It's not as easy to tell a good story then you might think, a tale that will have a lasting effect on you, and you come to appreciate more over time. That's what Fruits Basket is at the most basic level for me. It's a complete reboot of the original shoujo anime. Out of nowhere, we got this new adaptation with a bit more modernized look while retaining all the charm and flavor of the old. What a surprise it brought when it blew so many's minds when it stole the heart of many as it left its imprint on the anime community by cozily resting on the top spot. I hope it stays there. I have seen my fair share of anime, and I can confidently say Fruits Basket is among the few deserving. This incident also is what led me to take the dive. At the time, I couldn't predict that Fruits Basket would end up taking its spot in my favorites. It's been so long since the last time. I am unable to even recall it. I am stubborn, as you can tell, yet something in Fruits Basket finally won me over and showed me what marvel and precious treasure anime can be.
Fruit Basket is undoubtedly the embodiment of a Shoujo, the pinnacle. It retains most of the same quirks, but at the core, it's nothing like most typical Shoujo out there. The amount of Shoujo I liked, I can easily count on one hand. It's too few. Shoujo is known for its cheapness and stalling romance subplots without real meaning or value and until the last couple of episodes/chapters. This goes for adding unnecessary drama but never really getting to the point until pigs start flying. Let me tell you now that Fruits Basket is nothing like that. One of the potentially most significant dramas plot devices was solved effortlessly in a realistic and grounded manner without being milked into oblivion. This also led to the author, Natsuki creating opportunities to mislead us again and again. Creating a most twisty turny experience since it was hard to guess how things would transpire.
Sadly, many may not connect with Fruits Basket because the first season can be a grueling experience if you are not patient and don't like SOL elements. But, long story short, Fruits Basket is a precious gem for those who don't mind stories taking a long way if there is a satisfying payoff and a meaningful and valuable message waiting on the other end, changing your perception of what you thought was innocent and pure at first. As you'd expect, SOL is Fruits Basket bread and butter, much like any other Shoujo. We start with some wholesomeness, nothing but pleasantries, and a ton of cute moments topped with charming comedy. Then slowly but surely, the story perspective gets intenser and darker as we get a hint about our characters and their burden. Otherwise, Fruits Basket begins episodic, following the same formula of introducing someone, mostly zodiac members of the Soma family. Already from the getgo, it's clear the character is cleverly designed and written with attention to detail, holding some meaning.
The standard format starts with us being introduced to a quirky character with a heavy burden pressuring them. In the first episode, we see who they are as a person as they bounce around with our cast before concluding with an emotional episode. If you are not a fan of the episodic format, it might be a buzzkill, but I can assure you that you will be well rewarded if you are patient. One Piece taught me that. Natsuki is also pretty good at foreshadowing and leaving trails that will ultimately connect when the puzzle becomes clearer. It's incredible how well everything came full circle when we learned the secret and how it all came to be. There is no doubt in my mind that watching Fruits Basket on a second watch will give you a much more satisfying and valuable experience. It's that kind of tale. Playing the long game is usually a double-edged sword. Not many like to have to wait before seeing the story in its full glory. But Rome wasn't built in a day, same as how a great story, a really impactful one that will stay with you for a lifetime, cannot be told easily either. It's why stories of the ones that end up as dear treasures to me are those that are told over a longer period. Just like how you cannot get good at, say, soccer in one day. One can't expect to be genuinely emotional and charmed unless the author puts in the effort to make you feel that way. This is exactly why the first season works so well as the prologue to Fruits Basket.
At the forefront, we got our insanely lovable heroine Honda Tohru, who, in the most simpler terms, is like the sun, which shines her light on everyone by warming and comforting them in their time of need. But, she could also sadly be the reason most turns away from this gem. Tohru comes off as flawless in the first season, someone who cannot make mistakes, but please don't let that fool you. And if you are hesitant about the episodic formula for the first season, I am here to assure you there are more than enough things that make up for it. Among the biggest is the absolutely phenomenal cast of characters. For me, if the cast is solid, then I can still find enjoyment, but don't get me wrong. Fruits Basket has a wonderfully complex, personal, and relatable story to tell. It might not be apparent at first glance, but there's a reason why Fruits Basket is so loved. The cast is a big reason, no question asked, but the story is nothing to dismiss at all, nor is our female heroine Honda Thoru.
