode, I was hooked. I loved every minute, UNTIL the last episode. I was like "wtf, that can't be it." And then it lead me to read the entire manga series in less than 3 days just so I could finish the story, the beautiful story(: I'm quite disappointed that the anime will never be completely finished, but I am so glad that I read the manga!

Anyways! >.>

Story: 10- People who say this is "plotless" really needs to analyze what this manga is all about. There are timeless life lessons in this. It's about a girl, Torhu, who's so strong & kind. She's a perfect example of someone who hides pain behind a mask of composure. This story is about overcoming a painful past. Every character has a story of their own, and that is what makes it relate-able in every way. Even Akito (the not so nice person in the plot) has a past, a story, and a dream. :3

Art: 8- The reason I gave it a eight, was because it's not my cup of tea. But it is pretty old (10+ years) So I give it credit & it is diffidently unique. Every character has it's own lil features ^^

Character: 10- Torhu is my fav female character of all time. She's just so sweet and loving , & she puts everyone ahead of herself. She's really such an inspiration even if she isn't a real person. I wish I could be as selfless as her(: But the other characters are just as awesome. Kyo is the stubborn one, Yuki is the gentle guy, and Shigure is the pervert XD There's so many wonderful ones in this manga. Not to mention the cute little Momiji!

Enjoyment: 10- Like I mentioned before, I finished this in less than 3 days. There's 23 vol people XD I couldn't even remember sleep. I couldn't do anything until I finished it. It is truly a beautiful story and I fell in love more and more as I kept reading. I promise you, the ending will leave you feeling complete :3

Overall: 10- I recommend this to any fan of anime. (because most anime lovers are also big manga readers) Unless you are me, and only read certain ones. And for a not-so-big-readers, give this one a shot! You won't be disappointed.

I decided to read the manga because I watched the manga and wanted to know what happened after.... quite different from the story. Anywho in the beginning I thought it was funny and I liked the art a lot but towards the end it was a little disappointing. The character development was very well done and the story was a very interesting take on the zodiac. The part that did disappoint me was the fact that the author waited until the very end f the series to deal with everyone's problems and reveal bits about their past ..etc It was too much and too ... many at one time. It was confusing at times but this might've have also been attributed to the new scanlators who were definitely not the best. (sorry i'm still grateful but the grammar and punctuation made me feel that a lot had gotten lost in translation) The other thing I disliked was the protagonist. after a while you realize she really is just a typical shojo girl pretty, weepy, idiotic, and smiles through everything. Her character didn't develop as much as the rest of the characters. The end gave her a little more depth but not enough to really understand why all these boys were interested in her. And I feel honestly momiji was a weak rival later on even though he was so cute xp.I wish he had gotten a fair chance he was awesome:) I also feel the art style changed a little when they got older and I disliked the change for some of the characters. and akito?$#@%$#@@$?3 I don't know why this person had such power over them for so long. I liked Rin cuz even though she had a lot of issues she had depth and was very honest and true to character til the end. I with I got to see more instances with her. Also tohru's friends were great. they cracked me up especially hanajima:)

Other than that it was still a solid read. Funny at times. and of course Bishies galore.

Fruit Basket is one of the most unique shoujo I have ever read, It is not light hearted and happy go lucky like other shoujos, Fruit Basket touches upon many realistic issues like Abuse, PTSD, Depression, Social anxiety, Abandonment issues and potray all these in very realistic way.
The main theme of this story is motherhood and romance is just a side plot, The fact that main leads have platonic relationship is what makes it stand out from rest of the shoujos.
Characters are all well written and have depth and have very good character development, Our Main protagonist Tohru may seem like your cliched shoujo heroine ... which her character troupe is based on that but the reason why Tohru is different from other shoujo heroines is because she has lot of depth and character development, she is not nice just for the sake of being nice but there is reason why she is so over cheerful and nice which you would find out as you go further, in a same way other characters too have lot of depth in them as well as there are lot of parallels between the characters which is something I love too.
Whether it's romantic relationships or platonic, fruit basket potrays them very realistically it also shows human nature and their psychology.
Overall Fruit Basket is a Masterpiece, there is lot to talk about and analyze, I can talk about it whole day.

