Fruits Basket (2019)
Shojo anime is beloved among almost any Anime fan demographic, regardless of age, gender, country, race, and religion. The reasons are simple: they are heart-touching stories, typically in the romance genre, that feature a girl and a boy as they slowly discover and experience love. They are often Slice of Life anime as well, which evoke a myriad of emotions in viewers.
Fruits Basket is a beloved Shojo series worldwide. Belonging to genres like Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life, and Supernatural, it is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya sensei. It was initially serialized in the semi-monthly Japanese Shojo manga magazine “Hana to Yume,” published by Hakusensha. It ran from 1998 to 2006.
In 2001, the manga, then growing in popularity, was adapted into a television anime series by Studio Deen, directed by Akitaro Daichi. It had a 26-episode run but stopped halfway through the story, leaving the series incomplete. But luckily, in 2019, Fruits Basket got a rebooted anime series from TMS Entertainment, directed by Yoshihide Ibata.
This series adapted the entire manga through its finale, with the first season retelling the story’s beginning across 25 episodes. Fruits Basket: The Final (13 episodes) aired April 6 – June 29, 2021. The full reboot ran for 63 episodes across three seasons, from April 2019 to June 2021.
I am a massive fan of the series and enjoyed the reboot quite a bit, perhaps even more than the 2001 version. The production values of the two anime are evident when comparing them, as the 2019 version has superior animation and art.
Regardless, it should be noted that the 2019 version had art much closer to the source manga. The 2019 version uses a lighter color palette to give the anime an overall more soothing feel. Smoother line art, soft colors, more details per frame, fluid motions, and calm music accompany it.
The two openings, “Again” by Beverly, which runs from episodes 01 to 13, and “Chime” by Ai Otsuka, which runs from episodes 14 to 25, capture the series’ real feel. The soft tone and the more upbeat tones complement the episodes they embody very well, as by around episode 14, the base is already set, and the story is in motion.
Even while new characters appear, they work like a new pastel color added into the openings and the story itself. “Lucky Ending” by Vickeblanka from episodes 01 to 13 and “One Step Closer” by INTERSECTION from episodes 14 to 25 work well as the two endings; each sets the tone for the preceding and upcoming episodes, with a clean, soothing finish.
Natsuki Takaya sensei became world-renowned for Fruits Basket. Making her debut in 1992, she is left-handed and aspired to be a manga artist since first grade in Tokyo’s great town. She achieved her dream when her work became one of the best-selling Shojo manga in North America, and she won the Kodansha Manga Award for Shojo manga.
Sensei is resilient and hardworking, as it is revealed in a sidebar that she broke her left arm following the publication of Volume 6 and had to undergo surgery. This put the series on hiatus, but she came back in full swing, despite complaining that her handwriting had gotten uglier thanks to the surgery.
TMS Entertainment Studio is truly an experienced and well-polished Anime Studio. TMS Entertainment is responsible for other noteworthy titles like Detective Conan, Sonic X, Kamisama Hajimemashita, Orange, Dr. Stone, D. Gray-Man, ReLIFE, Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san, as well as the popular Rent-a-Girlfriend. As experienced Shojo animators as they are, I genuinely believe they did Fruits Basket’s reboot sheer justice.
Fruits Basket is unique in its theme. On the surface, it is a slow and comedic High School Romance story. The main lady isn’t incredibly gorgeous, nor does she have many distinguishing traits that make her stand out. The Prince Charming boy of the school, who almost every other girl in the school is after. We have the fated love triangle formed by another boy who isn’t that popular with the girls, is a bit obnoxious, and is hyperactive.
Both men only have eyes for the heroine, of course, but she is once again very oblivious and dense for the most part. But behind these familiar tropes comes the dark and mysterious nature of Fruits Basket. The Soma family mainly fuels them, and their secrets center on the series’ antagonist, Akito Soma.
The light-hearted guise of the story is abruptly broken as dark and painful revelations unfold slowly. The Zodiac transformations appear even comedic at first, and all the accidental embraces that occur are always a delight to watch, as well as how they cover it up. But we soon get to see that these are curses, shackling the members to Akito and restricting them from contact with the outside world, the world besides the “almighty Soma family.” Fruits Basket covers difficult themes like child abuse, family values, and bullying (especially at young ages).
Also widely addressed in this groundbreaking series are painful memories, including unrestricted pain, love, romance, accepting oneself, guilt, child abandonment, and discrimination among family members and society.
The reboot did a fantastic job of fixing all the flaws in the first anime adaptation and putting new fans in the right place, giving them a clear introduction and solid ground to stand on. The pacing is just right, as it does not bother fans of the previous series either. The storytelling is smooth and consistent, not boring any fan as they live or relive the series. Each Zodiac member is introduced, with their respective character arcs, both short and to the point.
Tohru is, without a doubt, one of my favorite Shojo heroines. There is some hate towards her in the fandom, but I find this mostly unwarranted. She is possibly the kindest person in the series, inside and out, despite being severely damaged mentally. Her chain of loss seemingly had no end, and she was not someone with whom life had dealt a great hand.
She is the epitome of “Be happy with what you have,” as she is ever so thankful for the slightest of things in her unfortunate life overall. Hardworking and diligent, she does her best to break the Soma family curse, with no obligation or reward for herself.
Clear about her feelings and her ever-so-optimistic outlook on life, she is always honest to herself and others. Even in the direst situations, she does not hide her fear, anger, or sorrow but fights on, embracing even the unsightly.
Soma Kyou’s portrayal in the reboot is also better than in the previous version. Overall, he is more relatable; the subtle line between his aggressiveness and kindness is so well executed. Whenever he talks about something he loves, the sparkle in his eyes is ever so adorable and portrays the childlike character he has hidden within, a yearning for the childhood he never had.
Over the series, his character development is probably my favorite. A once impulsive, short-tempered, energetic, and not very open character who many of his schoolmates considered over the top at times grows into a reliable and friendly person whose company many people came to enjoy. His character development increases substantially when contrasted with his very dark and neglected past.
Yuki, too, has become so much fuller in the reboot. His calm, charming, and mysterious personality is appealing to any woman and is beautifully contrasted with his abusive childhood. He was so socially awkward, holding back his words and even giving off emo vibes at first, highlighting how he grows over time to become outspoken and open about his feelings and ideas.
In conclusion, Fruits Basket (2019) was a magnificent reboot of a beloved old series. Fruits Basket is highly recommended to those who have watched the first adaptation and those new to its charms. The nostalgia and great animation will hit their marks, leaving nothing out of the previous series. The overall quality is very noticeable and will leave a lingering impression and anticipation for the final season’s release. This series will make you laugh, cry, and smile throughout its magnificent run!
