On November 12, 2018 last year, I woke up to a string of Twitter feeds and news alerts. Fruits Basket got announced for a new anime based on the manga. During that same week, I pinched myself several times and realized it’s not a dream. It’s a reality. Fruits Basket, one of the most celebrated shoujo manga series in North America, is making a comeback after all these years. And to my delight, we also got the announcement that the new Fruits Basket would adapt the entire manga. That’s right, all 23 freaking volumes of them.
There’s one thing for certain: Fruits Basket is a best-seller ... in the West. Whether you’re a fan of shoujo genre or not, the series has a large fan base that still exists today. As a fan myself, I’ve read the series many years ago and have seen the first anime adaptation. Coming into the new Fruits Basket feels like a trip down memory lane. Only this time, we have enhanced visuals updated to more modern quality and a commitment to bring a full adaptation. For an emotional story and character driven show, Fruits Basket is a classic.
It’s 2019 and bringing a show from the past isn’t that simple. The biggest question on many people’s mind revolves how many episodes will the new season consist. With the actual amount of content from the manga, it’s not enough for just 25 episodes. Hence, it’s labeled as “first season” serving as a remake continuation of the franchise. However, something else came to my mind with its staff and cast. Fruits Basket’s characters are significant and to bring their personalities on the TV screen would need an A+ level of talent. Luckily, there’s no need to worry as the voices in this show are able to step up to the plate. Tohru Honda’s VA has changed for the new adaptation but her personality remains relatively the same. For those new to the franchise, she is the main female protagonist and an incredibly kind high school girl. While her character introduction may cause some heads to turn away (I mean, who would be impressed by an orphan living in a tent?), there’s no doubt she is a selfless person. She is loyal and often optimistic about her life. There’s many times in the show where she treats others with respect and is well known for her kindness. At the same time, Tohru’s weakness shows in her personality with her being too forgiving of others. Her character growth this season is slow but should be respected as the anime wants to flesh out her personality as much as possible. Most importantly, the show establishes her as an iconic shoujo character.
Meanwhile, we shouldn’t forget about the other main cast. Fruits Basket is a shoujo after all and isn’t complete without important male characters. These consist of members the Soma family. Most prominently, there’s Kyo and Yuki. The characters themselves are based off of the Eastern Chinese Zodiac with 12 animals. Strangely enough, Kyo himself is not part of the Zodiac although he is still a member of the family. He is portrayed as a young man with a short temper who often gets into pity arguments with Yuki. Their rivalry is relentless with battle of words, contests, and occasional physical fights. However, their rivalry is more about Kyo trying to prove himself and whether he truly can be accepted as a member of the Soma family. In other words, it’s not really some blood feud with lives at stake. Plus, a princely guy like Yuki isn’t the type that would want to harm others. His gentle and reserved personality at school earned him many fans, including his own personal fan club. Despite this, Yuki is portrayed as a distant man who isn’t easy to make friends with. Throughout the show, he develops a unique bond with Tohru as the two understands each other more. It’s also important to realize the season occasionally shows cryptic parts of his darker past. We don’t see it often but there are windows of moments where he shows insecurity and fear. Any new fans would no doubt be curious to learn more about Yuki. And as the more episodes progresses, the more complicated his character gets.
On the other hand, the more you look at Kyo, the more you can probably realize he’s growing a deeper affections towards Tohru. There are some episodes that shows his curiosity about her and even transforming into a genuine friendship. From a character relationship perspective, their chemistry evolves surely, although slowly. Tohru herself also begins to see his true character, beyond that of a hotblooded youngman. It’s important to know that outside of the Sohma family, she has close friends such as Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima. It’s noticeable that the anime dedicates time to focus on all three of them ranging from when they first met to how much they deeply care about each other in the present timeline. Similarly, Tohru has a deep devotion for her deceased mother. Known for its flashbacks, Fruits Basket both shows and tells a story about the importance of family. It’s a tear inducing story once you truly understand how much Tohru’s mother cares about her. At the same time, Tohru inherits characteristics from her mother as being a selfless woman who isn’t afraid to protect her friends.
