Fruits Basket 1st Season

I have yet to see the original, however this is my personal favorite anime. I love the characters, especially Tooru, as her story hits close to home. And as someone who loves zodiacs, this anime was perfect for me.

The animation is beautiful, and I personally love the character design. The op music is very calming to me. And the story is amazing. I cried just about every episode

I've seen a lot of romance animes, as it's probably my most watched genre, this one stood out from the rest for me.

If you want to watch something cute and heartwarming, this anime might just ... be for you <3

Fruits Basket is a special anime, it not only exceeded my expectations but it turned to be one of the best shoujo I've watched in ages. Fun Fact, I actually expected a reverse harem romance anime, but I end up getting something way different instead, Something that would make me grin like an idiot for 24 minutes straight, something that would suddenly change my emotions several times in the spawn of only 24 minutes. Not many anime is able to do that with me, and here is why.

The story of this anime is most of the time Episodic as it slowly introduces each member of ... the Sohma Family as they hint us their personalities while doing some slice of life comedy and heartwarming moments. Earlier episodes focuses on Honda Tohru as she finds herself with the Soma Family while she struggles to live since she doesn't have a place to call home. It isn't until a certain character lets Tohru live on his house that she finally has a place to call home after getting back from high school and work despite the many circumstances where she's driven apart of the things she love. Later episodes focuses on each member of the Sohma family and Tohru's best friends as they shows us their backstory, how they struggled through very difficult moments and, in some cases, how they managed to move on from it and live on.

Each story is carefully developed with great pacing while the animation and the soundtrack gets the job done portraying the themes it handles greatly. Wisdom, Knowledge, Happiness, sadness, any kind of theme is handled greatly and even if these stories ranges through 1 or 2 episodes, is more than enough to make the viewer engage with the amount of feelings shown in screen, making each situation these characters go through easy to understand and easy to sympathize with. It does help a lot that each story delivers a powerful impact thanks to the great voice actin, great animation and soundtrack that these stories ends up being really meaningful.

Best part of this anime is Honda Tohru, at first, she may look like your typical airhead who is extremely kind because why not. But in reality, she is a bridge, a bridge that links with each person she meets and how she is able to make them open their eyes and realize all the things they were setting apart, be it a love tragedy, being listened at, being loved, to be understood, being friends with each other no matter their differences and what not, after all, the magic of developing flawed characters is what Fruits Basket does the best. Honda Tohru is just so adorable and pure, its all thanks to the relationship with her deceased mother that everything fell in place perfectly. Honda Tohru is the kind of friend we all need but don't deserve... God Damn it, where is my Tohru? ;_;

Last but not least, Animation is pretty much really consistent. Beautiful scenery is often the key to the masterful execution of each scene, even to comedy gags. The color palette is amazing as it shifts depending on the tone of the scene; a Dark tone for those really sad moments, a cheerful bright tone for those heartwarming moments and the goofy over the top silly faces and over exaggerated physics for the comedy gags. The Soundtrack is amazing and really fits the ambiance and KNOWS when to be silent (I'm looking at you Violet Evergarden), Each OP and ED are beautiful, I'm not a personal fan of the first ones, but the second OP "Chime" by Ai Otsuka is really beautiful and has a very melancholic feeling to it, and the second Ending "One Step Closer" by INTERSECTION is one of the most beautiful endings I've seen this year and probably since forever, its so damn beautiful and boy I can't count the amount of tears I shed each time an episode ended.

I can't recommend this anime enough, If you liked the older version of this anime then you'll probably love this anime twice as much and even if you are unfamiliar with the source or the old anime, if you like slice of life anime with romance, comedy and really heartwarming stories, then this anime is for you.

This was a super hyped show since its a remake and blah blah blah.
Now I hate the show

There won't be spoilers, but instead, my rant.

I feel like the character's stories are so fucking stupid because it is literally sob story after sob story it is so repetitive and boring. I literally do not feel any empathy for any of the characters because it is so repetitive. The only parts of the show I appreciate are the happy moments, but also the comedy (subjective) is actually super boring. It wasn't enjoyable, and I hated every moment of it.

The characters individually are okay.
Tohru makes a ... kind and good MC, and the other side characters are the same.
The two main guy characters are like natsu and gray but they actually hate each other, though I don't mind or care, but the presentation of the show is so boring. It is a show trying to make a sob festival, but failing because of its repetitiveness. There isn't enough room or time to know what even happened because after one sob story there is another and another and another, and the first sob story wasn't even interesting in the slightest.

This is a combined review of seasons 1 and 2 since I watched them consecutively and don't remember exactly where one stopped and the other began

Writers and other creative types take note, Fruits Basket is a textbook example of how not to write melodrama. This show is misery porn of the worst kind, reveling in abusing its characters and having them brood over their misfortunes. Every single character without exception comes from a broken home. Their parents are either dead, or abusive monsters, or abandoned them. Some of these stories are very compelling individually, but it devolves into self parody quickly ... as literally dozens of characters are given tragic, tearjerker backstories. The story loses all its emotional impact by way overusing this sort of thing. There is no subtlety and no "normal" character to highlight the extreme abnormality of these people's lives.

Speaking of characters, they are really not good at all in this show. The central protagonist, Tohru, starts off as a likable and determined girl who's doing her best to stay positive after getting hit with a series of tragedies that leaves her living alone in a tent in the forest. As the series progresses, she gradually sheds almost all of her positive traits and turns into a spacey moron that lacks basic common sense and self-preservation instincts. Kyo, one of the male leads, is thoroughly unlikable from the moment he is introduced to the series and never gets better. He broods and he snaps at people. That is his entire personality. The other male lead, Yuki, is slightly better, but a preposterous outbreak of Mommy Issues hilariously derails his character in season 2. The main antagonist of the series, Akito, is a non-presence much of the time, and a goofy comic book villain who does Bad Things because she's Bad, but never actually feels threatening once she enters the story. There are a few good side characters here and there, but the main cast is painfully unlikable and the villain is not compelling.

Bottom line, this is a disastrously overwritten mess of a show with unlikable characters and ridiculously melodramatic storylines. If you ever needed an example of why less is more when it comes to melodrama and tragedy, this show is the perfect illustration of why "more" doesn't always work.

Have you ever seen a Korean drama where they talk like they are recovering in rehab after a car accident, at a pace of one word per second or slower, cry at the slightest breeze, and there are hundreds of episodes? This is like the anime version of that korean car wreck. Maybe they were listening to a retelling of the Chinese zodiac on the radio and BOOM, traumatic brain injury, significant loss of cognitive function, and this anime was born as a form of rehab or mental exercise. To be fair, I puke at every shoujo anime trailer and haven't seen one in a ... decade so maybe I've forgotten the formula and this is actually how they were all along, so maybe this is NORMAL for a shoujo anime.

I remember watching parts of the first Fruits Basket anime. I didn't care for the sappy emotional moments, but I wanted to uncover the mysteries of the family tied to the zodiac and how the heroine was going to "break" the curse. So then I thought, there's nothing else to watch, and the final season of the remake is out, so maybe keep an open mind and try a shoujo anime again? After mildly pushing through the first season, half staring at the wall through the second season, and downright skipping through dialogue on the final season, I can honestly say it was NOT worth the trouble and felt like a large waste of time. The only good that might come out of it is if you are a Japanese learner, they enunciate words very clearly and very slowly, the same words over and over again, your yasashi's and sabishi's like a broken record, to the point you can probably start quoting them by the second season and start staring at the ceiling and ignore the subtitles.