Tohru allows the characters to come to terms with their sad life, accept them, and nurture some confidence to keep going rather than give up. She's like a doctor giving free therapy to everyone who's down in the dumps, ready to give up everything. The characters issue tends to vary greatly. Common ones include loneliness, regret, curse, and many more. It's all sad and emotional, but it never really feels like the same thing. Tohru's overall focus in the first season is to be the bandage to the cast's darkness. We never really understood her as a person on a deeper level before much, much later. Not that I disliked her even once. She's so charming and so lovable it should be illegal. I don't usually rock with a joyous protagonist who can't do wrong and are always happy and cherry. But something about Tohru just works well despite her being clumsy and feeling so simple at first glance. Her voice alone makes me feel at peace. Honestly, it's more accurate to say she's an ideal mother, a taste of paradise. She's no doubt one of the best and most fleshed-out female protagonists out there. Plus, she's essential. Everyone needs a Honda Tohru in their life.
In any case, Fruits Basket has many life lessons to give, and you should listen up because many of them can hit close to home. The first season explores these issues and conveys to the audience how to best attend to them. Fruits Basket shows that pain is a part of who we are, we can forget it, but it will always come back to haunt us until we embrace it as a part of us and accept it happened, even if the memory is lingering over might be painful. Burying it is like removing a part of yourself, and removing a part of yourself is like denying yourself. In the simplest explanation, this is what Tohru is for the Zodiac members burdened with heavy darkness. She's the light causing it to balance out, so they won't be consumed by the negativity.
Yes, I really enjoyed how the latter half of Fruits Basket had some well-crafted backstories and character development despite the cast being relatively new to us. The author Takaya Natsuki knew what she was doing and quite well. There are only so many authors out there in this world with that talent. One that easily comes to mind is Eiichiro Oda of the immaculate and extremely massive One Piece. Both the backstory and how characters were fleshed out felt akin to Oda-sensei's touch with One Piece. Natsuki-sensei is not writing characters but real people with immediate flaws and quirky points unique to themselves, making it easier for us to grow attached. Natsuki doesn't limit herself either and keeps on pouring with the characters, yet somehow knows how to use the surroundings to flesh them out. I don't felt any character was wasted. There is a lot of things we can take from them into the real-life. This is also where the zodiac bond between the main members of the Soma family comes in. It's clear to me the zodiac bond and its curse are used as a catalyst to explore various parts of the characters and their bond with, say, parents, friends, lovers, etc.
Each of them has a reason for how the zodiac curse ties them down, acting as a mental chain, forcing them to carry a deep burden of both sadness and pain. We see this in how each of the Soma, even the most irrelevant, is haunted by a dark and sorrowful past they cannot break free from. Much like the bond between Zodiac members that ties them down. It's a constant reminder of the dark past they cannot escape no matter how much they struggle. In short, the bond is like a symbol of being stuck in the past. On another note, the side cast is reasonably well fleshed out. Tohru's wholesome friends are charming and bring so much enjoyment, benefit, and comedic relief to Fruits Basket. Yuki and Kyo are interesting as love interests and remarkable characters with tons of layers to them. I could go on a huge raving on how delightfully charming the cast is. There is nothing but praise here, as I cannot even come up with one glaring issue as to why not like them. There will always be some you prefer more over others, some you may come to hate, but more or less, by the end, you might find it surprising how many characters you like.
In the second season of Fruits Basket, there is a big change. One thing is because Tohru Honda is more than just a pretty and innocent face that melts our heart and makes it worth living to see that smile and hear that soothing voice. Before, it was not easy to attach emotions to our lovable heroine. She seemed so perfect, but in the sequel, we see how even Tohru got flaws and how the first season even foreshadowed it through the many characters that got fleshed out. It even gives meaning to what seemed like pure gag moments. It was actually subtle clues hinting at the deeper parts about Tohru. It's impressive how well Natsuki hid it in plain sight, but it only became visible when it was time. Tohru always had something eating at her from the inside this whole time, and it's clearly connected to a bond. A major theme in Fruits Basket. I hope everyone who reads this review can learn to appreciate Tohru more if you are still wavering about her and are concerned about starting Fruits Basket because you might not like Tohru. She's not that easy. Not to mention, if you hate Tohru, you are my enemy, and I beg of you to not talk to me. In any case, it's again so nice to see how similar Natsuki is to Oda in how they don't mind playing the long game because the payoff will be all worth it.