If there ever was a story worthy of praise- it would honest, to life be Fruits Basket.
For, it is not one of those typical mangas where the main protagonist is a good-for-nothing clumsy [Tohru is clumsy... but never mind that] girl, whose life gets delivered to her lap on a silver platern. No, this is a manga where ones happiness is earned through honest effort, good friends, and the person herself who brings everyone together in the end [because of her personal experiences], Tohru.

The way in which this manga is paced, introduced and concluded is brilliantly woven into a story perhaps a bit ... non-puzzling.
The way in which it introduces its characters is peculiar, because it is done in a way that makes all the characters memorable in their own way- I swear, I could possibly name all the 12 animals of the zodiac, and from there describe their individual story.
If not remembering their name, I remember their zodiac sign.
For it is that unforgetable.
The story itself is pretty simple- a girl getting to know about the deep secrets of the Sohma family, thereafter meeting each and everyone of them. Learning about them, healing them and recieving a special place in their hearts.
Which is pretty much all she does, and is what pretty much concludes the story.

The art is simple, and beautiful. Nothing to flaw about it, because it fits the theme- the seriousness, the silliness, the warmth perfectly.

So, who are the characters you ask?
Tohru- a clumsy, air headed girl- whose parents have both died. Because she does not wish to trouble her friends while her Grandpa [who took her in] is gone, she moves into a tent in the middle of the woods. She has a peculiar gift of talking her way [through her mothers words] into others heart.
Kyo- the Cat of the zodiac [though he's not one of the twelve zodiac animals...]. He is shunned by all, and hates Yuki, the rat. He is a rather hot headed, though kind fella.
Yuki- the Rat of the zodiac, your typical kind and conciderate "prince". In my opinion- he has a somewhat split personality problem, couse he seems rather cold sometimes [to me at least... I don't like him much -nod nod-].
Arisa Uotani- One of Tohru's friends, a "delinquent". Her big inspiration in life was Tohru's mother, and she holds true to that, for she still loves her even after death. She loves Tohru very much, and threatens to beat people up from time to time.
Saki Hanajime- Tohru's other friend. She is seen as a pretty weird person, and she ALWAYS wears black, no matter what. She can read peoples thoughts and send weird, electrical signals. She also notices that there is something "different" with the Sohma people.
Akito- probably the biggest antagonist of the story. Can't really tell much about this person, because most of it is spoilers. Lets just say, I took a liking to him near the end.
And lots more; including some of my favorites- Momiji, Haru, Ayame [xD], Rin [She comes in a little bit late in the manga, and doesn't even get an entrance in the anime...].
Among others, of course.

The enjoyment of this series is absolute- whatever the reason for picking it up, it will have you laughing, rejoycing, crying and more without fail in doing so.
Enjoy reading. =)

Fruits Basket is one of the manga that you can read over and over again and realize new things with each reading while never getting tired of it. It is by far my favorite manga. It has the unique ability to make a reader feel achingly sad and yet unbelievably happy at the same time.

Story: The story centers around the juunishi, or members of the Chinese zodiac, and a high school aged girl, Tohru, when she happens to stumble into their lives. The juunishi live a dark cursed life that they hide behind fake smiles and laughter. Over the course of the 23 books, ... the author shows you Tohru's effect on them and how they come to love her and open up to her and others. The books build on each other, always keeping the reader strongly engaged and picking up the pace of the action with each volume. The story is dark and sinister and surrounded by death and yet manages to leak happy light that becomes the reader’s focus with only a bit of darkness on the periphery so that while you read the happy story you are all too aware of the darkness lurking in the background. The interconnectedness of the back stories for each well developed character enhance the feeling of a web of shared mystery within a well developed universe.

Characters: This is the best part of this manga. Each of them is unique and so well developed that the reader loves them with all of their challenges and sometimes even unattractive characteristics.

the quiet and selfish rat who wants more and whom people admire
the cat who is quick to anger yet people are drawn to him
the ever indifferent, carefree and scheming dog
the loveable happy hyperactive bunny who is deeper then he seems
the bi-polar cow who is calm and understanding one moment and insane the next
the calm, collected, and much nicer than he seems dragon
the loud boar with too many emotions to handle
the over dramatic snake who enjoys talking
the brooding horse who has a bit of a one track mind but cares deeply
the ridiculously annoying monkey
the shy and adorable Tiger
the obnoxious sheep with an overdeveloped ego
the reserved and kind rooster

Each of the character's individual stories grow and develop with the over all story too. THeir own stories take on a life of their own and blend together with the main story line. The best part is, they all tie up their stories.