The first season honestly isn't too bad. It feels pretty much like the first anime, or at least what I remember. It introduces various characters and builds up a lot of expectation, teases many conflicts and relationships, drums up mysteries. But these are all on the shallowest of terms. There are a whopping 12+1 zodiac members after all, and some side characters, so it's forgiven that they don't delve deep into any of them.

The problem is, the rest of the show doesn't deviate from this pattern. What you knew about the zodiac in the beginning, you know about the same amount near the end after three seasons. Why is that? Because there was never anything of substance to begin with. It's like listening to a stump speech from your local politician. He say's he's going to solve crime, make the streets safer, build trust in the community. Every subsequent time you see him, he repeats the same stump speech, maybe adding that he really likes "cheesy grits" to appeal to the cheesy grits demographic, or sends his campaign surrogates around town to repeat the same talking points. After three anime seasons, you finally ask him, "you've been repeating the same thing over and over again, but HOW are you going to accomplish any of this?" He prevaricates. He never had a single idea. Nor a plan. He brought you in with promises. He drew a picture of a basket full of fruit instead of learning how to grow and harvest them. The whole zodiac mystery is basically a lie, a forced plot device that is pivotal to so many of the relationships and emotional experiences, but is utterly imagined and rendering them all null. It's a bad case of schizophrenia, crying over spilt milk but there never was any milk to begin with.

Like most school-based adolescent anime, Fruits Basket is utterly devoid of adult figures or authoritative personages. They are always running around on their own, living on their own, making their own decisions, getting into mischief on their own, or saving the world on their own. The decay of the family unit and child abandonment has always been a constant sinister subtext in school-based anime, but it gains a nefarious twist here. Almost every parental figure has some twisted, abusive relationship with their children. At first, the anime makes it out to be some sort of "curse" brought upon the parents by children posessed by a zodiac animal spirit. That it's supposed to ruin their lives somehow or make them go mad. But as the show progresses, the whole zodiac thing becomes less and less a passable justification and more a very very weak crutch. There is no actual curse that causes them to act that way. You don't touch a cute bunny rabbit and suddenly want to kill yourself. The writer just wanted to contrive a reason for people to hate the zodiac children, including their parents, without doing the legwork. It actually gets worse, as non-zodiac children from normal families are also shown to be equally mistreated and unloved.

From being shunned by their parents to being ostracized by society, the whole crux of the show hinges on their persecution as zodiac members. But if the zodiac curse literally doesn't do anything, what the hell are they constantly crying about? The short answer is, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. They contrived a societal restraint upon themselves and are living as if it is real. If there actually was an omnipotent force causing them to behave the way they do, a mysterious zdoiac power, maybe it would make a lot more sense. But most of the time, they are all living in their own delusions. Nothing makes the parents hate their zodiac children. Oh you turn into a kitty cat when hugged now? I hate cats. I have cat allergies. DIE! It's accepted as gospel that every parent hates their zodiac child. It's accepted as gospel that every outsider who finds out about the zodiac transformation will automatically hate them. It's the flimsiest premise imaginable to underpin a story about loneliness and salvation. Maybe if they turned into coronavirus superspreaders, it would make more sense.

And boy do they deliver on the melodrama. Endlessly repetitive melodrama. Crying over spilt milk is an understatement. If they accidentally bump into another person in the hallway or say the slightest wrong thing, they will spend the next five minutes reflecting over how selfish their actions are, how lonely or betrayed the other person might be, how they are not being genuine or unwilling to break out of their shell, how dark the world is and how no one will ever love or accept them, how useless they are to society, and every possible feeling of self-doubt imaginable. I'm surprised the whole cast hasn't committed suicide by now. It's like Catholic guilt, but impressed upon them by Japanese society. No matter how many positive steps are made or revelations realized, they keep regressing and repeating the same tired monologues as if the characters suffer from collective alzheimers, because it's a great way to pad the hell out of the runtime. The yasashi and sabishi drinking game is not to be trifled with.

The more appropriate evaluation of the zodiac family is, they are rich, spoiled, highly dysfunctional members of an incestual cult suffering from various mental illnesses. Just like a cult, the supernatural zodiac part is completely imaginary. The head of the cult was sheltered from the rest of society and taught she is the center of the universe and controls the zodiac, thus she acts like a jealous tyrant with violent proclivities towards the zodiac children because she is afraid they might leave her. But this doesn't explain the zodiac children themselves, who attend "normal" schools, have normal parents (as normal as an abusive parent in Fruits Basket gets), have jobs outside the compound..err estate, act like normal school kids otherwise, and can separate right from wrong. They spend a cloying amount of time talking about how yasashiiii everyone is, how kind and altruistic and benevolent and socially well-adjusted and heroic every member of the zodiac is. So why are they suffering? How can such well-adjusted people also be unfit for society? They cry over the most routine anime bullying and blame it on being a "zodiac" member when it has no relevance to their personality or why they were bullied.

Other than all the contrived suffering of being a zodiac member, the most credible reason should have been the master/slave relationship between each zodiac member and the family head, who is supposed to be able to bend them to her will, have them on a short leash, and instill fear within them. But this supernatural power is broken time and time again to the point of becoming meaningless. It's only ever described in the most abstract of terms, and the characters will disobey arbitrarily when the writers feel like it. Their lives, who they love, what their futures hold, is supposed to be dictated by her and her whims, but it seems mostly just psychological conditioning, and not a real power. They all realize it's abnormal, that it's harmful, and yet they mindlessly obey, and revel in their own suffering. Even the older children, who watched the tyrant child grow up and were not subject to the mental torture the younger zodiac children received from her, continue to make excuses to stay shackled with the abomination, be it out of pity or some twisted love.

And twisted is the family. They will let the family head commit violent atrocities on other members without so much as a word, including sexual advances to underage children, or incarcerate outcast members indefinitely. It's every definition of a cult and insular society. Yet poorly supported and leaning heavily on the whole zodiac coercive power that never manifests as real. If there was an actual framework, some bulwark of people and traditions keeping up the charade, it would feel more like a genuine and justified cult. Like I mentioned before, all the zodiac children are well-adjusted, knowing right from wrong, frequently rebellious, and have all the trappings of modern progressive anime characters. All the "adults" basically have either disappeared, exist solely in flashback form, or seem to not concern themselves with the politics of the place or running a tight ship. The estate is basically just the zodiac children and their mindless servants who have no names and consist of nagging old ladies that are completely ignored. Even the people who are supposed to know about the zodiac curse number only in the dozens while the greater estate is kept oblivious.

So who is forcing the cat to be incarcerated? Who is forcing the other animals to stay? Who is forcing anyone to obey the weak, childish brat of a family head who can be easily punched through several walls by multiple members of the zodiac that practice martial arts? Who is keeping them there to suffer when they know there is a large, wonderful world outside? They themselves are keeping up the charade, the finer points they barely understand, creating their own suffering, their own delusions.

