Anime 42938 Fruits Basket The Final Reviews

Fruit’s Basket is not only one of the best stories ever told in the medium, it also could serve as the catalyst needed for a revival of the shoujo genre.

When I was a kid, shojo dominated. Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, etc., were cultural phenomena. This really fuelled my passion for the genre/demographic tremendously. While other people my age preferred the action packed episodes of YYH and DBZ, I enjoyed the slower and more down to earth Kodomo no Omocha. In many ways, Furuba is a blast from the past, a relic of a bygone era of storytelling. The core themes and issues addressed in Furuba ... are so applicable to daily life, it almost hurts. Love, grief, letting go of the past and becoming your own person, etc. The overarching narrative spanning 60+ episodes of breaking familial bonds and moving on from trauma was so beautifully done that here at the end of that journey, I’m left in tears. For me, the mark of a true masterpiece is something that teaches me valuable life lessons. I lost my father to cancer at 15. I turned to animanga and light novels and have found many important things since then. The one thing that I still struggle with is letting go of the past. This remake arrived at the perfect time for me, and I could not be happier with the story-telling, character depth and educational aspects of this series.

It wouldn’t be a Furuba review if we didn’t talk about love. Love is at the core of Furuba’s story. Familial, platanoic and romantic. Over 3 amazing seasons, we are introduced to a variety of characters who are in one way or another dealing with some complications of love. Whether it’s an ex, parent who can’t remember their kid, abusive parents, etc. The story does an amazing job of building nuanced and realistic relationships between characters. This applies to both the romantic sort and non romantic sort. Obviously, there are some exaggerations and anime-y logic going on with some of the relationship building, but for the most part, the relationships in Furuba feel organic and realistic. The romantic ships are built up over the course of over 60 episodes and are done in such a way where you can’t have been oblivious to them forming, but they’re also not too in your face, at least until the second half of this season. In this season, it felt like everything was turned up to the max. The tension, stakes and action were amazing in Furuba Final. I would say that if you found S1 and S2 good, you’ll be blown away by the jump in quality we got this time around. Fruits Basket has always felt a little soapy, but this season felt like a straight up Mexican Telenovela. And I loved every minute of it.

There’s so many rich and well written characters in Furuba, it’s almost cheating. There’s legitimately 15-20 characters that could have “stans” They all receive their own mini arcs and grow over the course of the series, and we see the fruits(pun intended) of that development in the final season. You know you’ve done something right as an author when people have side characters as their favourite characters. Looking back on where everyone started in episode 1 back in 2019, and where they’ve ended up here in the final season is truly beautiful. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on how we, as an audience, have grown along with this cast we love so much.

Fruits Basket as a series, and by extension Fruits Basket Final, can be enjoyed by both hardcore shojo romance fans, as well as casual anime watchers. It has everything you’d look for in a conclusion to a series. A gripping climax, satisfying development and resolution for all parties, and ships sailing. Fruits Basket Final is essential viewing for any romance fan and will stand the test of time as one of the best stories the medium has ever produced.

Fruits Basket Final gets 10 out of 10.

Warning: The following review contains SPOILERS, proceed at your own risk. With that out of the way, let’s get started.

“As long as you live things will keep happening. As long as you’re alive wishes will keep being made.” - Tohru Honda

My personal journey through Fruits Basket can definitely be called a weird one. When news about a remake of this beloved Shoujo series got around, a large portion of the anime community was understandably thrilled. Having zero knowledge about the series, I was definitely curious what the fuss was about and decided to venture into the world of Fruits Basket. What I found was a ... world so beautifully crafted, with an interesting premise and many promising characters. Even though this is the case, slowly but surely I started to lose interest in the series due to its initial formulaic setup, whereby nearly every episode acts as a character introduction for a new Zodiac member. And with things becoming hectic in real life, I ended up forgetting about the series and stopped midway through the first season. That was roughly 2 years ago. Recently, I realised that the Final Season is topping the MAL charts and I thought to myself, “Wow, is the show really that good?”. Once again, my interest in the series piqued and I finally decided to set time aside to finish watching the series. And indeed, it really was that good. Slice of life as a genre has always been my personal favourite, with series like Kaguya-sama Love is War and Clannad AS being in my Top 3. And now I can confidently say, Fruits Basket is one of the greats in the genre.

What sets the series aside from other shows, is the amount of effort and care dedicated into crafting characters and building character relationships. We are introduced to the many Soma members early on, with the first half of the first season essentially used to introduce us to a wide range of characters. Each episode we watch as Tohru in one way or another form a personal connection with the members of the Soma family, which becomes the backbone of the series. As stand alone episodes, the quality was undoubtedly there, but what it lacked was a clear direction of where the series is headed. However, this was no doubt purposefully done to allow us as the audience to have an emotional connection with the big cast of characters early on. Some of the characters that I found most interesting are as follows - Kyou, Tohru, Yuki, Akito, Saki and Shigure, but I’ll be focusing on the main trio and their journey throughout the series.

xxxx CHARACTER SPOILERS xxxx

Let’s begin with our main heroine, Tohru Honda. Acting as the heart of the story, she represents the ray of sunshine that descends upon the Soma family. Her righteous personality can be so entrancing at times, that it may seem that she has no flaws. She was initially portrayed as a flat, one-trait character, in fact the majority of the cast is. But do not be deceived, for she is in fact one of the best written characters in the show, and is deserving of the title of main heroine. In the Final Season, the layers of facades were peeled back and we are introduced to the real Tohru, a girl with her own sets of insecurities. With the passing of her beloved mom, she was unable to move on. While she deceives herself and those around her, saying that everything is fine and putting up a smile, deep down she is continuously burdened by the trauma. In the memory of her late mother, she swore to always put her mom first in her heart. This sentiment that she has for her mom may seem lovely at first, but it ends up being an unhealthy coping mechanism, with Tohru being over reliant on her late mother. Watching her develop and mature as a person in the Final season is a really heartwarming sight. Now with Kyou being the No.1 in her heart, it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t love her mom. The love between her and her mother is unbreakable, and that is a fact that will forever be unchanged. Her mom wants her to find happiness even in her absence, and that’s what Tohru will do. To see the people that she helped along the way return the favour, and guide her to overcome this barrier that she imposed upon herself, I can’t help but be genuinely touched by the show. It is a perfect portrayal of what goes around, comes around. While not perfect, Tohru shows how far kindness can go, and how even the little things can rub off on someone and change them for the better.

Moving on, when we were first introduced to Yuki, he was renowned in the school for being the Prince due to his elegant looking face. Nothing could be further away from the truth. Being tormented by Akito since young, Yuki was an empty shell. Withdrawn from the people around him, lacking the courage to stand up for himself and unable to bring himself out of the darkness, Yuki was in a very pitiful and depressing state initially. And then comes Tohru, the ray of sunshine. Her entrancing personality was able to show Yuki the possibility, that just maybe, he too is able to love himself. I remember there was this one scene of Yuki in Season 1 episode 18 that really stuck with me.

Yuki: “Learn to love yourself?” What does that mean? How are we supposed to find something good about ourselves? The whole reason why we hate ourselves is because we can only see the parts we hate. So forcing ourselves to find “good points” feels hollow, like we’re making things up. It’s not like that. That’s not how it works. I think it’s only when someone says they love you that you’re able to start loving yourself.”

It is true that we are the only ones capable of helping ourselves, but sometimes, to even find the courage, the motivation to do so may seem to be a nigh impossible task. Others shouldn't be directly providing everything for the individual, instead what others are capable of doing is providing the environment, providing the platform for him/her to once again take courage and rise up. I find this to be a satisfying conclusion for Yuki’s character to come to, and is in fact quite wise of him. Yuki’s character growth throughout the Final season was just amazing to watch. Being able to look forward by overcoming his past ordeals, stepping out of his comfort zone when he joined the student councils, are amazing feats considering the short time span for all these events to occur.

Lastly, my personal favourite character of the series - Kyou. While the moments shared between Tohru and Yuki were very heartfelt, the moments between Tohru and Kyou were just on another level. From the very first season, it was already hinted quite explicitly that these two are essentially destined for each other. With Tohru’s favourite animal being the cat, and Kyou being the one ostracised from the rest of the Soma family, it only fits for the story to put these two together. That said, I do feel for people that believed that Yuki and Tohru should have gotten together, because the story often portrays a sort of rivalry happening between Kyou and Yuki as they fight over Tohru. But alas, it is ultimately revealed that Yuki sees her as a Mother like figure, essentially mother zoning her, which I find to be relatively hilarious. Thankfully, the story also gave Yuki a happy ending, with him finding love in Machi, creating a believable and cute chemistry between the two.

AHEM, back to Kyou. As a standalone character, Kyou’s character journey is an art form. Being born with the ‘accursed’ cat spirit, people are unable to distinguish Kyou as a person from the spirit, causing him to receive a heavy amount of hatred and spite. All of the Zodiac members suffer the same fate, but it is especially so for Kyou. With his mom committing suicide, it scarred Kyou emotionally and mentally, as the people around him force him to acknowledge that it is HIS fault for the suffering of those around him. The tragic circumstances as a kid caused him to develop 2 major traits. The 1st of which being self hatred, thinking that he is not deserving of any form of love. The 2nd being an unhealthy coping mechanism, in the form of burdening Yuki with his hatred, deeming him the one that caused all his misfortune.

