Name: I talk about what the appeal of Fruits Basket is, and at the end, contrast it with the older anime.
Item: Fruits Basket (2019)
Rating: 80
Author: MangaMonger

Waifra

I talk about what the appeal of Fruits Basket is, and at the end, contrast it with the older anime. · Waifora

Fruits Basket 1st season is a faithful modern adaptation of a classic shoujo coming-of-age manga that has slow-building romantic elements.

Like Ouran Host Club, it's the type of shoujo anime that appeals to both men and women. The comedy is charming, and a welcome relief. The drama is relatable to everyone, because everyone has complexes and feels emotionally damaged in certain ways.

Tooru is a protagonist who's dopey, naive, usually cheerful, and not especially talented aside from cooking and cleaning. The truth is that she's she has been through a lot in life and is very resilient. She is extremely caring and empathetic toward others, and perceptive of how they feel, if not exactly why. People feel like they can speak their true feelings around her, and she'll often respond with words of wisdom that constitute a paradigm shift.

There is also an overarching supernatural element involving the zodiac curse. These animals may look cute to viewers, but keep in mind that there's no concept of "cutely drawn" from the perspective of people within the story. Those who are cursed face a variety of social problems, and you should watch the anime if you want to learn more.

This anime is a must-watch if you're someone who would appreciate a thought-provoking story that deals with what causes people to run from or seek one another, and other aspects of human nature. I only rated it 80, but that's because I watched it ten years after the earlier anime adaptation, so the impact was lessened. When I first watched the older adaptation (and read the manga afterward to continue the story) my mind was absolutely blown.

About this adaptation versus the older one: they both cover about the same material. I think the older one ended at chapter 33, whereas this one adds another episode to cover 34-35 and a bit of a later chapter in order to introduce another character early, to foreshadow the sequel. The older one has been criticized for its filler conclusion, and cutting out a lot of side content (especially related to Shigure) which resulted in a more comedic tone. But they're still about 95% the same story. In any case, you should watch the newer anime (this one) because it doesn't cut out details that are relevant to future events to be animated later. The sequel "2nd season" will air in 2020, and adapt more of the manga. I'm looking forward to seeing the manga entirely animated.