And then we have the whole deal with the main protagonist. She is supposed to be the one that "saves" everyone from their loneliness and isolation, to acknowledge and accept them unconditionally, and to be a parent to basically every zodiac child. The problem is, they all already have supporting relationships with each other (they are all ridiculously yasashi after all), and meet many people outside of her that are just as uplifting and supportive. The writer actually gets tired of making her out as some superhero yet dimwitted mom figure that galvanizes change and drops the schtick halfway in the second season, letting the children grow on their own, and instead saves her for a half-assed romance using a repeated plotline.

TLDR: Cult members live in their own deluded world and contrived suffering but is really just a roundabout thesis on the effects of bad parenting, lack of authoritative figures, and child abandonment.

***This is a review of the ENTIRE Fruits Basket 2019 anime series (all three seasons)***

[TL;DR: Fruits Basket has the hallmarks of an interesting story with great visuals and presentation, which ends up slowly drowning in a swamp of awful writing, bad tropes, too many characters and just mountains of needless melodrama. There are some really interesting bits about the supernatural, the Zodiac curse and the people involved, stories about redemption, reconciliation and a painfully slow buildup to an epic finale...that never comes. The whole franchise is an ultimately unsatisfying dive into a pit of dark melodrama peppered with bad slapstick and a whole lot of ... unresolved childhood trauma. Unless you are prepared to wade through this emotionally and literarily confusing mess for three whole seasons, look for something else to watch.]


"Bad Parents: The Anime", which should've been the title of this series, since it has absolutely nothing to do with fruit or baskets (or fruitbaskets) in the slightest, but a lot more with just the worst parents in the history of forever. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

*Some light spoilers ahead. No specific plot points, just overarching theme*

The story revolves around the "Chinese Zodiac animals" and the curse/story connected to them, if they were real people living today. It's a really interesting concept and it's effects and repercussions are introduced very early in the series. Meaning two effects actually. One, the Zodiac people turn into their respective animal forms if they are ever hugged by a female. Yes, it IS Ranma ½ level of cringe, and while it's mostly used for comic relief purposes early on, it's completely forgotten by end of the first season, and later only comes up to serve as a dark reminder of how they are "forbidden to get intimate with anyone" or something. The second repercussion is that all the Zodiac animals are bound by the curse to Akito, their God-analogue, to obey, love and worship her for all eternity. Or not. Or just kinda. Or just some of them. Or...who the hell knows, really. Supposedly the main pillar of the entire story, this "bond", The Curse™ is so vague and badly defined, it's rules are constantly changed and contorted in contradictory ways for plot convenience all throughout the series. It's not only confusing and ruins any buildup but goes to show how the anime can't even adhere to it's own rules, which will be a constant theme in the series going forward.

Okay, let's get this "Bad Parents" thing I mentioned before out of the way first. Except for one important exception, every single parent in the anime is the most horrendous, incompetent, evil, abject human trash the world has ever seen. Every single notable character in the series suffers from the worst possible childhood traumas you can imagine (and some you can't), which scarred them for life in various horrific ways. The vast majority of the drama in the entire series comes from this metric F-tons of unresolved mental and emotional baggage that would give second-hand PTSD to even the most seasoned therapists. All these parents are so unrealistically cruel and vile to their children, it sometimes borders on hilarity. Failing to live up to impossible expectations, being used for monetary gain, parents trying to vicariously live through their children, blame them for their own failings or even the deaths of loved ones, the good old "I wish you were never born" schtick, etc. You get an entire smorgasbord of just the worst mental anguish you can imagine which comes up sooner or later with each and every character and addressed in great detail.

The whole series is basically a bunch of fundamentally broken and borderline crazy people yelling/crying at each other about real or perceived atrocities and their hilariously awful upbringing preventing them from living a normal life or having basic human connections. This doesn't just affect the Zodiac people, but most other side characters as well, each bringing their own special blend of fucked up to the table.

Now, the anime tries to turn this whole mess into one giant redemption story, where our Mary-Sue protagonist Tooru, a simple highschool girl, uses the power of Being Nice™ (and crying, like, a LOT of crying) to magically resolve their respective traumas (which would normally need YEARS of hard therapy) and show them they are all worthy of love and respect, facing their past and yaddy-yadda, boom, you're magically cured. The whole series is swimming in incredibly drawn out melodrama. There is yelling, pain, anguish, anger, fighting and oh, did I mention crying? There's a metric fuckton of crying, like oceans of tears and sobbing set to sad music and rain. Which is sometimes rudely interrupted by some awfully placed comic relief bits, but I digress.

Everything I just said still wouldn't be so bad if the series didn't move at an absolute snail's pace. The pacing of the story is all over the place, sometimes speeding through important parts while spending criminally long stints at forgettable side stuff that never comes up again and lingering on scenes that outstay their welcome really quickly. Not to mention some of the character's incredibly dumb decisions and remarks of "we talk about this later", "this is not time for this", "when right time comes" bullshit, that only serves to drag out the runtime. All that, coupled with the insanely droll and drawn out bits of melodrama just makes watching Fruits Basket a real exercise in frustration. You can skip through entire episodes of crying, shouting and flashbacks and you wouldn't miss anything. The whole series could easily be edited down to half the episode count and you'd still get the complete experience, without all the unnecessary slack (which will hopefully happen in the upcoming Fruits Basket: Prelude movie).

***For those concerned: No, I will not address the rampant insinuations of rape, pedophilia, grooming, physical and psychological abuse and other vile acts that may or may not be in the franchise. It's not my place to do so and there's enough awful shit in this mess without me having to go there, so don't ask. 'Nuff said.

The one saving grace of Fruits Basket could be the art style, which is not incredible by any means, but it's pleasant to look at and has some really nice sceneries, decent animation and real production quality to it. The music and sound are also really good additions and enhance an otherwise pretty lackluster story.

In closing, all I can say is, that Fruits Basket had real potential. A really good premise with nice art style, that ultimately got dragged down to a confusing, plot-hole-ridden black hole of incessant melodrama and bad pacing. I know many people absolutely adore this series (judging by all the 10/10 ratings here alone), and I don't mean to invalidate anyone's enjoyment of the franchise, but some things have to be said out loud when it comes to this anime. If you've enjoyed it, more power to you. If not, it's time to move on to different waters. Thanks for reading!

This re-make of Fruits Basket is entertaining for what it is - a very fluffy, cheesy, romcom shoujo aimed at younger teens. If that is the show that you are looking for, then this is a great example of that genre. If you are looking for something more serious, believable, or original, then you are going to be disappointed.

The individual components of this anime are each fairly mediocre, The art, while certainly an update when compared to the original (which I have not actually watched myself - the original art work always turned me off from watching it), is nothing spectacular. The plot is ... obviously contrived to put the characters together into embarrasing/cheesy romcom situations. The characters are fun but kind of flat. However, there was something about how all of those elements that I still found to be enjoyable when they were all combined together.

My main gripe about the anime is with the main character, Tooru. Naive, overly optimistic Mary Sue's are just not my cup of tea. That being said, since her character doesn't have a strong presence, she is easy enough to ignore. In my eyes, her character just serves as the vehicle to get all of the other more interesting characters to interact with one another.