Time and time again, he was met with situations where he inevitably hurt those around him due to circumstances he can't control. Even the toughest of will would have a hard time going through what he went through, which is why it is completely understandable for him to harbor such a deep rooted hatred for himself. However, that is not the narrative being told through Kyou. While it is easy to wallow in sorrow, to cry and loathe your own unfortunate circumstances, is it really going to change anything? Sure, it is understandable and even acceptable for us to blame tragic situations for how we turned out to be, but doing so we are ultimately unable to confront our demons and move on. The important aspect of Kyou’s journey is coming to acceptance of his own tragic past, acknowledging that while he may have a part to play in causing the suffering of others, he ultimately shouldn’t constraint himself to the past, that he should learn to forgive himself. Sometimes, the simplest solution is often the hardest. By no means is moving on an easy task, the many characters in Fruits Basket have proven that throughout the span of 63 episodes. Even so, we should not be afraid and limit ourselves to our own tragedy, after all there is no harm in trying to move on and live our lives to the fullest.

Kyou’s unhealthy coping mechanism was also ultimately resolved in the Final Season. Deep down he always knew and understood that his way of coping wasn’t good for him in the long run. In spite of the fact that he knew that Yuki wasn’t the cause of his misery, he continued to put him on a villainous pedestal, because it is easier that way. To know and understand something is different from accepting it. Kyou was initially unable to accept the fact that he was wrong, that Yuki isn’t the villain that he makes out to be. However, he got a wake up call in Tohru, the girl he has an unyielding love for. He was ultimately able to accept it, able to move on, and able to live his life to the fullest. It is interesting to note that Kyou's and Tohru's character arcs are not so dissimilar. Both had the same issues of having a bad way to cope with past traumas, and both managed to overcome them in the end. Kyou’s character journey in this series is no doubt my favourite, given the depth of his character and the amount of dedication and passion put into writing his arc.

But of course, characters can only be portrayed properly with proper visuals. Animated by TMS entertainment, the visuals are just stunning. While there may not be any jaw dropping Sakuga moments, the frames in this show are just inherently pleasing to look at. It is hard to find a single frame where the characters are off model, or the background looks bland. The beautiful visuals bring life to the wonderful characters of Fruits Basket, and I am so glad it got such a premium treatment. Throughout the series you can feel the effort the animators from TMS entertainment put into animating Fruits Basket, and I have to say their hard work definitely paid off. And to no one's surprise, the beautiful visuals are accompanied by equally beautiful music. The OSTs in Fruits Basket really reminded me of the melodic tunes from Clannad. If I have to choose, my personal favourite would probably be ‘I will protect you’ and ‘Spring will come when the snow melts away’, with them playing in a lot of the significant moments of the show, sending goosebumps throughout my body and tears to flow out. The Opening is also incredible. On top of the amazing shots of the characters in the background, the banger song ‘Pleasure’ really suits the vibe of the series. Not to forget the amazing voice actors that gave it their best to give us the most authentic experience this anime can give. There were moments where the characters shined through the collective efforts of the voice actors, going above and beyond to deliver their lines. The production value in this show is just crazy.

With the amazing production values aside, I do have some critics for the show. For starters, there are many scenes that involve showing the tragic past of the characters, which may be a bit overused for some people. For example, we are given multiple iterations of Yuki’s traumatic time with Akito. While it hammers home the point of Yuki being continuously tied to the past, this way of showing it may instead turn the audience off, given that they have already seen essentially the same scenes several times. This can also be seen as a way of over dramatising the characters’ inner turmoil which in turn gives the opposite effect of undermining the problem the characters face. That said, I personally did not have much of a problem with it myself, but it is something I undoubtedly noticed. Furthermore, due to the nature of the story, some of the characters are not fully realised. For example, we barely got any screen time of Souma Ritsu, the person that represents the Monkey, only seeing his character growth in one episode in Season 1. Given his importance as one of the Zodiac members, I thought it was a shame that he didn’t play a bigger role in the story. That said, I rather them focus on the main trio instead of giving these characters with minor roles to play more screen time, so I guess it was a fair trade off. Nonetheless, my point still stands that some of the characters introduced have wasted potential and could have been utilised far more efficiently.

Overall, Fruits Basket was a really wonderful ride, and the Final season was amazing. It's unapologetically genuine characters were a breath of fresh air in the current pool of anime shows. While Akito has always been a thorn in this beautiful story, even she can change. The idea of Fruits Basket is that we should never be tied down by unhealthy restrictive bonds, and instead choose a path to take for ourselves. Whether it is school, your job or your love life, you are free to choose as long as you don’t harm others along the way. It was a surreal experience and I am so glad that I sat through it all :)

A solid 9.5/10

After 20 years of hardcore Fruits Basket fans clamoring to see the ACTUAL ending adapted since the departure of the original 2001 series, we finally got it. And for the past 2 years (since Spring 2019) signalling the start of the complete re-adaptation of the classic Chinese Zodiac spirit story and plot, mangaka and overall series supervisor Natsuki Takaya has finally fulfilled her dream with the help of her production team at TMS and 8Pan...albeit with one serious problem that it has to negate to make the experience a great one.

To all of you who have been following and watching the readaptation of the classic ... Shoujo manga in recent memory, I will not try to play bootlick with you and state the "5 formula aspects" that everyone does, especially in sequel shows where most, of not all characters reprise their roles with the same effects and such. Only new ones are accepted that's exclusive to the aforementioned sequel, and I don't care about overstating the same things as per prior seasons before it, so it's best that I keep it short.

The ultimatum of Fruits Basket: The Final, much so of just completing the entire adaptation of the manga, is pacing the sequence of events in a way that does not feel jarring, yet feeling natural. Seeing as though the Final season (a.k.a Season 3) is only 13 episodes long, with all the various chapter adaptations done before in the prior 2 seasons, the only thing I was worried about are the chapter adaptations due to time constraints and the stuffing of the many left unadapted chapters that the first 2 seasons have set up incredibly well due to them being continuous 2-cours. By definition, a longer production schedule meant that the production team can take the adapted material slowly and padding it at a steady pace. Season 3, or The Final however, has like the final stretch of some 30-40 chapters (including the chapters that are split-adapted) to go, and that worries me a lot if we are able to be like mangaka Natsuki Takaya, to come out of Fruits Basket fully satisfied with the results. As much as they tried to cramp as much of the reminder as they can (and subsequently go anime-original with the re-arranging of manga chapters), it honestly still feels like a bit of Season 2 with tonal changes, only being more abrupt this time since time is the sole limiting factor here. Nonetheless, all the kinks are sorted out with the FruBa community getting a lot more toxic than before, I'd say that Fruits Basket is the new legend that has achieved how it is done in the modern age of adaptations, that it should've been the gold standard back then with loose adaptations and simpler artwork of the 2000s (that isn't so much nice to watch anymore, except for nostalgia reasons).

Another ultimatum is the obvious continuation to closure of the Chinese Zodiac story and plot of the Soma Family. The 4 central leads: cat Kyo, outsider Tohru, rat Yuki, and self-proclaimed "God" Akito has gone through the past 2 seasons / 50 episodes of content that anyone should be very familiar with their circumstances, and The Final has to exacerbate that in order for not just these 4 to get to where they eventually are in their journey of reconciliation and freedom. It hasn't been the easiest for the Soma Family's 12 Zodiac animals, much less Tohru still going out of her way to save the unwanted cat Kyo, to rebut against the Soma "God"-complex that is Akito, and eventually coming into terms with her past and present conditions. Yuki is pretty much the same with the student council's outcast that is Machi, as is Kyo also recognizing that all that Tohru has done for him to contain his anger and "monster" self since Season 1, to forge a path for himself together with her. The Soma god that is Akito presents the biggest change as she goes from one that is liberal with her words in complete anger, to eventually having to notice that she cannot keep them by her side forever. And the symbolism of the breaking of bonds within the Soma Family signifies the long-awaited change in her and between the cunning fox of a "headmaster" that is Shigure awaiting to show her true self to him. In essence, everyone got their closures, including the past hidden pairings like Rin and Hatsuharu.

The final nail in the straw that is TMS Entertainment and subsidary 8Pan's production, really has seen better days, and this being the final of 3 years since the start of the re-adaptation, the production values still do hold up well, there's just nothing to say about it other than praises for the modern age. Even the OST, which since Season 2, has a K-Pop and J-Pop mix to it (which is more prevalent these days), and yeah, nothing else to say than that it's standard songs that rhyme well with the core theme of Fruits Basket.

In my very honest opinion, I can see why fans who've read Fruits Basket hold this series to a very high regard, and I respect mangaka Natsuki Takaya for her efforts to create one of the most classic Shoujo series out there that fans old and new have been smearing around. With the Final signalling the TRUE end of the legendary work after 20 long years, we can finally bid goodbye to Fruits Basket and its notoriety of a massive reputation that's truly well deserved of an unorthodox formula undertaken to showcase why this series is still popular to this day, even in the future.

What a journey of 3 years, consisting of 136 chapters in 63 episodes of a classic manga's near-COMPLETE adaptation, Owari in a great conclusion.