The more I watched this new version of Fruits Basket, it made me wonder how they can introduce the other characters properly. Remember, there are 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac and outside of the two main guys, there are at least 10 others. Shigure Sohma is introduced early on after taking in Tohru in as a house guest. Being much laid back than others, there’s not much we understand about him although he is a man with a word of wisdom. Unfortunately, this season doesn’t fully explore his character so anime fans will have to wait a bit longer. Others such as Kagura, Momoji, Hatsuharu, Hatori, and Ayame are also introduced in various episodes. While not being prominently featured as the main cast, they do have value in the show despite some portrayed as being very childish. Kagura and Momoji are key examples of this with their behavior. I mean, who can forget about the episode with Kagura practically jumping herself into Kyo’s arms? Indeed, while Fruits Basket often carries a melancholic mood, there’s many comedic moments. There’s even a running gag in the show with the guys losing their clothes after being hugged and transforming into animals. Now that’s a curse to really be careful of. But perhaps one of the most mysterious character is someone named Akito. This character is mentioned many times by the main cast, most prominently by Yuki. Just who is Akito? What’s this character’s purpose? And why does Akito make Yuki react in such fearful ways? If you want answers, you’re going to be in for a long ride.
TMS Entertainment is honestly a studio I have mixed thoughts for. They do have a history of producing shoujo anime such as Kamisama Kiss and even bringing back long running franchises like D Gray Man a few years ago. After seeing the promotional material for the anime, I’m thankful to say there’s no need to worry. The animation quality lives up to modern standards with the vibrant and colorful character designs. They’re faithful to the manga on most parts with updated quality compared to the 2003 version. The setting itself presents a youthful field of decorated visuals full of life. And of course, the ladies will be in for a treat with the guys getting the bishounen makeover.
The fact that I’m even talking about Fruits Basket in 2019 is amazing by itself. Not too many franchises gets the golden treatment of having a complete remakes these days especially for the anime medium. Fruits Basket is a great example of a show that deserves this continuation for the 2003 version didn’t truly live up to its expectations. Here, we have the beginning of a beautiful journey and a reminder of why certain franchises deserves to be revived.
Alternative Titles Synonyms: Furuba, Fruits Basket (Zenpen) Japanese: フルーツバスケット Information Type: TV Episodes: 25 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Apr 6, 2019 to Sep 21, 2019 Premiered: Spring 2019 Broadcast: Saturdays at 01:23 (JST) Licensors: Funimation Studios: TMS Entertainment Source: Manga Demographic: Shoujo Duration: 23 min. per ep. Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older Statistics Score: 8.221 (scored by 397,922 users) 1 indicates a . Ranked: #3532 2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #213 Members: 834,613 Favorites: 16,347 Available AtResources | ReviewsSep 20, 2019 On November 12, 2018 last year, I woke up to a string of Twitter feeds and news alerts. Fruits Basket got announced for a new anime based on the manga. During that same week, I pinched myself several times and realized it’s not a dream. It’s a reality. Fruits Basket, one of the most celebrated shoujo manga series in North America, is making a comeback after all these years. And to my delight, we also got the announcement that the new Fruits Basket would adapt the entire manga. That’s right, all 23 freaking volumes of them. There’s one thing for certain: Fruits Basket is a best-seller ... Sep 20, 2019 I enjoyed the original Fruit Basket anime. I know that's an unpopular opinion as the author and manga readers despised the original anime for dropping the ball in terms of adapting the manga but I thought it was a pretty good show, despite its flaws. When Fruits Basket 2019 was announced around late 2018 I was very excited as I finally got to experience this tragic tale in complete form. I went into Fruits Basket 2019 with very high exceptions as I expected the series to deliver it's promises and fortunately the series managed to meet and surpass my high exceptions as Fruits Basket 2019 is only the ... May 10, 2019 “Grief is normal, but not eternal.” — Krunchyman Life cares not for our emotions, as tragedy strikes without a moments notice. Due to our finite existence, we are bound to lose someone special. But we mustn’t allow ourselves to become trapped by emotions. Life moves forward, and so must we. Despite the uncertainty in her volatile life, Tooru Honda remains optimistic in the face of despair. Her daily struggles are physically and mentally taxing, yet she