This anime comes to my long-awaited list of one of the best in my top 10, so let's go to the full REVIEW of this masterpiece.

Fruits Basket started in a very subtle way, presenting some simple dramas, and so it went until, little by little, it became a work that I found myself dependent on watching.

By the sixth, or seventh episode, things started to settle in a way that made me wonder every week, creating that feeling of satisfaction in having followed the story, in a way that I had been feeling for a while.

What impresses me the most, however, is that this was not ... a passing thing, worthy of just one episode or another, but rather all these other twenty episodes that followed.

There is that variation in quality in impact, of course, but overall the episodes managed to move me in some way, basically, all the time during this first season (25 episodes in all).

The development of the characters within the work is very good, where the cast brings not only good backgrounds, but also learning and reflections on their lives in a way that even the simplest ones give you something.

There are themes such as bullying, overcoming, family contempt, among many other things, that create really touching stories to follow.

Best of all, this is not only done to discuss/expose certain issues, but also as a way of working on relationships within the plot.

It's through these character developments that you can understand why character X thinks what Y thinks, or why someone has so much regard for the other.

The script and direction manage to have a good harmony to deliver these stories, where even the secondary characters manage to have their moments of brilliance and present their pasts well.

Another thing that made me really like the anime's story is the way it traces a very heavy sense of reality, so to speak.

Things aren't so reversible with fictional poses at times. The decisions we make have an effect, and it's not that simple to fix, depending on what happens.

Some of the stories there carry a lot of that weight, where the characters find themselves in situations where all they can do is accept the condition they're in.

This ends up creating that feeling of injustice, but in a positive way in the work, which, instead of making you angry with what is happening, makes you feel moved by the characters and ends up creating empathy for them.

A good example of this is Hatori, who at times made me really want to see a magical solution to fix his life, but things don't work that way, and he just has to accept the consequences for having erased the memory of the woman he loves. .

Taking the opportunity to talk about romance, even if this is one of the anime genres, things don't develop much for that side.

The focus is more on the personal development of each character, so the time for romance ends up being just a few scenes and ships, or things like that, at least when we're talking about the main trio.

As for the secondary ones... There's even something or other, as is the case with Hatori above, which, despite being a sad romance story, still has the said romance, in addition to some other indirections about the feelings that the characters carry.

I particularly prefer it that way, with the personal development of each one coming first, before starting to get into the novel itself, but it's a warning for those who expect a novel work, since until then the focus was greater on the characters.
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In conclusion, Fruits Basket was a work that I picked up to see more for the positive comments on top of the manga. The beginning of the anime can even be a little slow, but soon it hits the mark with good character stories, which certainly has a lot to offer.
For those who like works with a greater focus on the characters, it is worth watching, for those who are not such a fan, it is still worth the attempt, as the praise for the manga is not without foundation.

Fruits Basket is breathtakingly beautiful and painful.

Amidst all those pretty faces, perfect body ratio and big dreamy eyes of male characters, are the tales that only some knows. Recently, with the bloom of isekai and fanservices, the company of genre such as action that pumps adrenaline; thriller that sends chill down the spines; harem beyond one can bear, makes them much more attractive than a mundane story that only offers warm characters.

However, this one monotonous genre inside has proven even without grand adventure, a bumpy hero journey, just within your comfort zones and in your daily lives, interesting things and lessons could still happen to ... you, to everyone and anyone. It depicts the taste of these small experiences we all had, with a grip of moments that we can often resonate with. The cringy romantic moments and comedy that slip its way in to tickle our bones are the fragments that elevate ambience of this genre. It is, out of many life-changing stories out there - a slice of life.

Fruits Basket managed to enhanced this genre. Its main success is in the efficiency in drawing emotional context out of the characters from their stories that makes them 'alive'. It doesn't just let us sympathize the characters, but also to understand why we should empathize them. The sweet storytelling method with flashbacks played a huge role to boost this and these moments of resonation are heighten with the cheerful Tohru that sees the world in a different way.

Because when others are enduring the pain, she is there, crying for them.

She is painfully honest to others, but never to herself. This is why she is the most efficient character in drawing emotional context out of any characters by helping them to embrace the feelings stacked inside. Her kindness, her optimism shine lights on others' darkest state without her realizing it, and these are her genuine personality derived from her background. Her mother instilled wisdom into her when she was young, which made her a stronger person on the inside that wouldn’t cry even if she should, burying her emotions and always thinking of others when she doesn’t need to.

Apart from this element, the light-hearted animation is a bonus to making it more mesmerizing. It colorfully portrayed the silly comedic scenes with touching moments that can seize the heart. The soothing scores are also right on cue, and are unbelievably powerful in evoking emotions. There’s seemingly a bit of happiness blending with loneliness inside, as if hinting to an inevitable changes to come on the joyful life. “ One Step Closer ” by INTERSECTION was a particularly sweet and unforgettable one.

Overall, Fruits Basket being a reboot has introduced me to the junction of a world of shoujo and slice of life that bring the best out of each other. With drapes of realistic and a bit more emotional entanglement, you might find yourself dropping tears and your heart, warmed when you least expected it.

This anime was so annoying to watch.I watched it only because I heard that it was good and many people liked it.But when I actually watched it,oof.Disappointment!The jokes are so bad and felt so out of place.

Tohru Honda,the main protagonist,is the most annoying anime character I've ever seen.No one talks like that.And even in a bad situation when she starts smiling it pisses me off so bad I felt like smashing my screen.

This show was so cringe,that I need to pause between the episodes and think up of a better plot to kill the cringe.The characters are even more cringey as hell.

The animation wasnt also ... that good but I guess I can put up with that.

I heard there was a second season going to come out.Definately not gonna watch that.Maybe i'll go read the manga.Maybe its better than the anime and gets more interesting.

Have a good day!

I'm only writing a review because I'm honestly shocked at some of the negative reviews about this beautiful masterpiece!

I'm a fan of the anime that aired in 2001, and the manga, so I was so excited when this remake was announced! Everything from the animation, the voice actors, the story pacing...EVERYTHING...has been top notch and even better than what I expected! Tohru was someone I looked up to when I was a kid, with the first anime, and that stays true to today watching the new series as an adult. She is such a strong and compassionate person after going through everything that she has. ... And each character has so much depth and they all are lovable in their own way.

This show is AMAZING. PLEASE watch it!!!

I am so excited for the second season that will be airing in 2020!

Fruits Basket was one of those series I never got into as a kid/young teen, so I went into it fresh as a 20-something. I didn't expect much from it, originally I just threw it on because I was doing some cleaning and needed something playing in the background that would auto-play, and it was on Funimation NOW. Boy was I surprised. This show has been such an emotional time, and I ended up abandoning the attempted cleaning that day to just focus on the show. It's just such a cute show with fun characters. They may not be the deepest characters on the planet, ... but they don't have to be.

Tl;dr- Don't go into Fruits Basket expecting it to be deep and philosophical with story/characters, because it isn't. Go into it because you want a cute story about a girl with a lot of love to give and her friendship with some boys who need to learn to love themselves.