While I was recklessly searching for romance anime to watch, I end up finding Fruit’s Basket, so as for most shows I watch I decided to binge this show as well. At first, I wasn’t very interested in the whole premise of the show and wanted to drop it until I decided to power through the whole show and blimey me, I got hooked instantly. A title that does not sound catchy or witty pulled through in an impressive. Written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya, the show has been released worldwide across the globe in many different languages, the show originally began in 2001 and ... it has been 20 years of the legacy of this anime and is considered to be one of the best romance anime’s out there standing up with big titles like ~ “Clannad, Horimiya, Anohana, Toradora, Your Lie In April, Kaichou Wa Maid Sama and Oregairu (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU)”.
I’ve always been a big fan of the genre ‘Slice Of life’ and if you add ‘Romance’ into the mix, I’m hooked. The show is one of the most genuine, heartfelt, vibrant, and niftiest works I’ve ever seen. Starting of resilient with all of its love plots, characters, and story which are the strongest parts of this anime. Weaved and lamented in such a beautiful way, the story does not get any brilliant and exceptional. A simple yet so mature story that lives up to its hype, and I’m so glad that the show is back.

Story ~ 10
The story revolves around the high school student Tohru Honda who’s basically too good and upright for any person, also the leading role in this tale. Who finds herself in a family where a household where people have an obscenity that basically makes them change into animals of their zodiacs when hugged which sounds weird in the first prospect but trust me it’s not just a fantasy ordeal but instead is a drama, slice of life romance that piques the curiosity of many people and that’s why the community relates to it so much. As the story continues the Tohru meets more people of the zodiac and learns about their dark pasts. With a plot like that it’s really hard not to get invested in a show of such caliber. The show has been a great success all over the world despite how weird its storyline, the show has amazed people to it being called the best romance of all time.
The quality, pacing, and heart-wrenching moments all together hit every mark effortlessly and allow the viewers to relive and experience the previous seasons and move right into the new storyline.

Animations ~ 9
The animations from Fruits Basket give me a good nostalgia trip from “Clannad”, everything from the backgrounds to the character models and designs feels to notch. The scene transitions are smooth but not flawless but that is not even close to a down sight, the animations sometimes feel a little rusty and out of place but the flow from scene to scene effortlessly and without any unforeseen changes that are meant to catch viewers off-guard. The movie brings viewers up rapidly with what emerged in the past while also canvases a stunning picture for the world and the characters within it. TMS studios have done a commendable job just like its last ones from “Dr. Stone, Megalo Box, Kamisama Hajimemashita and Detective Conan, Relife, Kanojo Okarishimasu ” and many more that have been good both visually and painterly. They delivered.

Characters ~ 9
For any and every anime there is out there, characters are the core of the show, they are the layers that hold the show together and how they’ve worked together so far in breaking the curse of the family. Throughout the show, we meet a lot of people and see a lot of their desolation and the things that they are dealing with something that none of them are used to or the elements that fuel them. Despite everything in the show, there is more to every character there is that meets the eye, you get an experience of every character’s back story and what they’ve experienced, been through and what they have felt and the source of their pain and sorrow or something that can be amended. This show portrays beautifully that there is something about some people and what caused them certain dramas and how they’ve built themselves throughout the show. Although a lot of this series charm does in fact come from the sweetheart herself Tohru and how she meets, greets, and how her relationship changes with people.

Sound ~ 8
This season’s opening is way different from the rest, “Pleasure” by WARPs UP feels electric and feels like I might just sit back, relax and just vibe to it. Although I prefer the older ones, this one is quite the jam to put on and just lets it flow until it starts echoing in your mind for a long time.

Overall ~ 10
In all its seriousness and pride this show has been a marvel, this has been an amazing series to watch week by week. In all its majesty, glory, and splendor this show has been phenomenal so far as it had been before. But something and somewhere it struck me that the only very few shows now that want to touch on topics on more serious topics mostly left isolated by humans. The show’s representation of bipolar disorders and its fantasy tolerances Fruits Basket has shown it all. Hiding deep within a message of sorrow, guilt, pain, and love this anime excels in showing them flawlessly and in an astonishing way.
A journey that’s almost 20 years is finally going to end this year, just like another favorite franchise of mine “Evangelion” but I’m not sad for this is the end but happy for how it has been a beautiful journey.
If you crave Romance and Slice of Life this just might be the next best thing for you. Definitely worth the watch!

Art: 9/10. Reason not 10/10 is because slice of life is easier to animate than others

Sound: 8/10. I wish the ost's and openings got more views on Youtube but unfortunately not. I still listen to them when studying all the time especially momiji's violin looped for 1 hour xd.

And now I will rebute some common arguments against fruits basket.
1.
This is just wrong because you're assuming the plot points are separated and discontinued after their conclusion. Every time the story focuses on a new character something deep is revealed about the strength of their connection to Akito and their so called bond or curse or in ... laymen's terms, the plot. For example the story shapes the strength of the bond of Shigure, Hatori, Kureno, Ayame, Momiji, Yuki, Kyo, Haru and Isuzu, Kisa and Hori towards Akito, depicting how Akito's personality, actions and role in the Zodiacs effects various people. Each character reveals insight with their degree of love or hatred for Akito (which we learn through plot points), to how this curse could be resolved, or whether it should be resolved at all.

Because that is the beauty of Fruits Basket. The curse is not perhaps some great magical construct that transcends our reality, but in fact a consequence of individuals, that refuse to empathize with others! And hence, we have reached the most important character, Tohru Honda. A somewhat obscure, average and clumsy high school girl but a representation of one in society who conducts extraordinary kindness, patience and comfort. She is a reflection of the author's desire to imbue society with more kindness, more empathy, more truth, more everything, because maybe... just maybe, in the past the world had been cruel to the author herself. Maybe she did not want her pains to happen to anyone else so she hopes to make the world a kinder place hoping that more people will be inspired by Tohru's unconditional selflessness and kindness so that more people can live happier lives and less are hurt. And that is why I get annoyed when people nitpick, or say hateful comments to Fruits Basket because it shows that they never tried to understand the message the show is trying to convey. To live looking out for all those around you, and to live with kindness.

But hey, maybe not everyone is in the boat with me with the live selflessly crap. I was deeply touched by the story of the little girl who because of her kindness, was swindled out of all her possessions, even her body parts later by the demons in the woods who deceived her, claiming that without it they will die; with the last demon who got her eyes decided to leave her a gift. It was a note that said stupid on the back. And the girl for the first time started crying, and said thank you, again and again, because it was the first time anyone had given her back anything in return.

I sometimes think about what I might think while I'm dying on my deathbed. And maybe its just me being weird. But I think the true value of life how many acts of kindness you have given others, or how many people are willing to be waiting by you on your deathbed. Because in the end, we all will inevitably turn to dust, so I hope I can contribute as much as I can before I become dust.

I think Steve Job's last words put it nicely. A man the embodiment of the pinnacle of wealth and success, on his deathbed, with his last words being "Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow" as he tried to look one last time at those who were with him to the very end. Maybe he found out what was truly meaningful in those last moments.

Anyways I have gone way off topic. Thanks for reading and Fruits basket is a 10/10 for this reason although it must be noted that it is not the first anime or any media to make me feel like this. Naruto was probably the true first one which is why Naruto is truly special to me but, Fruits Basket was the only anime since then to really allow me to dive deep into this mindset again.

Also there are some misunderstandings about potential pedophilia in the show, and I had to edit my review to add this. First of all Shiruge did not have sexual feelings towards Akito at a young age. He only gave the rose because Akito was god and Akito and the Zodiacs have some sort of ethereal connection. This is not a contradiction to my earlier comment on how curses were not magical because I said perhaps*** meaning that the magical aspect is not the most important although it still carries some weight. It resembles the innocent connection everyone born or as a young kid has with each other, because when you're young, you only know how to love. Anyways it was Akito who later fell in love with Shigure. Furthermore, Fruits basket is a medium. So are holocaust movies for example. Just because it happens, does not mean the action is condoned. I'm pretty sure Shigure and Akito only got into a proper relationship after Akito was over the necessary age of course, and even so, the author certainly does not celebrate the relationship as she portrays both characters as dark and ominous. Anyways had to add this.

So here I am writing a review about Fruits Basket: The Final instead of writing my philosophy final, but this just seems so much more interesting and worth it.

Story: 10
The story in season 1 did not feel like it was amounting to anything at first, but my gf urged me to continue forward, and I have never felt so grateful to have been told to do so. The final season of Fruits Basket just really starts to break all the knots and reveal everything in a way where each episode makes you crave more. Each episode is like its own great arc with a cliffhanger ... on each leaving you with a feeling of desire. I have not read the manga, but this season makes me never want to read with how perfectly the episodes are directed in terms of what story is told per episode.

Art: 9
It is a beautiful work of art. Just cannot give it a 10 as there is no like shounen-esque animation or Kyo-Ani level sakuga. Also, it is just incomparably better than its predecessors.

Sound: 10
The OST reminds me a lot of the heart-warming and emotion-provoking OSTs of Gintama. I am not one to tear up or get emotional for a lot of things, but if I do it is usually because of the music and Fruits Basket has one of my favorite OSTs in 'Spring Will Come When the Snow Melts Away.' Also the opening for this season is my favorite opening to come of Fruits Basket and one of my favorite openings overall.

Character: 10
As it is the final season, a lot of the characters' character gets flushed out a whole lot more. You can see the motivation and individuality between all the characters and it makes you appreciate each of them, even some you might have hated prior.

