Apr 18, 2024
Wow, I just gotta say I love this series. The (2001) Fruits Basket was my first anime and here I am watching this 17 years later. This has been a nostalgia blast and a great experience to watch. I don't normally re-watch series, but I feel like the pacing and scope of the 2019 reboot is new and refreshing.
[Story: 9/10 , Characters: 9/10, Art: 5/10, Sound: 8/10, Enjoyment: 8/10]
The Story is character-centric and rooted heavily in how each of them grows and handles the various trials and tribulations put before them. The main trio of Tohru, Kyou and Yuki get the most time and
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development but even the side characters get their own mini arcs with a chance to show how they can change over the course of the story. There's a lot of good role models in the story and great advice is given for dealing with the various emotional pain, trauma or relationship troubles that arise. Tohru gets a lot of chances to showcase her buddha- like sagaciousness (often wisdom imparted to her by her mother, Kyouko) and it's fun to see the way her straightforward earnestness manages to pierce through the brooding thoughts of the male leads.
The main themes of the series are about overcoming emotional trauma and finding a place to belong. Almost all the Souma characters come from dysfunctional households and have to find a way to adapt. Tohru fits in surprisingly well into this found-family dynamic and Tohru's optimism and selflessness provides a fresh perspective for the Souma family. Momiji's story about the naive traveler really encapsulates that well.
There's a lot of emotional tearjerker moments in the series which are nicely paired with music queues. I just know every time the violins start playing I have to prepare my heart. The really impactful scenes feel cathartic and you can feel the moment a character's feelings begin to change by listening to the way the musical score either darkens or brightens up. I like the telegraphing, but even though I expect it I can't help but get sucked into all the emotional trauma. I haven't teared up this much from an anime since Clannad After Story.
The series does a good job pairing the gravity with a healthy dose of levity and fun. Whether it's Hanajima's waves, Kyou and Yuki's bickering, Kagura's over-the-top affection, Ayame's goofy brotherly love, or Ritsu's insane apologies, there's just no end to the gimmicks. I love the fact that I can be on the verge of tears one minute and grinning my ears off the next.
The pacing of the series feels a lot sharper than the original (2001) version. I noticed the dialogue was cut short in a few places to keep things moving - basically just removing the fluff. Honestly I appreciated that the show moves along quickly and there's seldom any reason to look away from the screen. In addition to that, the scene transitions were smooth and well telegraphed again by musical queues. Flashbacks are short enough to provide relevant details without detracting from the action going on in the present moment. The overall flow of the series is easy to follow and understand.
Oh and a shout-out to the English VA cast - they did a phenomenal job. Years ago I was a subs-only viewer, but this series did a great job with the voice-over.
The one major drawback I noticed was the animation. The character designs, art and backgrounds are beautiful, but the animation feels too stagnant. There's just very little movement. There were so many scenes where I would look at the screen and only one character's lips are moving for an entire 5 second span. It wasn't a major detractor, but a slight disappointment from an otherwise great series.
Overall I just love this series and can't wait to start S2 and S3. And remember, even a riceball can be part of a Fruits Basket.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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