It's pretty rare to see a perfect 10/10 score from me. But it needs to be understood that it's almost impossible to overestimate just how emotionally attached I am to Fruits Basket. I fell in love with the manga as a kid, I experienced the first anime adaptation... And then I spent 15 years asking for a remake that did the series justice. There are no words for the joy I felt when I found out it was actually happening.

And this first installment has been everything I asked for. A recreation of the manga down to the tiniest details-- along with a few added ... scenes that only served to improve the overall experience. (I really enjoyed seeing Kagura get a little more time to bond with Tohru, for example.)

It's been interesting to see Fruits Basket come back up in anime discussions again, having generated interest in new viewers with this remake. I've seen a lot of people go into it for the first time with the mindset that it's a love story, and that's never felt quite right to me.

As I saw someone else put it recently, "Fruits Basket isn't a love story; it's a life story." Believe me, I remember the shipping wars with the main trio the first time around... But if you're here looking for a typical old school shoujo love triangle, you're really in the wrong place.
This story is so much more about every single character growing as a person... and finding love along the way, but that's not the primary focus for a good long while. If anything, the conflicts are more about the characters learning how to better love themselves. The romance aspect of this tale doesn't really come up until we're much later in. So if you go into this first season expecting that, you may be disappointed. But it's filled with so many heartwarming moments, great friendships, and life lessons that it's genuinely hard for me to believe that anyone could leave this series disappointed overall. (Even if I know I'm biased about this one.)

This anime turned out to be way better than I anticipated. It could've gone wrong but it didn't. The intense drama with really good comedy was just the perfect blend for this premise. It evenly focuses on all of its genres and themes, making it a lot better. The 'obvious' Love Polygon theme made it even better. This anime made me laugh, cry, and adore, I seriously couldn't have asked for a better experience. The visuals were also really dashing and attractive (an indication that the remake was successful).

How this anime can control the happy and the gloomy moments leaves me speechless. It also ... has A LOT of hidden morals now and then.

This season speaks for itself. It had a new and unique premise which could've ended up ruining the whole experience but the astonishing choreography of the storyline and the speciality of every character made it a masterpiece. I seriously am in awe of how much this season alone was able to accomplish. I just can't wait to complete the next season.

What else I can say about this marvelous show that made me laugh and cry in the one episode, this whole series was wild emotional ride(in a good way).

Remakes are rare in any format of entertainment (except Hollywood and especially Disney), but when they happen in anime they are almost welcomed by everyone in this community.This is also a remake of former version of fruits basket which deviated from the manga completely by the end of the show, but this time around author was not swayed by the pressure and stuck to their beliefs. I am glad author was not swayed and not gave in ... because this anime is pure gold.

Character designs have somewhat changed in this version but the overall aesthetic is good and matches everything in the anime. Talking about characters, fruits basket is all about characters and their development. The hardships they face and how they overcome those hardships, its done in way that you would only expect this kind of drama and development only from a Josei anime. Like I said its all about characters and mind you there are a lot of are them. Most of them are integral part of the anime and do not feel like they not belong in that scene or episode. Handling that many characters and giving them depth and proper time, its not easy(so many characters in shounen anime remain unused even though they had a lot potential), but author here knew what they were doing and did a really fine job utilizing all of her characters.

Directing is also a important part of this anime and director did his best, you can tell that by episode 24, which delivered on everything in best way possible, from emotional drama to ugliness of of certain character.

Give it a try if you like anime with heavy character development and drama and there is little bit of romance too.

I REALLY wanted to like this show - but seriously, after 10 episodes in - it is so boring - or rather I HATE the main female MC SO MUCH + a very very very slow story.

Dont get me wrong - I love the art style of Tohru Honda, she always changed her hairstyle and she looks so soft/cute. It is really the character that annoyed me! As other review as pointed out, "Chihayafuru" gives us a pretty similar type of MC but is much more likeable!

It is hard to pinpoint what exactly makes Tohru so frustrating, but let me try:
(1) She PANICS/CRIES ... every SINGLE time when the guys fight/or just say something a bit unexpected/or even just PRAISED HER (!!! this is the greatest frustrating part for me). E.g. when the Ox praised her - she PANICS and CRIES - "I haven't don't anything to deserve etc" - can she just accept a praise gracefully and NOT Panic ?!?
(2) She does not have high regards FOR HERSELF. E.g. thinking the family doctor called her to scold her for "one of my many shortcomings"
(3) She talks about her mother ALL THE TIME, unnecessarily. Yes, I know about her past - but is it really necessary to talk about - how her mother would have XX; would have XX; xx every single time? That is so annoying.

Story-wise, 10 episodes in, the plot is very slow and gets mundane with all the unnecessary fights..boring to watch

So it's been half a year since Fruits Basket first came into my life. I'd wanted to watch the old anime for a while (didn't have access) so I was happy that it was announced. When I started watching, I found Fruits Basket to be enjoyable from the start, if a little goofy. A few months down the road, Fruits Basket had become one of the anime I looked forward to every week, making Fridays exciting. A few months more passed and Fruits Basket has become either my favorite or second favorite anime of all time (March Comes in Like a ... Lion is stiff competition.) For anyone who love the drama genre, in this case tinged with romance, Fruits Basket is a must watch.

The premise of Fruits Basket is pretty simple: a down on her luck girl ends up meeting members of the Soma family, some of whom are afflicted with a "curse" associated with the Chinese zodiac, part of which entails that hugging a member of the opposite sex changes you into your animal. If the premise were what dictated the quality of the anime, Fruits Basket would be at best amusing, though more likely a run-of-the-mill ecchi comedy. Fruits Basket is none of that. Instead, Fruits Basket is a sincere work about the effects of tragedy and abuse in our lives, about coping with pain and learning to live and love again.

The catalyst for most of this change is Honda Tohru, the main character. If Tohru were to be described with one word, that would be agape (Greek for pure love, though she does like to stand with mouth agape.) She is the epitome of kindness, a girl brim with optimism and cheer. That's not to say she's some perfect angel. Despite her near-superhuman kindness, Tohru remains firmly grounded as a character. She's someone who never quite fits in with society, she's goofy, clumsy, no genius in her studies, and struggles with self-confidence. At times, you glimpse in her the incredible pain and tragedy she's still coping with from losing her mother (an event that happened just prior the story's start.) Yet despite her own pain, she consistently goes out of her way to try to relieve the pain of others. When I can honestly say that Tohru, a fictional character, has changed the way I live for the better, what more praise could I give?

The other main characters are Shigure Soma, Yuki Soma, and Kyo Soma, each directly involved with the curse of the zodiac. Shigure is still a bit of a mystery, though it is obvious steely resolve lurks beneath his carefree manner. Yuki Soma is aptly named, starting off cold and distant, but eventually warming up, though we still don't understand exactly what happened in his past to shut him off from the world. Kyo's problems are superficially more obvious, being a reject to the Soma family, but still his character is interesting and perhaps sees the most development over the course of the series. Several other characters fill important secondary roles, most of them additional members of the Soma zodiac, plus Tohru's good friends Hana and Arisa. Though some of the characters seem typical at first, each becomes well-developed, with realistic character growth giving their characterization a firm foundation.