Enjoyment: 10
I have been watching this with my group of friends and each week is a different sob fest. As I do not really ever feel sad, it makes me enjoy an anime all that much more when it can make me feel that way, even more if it can make me tear up which this has.

Overall: 10
This season's adaptation of Fruits Basket is definitely worth watching. Each episode is its own beautifully crafted story and leaves you wanting more the whole week while you wait for the next episode. I did not read the manga, but I think this anime adaptation would easily top the manga with it's pacing, OST, and sakuga. I am so glad my gf convinced me to keep watching so that I could witness this masterpiece with her.

Fruits Basket is a masterpiece of the romance drama genre. At first Fruits Basket seemed like a fun reverse harem anime with a ditsy dense girl and her hot handsome boyfriends, but after watching a little I realized Fruits Basket has so much more to offer. At times it felt like I was the character rather than watching the character. The way this anime was able to make me feel what the characters felt and relate to them so much is amazing. This anime put me to tears every episode and it'll have a lasting impact I'll never forget.
(This review is about all three ... seasons, and there's a small spoiler section so the rest of the review is spoiler free.)

Fruits Basket has it all,
Romance, drama, slice of life, hot husbandos and cute waifus, emotional rollercoasters, cute ships, intense and mysterious story-line, deep character growth, heart agonizing moments, complex portrayals of many common feelings and emotions, and a beautiful story.


- Story (10) :

Fruits Basket's story can be seemingly simple yet perplexed at the same time. Tohru and the Soumas striving to break the curse, understand and accept their feelings and grow, all while facing and overcoming their pasts in order to work towards a beautiful future.
Fruits Basket entangles itself in mystery while exploring many complex feelings we all have as we grow. The anime focuses on the characters and their relationships as they change, grow, and even break apart. This anime will make you feel what the characters are feeling. It brings you to tears and rips at your heart with sadness, depression, guilt, and hopelessness. Then it proceeds to warm your body with happiness, love, kindness, care, and the compassion it portrays. It's true emotional rollercoaster on par with that of many others like Violet Evergarden or Clannad Afterstory.

- *MINOR SPOILERS* - (Analysis of each Season. Skip to the next section below if you don't want to know what each season focuses on.)

Season 1 of Fruits Basket primarily introduces us to the world, the Souma Family, and let's us learn fragments of our characters. It does well to introduce us to everything while giving minimal information about the deep backgrounds of the characters. Overall it was enjoyable, and it really set the stage for the following seasons.

Season 2 takes this a step forward by diving deeper into the characters, and it gets a lot more darker. The real issue with this season is that it can feel like the pacing is incredibly slow and the story really goes nowhere. I even dropped the second season at episode 6 to watch something else, but I decided to give it a second chance, and it was more than worth it. The slow build up definitely payed off. The second half of the season more than redeems the first half for the lack of plot progression. Things really get deep after the first part of the second season, and we begin to learn about Akito and the relationships he and the Soumas have with one another. Some of them face their pasts, others breakdown because of it, and others struggle to change and overcome it. The second season provided us with much needed information about our characters and it really shows us their struggles. This was far more emotionally moving than the first season. I was really able to understand and even relate to many of the characters here, and ending of the Second season left me speechless.

Season 3 or the Final Season of Fruits Basket now stands on the solid built foundations of the previous seasons and takes a giant leap towards the sky. After the way they ended the 2nd season I was dying to watch the next season, and this season goes beyond all expectations I had. Each episode tugs at my heart and throws my emotions all over the place, then it leaves me hurting as I desperately wait for the next episode. Each episode just gets so much more better. It's truly remarkable how much of an impact this anime can have on you. This season wraps up the story of Fruits Basket spectacularly. This is the climax we have all been waiting for. Fruits Basket has truly become a masterpiece ~


- Art (9) :

Fruits Basket's art is well above the standard of your average anime. With a cute easy on the eyes style, it's everything you want in slice of life romance drama anime. The most notable aspect of Fruits Basket's art is the way it beautifully portrays heart moving emotion in all of it's scenes. Even without a ground-breaking revolutionary art style, Fruits Basket manages to provide us with extravagant impactful scenes.

- Sound (10) :

Fruits Basket's sound is one of the aspects of the anime which makes it outstanding. The sounds and music intensify the emotion within the scenes and helps to create truly amazing moments in the anime.
The openings, endings, and sound tracks within all seasons were spectacular, and lovely to listen to. I also absolutely love the final season's opening "Pleasure"!

- Character (10) :

The whole premise of this anime is character development. Fruits basket provides you with a large diverse set of characters, many of which all of us can relate to and truly understand.
Fruits Basket manages to realistically develop its characters extremely well, providing them with fascinating backstories, while giving them all significant purpose in the whole grand scheme of the anime. Each of our characters faced many things in the past which haunts them, and breaks them to the ground, so seeing how they struggle and overcome these is amazing. It's simply beautiful, the amount of depth these characters have. The characters go through so much, just watching it made me feel like I was on an emotional rollercoaster.

- Enjoyment :

Fruits Basket provides you with everything you'll ever want from the romance drama genre. The storytelling is spectacular, the art is great, the sound is beautiful, and the characters are phenomenal. This is one of those animes that'll have a large lasting impact on you, as well as teach you many lessons about life. The cruelty of fate can be overcome through hard work, and eventually we'll all be able to live closer to our ideal lives.

I love this anime so much and I'm very glad to have watched it. Fruits Basket will be one of those animes which I'll never forget how deeply it impacted me. I really wish there were more drama romances like this with emotionally moving, tear jerking and heart mellowing moments, filled with extreme character growth.

This is no ordinary Shoujo anime.


There have been many amazing anime released throughout the years, titles that put a smile on your face just by reading them, no matter how old you are or how many anime you've seen, I believe there is always that one anime that has this enormous significance for each and every anime fan, Fruits Basket is that anime for me. Fruits Basket is a story about grief, change, relationships, farewells, new comings, it's a story that covers many deep dark themes while having a wholesome overtone that makes most people turn away from due to a fear of it ... being brim full of Shoujo tropes. I can assure you that this is an anime that has something for every anime fan, it's a story of turning a new leaf in life yet not dismissing your past, showing us that you can shape your future by learning to accept your upbringing, your past failures, for they shape who you are. It leaves you with the melancholic feeling of a rainy spring day while simultaneously embedding you with the cheery emotions of seeing the first clear sky of summer.

===== SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT. =====


Unlike the very heartwarming yet mysterious feel of the first season and the calm yet brief moments of intensity brought by the 2nd season, the final season of Fruits Basket gives you an overdrive of a multitude of emotions ranging from the utter bittersweet happiness of Momiji breaking his curse to the utter awe and fear of Akito stabbing Kureno to the grieving and sadness brought by Kyoko's dying words. I geniunely feel like the emotional rollercoaster that this season brought forth was the result of genius writing from Natsuki Takaya and the way TMS decided to adapt it. We see Akito's complete 180 turn going from a selfish and sinister yet misguided and mistreated control freak who was lead to believe that she was special and the world was made to fulfill her needs and hers alone to a sincere and geniunely lovable character who finally embraces her true identity and femininity. This development wasn't abrupt either, Akito had been manipulated her whole life, by her parents, by the curse, by the Soma caretakers to the point where she'd mustered up a God Complex, and for her to finally be reached, to be seen, to be heard by somebody who deeply cared about her, not of out fear or inferiority, but as somebody who geniunely related to her situation, it was simply so contradictory to what her past life had taught her that she was utterly destroyed.

Tohru and Kyo finally find true happiness after all the years of being haunted by their pasts, we finally see Kyo's true involvement in Tohru's life before they'd even met and his involvement in Kyoko Honda's death, We also finally get to see Tohru shed her skin and show her true self, the imperfections she hides and it wasn't sudden nor surprising at all, Tohru's always felt like she never deserved pity or sympathy from others due to her pure self hatred which was also the case with Kyo, We see Kyo's self hatred play a continous blockage role throughout the series and ironically enough, he's the one who makes Tohru love herself again. Forgiveness, their relationship is built on forgiveness, the love and inner peace forgiveness can bring, not just forgiving others, but more so, forgivng one's self.

Although Yuki had been able to overcome his past in the previous season, his development kept on going, in this season he plays more of a support role as we see with how he handled Tohru and Kyo's falling out though we do also see him and Machi finally come together after so long, we've already seen the similarities these two lovers have whether it be how they view the world or the process in which they'd overcome their pasts, a perfect couple and a perfect ending to Yuki's beautiful development.

There are of course many many more revelations throughout this season to pretty much all the characters which is a result of Natsuki Takaya's ability to juggle with so many stories; Rin and Hatsuharu's love story is so spectacular in the way they function. The contrast between Hatsuharu's calm and soothing nature and Rin's dissociation and unstability worked wonderfully and I couldn't hold back tears when he hugged her and welcomed her back. We see Momiji, Kisa and Hiro finally grow up, Momiji accepting his family situation, Hiro becoming a big brother and Kisa becoming more and more social, it's surreal to see how they've blossomed and how far they've come.

