"Fruits Basket" is indeed a product of its time, beginning serialization in 1998 and ending in 2006, it's ripe with the anime tropes that defined the early 2000s. Tsunderes, loud characters, girls aggressively showing their love and all the good stuff is present here. Yet, behind these cliches lie persons that got this way because of their circumstances. Tohru may seem like a happy-go-lucky person who sees the world in the brightest nuance of pink, but that's only on a surface level. As we spend more time with her we get to know her past. The bullying she's gone through in school, her mother's death, her relatives not having her best interests. Yet she continues to smile and not let these define Tohru, because to her life is so much more than the few bumps in the road.
One major theme the show tries to portray is that of change and how life can take an unpleasant turn, while leaving it up to the characters to decide how to react. I'd go into detail, but I'd enter spoiler teritorry and with there only being 1 season I can't give a detailed analysis on the matter.
While my first paragraph may have given the impression that the show is a grim and depressing tear-jerker, that's far from the essence of "Fruits Basket". The show focuses most on the interactions between the characters, which at times is serious, it is predominantly hilarious, with jokes that almost always find their time to connect. Tohru's positive energy combined with her being the cutest little sweetheart should be enough to combat the more impactful momets of the show.
As I've said previously, "Fruits Basket" is a product of its time, as coming in contact in 2019 with the tropes of the early 2000s may feel a bit jarring, but also nostalgic for those who grew up with the anime of that time. However, once you get past those inconveniences, only then can "Fruits Basket" invite you to its colorful world inhibited by its huge and diverse cast which more than make up for its shortcomings.
Will you accept its invitation? What you'll take part in might just be a few life changing lessons.