If anything could have detracted from the series, it would have been the parade of problems confounding the Soma family, yet despite many characteristic problems appearing, the series never feels forced as some shows (Little Busters comes to mind) end up feeling. Part of it is that when real families have plenty of problems and often end up dysfunctional, it stands to reason a dysfunctional family dealing with a curse would have proportionally more issues, especially when some form of abuse at the heart of the family is shown to clearly exist, though never fully elucidated. The sprinkling of comedy also helps, making the dramatic moments more powerful when they hit. Overall, Fruits Basket pulls off tragedy and brings you to tears instead of giggles (even for someone like me, with a penchant for grim humor.)

The art for this series is superbly done, an excellent fit for the style of the show. It's not flashy, but it doesn't need to be. In particular, I must give high praise to the animation for the second ending sequence, which goes above and beyond. The sound also fits the series very well, with enjoyable intros and outros that I consistently listened to instead of skipping. The sounds also supports the mood of the show well throughout the episodes.

All in all, I hope that many have the chance to watch Fruits Basket and come to love it as I do. Again, when you can have a blast watching anime and come out a better person in the end, what more can you want?

I write this review as a watcher of the original 2001 anime and have completed reading the manga that this series is adapted from. However, I will not be comparing this season with the original anime or the manga as I feel it deserves it's own spotlight and analysis without comparison. The only comment I will make is that I really did love how much more closely this series followed the manga and the wishes of the author.

Short version:
This anime is amazing please go watch it, the story is full of life and a great rollercoaster, the characters are so believeable even for a fairy ... tail, the voice actors did an amazing job but could be improved, the art is really beautiful, and the series is such a great pleasure to watch.

Long version:

The art is very pretty and the character designs really shine in the animations. You can really see the emotion in the characters but it also showcases the different atmospheres throughout the anime.

The music was a little different than I was expecting, but it fits nicely in the series. The voice actors also did an amazing job with both Japanese and English voice actors dubbing each episode as they came out. The VA's are certainly talented as each character really stood out from one another and felt real. The only problem I did have was the voice actress of Kagura. Sadly I did not feel as though her Japanese VA fit her character as well as the others. It was also difficult for me as she is also the VA for Happy from fairy tail, and it was hard to distinguish her as Kagura when she often sounded like Happy, two very different characters.

The story is very unique in my eyes and the use of the zodiac animals legend as a plot was very intriguing. It explores how a simple story can actually have a much deeper meaning and consequences can be born from something as simple as a gathering with god. As the story progresses you meet more and more characters related to the zodiac legend and how life as a zodiac has treated them, the mishaps, the turmoil, the pain and sadness that can come from just being different. Even today this story holds and many people can empathize with at least one character's story may that be bullying, anger and frustration with ones-self, or chasing after dreams. How each of these problems are slowly lessened or even fixed is certainly a great tale. Many lessons can be learned from the story of this anime including how to treat others. However, the story isn't just a sad story as it is also full of silly and laugh out loud moments that bring a different kind of tear to your eyes.
All in all the story is a great and really showcases the different characters.

Now the characters themselves. I feel like a lot of thought went into each character and their backstories, their likes and dislikes and everything that makes a person who they are. They were really fleshed out, not a single character was out of place (for the series) no matter how little or tall, quiet or loud, or even how eccentric they were, and a mixture of ages, more closely showcasing reality than many school life like anime. Each character has a purpose, a meaning for being there and interact with each other in unique ways.
I understand that many people may see Kyo as an average tsundere, but within the series new layers are added to that stereotype that make him more believable. Showing the viewers how he feels really helps his character stand out from the usual tsundere.
I can also see how many people may see Tohru as just an average girl, but I believe that was the point of her character. An average girl is not boring when she really understands the world and cares about the people she meets. I also feel an average girl is a much better fit for all the other crazy and silly characters in the series as she grounds them in reality and really shows how strange some of the other characters are. Furthermore, Tohru being so average makes her acceptance of the other characters more impactfull, especially on the characters themselves. I often think that if just an average girl like her can accept them, maybe they are not so strange after all and that's why her words and actions affect the others as much as they do.

Overall the series was beautiful to watch, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry but it makes you feel human. And if a story about the zodiac animals can do all that, I think it's definitely worth a watch. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope anyone who reads this and goes on to watch the series enjoys it as much as I did.

This Review is meant for all seasons and contains no spoilers

It's not as easy to tell a good story then you might think, a tale that will have a lasting effect on you, and you come to appreciate more over time. That's what Fruits Basket is at the most basic level for me. It's a complete reboot of the original shoujo anime. Out of nowhere, we got this new adaptation with a bit more modernized look while retaining all the charm and flavor. What a surprise it brought when it blew so many's minds when it stole the heart of many as it left its ... imprint on the anime community by cozily resting on the top spot. I hope it stays there. I have seen my fair share of anime, and I can confidently say Fruits Basket is among the few deserving. This incident also is what led me to take the dive. At the time, I couldn't predict that Fruits Basket would end up taking its spot in my favorites. It's been so long since the last time. I am unable to even recall it. I am stubborn, as you can tell, yet something in Fruits Basket finally won me over and showed me what marvel and precious treasure anime can be.

Fruit Basket is undoubtedly the embodiment of a Shoujo, the pinnacle. It retains most of the same quirks, but at the core, it's nothing like most typical Shoujo out there. The amount of Shoujo I liked, I can easily count on one hand. It's too few. Shoujo is known for its cheapness and stalling romance subplots without real meaning or value and until the last couple of episodes/chapters. This goes for adding unnecessary drama but never really getting to the point until pigs start flying. Let me tell you now that Fruits Basket is nothing like that. One of the potentially most significant dramas plot devices was solved effortlessly in a realistic and grounded manner without being milked into oblivion. This also led to the author, Natsuki creating opportunities to mislead us again and again. Creating a most twisty turny experience since it was hard to guess how things would transpire.

Sadly, many may not connect with Fruits Basket because the first season can be a grueling experience if you are not patient and don't like SOL elements. But, long story short, Fruits Basket is a precious gem for those who don't mind stories taking a long way if there is a satisfying payoff and a meaningful and valuable message waiting on the other end, changing your perception of what you thought was innocent and pure at first. As you'd expect, SOL is Fruits Basket bread and butter, much like any other Shoujo. We start with some wholesomeness, nothing but pleasantries, and a ton of cute moments topped with charming comedy. Then slowly but surely, the story perspective gets intenser and darker as we get a hint about our characters and their burden. Otherwise, Fruits Basket begins episodic, following the same formula of introducing someone, mostly zodiac members of the Soma family. Already from the getgo, it's clear the character is cleverly designed and written with attention to detail, holding some meaning.