I have seen many people talking about the ambiguities surrounding how exactly the curse was broken and to me it's very simple: The curse is a bond between the god and the animals, this bond ties them all to the God emotionally, physically and mentally. However, once you create an outer bond that's stronger than the curse's bond, it shatters, for example Kyo's bond with Tohru, Hiro's bond with Hinata and Kisa, Yuki's bond with Machi etc. I believe that this symbolizes how really life relationships work, when you enter a toxic relationship with somebody, it's often difficult to break it off, but when you have a stronger, healthy relationship with others and you're not just reliant on that one toxic relationship, therefore it becomes easier to break away from.

The ending is one of if not the most conclusive endings I've ever seen to any animanga, we see everybody living their happily ever after, Rin, Haru, Kagura, Momiji, Hatori, Shigure, Akito, Tohru, Uotani, Everybody. After so much suffering the simple thought of them continuing to live peacefully brings tears to my eyes. I'm so grateful for what this anime has given me over the years and I'm proud of TMS for adapting it to perfection. True love isn't about looks or money, it's about how well you can love your partner, embracing their past, admiring their present and what they'll be in the future, true happiness to Tohru comes from the kindness of those around her why can't it be the same source of happiness for us? Farewells are heartbreaking but they often times they're just a brand new beginning, you don't have to cry when bidding farewell, although it may be a grievance, the people you bid farewell to will never truly be gone if you keep them in your heart. Another showering spring ends and brings upon us a shining new summer chapter in our lives. Thank you for all the memories Natsuki Takaya, this anime truly changed my life.

This one seems to be quite divisive this season, and I can see why. FruBa really joins the auspicious ranks of Seven Deadly Sins and Psycho Pass as very enjoyable anime that utterly collapse in later seasons. This one is rife with character assassination and go-nowhere (and then GO STRAIGHT TO THE FINISH) pacing and uneven character development that just makes you regret spending the time. I actually thought I was done in episode 7, but came back for 8 simply because I knew one of my least favorite characters (seems I'm not alone) suffers in this one and I ... thought it might resolve one of the stupider plotlines, but it doesn't... because nothing ever gets resolved in Fruba. It's just not that kind of property. I read the manga first, and it was mostly mediocre with moments of brilliance. The anime, sadly, falls short of that.

Story 2: As someone else said, I just don't care anymore. The approach they took in the anime made it feel like they put a bit more shonen in their shoujo, and I found myself hoping certain characters would just get punched in the face. Instead, they just took an honestly weak story and decided to rush through to the unsatisfying conclusion. The only good thing about the end at this point is is going to be that it's over.

Art 5: it's serviceable, but nothing special. Sadly, it's probably the best thing about the show at this point. At least it pulled itself up from the "children's coloring book" quality of the FIRST first season...

Sound 5: again, serviceable. Nothing memorable, but it's not really the type of show that has memorable themes or leitmotifs. The opening kind of sucks compared to previous seasons.

Character 1: The worst part of the show. The only characters getting any focus are just wholly unlikeable and irredeemable, and the ones that you got attached to in the first season and the filler arc are actively degraded. "Dark Haru" is a dork and a loser who does nothing of importance in spite of his build up. Kureno is "a pedo-simp loser" as others have said, happily slurping up the slop of his life because he promised a 9 year old he would always love her; Shigure is a piece of crap and a creep grooming a mentally handicapped young woman and facilitating the abuse of everyone else so he can get some from said mental child and getting jealous the other POS loser got there first; all adults are garbage, and everyone else is an afterthought who haven't done anything of note since season 1... honestly, at this point, it would need a Fall in the House of Usher finish with the ground just swallowing up the Soma compound and ending their existence on earth. I wish it was just constrained to the Somas, though, as I know even some of the popular human characters are needlessly revealed as POS abusers and neglectful adults during this arc, and I'm not really interested in seeing that adapted. I do love the arguments about the definition of pedo, too... "they're not, because they waited until their target was legal!!" or "it's different over in Japan..." THAT'S TOTALLY BETTER, GUYS!! Groomers and predatory teachers and ... gag.

Enjoyment 4: in spite of it all, I can't say I hate the whole thing (I mean, I rated it twice as high as some of you, lol). The play episode was great, Yuki dealing with school (which should have just been the focus... who cares about Akito? Even without reading ahead, you know that story isn't going anywhere satisfying, so why even adapt it? With only 13 episodes to go, they should have scrapped that whole plotline) was enjoyable if a bit dragged out... it should have stayed slice of life with hints of supernatural set dressing. Instead... I don't even know what to call this, but I know I don't care for it.

Overall 4: with the wealth of better anime out there, I really wouldn't waste my time with this middle school tripe, its underwritten characters and garbage plotlines, but if you can choke it all down, it's a passable waste of time if you have no other choice. You do, though, so just remember that fun first season and pretend you live in 2001 and there was never a follow up.

Fruits Basket is a horrible anime.

Over the span of 53 episodes, dragging three seasons of joyous and disheartening events, this is the best they can do? One question. Why? Why not just create love rectangles, add some dramatic shouting, slapping, running, crying scenes of all the characters confronting each other, at the end of 11th episode and just be done with it? Just expose all the inner feelings and hidden truths in one final showdown. That's it. Let's throw whatever conflicts they have, mesh them together and let it be resolved by themselves. Let them break their characters. No one cares. We just want a ... happy ending, with whatever means necessary.

But, no. Fruits Basket doesn't want this. The character developments are tediously pulled and widened across these three years, seemingly reaching an endless abyss before what is known as the 'finale'. The ensemble cast of zodiac members, are one by one, meticulously portrayed, represented by their own quirks and words. They are, each of them, shaped to be a person. A person united with each other by a curse—and a gift—until a carefree girl barged into their little worlds. Merrily, kind-hardheartedly, courageously, she cared for them, weaving their stories into her perspectives. Into ours. She helped a rat out of his depression and identity crisis; she helped a horse out of her parental abuse and emotional trauma; she helped every zodiac member that she can, even if she's not obligated to. But, she needed to.

Because only then she can help herself.
 
Fruits Basket is a very pretentious anime, in this sense.

Every shoujo story needs a villain. Dread a villain. A love rival. Fruits Basket has it both: a villainous love rival, who controls the zodiac members at her will and disposal—Akito. The sound of her name itself invokes seas of rage. She appears as the children-book villain that gloats about her supreme, and ceases the main protagonists' wills to live, trapping them, while doing heinous evil deeds to leave emotional and physical scars. She's good at what she does: everyone hates her. So, why? Why does Fruits Basket redeem such character? She is evil. Evil needs to stay evil. There's no other alternative. She's done unfathomable things. She needs not exist. Not as one that we can resonate to.

But, no. Fruits Basket doesn't care. Even if it's perfectly reasonable under the theme of selflessness and kindness that is depicted by Tohru over the plot. Even if the portrayal of acceptance of oneself has fully been embraced by each and every one of the zodiac members, including Mr. Tsundere Cat. Even if Tohru believes second chances to a fault, and accept good as they are, but most importantly—evil as they are. Even if Akito wanted to only protect her little world, with her only means. Tohru doesn’t care. She thrives on her belief, because it is the only thing that she holds on dearest to. Her world would collapse once she stops believing. If she ever does.

Because she, amongst them all, is the loneliest.

She craves people's kindness, as much as she’s given it away herself. It is the overwhelming affection and tenderness that she shows to others, that contradicts her genuine feelings. She creates a world for others to save themselves, but she herself is lost inside it. Because even though we don’t show it, everyone, anyone wants to be cared for. It’s inside our core. That’s why we connect, make bonds. That’s why we empathize with characters, and resonate with their emotions, actions. That’s why we stay strong, even if we are weak.

And that is why Fruits Basket is also highly manipulative.

Sad, melancholic music tracks don't do the tricks for them. Nope. They don't want that. They adapt a much heart-wrenching, orchestral music that elevates the emotional drama, to bring out people's desire to connect, to emphasize that we're experiencing that scene at that moment, to let us know that we are not alone. It's horrifying how influential music and songs can be, until you are relishing it in that particular moment. The sound director, Aketagawa Jin has done a truly intricate, endearing job at this. I cannot think of how many times the music has brought me on the brink of tears; I hate being manipulated like this. Now, don’t even get me started on those cute chibi style changes.

And, accompanied by the elegant piano play, with their wholehearted interaction, comes this wave of warm, lingering feelings. It's a feeling particularly enhanced by the clever use of color tone and the crafty dialogues that are as bare as they get. The ingenious scene transitions using black and white and space, the deceptive teary eyes under a heavy downpour, and the silence that allows tension to creep in. These are all not supposed to be felt, but it added much more merits to the whole story itself. Making it much more manipulative, heartfelt.

Overall, Fruits Basket is a horrible, very pretentious and highly manipulative anime. If the zodiac members can be portrayed as different forms and shapes of snowflakes, then Tohru would be the spring. The snow captures, traps all the insecurities, pride, identity, trauma, anxiety and nightmare that they can't let go of; waiting to be melted away by their own passion, convictions, ideals, actions, and acceptance. Waiting for spring.

Because spring will come, when the snow melts away.

And to Natsuki Takaya, for creating a heart-breaking story like this, I'll never forgive you. Ever.

This review will be covering the entire show not this season alone and since I completed the manga I can give a fair review about the entire thing

English is my third language so try to forgive any grammatical mistakes


Story

The premise is alright. But thats pretty much the only compliment I can give about it.
The story constantly tries its hardest to be "deep" but everything about it is just as flat as megumin's chest. The author is constantly trying to tell us "oh look x person is depressed because x y z" then proceeds to give us a cliche backstory wrapped with all the ... "zodiac theme" which makes it look different at first glance but upon further inspection (not much you literally need about 5 seconds to realise it) its just always the same as usual but with a different package.