persists. Pressing forward with determination of mind and body. Turning an unfortunate circumstance into a springboard to cultivate a new life ... Sep 20, 2019 Disclaimer : I didn’t watch the first fruits basket anime and neither did I read the manga. So this review will be purely on Fruits Basket (2019). Second review ever and French reviewer, sorry if bad english, gambarimasu. I’ll go through each point that made me love this anime that didn’t please me as much in the beginning. Firstly, let me tell you that this anime is perfect for shoujo lovers, BUT I’ll try throughout my review to interest the people who skip this only because it’s categorized as a shoujo. Fruits basket is a simple shoujo story as we could have seen at first sight. Our ... Aug 17, 2019 Sixteen episodes in, I have finally reached the point which urges me to write a review to this series. Being not familiar with both the manga and the original run, I decided to pick it up due to omnipresent excitement and love towards the title. Needless to say, I was disappointed to the boot. Story: 3/10 I really wanted to like the story, I swear. The concept itself is not THAT bad, but really - it's too cheesy, even for a shoujo series. Later on, the author tries to add a darker twist to the plotline, which by itself wouldn't be such a bad idea if it ... May 11, 2019 This anime is so heartwarming and so darn cute! The art is outstanding, the music is good, everything is so colourful and it brings me so much joy! I am very intrigued by all the zodiacs. Seeing how cute they are when they transform into animals, I would hug them all day long. This teenage rom-com is everything I could ask for. Tohru is a precious cinnamon roll who must be protected. I love Yuki, he is definitely my type. I ship them. Kyo is cool and I love cats, but in this case, I prefer Yuki because I love grey haired anime boys who are ... Sep 20, 2019 Perhaps the difficulty of understanding yourself is equal to the amount you feel alive when doing so. Fruits Basket understands this. Character driven and dramatically told, it is able to embed its most important themes inside of the story and characters. What starts as a girl finding out a secret quickly becomes understanding the reality they shoulder. The Souma zodiac secret, transferring into one of the zodiac members when hugged by the opposite sex, is a means to tell a story. Of course Honda Tohru wouldn’t have forged a relationship with them without discovering it, but more importantly it contains single-handedly the most important theme the show ... Sep 20, 2019 *Minimum Spoiler Review* TL;DR: Nostalgic Fans will gush over it. New Viewers will just glance upon it. Fruits Basket: "Brotherhood" isn't that bad. If you usually binge shitty slice of life/shojou crap, you can cleanse your palette with this. [Story: 5/10 , Characters: 5/10, Art: 8/10, Sound: 8/10, Enjoyment: 6/10] Before I start this review, I want to preface this with saying, this will be my first time watching Fruits Basket. I have not read the manga nor have I watched the original. However, I have done ample background research to know & differentiate the changes and improvement for this new adaption. “A conscience grows, just like ... May 31, 2019 The calm and quiet Honda Tour is a much more resistant and resourceful person than its fragile appearance would indicate. After the death of her mother, who died several months earlier in a car accident, Touru lives with her grandfather, goes to school and works, earning her living. However, the grandfather's house needs renovation, and he moves to his family at the time. Touru promises him that he will move to one of his girlfriends, but not wanting to disturb them, he decides that he may well live in a tent set up in the forest ... And this story begins here. One day Touru goes ... May 26, 2019 "Do people exist to be punished?" - Episode 22. Should you watch this if you've seen the 2001 version? Narratively it ends off in the same spot as the 2001 version. The episodes mirror each other, so there's not much new in terms of content. This version offered phenomenal episodes for Uo-chan-episodes 16 and 17 and Hana-chan-episode 22 that the 2001 didn't include. They mirrored so exactly until episode 6. This is the remake of the original anime that came out in 2001. Due to creative differences, the mangaka requested a literal page for page remake of her beloved creation. Sometimes slight changes work better ... Jul 20, 2019 [SPOILERS] To be honest I didn't that I would be writing this review. After episode one, I was thrilled for next week's episode to come. Episode one of the series is almost word for word of the original, which was what made me hopeful for this new series. Then episode two came and it was fair, but it didn't quite live up to the expectations of the previous episode. Then it kept getting worse. Much worse. {ART} Now let's get out the art and animation out of the way. It's pretty, but that's about it. It doesn't add anything or even begin salvage