The standard format starts with us being introduced to a quirky character with a heavy burden pressuring them. In the first episode, we see who they are as a person as they bounce around with our cast before concluding with an emotional episode. If you are not a fan of the episodic format, it might be a buzzkill, but I can assure you that you will be well rewarded if you are patient. One Piece taught me that. Natsuki is also pretty good at foreshadowing and leaving trails that will ultimately connect when the puzzle becomes clearer. It's incredible how well everything came full circle when we learned the secret and how it all came to be. There is no doubt in my mind that watching Fruits Basket on a second watch will give you a much more satisfying and valuable experience. It's that kind of tale. Playing the long game is usually a double-edged sword. Not many like to have to wait before seeing the story in its full glory. But Rome wasn't built in a day, same as how a great story, a really impactful one that will stay with you for a lifetime, cannot be told easily either. It's why stories of the ones that end up as dear treasures to me are those that are told over a longer period. Just like how you cannot get good at, say, soccer in one day. One can't expect to be genuinely emotional and charmed unless the author puts in the effort to make you feel that way. This is exactly why the first season works so well as the prologue to Fruits Basket.

At the forefront, we got our insanely lovable heroine Honda Tohru, who, in the most simpler terms, is like the sun, which shines her light on everyone by warming and comforting them in their time of need. But, she could also sadly be the reason most turns away from this gem. Tohru comes off as flawless in the first season, someone who cannot make mistakes, but please don't let that fool you. And if you are hesitant about the episodic formula for the first season, I am here to assure you there are more than enough things that make up for it. Among the biggest is the absolutely phenomenal cast of characters. For me, if the cast is solid, then I can still find enjoyment, but don't get me wrong. Fruits Basket has a wonderfully complex, personal, and relatable story to tell. It might not be apparent at first glance, but there's a reason why Fruits Basket is so loved. The cast is a big reason, no question asked, but the story is nothing to dismiss at all, nor is our female heroine Honda Thoru.

Tohru allows the characters to come to terms with their sad life, accept them, and nurture some confidence to keep going rather than give up. She's like a doctor giving free therapy to everyone who's down in the dumps, ready to give up everything. The characters issue tends to vary greatly. Common ones include loneliness, regret, curse, and many more. It's all sad and emotional, but it never really feels like the same thing. Tohru's overall focus in the first season is to be the bandage to the cast's darkness. We never really understood her as a person on a deeper level before much, much later. Not that I disliked her even once. She's so charming and so lovable it should be illegal. I don't usually rock with a joyous protagonist who can't do wrong and are always happy and cherry. But something about Tohru just works well despite her being clumsy and feeling so simple at first glance. Her voice alone makes me feel at peace. Honestly, it's more accurate to say she's an ideal mother, a taste of paradise. She's no doubt one of the best and most fleshed-out female protagonists out there. Plus, she's essential. Everyone needs a Honda Tohru in their life.

In any case, Fruits Basket has many life lessons to give, and you should listen up because many of them can hit close to home. The first season explores these issues and conveys to the audience how to best attend to them. Fruits Basket shows that pain is a part of who we are, we can forget it, but it will always come back to haunt us until we embrace it as a part of us and accept it happened, even if the memory is lingering over might be painful. Burying it is like removing a part of yourself, and removing a part of yourself is like denying yourself. In the simplest explanation, this is what Tohru is for the Zodiac members burdened with heavy darkness. She's the light causing it to balance out, so they won't be consumed by the negativity.

Yes, I really enjoyed how the latter half of Fruits Basket had some well-crafted backstories and character development despite the cast being relatively new to us. The author Takaya Natsuki knew what she was doing and quite well. There are only so many authors out there in this world with that talent. One that easily comes to mind is Eiichiro Oda of the immaculate and extremely massive One Piece. Both the backstory and how characters were fleshed out felt akin to Oda-sensei's touch with One Piece. Natsuki-sensei is not writing characters but real people with immediate flaws and quirky points unique to themselves, making it easier for us to grow attached. Natsuki doesn't limit herself either and keeps on pouring with the characters, yet somehow knows how to use the surroundings to flesh them out. I don't felt any character was wasted. There is a lot of things we can take from them into the real-life. This is also where the zodiac bond between the main members of the Soma family comes in. It's clear to me the zodiac bond and its curse are used as a catalyst to explore various parts of the characters and their bond with, say, parents, friends, lovers, etc.

Each of them has a reason for how the zodiac curse ties them down, acting as a mental chain, forcing them to carry a deep burden of both sadness and pain. We see this in how each of the Soma, even the most irrelevant, is haunted by a dark and sorrowful past they cannot break free from. Much like the bond between Zodiac members that ties them down. It's a constant reminder of the dark past they cannot escape no matter how much they struggle. In short, the bond is like a symbol of being stuck in the past. On another note, the side cast is reasonably well fleshed out. Tohru's wholesome friends are charming and bring so much enjoyment, benefit, and comedic relief to Fruits Basket. Yuki and Kyo are interesting as love interests and remarkable characters with tons of layers to them. I could go on a huge raving on how delightfully charming the cast is. There is nothing but praise here, as I cannot even come up with one glaring issue as to why not like them. There will always be some you prefer more over others, some you may come to hate, but more or less, by the end, you might find it surprising how many characters you like.

In the second season of Fruits Basket, there is a big change. One thing is because Tohru Honda is more than just a pretty and innocent face that melts our heart and makes it worth living to see that smile and hear that soothing voice. Before, it was not easy to attach emotions to our lovable heroine. She seemed so perfect, but in the sequel, we see how even Tohru got flaws and how the first season even foreshadowed it through the many characters that got fleshed out. It even gives meaning to what seemed like pure gag moments. It was actually subtle clues hinting at the deeper parts about Tohru. It's impressive how well Natsuki hid it in plain sight, but it only became visible when it was time. Tohru always had something eating at her from the inside this whole time, and it's clearly connected to a bond. A major theme in Fruits Basket. I hope everyone who reads this review can learn to appreciate Tohru more if you are still wavering about her and are concerned about starting Fruits Basket because you might not like Tohru. She's not that easy. Not to mention, if you hate Tohru, you are my enemy, and I beg of you to not talk to me. In any case, it's again so nice to see how similar Natsuki is to Oda in how they don't mind playing the long game because the payoff will be all worth it.

Another thing that makes the second season stand out more is how it depicts the influence of childhood and how much it impacts the person we become when we grow up. A child is the reflection of their parents in some form or the other. They are the ones who will guide their child into a respectable or a terrible person in society. When we first come into the world, we are enamored by our parents. We depend on them, respect them, love them, and do whatever we can to receive their attention and make them love us back. For some, this might not even change once you grow up, and Fruits Basket makes that painfully clear. One of the worst kinds of hell in life can come from our parents, but that's also where we can get a taste of paradise. If your parents shower you with much love, attention and are there to guide you. Be there for you, not condemn you, but correct you if you are mistaken in an orderly and mature fashion the child can learn from, that can become a dear memory, not a nightmare that haunts them for all time. This all depends on our parents and the things we learn from them. Fruits Basket shows this exceptionally well by exploring different issues between the character's bonds.

That's to say, if the parents are terrible, they blame everything on their child by slapping them with all their stress and worries. This will affect the child's live-in society later. I would like to show an example, but I don't want to make this review a spoiler only for a potential newcomer. So let me see if I can be vague as possible. Consider your upbringing was meant to make you a perfect human. No slouching laziness allowed. All about getting those perfect grades, talk in a calculated way, no real fun to be had. Really no free will but behaving based on how society and your parents want you to. You are literally a slave to the whims of the parents. You get strict discipline, it's tough, maybe even scary, but your parents pay attention to you and clearly care about you. Even if they only do it for themselves, but will a child notice this when they are young? One day, due to unforeseen circumstances, the parents decide to abandon you once you've reached their goal, there is no explanation, but suddenly you find yourself it is suffocating to be around them. They don't even bother wishing you a good night at night anymore or ask about how school was, even welcome you home. It's like they wiped you out from their memory.

