When orphaned sixteen-year-old Tohru Honda finds herself living in a tent, trying to live a normal school girl life, she gets more than she expected. As destiny would have it, she ends up living with the ‘Prince’, Yuki Sohma, of her middle school and discovers their family curse – that some members of the Sohma family turn into the animals of the zodiac when hugged by the opposite gender. Sworn to secrecy, Tohru is allowed to continue living with the Sohma’s as an in-house maid, and ultimately finds herself part of a new family.
This wonderful slice-of-life anime has such an palatable balance between the good and the bad, with a delightful dose of slapstick comedy. Please note that this review is for the 2001 version, and focuses on the anime only (manga and the 2019 reboot will be reviewed separately).
Right, let’s get into the review – please be warned that there are spoilers ahead.
Key Info
- Length // 26 Episodes
- Year Released // 2001
- Studio // Studio Deen
- Genre // Drama, Supernatural, School, Slice of life
Fruits Basket was the first anime series that I watched when I was younger. It is probably the reason for my obsession with shoujo and slice of life animes – it truly is the GOAT. There is something so incredibly wholesome about this series, and upon recently re-watching this version, I was worried. I was worried that it would have lost the magic that I once fell in love with, that I would find the story childish and the characters unrelatable. Wrong. I fell in-love all over again, and actually had a greater appreciation for the story.
The plot … If you’re wanting a realistic slice-of-life anime, you won’t be getting that with Fruits Basket. I think what made … is that the story includes one of those romanticised tropes of the main heroine living with the most attractive/wanted/Prince-like guys in school. That in itself is not realistic, so I don’t need to mention how the Sohma family curse and other supernatural elements .
The concept of . That’s
In my opinion, the art of the 2001 Fruits Basket is definitely dated. At first, it was one of the main things I noticed was how aged it seemed… To be honest, this also a contributor to the 2019 remake, as the new version’s facelift is extremely noticeable, and
After a few episodes though, it fades away and the /… There’s no denying it. The Sohma’s are beautiful. I adore all the characters, and the banter between the conversations. The talk between characters feels genuine. Tohru can get a bit much some times, but
The music really makes my heart swell. Every time I hear the opening song, in either English or Japanese, it just makes me happy. It’s so sweet, and it really does suit the tone of the show.
In my opinion, the art of the 2001 Fruits Basket is definitely dated. At first, it was one of the main things I noticed was how aged it seemed… To be honest, this also a contributor to the 2019 remake, as the new version’s facelift is extremely noticeable, and
The music really makes my heart swell. Every time I hear the opening song, in either English or Japanese, it just makes me happy. It’s so sweet, and it really does suit the tone of the show.
8.5/10
Story
7/10
Artwork
8/10
Music
8/10
Characters
9/10
General Enjoyment
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