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.