Let me give an example : Alfred is from your average melodrama highschool anime, he is sad and depressed because he was bullied in highschool and that left some suicidal thoughts in him.
Let's talk as if Alfred was in the fruits basket universe: Alfred is sad and depressed because he was bullied from his peers in school because he is a zodiac member

Taddaaa! You have finished writing fruits basket.



Art and animation:

The art is nice and the details are there nothing spectacular by any means. I found it better than 80% of romance Anime's though

The animation is also fine. The facial expressions are on point and they manage to convey the feelings of the characters.


Sound:

The voice acting is one point. But it's the least you'd expect from anime.

The music however is the most forgettable thing in this. It's fitting I guess. But never in my life I will go look up on youtube trying to find a certain ost from fruits basket. Non of the op songs nor the Ed's were any good imo but that's just a matter of taste.


Characters:

For me, this is the worst part about this show.

In short, the characters are very dumb, way too dumb. Non of the characters acts like a normal human being. The characters refuse to communicate like normal people. Instead they just say dumb stuff just to prolonge the story like "now is not the time to talk about this"
Or "I don't think I'm ready" or "when the time comes you will know" but there isn't anything such as "correct time".

I could put a thousand question marks on half the characters actions. You will notice it yourself whilst watching. You will be questioning an event every 5 minutes and then ask yourself:"why is x person is acting like an animal?" then you realize you are watching fruits basket so it's only natural. I don't mind cliche's that much. But when paired with such stupid characters Its extremely hard to enjoy the story.

Fruits basket could have easily been a 2-cour 25 episode series if only the characters were actively trying to solve the issues.

I could go on and on and on about this but I'm just gonna stop here for now.


Enjoyment :

I don't mind cliche's. But not this one. This is garbage. Most of the time I found myself wanting drop this show but it's fanboys hyped this so much that I had to complete it.


Overall:

Dumb characters ruined a cliche Fiesta that otherwise would have been mediocre at best. This show never had any potential. Thankfully I didn't really expect much even with all the hype surrounding it.

G A R B A G E

Disclaimer: I have been a fan of the Fruits Basket series for a very, very long time. I'm rather attached to these characters and greatly enjoyed the previous two seasons. As such, I due have an inherent bias about the series which may impact this review.

Story: The way that things are handled here are extremely odd. Some parts of the plot are much too slow, while others progress far too quickly. It does some things well while failing miserably at others.

The good: Many of the other relationships aside from the main pairing are resolved and supporting characters do get a decent amount of screen ... time. I feel that Momiji's arc in particular was executed well and shows his growth as a character. Prior to this season, he was mostly a cute shota type character who had a semi tragic backstory, but this does give his character a bit more depth. Yuki also shows progression and does open up a bit more to others rather than being as distant. Other characters do show growth as well and learn to be their own selves outside of being zodiac members.

The bad: Most of the pitfalls the plot suffers from involve Kyo and Tooru's relationship as well as Akito's redemption arc in addition to her relationship with Shigure. Kyo and Tooru dance around their feelings for much of this season despite having their big moment where Tooru accepts Kyo for who(and what) he truly is. Then from episode eight onwards their relationship progresses very rapidly. I would have liked to see the change be a bit more gradual.

And then there is the matter of Akito. The main problem with how things are handled is that the show justifies Akito's behavior(abuse, maiming family members, attempted murder, etc.) by showing her abusive relationship with her mother and explaining how she developed her god complex. Here's the thing: all of that is an explanation, not an excuse. When she realizes the error of her ways, that doesn't mean that everything is suddenly alright. The fact that the other members of the zodiac choose to forgive her almost immediately after she apologizes despite being terrorized by her for years feels extremely unrealistic and rushed. Akito is far from redeemed, and the plot does not reflect that.

Finally, the dynamic of Akito's relationship with Shigure. I'm not going to sugar coat it: the way they treat each other is extremely toxic. Seeing the way this normalizes unhealthy relationships and child grooming is incredibly uncomfortable and concerning. They may get together, but I don't view that as a happy ending by any stretch of the word. Not that everyone gets a happy ending, but leaving things like this just doesn't feel right.

On a happier note, the technical aspects of the show are very well done. The art is stunning and is leaps and bounds above the original series. The characters' voices all fit them very well, with the exception of Momiji. Hearing him speak with a German accent is an odd choice, but it doesn't detract from his character.

Overall, I'm very conflicted about this season. It wasn't completely horrendous, but it does have many flaws that could have been executed much better. If you're attached to the characters and want to learn their fates, I think this will give you some closure. Just be aware that it isn't always easy to watch.

This is the best season so far. The build up with the characters are all there. I love to know how things would unfold. Hoping to see more good things from this show. Waiting for the curse of the zodiacs to be lifted and on how will they change their ways. Animation is GREAT so FAR.
Art is on point with the background scenery's I really enjoy every episodes of this show. I'm always waiting for a new episode of this since my enjoyment is there. Hoping to see the development of Kyo and Tohru until the very end. No more cliffhangers please.

Writing a review for this season is so hard. As an avid enjoyer of the original Fruits Basket, I'm gonna say it. They did the characters soooo dirty. So dirty that, honestly, I do not treat this as canon, nor the previous season. TLDR at end.

As a short tldr of my review of S1 2019, the story was good (granted, they just copied the masterpiece og). The soundtrack and character design were painfully generic. Imo, the VA butchered Tohru from charming to annoying.
I will say I really liked some of the OPs/EDs (S1ED, S2ED1, S2ED2, S3OP) and the soundtrack grew on me (but never as ... much as the OG).

Keeping that in mind, the final season (and the 2nd season tbh) was just so disappointing in where they took the stories of each character. They should have spent 1 or 2 more seasons resolving everyone's stories and it would have been fine, but no. As a result, everything is forced and rushed. So here we go.


Akito:

The obvious one. Many reviews would agree with me, Akito gets off jack FREE with NO consequences for what she did whatsoever. She traumatized the ENTIRE Soma family, and the people who made this series thought "If we give her a brief pitiful backstory, the viewer and the Somas have no choice but to like her, right?" WRONG. It just doesn't make ANY sense for anyone to forgive her (except maybe Shigure because he always somehow loved her). For being the cause of Yuki, Kyo, Momiji, Hatori, and the other's traumas, and almost killing Rin twice??? and not even one apology after?!?!? It's unbelievable.

If we're comparing the entire season dedicated to resolving this, to the ONE scene in the 2001 Furuba of Tohru accepting Akito, the 2001 scene makes LEAGUES more sense.

Do they really expect us to believe Akito wanting to become friends with Tohru after how much she hated her? After all juunishi ties are cut, it would be a hit to her ego to do it. Does not make sense except for the sake of the story.


Yuki:

It's utter bullshit that Yuki sees Tohru as a mother. I understand that Tohru can only end up with one of them, and that it was always meant to be Kyo, but you can't tell me that throughout the whole story, Yuki only deserves a handshake from Tohru!!!!!!!!! He at least deserves a hug of friendship, wtf??? It really undermines all of the friendship that they built up until then.

The romance between Yuki and Machi is extremely forced. For how deeply scarred Yuki was from being a juunishi and Akito, it doesn't make sense for him to develop a romance so quickly with someone who has no idea he had such a burden. He's the one who believes that "acceptance of yourself begins with someone else accepting you", yet Machi does nothing to accept Yuki on her own. I understand student council was Yuki's way of branching out after S1, but it should have ended in friendship with all of them, not a forced romance.

Lastly, they basically did away with all of Yuki's trauma for nothing. In S1 and S2, they built up Akito as an important threat in the way of Yuki healing. Yet nothing comes of it and Yuki gets over everything way too easily. So by butchering Akito's story, they also messed up Yuki's ending.
This *does* apply to other characters as well, but it isn't built up as much as Yuki, so it applies much more to him.


Kyo:

After the climax of the first season, you would think that Kyo is at least a little better at working out his traumas. But no, they expect the viewers to believe that Kyo magically forgot about basically killing Tohru's mom the WHOLE time until the very end. Despite being a decent twist in the story, it's unbelievable and the timing is just too perfect as the final climax. And same last paragraph as Yuki's.


Momiji:

The elephant in the room - there is no way he could have grown into a whole ass man in the span of what, a couple months? I get why they did this, but in the timeline, his growth is just too drastic.

Also, it's hinted that Momiji liked Tohru all along and challenges Kyo a bit, but it seems forced. Up until now, he never showed any signs of liking Tohru romantically. You could say that he was hiding it, but in a show, a character would have to show signs if it was intended, so no.


Tohru:

Finally, Tohru. Frankly, after doing her job in the first two seasons of bringing characters to "life," she doesn't develop much. What doesn't make sense though, is that they basically have her forget her mom because she starts to really like Kyo. Yes, with time you won't think of passed loved ones as much, and as you like someone, the more you will think of them. It's natural. So it's a bit dramatic that she struggles so much with this idea. I guess it's because it's her first time? But I digress.


They honestly just should have spent another season or two hashing out all of the characters' stories in order to get them right. They make a lot of story choices that don't align with what they built up in S1 and S2 and it really shows. It's such a shame.