how bad this ... May 19, 2019 Me personally watch a lot of Anime, but when I first sought my eyes on the alluring and captivating cover image of this anime, evidently I was skeptical on whether to watch it, but I thank myself for my inquisitive doing that day for watching Fruits Basket never I had saw the previous series back in 2001. All my intuitive Knowledge of anime ceased to exist when I watched this inspiring and breathtaking Masterpiece. This series comprises of a lot of genres with Slice of Life being its main point, some other genres like drama and even Supernatural activity that's an interesting phenomena which has ... Aug 3, 2019 I am not a person who writes reviews, but I couldn´t stand seen so many bad reviews related to this beautiful anime. The STORY is a shojo, which involves drama, it havent reached any point of talking about love, you can get a hint of it, but the story doesnt goes aroung people getting in love and dating. The ART the animation is good, is a shojo story so you cant expect to see an awesome battle animation that you get to see in shonens. The MUSIC is beautiful and relaxing and makes all your problems to go away and just enjoy the show, it keep ... Jul 6, 2019 How much pain and suffering can a person endure before they give up? How long can they keep it all bottled up while still showing their warm and earnest side? "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 ... Jun 21, 2023 Note: This review covers the first season and the first twenty episodes of Fruits Basket (Furuba). Given the target demographic of shoujo manga (teenage girls and young women), most shoujo-mangaka tend to tread a fine line between drama, comedy, romance, and, but not always, tragedy. The reason why Furuba became so popular and found its place in the pantheon of one of the best shoujo manga of all time was that it was able to balance the elements of drama, romance and tragedy with such exceptional panache that the series was appreciated not just by women but by men as well. This long-lasting popularity explains ... Jan 8, 2020 Ahh, I don't usually write reviews, but this anime is close to my heart since the original run of Fruits Basket was pretty much my introduction to anime. Story: 3/10 Honestly, I was really excited to see how this version of the anime would differ from the original run, and... wow I was so disappointed. It's like a more boring version of the same storyline. The story followed the typical pacing for most anime where the beginning is slower than the ending. The only problem is that the end of this season is still basically the introduction to the show. For god's sake, we are still meeting ... Jul 5, 2019 (I know we're only halfway through the episodes but I do plan on editing this and adding more afterwards. After episode 14 I just felt the urge to give a good review. That's how much I loved it.) Before anyone calls me out for being biased because of "nostalgia feels", no I have not watched the old Fruit's basket nor have I read the manga at all. :) For now let me cut to the chase. Fruit's Basket honestly has one of the most subtle and emotional storytelling that only a few could appreciate. It may seem like a simple slice-of-life, shoujo-manga feel but as it ... May 22, 2019 I haven't seen the old version of Fruit's Basket nor have I read the Manga, so this review is entirely based on my first impressions of the show! From the looks of it and from what I have heard the old Fruit's Basket was a great anime and a large community still loves it. So for this show to get a remake is kinda delight for those viewers and fans and for me as a first timer, I really like this show so far. I won't drop any spoilers but from what I have seen so far I get the whole message of this show very ... May 19, 2019 From the perspective of someone who watched the original anime and read (most of) the manga, this remake has been absolutely amazing to watch, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested enough to be reading this. The plot seems to follow the manga source material a bit more closely than the original 2001 anime. I found this refreshing because certain characters and key scenes are presented differently from the 2001 version. While the portrayal of the manga plot deviates slightly from the original anime, the visuals, animation and character art are certainly significantly different, and this may take awhile to get used to, especially if ... Apr 24, 2021 A fun review (this is my first MAL review yey) Respectfully as a member of a romance genre fan, I have to declare that this is one of the cheesiest series that I ever watched. It did fail me due to the great expectation I had knowing that this has been so many people's favorite shoujo anime. The start wasn't bad at all, I quite like the fast pacing, all though a lot of silly decisions were made for romance scenes, it was still bearable, It has been done before and I'm not complaining yet. But as the series goes on (maybe 5 episodes in) Oh my ... |