I was especially drawn to the way the characters interacted together. The juunishi have a strange sort of relationship. They have known each other their whole lives yet hardly ever saw each other before the manga begins. They share a mysterious and compelling bond. The way they act together made me want that kind of relationship with friends. The kind of relationship where you can just walk in unannounced to a friend’s house or go to a summer home together. They are comfortable with each other in a way that doesn't seem possible without the mystery they share. No matter how glamorous or fascinating each of the juunishi is, they all depend on Tohru in their own way. They all have something she can give them by just being herself.

Art: I've always been impressed with manga artists because of how much art adds to the story. Now not only are you getting the words like in a novel, but you see the expressions on the faces of the characters. You see their body movement and their styles. Imagination is spectacular, and I love reading and picturing the characters of novels. But I can't help but be jealous of the skills and talents successful manga artists (like in Fruits Basket) have. You get something extra from seeing the sad smile, or the irritation, or the ecstasy on the characters’ faces. I especially love the clothing in Fruits Basket. Momiji's clothes in particular can always make me smile and wish I had clothes like that. The clothes, and hair, and eyes of all the characters really help to finalize their personality. Along with Momiji, Haru and Rin have great clothes that give them character.

The other thing Takaya Natsuki does really well is develop the characters over time. It took 7 years to finish the series, and her style changed a bit, but it fit because of the characters growing up through high school. You can actually see the characters getting taller and their faces filling out as time passes in the story.

Enjoyment: I LOVE this manga. It will never get old. It can always make me happy.

Overall: Fruits Basket makes me incredibly depressed and overwhelmingly happy at the same time. It always manages to cheer me up, even just thinking about it, and it also is one of the most depressing stories I've ever read. But don't get the wrong impression about the story and think that you should only read it if you like depressing stories. That's not true at all... perhaps the best way I can describe it is to say that it makes you aware of how bad things could be, and that is what is depressing. It makes you aware of a whole other life and way of living and then shows you that even that can be okay. I love this story because it really brings out the "other side of the rainbow" idea. It is spectacular at cheering up.

Fruits Basket is a very special manga that makes you really think about your life, your family, your friends, your future, your happiness.

I love this manga. I was recomended by a friend to read this. At first, the story seems a bit cheesey and seems like another manga. But as the plot grows, the characters grow along with it and you just end up liking the characters you hated at first like Kyo. In the beginning, he seemed annoying but as you learned more about his past, you feel sympathy towards him.

The main character Tohru is lovable but because there are a lot of volumes some parts in between are a bit boring. In some parts, i wish there was more comedy. But in the parts ... that are funny, the comedy in it most of the time is a sweet kind of funny. I think Fruits Basket has a lot of charm in it and that's what got readers into it.

Fruits Basket was my first manga and at the time, I got quite far with the volumes. However; I recently started over with the books for the sake of not confusing myself with the events. Just a little something to keep in mind.

The series starts out as a typical comedy with silly antics that you would usually see in almost any manga, which makes one believe Fruits Basket to be simple and light hearted tale. But the further you read in to the story, you begin to learn dark secrets that different characters are hiding about themselves. The interesting thing to note about the ... series is that it gets in depth about practically each individual character from the Sohma's to Tohru's friends, which in my option makes them far more likable and gives them a sense of realism.

Natsuki Takaya's art style starts off somewhat off-putting (Though this is just my own personal opinion) to begin with, but her style begins to improve with each volume and eventually it becomes much more pleasant to look at.

Each character in the story goes through some type of development, even though the steps are quite small, you do begin to notice a difference in their attitudes over a period of time. Again, giving of a sense of realism. You find yourself relating to the characters and even rooting for them.

If you have a lot of time on your hands, I highly recommend reading Fruits Basket wither you are new to the concept of manga or you are simply interested in reading it. Although you must keep in mind that the series is quite long and might take a few days to complete.

The storyline for Fruits Basket is simply genius! Throughout the series you find yourself falling in love with all the characters and being consumed by Natsuki Takaya's work. One minute you'll be laughing your head off and the next minute you'll be remorsing in sorrow. These emotional transitions will make you jump up and down.

This story sheds a new light on teenage life and love. Once you read it, you'll certainly be hooked!