TLDR; They butchered nearly every character's story, especially Akito and Yuki. They basically undid all of the development from S1 and S2 because they were too hasty with ending the story on a good note. So much that I don't treat any of it as true canon because it doesn't really make sense logically.

This review will be spoiler-free. Please keep in mind that this is an anime-only review! I've seen quite a few manga readers talk about how this season was a bit rushed and how fillers were cut out. I'm quite a new anime watcher and I've only read a few mangas (shoujo), but Fruits Basket was the definitely the most influential anime I've watched. I haven't done any reviews before this, but this show was too touching not to share.

Story; 10/10.
A comedy harem, huh? I dug into the world of Fruits Basket in search of something cliche, dramatic, and lovey-dovey. I'm a sucker for shoujo animes/mangas ... with expected tropes and endings. Needless to say, I did not expect a story as impactful as Fruits Basket.

There's simply too much to dive into here. All I will say is there is that of those similar to life lessons every episode, and if anything, it makes you feel less alone. From learning to love, growing out of fear, and realising how impactful the words of an adult can be, Fruits Basket touches on topics that should be discussed.

This is a story that is pretty slow-paced until the last season. It really depends on the watcher, and how much they care for the character development and learning about the characters. Well I will tell you that it's a JOURNEY. It's a pretty character-driven show, and I personally found the characters really likeable. Do you like dialogue-heavy shows? This is an important question to ask yourself before starting Fruits Basket.

Now that the last season of this show is nearing its end, I want to say that I absolutely loved how intertwined the plot is. Every episode is linked together, and the watcher can re-watch the previous seasons of Fruits Basket after the third season, and pick out minuscule details that didn't seem important until second watch.

Art; 9/10.
The art wasn't really anything special, but it was done correctly. As mentioned, I have not read the manga, but I've seen screenshots and I have to say that the art in the manga looks a bit wack (this is probably a given as it's an old manga). The animators did a really good job in cleaning up the character designs and the overall world of Fruba. Something that really stuck out to me was how the you could clearly tell how the characters felt, simply through their facial expressions.

Sound; 10/10.
When I tell you my eyes water every time I hear the soundtrack of Fruits Basket, I'm not lying. I love, love, love momiji's violin. Oh wait, that's season two. Overall, the music just evokes emotion and fits the scenes perfectly. Perfectly happy, perfectly sad, but with this show it's always perfectly bittersweet.

Character; 10/10.
I've read my fair share of books in general, as I love writing and reading. I am not exaggerating when I say that Fruits Basket has characters that are deeper than any I've ever read about.

Kyo. Yuki. Tohru. These are just the characters that lay at the surface of a story full of beautifully-written characters. This is where I try to keep this review spoiler-free. KYOOOOOOOOO. Grief, guilt, coping, self-discovery, love, loss, pain, feeling. He is the epitome of good character development. These characters rely on each other, hate each other, love each other, and most of all they are who they are because of one another.

It's relatable in unexpected ways. A shoujo, right? When I think of shoujo, I think of a sweet highschool romance which includes many doki-doki moments. The characters of Fruits Basket make my heart beat for them in another way. Fear, pity, sorrow, hope, happiness. Watching this show, I felt that I was growing WITH the characters. They are so, so, human. I genuinely wanted to better myself, I wanted to learn from the experiences these characters had gone through.

Enjoyment; 10/10.
I swear I'm not a masochist, but watching this show was beautifully painful. At times I'd want to scream at the screen and just force words of self-worth into the people on the screen. I saw the characters as PEOPLE. Real life people. That's how real and human they seemed. I wanted to be there for them, I wanted to give them a fat hug. I loved watching this show with every inch of my heart, and I've learnt so much from it.

Overall; 10/10
One of the best animes I've ever watched. The world would be a better place if everyone had watched this Fruits Basket.

Sorry if I was rambling on but this was how I felt towards Fruits Basket!

To end this review with one phrase, I'd ask;

What does it mean to be human?

As someone in the mental health industry, I am just so impressed at how Natsuki Takaya manages to bring across themes of empathy, abuse, and post-traumatic growth when mental health awareness wasn't even much of a thing back in the 90s. When I read the manga as a teenager in 2006, Tohru's outlook on life really helped me see how people are not black-and-white, good-or-evil as how media sometimes paint them.

*spoilers for people who have not watched S1 & S2, so do not read on if you're only contemplating whether to start the show based on the abnormally high MAL score.*



Akito is a character ... who has basically crossed the Moral Event Horizon (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoralEventHorizon) in S1 and S2, but Takaya-sensei gradually showed us the world from her perspective, and helped us understand the factors that led Akito to where she is today. And this is exactly what many mental health professionals set out to do! We work with seemingly 'damaged', 'broken' or 'irredeemable' folks, but render them unconditional acceptance to help them finally learn to face themselves and take responsibility for past actions. Just like what Takaya-sensei did for Akito, mental health professionals help these individuals (and others in their lives) to understand how the shitty choices made along the way were often due to harmful worldviews that they've grown up with, and that they've may have never known any other alternative ways to live due to their frame of mind all these while.

What good is it to label people like Akito as irredeemable or just cast them as straight-up villains? As much as Akito's past offences were not excusable, the show helps viewers understand that it is empathy rather than forgiveness or punishment that helps both the abuser and abused move on with their life and develop to their full potential. And that's a really powerful message coming from an anime that was initially misunderstood as a cutesy shoujo/rom-com/reverse harem.

As a whole, the writing and character development in this series are simply amazing. As a relatively frequent anime watcher, I can't count the number of times where characters in other animes are more of a plot device/character trope rather than a fictional portrayal of humans with emotions and motivations. But in Fruits Basket, the ensemble of characters are just so fleshed out that despite being a supernatural show, the interactions are among the most realistic & grounded that I've ever seen in an anime. You really see them as individuals rather than just names and moving images on the screen, and boy do they tug on your heartstrings :'( You hope for the best for them, you understand their actions, and you acknowledge them for trying to do what they sought to achieve even if they do mess up at times. (like Kyo being such a b-b-baka towards Tohru)

Of course, this show is not without its flaws. One particular character's growth spurt aside, I see many viewers taking offense at the large age gap for some relationships featured in this series, though I personally attribute it to just a lack of awareness/sensitivity of the shoujo genre back in the 90s. This is also prevalent in other famous shoujo shows such as Carcaptor Sakura (where they actually showed some semblance of a relationship between a teacher an elementary student, leading to marriage canonically). But I think one thing to note is that sexual/child grooming happens when there is power imbalance between the groomer and the groomed, which leads to the harmful nature of the exploitation. However, Akito's position and power in this show is way above any of the characters due to the supernatural characteristics of the characters. Hence, purely within the context of the show, I wouldn't really classify it as criminal grooming, more of an example of an inappropriate/early relationship, in a cult-like family where people simply mature too fast for their own good. But if the exact actions were taken in a non-supernatural anime or IRL, then that would be a different story.

For many fans, this is a show that is not only enjoyable, but something that changed our perspective in life and helped us grow as a person. Another show that had the same impact on me is probably I Want To Eat My Pancreas, which was not exactly a masterpiece but had a life lesson that was equally impactful and lasting as FB for me.

Thanks to anyone who has read this far :')

Absolutely amazing. I am in awe.

Back in Spring 2019, I started watching Fruits Basket for the first time. Having never seen the original, the show was completely new to me. At the time, I expected to watch what I heard was a good shoujo, but didn't expect it be outstanding by any means. Fruits Basket was lighthearted and fun, then grew more serious and dramatic as the season went on. I had no idea what the series had in store for me. I had no idea that I would be emotionally attached to these characters or intensely saddened by the franchise coming to an end, ... and I certainly had no idea it would become one of my favorite anime series of all time.

I thoroughly enjoyed Season 1 and 2, yet there always felt like some roadblock that was preventing me from giving it a 10. Something changed this season. It was absolutely flawless. This season was the culmination of every conflict and struggle the characters had endured, and despite it being a painful journey, the series was wrapped up beautifully.

Despite complaints from others that the season was moving too quickly and cutting too much, I felt the faster pace complimented this season well as the series met its climax. It's been a long time since I've had my eyes glued to the screen and have anxiously waited for the next week to come faster to watch a new episode. Every episode left me in shock and awe (and tears). The more tense nature of this season made Fruits Basket more thrilling and the pay-off much more worth it in the end. I do still intend on reading the manga though to see what was skipped as I still can't get enough of this franchise, and I'm even planning a watch of the original just for nostalgia's sake.

Entering into this franchise, I merely expected a cute story about people that turned into animals, but what I got was a beautiful story about how love can transcend into the lives of so many and help heal their pain. Every character was explored in depth, the story was wonderfully written, the soundtrack was beautiful, and while I don't think the animation was top notch, I definitely felt it improved with time.

I am so saddened to leave these characters behind. While the ending was satisfying, I definitely am already feeling that post-show depression that I feel with so few franchises these days. Despite crying my eyes out at every episode and jokingly complaining how much it physically hurt me to watch Fruits Basket sometimes, I would never trade the experience for the world, and I look forward to rewatching this series in the future, as it easily fell into my favorites list just from the first season alone.

Definitely viewing the world a little differently now after finishing this series <3

This is possibly the most overrated anime that I, personally, have ever had the misfortune of watching all the way through to the end; and absolutely the most disappointing third season I've ever watched.