Another thing that makes the second season stand out more is how it depicts the influence of childhood and how much it impacts the person we become when we grow up. A child is the reflection of their parents in some form or the other. They are the ones who will guide their child into a respectable or a terrible person in society. When we first come into the world, we are enamored by our parents. We depend on them, respect them, love them, and do whatever we can to receive their attention and make them love us back. For some, this might not even change once you grow up, and Fruits Basket makes that painfully clear. One of the worst kinds of hell in life can come from our parents, but that's also where we can get a taste of paradise. If your parents shower you with much love, attention and are there to guide you. Be there for you, not condemn you, but correct you if you are mistaken in an orderly and mature fashion the child can learn from, that can become a dear memory, not a nightmare that haunts them for all time. This all depends on our parents and the things we learn from them. Fruits Basket shows this exceptionally well by exploring different issues between the character's bonds.
That's to say, if the parents are terrible, they blame everything on their child by slapping them with all their stress and worries. This will affect the child's live-in society later. I would like to show an example, but I don't want to make this review a spoiler only for a potential newcomer. So let me see if I can be vague as possible. Consider your upbringing was meant to make you a perfect human. No slouching laziness allowed. All about getting those perfect grades, talk in a calculated way, no real fun to be had. Really no free will but behaving based on how society and your parents want you to. You are literally a slave to the whims of the parents. You get strict discipline, it's tough, maybe even scary, but your parents pay attention to you and clearly care about you. Even if they only do it for themselves, but will a child notice this when they are young? One day, due to unforeseen circumstances, the parents decide to abandon you once you've reached their goal, there is no explanation, but suddenly you find yourself it is suffocating to be around them. They don't even bother wishing you a good night at night anymore or ask about how school was, even welcome you home. It's like they wiped you out from their memory.
This could become a haunted memory once we grow up and influence our stands and position in society negatively. The whole personality could be significantly affected. It brings sad memories and terrible expectations. You think the world would hate you if you were yourself. Hence, you pretend to be someone else, but that's not secure for success either, so you end up just keeping yourself alone, not interacting with the other kids. Since you are afraid if you cannot be someone they like. They will end up abandoning you, pouring salty on the past injury. Fruits Basket shows this concept outstandingly well. I have seen not one or that many anime so far that has accomplished so much and meaningful in, honestly, no that many episodes and feel this realistic. When it feels like the world is out to get out, we do so many things to run away from the world instead of facing it head-on and overcoming the pain. Among others, we create a so-called "bad guy," someone you don't like who you force to take on all your responsibilities so you can keep running from your own mistakes.
Maybe you seclude yourself from others, so you don't have to deal with pressure or even put on a fake mask to forget past scars. Fruit Basket shows us that people are not who they might seem at first glance. The most playful and gentle soul can be all kinds of broken on the inside, even if the exterior tells a different story. Even the harshest and vilest can be as innocent and pure as a baby but to cope with their pain. They bring pain to others to make themselves feel superior. They shame others so they can have a reminder those people are more miserable than I am. Something that lets them forget their own pain. Fruits Baskets shows us all too well how greedy, whimsical and imperfect we are as a lifeform, but that's exactly what makes us human in the first place. Let's say you are free from a destructive bond. You conquered your fears. You've grown up, gained experience, and matured. At that time, even the biggest bully, once you are younger and unaware, can seem like a joke, not even a bit threatening. Whether those bullies are the parents who use you to take their responsibility or even someone who controls your life with you having no say in the matter.