This could become a haunted memory once we grow up and influence our stands and position in society negatively. The whole personality could be significantly affected. It brings sad memories and terrible expectations. You think the world would hate you if you were yourself. Hence, you pretend to be someone else, but that's not secure for success either, so you end up just keeping yourself alone, not interacting with the other kids. Since you are afraid if you cannot be someone they like. They will end up abandoning you, pouring salty on the past injury. Fruits Basket shows this concept outstandingly well. I have seen not one or that many anime so far that has accomplished so much and meaningful in, honestly, no that many episodes and feel this realistic. When it feels like the world is out to get out, we do so many things to run away from the world instead of facing it head-on and overcoming the pain. Among others, we create a so-called "bad guy," someone you don't like who you force to take on all your responsibilities so you can keep running from your own mistakes.

Maybe you seclude yourself from others, so you don't have to deal with pressure or even put on a fake mask to forget past scars. Fruit Basket shows us that people are not who they might seem at first glance. The most playful and gentle soul can be all kinds of broken on the inside, even if the exterior tells a different story. Even the harshest and vilest can be as innocent and pure as a baby but to cope with their pain. They bring pain to others to make themselves feel superior. They shame others so they can have a reminder those people are more miserable than I am. Something that lets them forget their own pain. Fruits Baskets shows us all too well how greedy, whimsical and imperfect we are as a lifeform, but that's exactly what makes us human in the first place. Let's say you are free from a destructive bond. You conquered your fears. You've grown up, gained experience, and matured. At that time, even the biggest bully, once you are younger and unaware, can seem like a joke, not even a bit threatening. Whether those bullies are the parents who use you to take their responsibility or even someone who controls your life with you having no say in the matter.

Wait a minute, what's all this philosophical talk you've been raving on and on for a decade. So I thought Fruits Basket was a romance? Is it not? It's far more than that. It has romance, and the way its executed is unique and honestly so charming. There is no unnecessary drama, every step has a purpose, and there is an actual main couple. We understand why it had to be them and not someone else. So if you are worried about the kiss not being shown or on some lewd handholding, put your worries to rest. We see the couple kiss, and we see it in its full glory without interruptions or cockblocking. That beautiful moment is not taken away from us as we stare into the sunset. So get that out of there. We don't do that here. Fruits Basket goes a step above and shows handholding. I know quite lewd, and it doesn't even bother to censor it, so you have nothing to worry about. Moreover, the main couple is not the only romance story arc here. There are several, and by the end, I didn't even realize it, but it's crazy how many couples we got on our hands. Above all, it makes sense. There is a reason for x and why to be together. They may heal each other scars and comfort each other, be relatable in some fashion, maybe even total opposites, and the list goes on. But In the end, they all complimented each other and were meant to be together.

On another note, Fruits Basket is so pleasant to the eye. It is back up by a solid and mostly consistent production value. It was vibrant and popping with the life and energy emanating from the good old days from the early 20s0s. Even the background is so unbelievably stunning. It does a firm job of capturing the emotions and setting the mood. I can see the comedy may be feeling off in what should be serious moments, but this was more prominent in the first season and is not a big issue in the sequels. The comedy is perfectly encapsulated through the visuals and art, and voice acting. Seriously, it's on another level. Never have I heard so much emotion in a single line or reaction. It's so amazing how passionate the voice acting crew is about their characters. They literally become them. It was immaculate. Whether it be Tohru's angelic and soothing voice, Kyo's rash and explosiveness, Yuki's cool and calm collectedness, Shigure's mature playfulness, Hatori's mature and chillness. Or say, Hanajima's sarcastic and absolutely satisfying voice complemented with Arisa's upbeat energy. I loved it all. I could write a book about how incredible the voice acting alone was. But hopefully, I got my feelings across. Then there is the absolutely breathtaking soundtrack, yet another huge blessing to my ears. Enhancing the emotions when it's playing.

Above all, there are only top-notch tier OP and ED that more or less do a solid job of capturing the various essence of Fruits Basket. I would like to talk a bit more in-depth into them because it's genuinely a marvel. The first opening alone gives you a sense of nostalgia. I have not seen Fruits Basket before now and still felt the same. It's like a gentle hand reaching out to embrace you. A quality ballade that's telling you to welcome back to Fruits Basket. I won't go through them all, but each opening and ending makes me feel something different. Another case is the third opening which captures Fruits Basket so incredibly well with its upbeatness and cheery vibes, making you automatically bop your head to its catchiness. In any case, each opening is really unique in what it symbolizes, how it sounds like. No, I don't dislike any of them, but I prefer more than others as expected. Overall, however, there is nothing but quality here. As for the ED, they are all so soothing, healing to the soul, peaceful and chill and are especially nice to have once you get to the more dramatic and intense parts of Fruits Basket.

One thing I want to note is if you don't like Shoujo, please don't fret about trying out Fruits Basket. It might honestly surprise you with its rather complex narrative that's both philosophical and grounded in reality, a phenomenal cast, a fantastic soundtrack, impeccable voice acting, and a really consistent production value. To summarize, Fruits Basket is about how one person not conveying their thoughts and emotion the right can influence so much—either positively or negatively and is the cornerstone for what becomes of the person. It influences who you are, who you become, even what you become in both body and soul. It's crazy how many things went wrong due to the wrong interpretation of others' intentions, feelings, emotions, wishes, actions, words, and behavior. But the way it was laid out was beautiful beyond words because it called connected back to the starting point, which made all these things happen in the first place. This was the cast's own bond, their relationship with their close ones, family, friends, or lovers alike. It's linked to a bond that's either strong as steel and unbreakable. Suffocating and dreadful like a poison that slowly kills you from the inside. Terrifying and painful like a nightmare you want to get away from and forget at all cost. All these were the catalyst that nurtures the absurdly many painful and sad scenarios our cast found themselves in, and it's one of the core essences that makes up Fruits Basket. I am not ready to say goodbye, but as we well know, nothing lasts forever, and all good things must come to an end.

Fruits Basket. The best shoujo anime that I've ever seen in my entire life that is in the same league as Akatsuki no Yona on its prime. Throughout the series, I had experienced many mixed emotions that does not usually appear when I'm watching a shoujo anime. With just that, I already know that this show is on a whole different level than the others.

Although I am a huge fan of shoujo genre. I acknowledge the many cliches in shoujo anime that many people despise. However, in spite of the fact that this show is a shoujo. I couldn't feel any cliche from the show ... at all. This is obviously probably because of the fact that the show's so entertaining to watch and I enjoyed the every moment of it.

Still, if you're going to watch an anime with "shoujo" and/or "supernatural" tag then you should've prepared for the cliches anyways. It's inevitable. :shrug:

Fruits Basket is very fun. I'm looking forward to season 2. This anime was damned LIT. No criticisms. solid 10/10. Recommended to everyone.