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Before the first season of Fruits Basket came out, I had no idea it even existed. I saw a post on Reddit with a couple hundred upvotes saying they couldn't wait for this anime reboot! I had nothing on my to watch list other than Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan. So I said "screw it, I'll try this show out. Maybe it'll be a rom-com palate cleanser".

It's 2021, I just finished watching episode 11 of the 3rd and final season, and I'm kinda crying. Few shows are able to tell such a complex story, develop numerous characters and keep you so emotionally invested as ... Fruits Basket. No character is one-dimensional, or stereotypically good/evil. Tension is always present, whether it be romantic or confrontational, and never too over the top nor pointless. Every action or behavior has a rational reason behind it and you, as the viewer, never feel like you're being treated like a child.

I highly, highly recommend Fruits Basket to any and all types of fans of anime.

---The review contains spoilers---


I had no idea Wonder Egg Priority was a thing until the 3rd episode was released. I was immediately hooked in a way I hadn't felt since I first read the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" trilogy. The first 6-7 episodes of Wonder Egg Priority are simply enthralling. The art is movie quality, the voice acting is very good and the soundtrack enhanced the show. Every character is full of depth, and written in such a way that, like them or hate them, you never feel like you can trust what they say with certainty. There are plenty of questions and ... CloverWorks does a great job of leaving satisfactory amounts of breadcrumbs that slowly reveal answers to those questions. However, somewhere something went wrong. Very wrong.

The last 3-4 episodes are a narrative mess and it legitimately feels like CloverWorks pulled a Darling in the Franxx. The story changes from a story about tragic battles too many real people face (and lose) to a meaningless sci-fi/fantasy mystery novel someone might buy at an airport. **SPOILER ALERT** The show introduces concepts like artificial intelligence and parallel universes, concepts so out of left field that as a viewer I feel knocked out of the story. Gone are the breadcrumbs and in are rapid explanations that ruin your appetite. Violence, previously used to illustrate the struggle with suicide and demons (inner and outer) the Wonder Eggs dealt with, is suddenly used as an excuse for things to occur on screen because the viewer expects action. Episode 8 is a recap and completely unnecessary, but at this point, the studio simply ran out of steam. It shows in the story, which is such a shame. At the time of writing, the show isn't even complete! We must now wait several months(!!!) for the final episode to air to see how this series is supposed to end.

It feels pretty bad to watch a series you really thought was nearly a masterpiece to one that reminds you of the story of Icarus. This team at CloverWorks got lost in sauce. They got too ambitious, too crafty, and felt like they had to suddenly one-up their own show. The show feels like the team's storywriters were uncertain how to wrap up the ending they had originally envisioned and added too many ideas to the pot just so they could get there no matter what. They might have ended up spoiling the meal.

Story: 4/10
Art: 10/10
Sound: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Enjoyment: 6/10
OVERALL: 4/10

I really feel as if a team of interns made this anime. The whole show is just dialog, dialog, dialog, and none of it is good or meaningful. The first few episodes are alright and don't overstay their welcome, although still confusing. The problems start at episode 4.

I feel like the author had no idea how to continue their story and dragged the absolute fuck out of this one simple idea into 8 episodes. Imagine arguing with your brother about who gets to eat the last cup of pudding and both of you keep bringing up stuff from the past that is totally irrelevant just ... to win that pudding. That's kind of how you'll feel watching this anime.

The only good parts is Iwanaga, and only when she isn't acting as Sherlock Holmes. Otherwise, every other character is as interesting as a soggy bagel with forced past relationships because reasons.

This manga is less of a love story, than it is simply an uplifting one. The characters are very well crafted, the art is good, and the way themes are explored is well done.

Love is the medium through which our characters find themselves and overcome their fears. Many of the characters start off confused, unsure of what to do next. Or they are wounded in some way and afraid to move forward. Through love, our characters come to understand what they must do in order to realize their future.

Many stories usually focus on 2-3 main characters with a bunch of underdeveloped or one-dimensional side ... characters that the main set bounce off of. Apart from one bitchy lady, most of the other supporting cast have a good amount of depth to them.

Chihayafuru season 2 is pretty disappointing.

This season is incredibly slow compared to the first season. The main characters were developing well last season but they ground it to a halt in this one. Every match feels exactly the same, just with a different set of faces. The Mizusawa gang seemingly loses all confidence at the start of every match, but by the end of them, win or lose, they've got Superman levels of confidence. EVERY match.

This season has got more inner monologue per 26 minutes than any single human is capable in a day. The directors insist we know what all 100+ characters are ... thinking at all time, even when they are completely irrelevant to what's going on in the episode, and they insist on making every thought as detailed as a doctorate's thesis. The directors also insist on making every single emotion, positive or negative, super dramatic, as if our characters are trying to defuse a bomb. ALL THE TIME. Chihaya could be about to fart during a match, you would've thought she just received a letter informing her that her mother died with how intense her reaction is. It takes so much away from the more genuine moments of the season.