Wait a minute, what's all this philosophical talk you've been raving on and on for a decade. So I thought Fruits Basket was a romance? Is it not? It's far more than that. It has romance, and the way its executed is unique and honestly so charming. There is no unnecessary drama, every step has a purpose, and there is an actual main couple. We understand why it had to be them and not someone else. So if you are worried about the kiss not being shown or on some lewd handholding, put your worries to rest. We see the couple kiss, and we see it in its full glory without interruptions or cockblocking. That beautiful moment is not taken away from us as we stare into the sunset. So get that out of there. We don't do that here. Fruits Basket goes a step above and shows handholding. I know quite lewd, and it doesn't even bother to censor it, so you have nothing to worry about. Moreover, the main couple is not the only romance story arc here. There are several, and by the end, I didn't even realize it, but it's crazy how many couples we got on our hands. Above all, it makes sense. There is a reason for x and why to be together. They may heal each other scars and comfort each other, be relatable in some fashion, maybe even total opposites, and the list goes on. But In the end, they all complimented each other and were meant to be together.
On another note, Fruits Basket is so pleasant to the eye. It is back up by a solid and mostly consistent production value. It was vibrant and popping with the life and energy emanating from the good old days from the early 20s0s. Even the background is so unbelievably stunning. It does a firm job of capturing the emotions and setting the mood. I can see the comedy may be feeling off in what should be serious moments, but this was more prominent in the first season and is not a big issue in the sequels. The comedy is perfectly encapsulated through the visuals and art, and voice acting. Seriously, it's on another level. Never have I heard so much emotion in a single line or reaction. It's so amazing how passionate the voice acting crew is about their characters. They literally become them. It was immaculate. Whether it be Tohru's angelic and soothing voice, Kyo's rash and explosiveness, Yuki's cool and calm collectedness, Shigure's mature playfulness, Hatori's mature and chillness. Or say, Hanajima's sarcastic and absolutely satisfying voice complemented with Arisa's upbeat energy. I loved it all. I could write a book about how incredible the voice acting alone was. But hopefully, I got my feelings across. Then there is the absolutely breathtaking soundtrack, yet another huge blessing to my ears. Enhancing the emotions when it's playing.
Above all, there are only top-notch tier OP and ED that more or less do a solid job of capturing the various essence of Fruits Basket. I would like to talk a bit more in-depth into them because it's genuinely a marvel. The first opening alone gives you a sense of nostalgia. I have not seen Fruits Basket before now and still felt the same. It's like a gentle hand reaching out to embrace you. A quality ballade that's telling you to welcome back to Fruits Basket. I won't go through them all, but each opening and ending makes me feel something different. Another case is the third opening which captures Fruits Basket so incredibly well with its upbeatness and cheery vibes, making you automatically bop your head to its catchiness. In any case, each opening is really unique in what it symbolizes, how it sounds like. No, I don't dislike any of them, but I prefer more than others as expected. Overall, however, there is nothing but quality here. As for the ED, they are all so soothing, healing to the soul, peaceful and chill and are especially nice to have once you get to the more dramatic and intense parts of Fruits Basket.
One thing I want to note is if you don't like Shoujo, please don't fret about trying out Fruits Basket. It might honestly surprise you with its rather complex narrative that's both philosophical and grounded in reality, a phenomenal cast, a fantastic soundtrack, impeccable voice acting, and a really consistent production value. To summarize, Fruits Basket is about how one person not conveying their thoughts and emotion the right can influence so much—either positively or negatively and is the cornerstone for what becomes of the person. It influences who you are, who you become, even what you become in both body and soul. It's crazy how many things went wrong due to the wrong interpretation of others' intentions, feelings, emotions, wishes, actions, words, and behavior. But the way it was laid out was beautiful beyond words because it called connected back to the starting point, which made all these things happen in the first place. This was the cast's own bond, their relationship with their close ones, family, friends, or lovers alike. It's linked to a bond that's either strong as steel and unbreakable. Suffocating and dreadful like a poison that slowly kills you from the inside. Terrifying and painful like a nightmare you want to get away from and forget at all cost. All these were the catalyst that nurtures the absurdly many painful and sad scenarios our cast found themselves in, and it's one of the core essences that makes up Fruits Basket. I am not ready to say goodbye, but as we well know, nothing lasts forever, and all good things must come to an end.
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