Fruits Basket has always held a special place in my heart, and my wife's. She introduced me to the original 2001 anime as my first foray into the romance/slice of life genre (despite its supernatural twist), and I adored it for its simplicity and heart. That simplicity and heart are still present in the remake; but in the final season, they are taken to such extremes as to make the writing laughable. ... Of course, any complaints regarding the story may be the fault of the source material; but that is true for almost all anime, and still must be addressed.

The biggest criticism I have of this series is something that operates on multiple levels, extending well beyond a single plot point or character arc; it pervades the entire third season. The issue is that almost no character gets their just desserts -- either in the sense of a positive reward or a negative punishment for their actions. This holds true for the vast majority of the cast that has, or has desired, to take action to change their lives -- Akito, Kureno, Shigure, Haru and Rin in particular. Even at its best moments, this utter refusal to properly implement repercussions can lead to a complete lack of catharsis; at its worst, it feels like character assassination. There are three major ways in which I felt the anime simply *refused* to consider repercussions for each characters' actions, and they all affect different parts of the plot and characterization.

The first instance of this failure is in its punishments for crimes--or complete and total lack thereof. "Fruits Basket: The Final" taught me that, so long as you were feeling simultaneously anxious and entitled, you should be excused for lying, manipulation, physical and emotional abuse, sexual grooming, and no less than *five counts of attempted murder*. It posits that you can do *literally anything*, no matter how awful, to *absolutely anybody*; but so long as you did it because you felt kind of unhappy, you will be forgiven and should suffer no negative repercussions for your actions. There is absolutely no sense of responsibility, ever; no sense that "maybe you were hurting, but it was your job to make sure you didn't hurt others the same way." From start to finish, how this season treats its abusive characters is entitled, enabling, and disgusting.

The second major case of this failure revolves around character agency, or lack thereof. The prior seasons posit that multiple characters are searching for a way to break the curse -- Tohru is a given, of course; but Rin and Kyo want to as well, either for their own sakes or for those around them. Unfortunately, it seems this story--despite its expansive cast and extended runtime--doesn't want to make time for people to actually improve their own lives for the better. Right up until the end, the powerless stay powerless; and when they are finally given their freedom, it's not because any of them took action -- rather, the problem resolves itself. None of them become masters of their own fate through their own power; only by chance. In a different anime, you could argue this is poetic; "nobody can save themselves, only be saved by others". While I would find that argument problematic in its own right, it is one that could be made -- in a *different* anime. In *this* anime, completely ignoring the zodiac childrens' attempts to emancipate themselves is an utter disservice to their actions, and a lack of justice for the horrors that they suffered.

The third failure to anticipate repercussions is one I consider a more personal critique than the previous two; more influenced by my personal life experience and biases than writing standards. One key character changes so much midway through the season that I found them unrecognizable from their previous self. This is not poor writing or characterization, but a plot point -- they were repressing memories that changed who they were on fundamental level. I had been rooting for this character from the beginning, and they were one of my favorites; after this over-the-top reveal, and after their actions for the next several episodes, I found myself completely disinterested in them. They went from ranking among my top characters to ranking among my bottom ones in the space of two or three episodes. The character themselves acknowledges that their actions may have negative repercussions, and then goes about it anyway -- several times. After that, I found it impossible to respect them the same way; but the anime expects me to *not only* continue to respect them, but also to feel sorry for them and celebrate their "victories" (if they can even be called that). It's a tall order for a character that we never really get to see "step up" to their responsibilities during the duration of the anime. If they do end up growing beyond their weaknesses, it only ever happens off-screen.

In an anime that frames itself as being about abuse, and freeing yourself from it, almost nobody is given real agency except the un-abused outsider and a (former) abuser. Almost nobody frees themselves from their situation; of those who do, two of the three were entirely accidental. Multiple different abusers are given a free pass because "it's all in the past now". And the person I was rooting for all along became an absolute disappointment to me. The anime seems to believe that, so long as you're suffering -- so long as someone says to you, "poor thing" -- you are free from all responsibility, and any and all actions are excusable. Outside of a few very isolated moments, enjoyed by a very few privileged characters, Fruits Basket is never interested in the idea that you should turn your own suffering into positive action on the behalf of others; it wants you to pity those who have suffered, without expecting anything from them and without judging their utterly horrific, selfish actions. And it is utterly disappointing in its refusal to consider that, for people who have experienced severe trauma, "doing good" and making amends should mean more than simply forgiving and forgetting.

What can I say the first two seasons were amazing but is final season just had me bawling my eyes out each episode making me want more so much I had to buy the manga it is such an enjoyable anime my only regret is why I didn’t watch it sooner! I feel every anime lover definitely needs to watch this! So much character development & the story has had me hook since day one ! Also it is amazing both in sub & dub so anyone can enjoy this anime ! Plus I love Torhu , Kyo & Yuki. 10/10 in my book ... definitely a rare gem show. What a time to be alive !

Fruits basket, I will never forget what I lived with you during 63 episodes. You made me laugh, you made me cry, you destroyed me, you cured me, you taught me. For me, you were a mother who raised me in the most difficult way. Takuya Natsuki, I will never forgive you, you made me fall in love with this anime to the point of madness. Which made farewell difficult and painful
All I am going to write now is words that come from the bottom of my heart, My review is based on how I felt watching this masterpiece
I hope you ... like it
Story10/10
Okay. The first part is an introduction. I can say it's the calm before the storm. A simple introduction to the characters, especially Toru, Kyo and Yuki, and each member of the Soma family. With a slight touch of drama, for example in the arc of Momiji, Otani, Hanajima, and in the last two episodes, Kyo's past is mentioned. In general, this season was fun with a funny comedy. The second season was better although the start was slow. But in in the arc visit Soma's summer house. The events were very interesting, especially episodes 9 and 10. Also, Rin's past was very touching and realistic. Adults do not care about children's feelings and do not realize that their words may be destructive to the child's psyche, In general, the story of fruits basket is interesting and funny, and it may seem like a repetitive shoujo. But it carries with it pain, emotions, sacrifice and purity
Art10/10
I am really grateful to TMS Studio. Because it contributed to the revival of this work. After 18 years. I thank TMS for giving this star a chance to shine again. As I read the manga, I liked that the studio changed the design of the characters and the details of their faces. Haru and Kyo were the cutest. Not forgetting Princess Toru, In general, art touched the strings of the heart. It may fit with anime scenes of crying, laughter, happiness and depression
sound 10/10
Furuba's soundtrack is its strong point. The composer managed to choose the music that matches each scene of the anime. Moments of sadness, happiness. I was really touched and sometimes I was on the verge of tears. Not forgetting the closing song I really liked it. The sound artists were frighteningly realistic! Truly the voice actress of Toru Manaka Iwami. I've never heard her name before, but she is really talented and made me addicted to Tooru's voice. I even thought of making her sound as a ringtone for my phone or an alarm clock to wake me up lol. As for Kyo's voice, it was really very beautiful and gentle and suited his personality. I like his voice a lot, especially when he cries, for example in episode 9
Charcters 10/10
Takuya Natsuki excels at writing furuba characters. What distinguishes this work most is the psychological conflict of the characters. Rin suffers from psychological trauma. Yuki is someone who I feel is a bit like me. He does not want to form relationships with people because of his childish fears, but Toru raised him and taught him how to live as a human being and how mistakes and slips can be overcome. Our lives will not be complete unless we make a mistake. The fault is not to make a mistake, but to repeat the same mistake again. I don't deny that I loved writing Kyo, the guy who looks like a normal person. But he lived a bitter life and endured great pain, and in this hidden part of his personality I felt that he resembled me. He appears to others as a normal human being, but he hides his emotions and pain. But he found the warmth that made him try to change himself for the better
Rin's character was also interesting. A character who pretends to be strong. But Rin is very fragile like a bird that tries to fly despite being injured. She is the person who suffers the most from Akito's mania. Akito character will play with you. You will hate her at first but this season you will pity her, she also looks like Rin pretending to be evil but she is like a broken bough, afraid of loneliness and abandonment. But mother Toru treated every member of the Soma family. She also cured me

Enjoyment10/10
Furuba provides you with a great dose of sad drama and real-life situations that can happen to anyone like bullying. Fruits basket is one of the anime that left a deep imprint in my heart. He manipulated myself making me sad, happy, angry, and depressed. One of the best anime that I will never forget. I accidentally saw furuba but didn't expect to get to the point of considering it something sacred to me. Without a doubt, it is the second best anime I have watched after Conan. Toru and Kyo pierced my heart without taking off their shoes! I will remind you even if others forget you, I will knock on your door whenever I feel lonely and want to see you. I will miss you so much. I hold back tears every time I remember that I won't receive notification of the episode's release. Sorry, but I really like this anime. I've been saving my tears in every episode but now my tank of tears has exploded. Takuya Natsuki I really will never forgive you. The fruits basket has left a huge void in my heart. Thanks to furuba, my wounds healed. But it passing left a huge hole that will not heal. Goodbye Toru, I will miss your sweet words. Kyo I will miss your shy face. Yuki I will miss your fight with the stupid cat lol. Rin, Haru, Momiji, Arisa, all of you, bye and thank you very much for raising and educating me. I thank everyone who contributed to this anime and thank you to the author for making me experience these pure feelings. Thanks and bye