| | Alternate title : Furuba
Studio : Studio DEEN
Licenced by : FUNimation
Length : 26 Episodes
Year : 2001
Genre : Comedy - Drama - Romance - Shoujo
Synopsis :
Fruits Basket is the story of Honda Tohru, a kind girl whom has recently lost her mother, and trying to make it in the world on her own. By working a part time job, and now camping in the woods for a home, Honda is simply trying to get by while at the same time trying not to worry the few relatives, and close friends she has. But when Honda stumbles across the secret of the high school prince, and the rest of his family she ends up getting more than she bargained for. Without spoiling any more of the show, Fruits Baskets is fun and emotional roller coaster ride that will make you laugh one minute, and cry. The next. A very moving work.
Added : 2002-08-15
Synopsis by : Specky
Last update : 2007-04-23
Last update details : Production staff added to studd
Score : 8.59
Number of reviews : 71
Link(s) :
Official #1 : FUNimation's Fruits Basket Website (english)
Official #2 : TV Tokyo's Furuba Website (japanese)
Song(s) :
Opening #1 : Ritsuko Okazaki - For Fruits Basket
Ending #1 : Ritsuko Okazaki - Small Prayer
Ending #2 : Ritsuko Okazaki - Serenade
Release(s) :
2004-04-25 -- Episode(s) 0 by AlphaAnime. BT Link
Found 1 releases. Click here to [ Find them! ]
Hits : 61833
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Posted by : AJtheFourth 
Posted on : 2009-06-29  
I can't believe I waited so long to watch this series, because it was fantastic and enjoyable every single episode.
Animation: The animation for this series isn't really notable. It's not bad by any means, but it's not a draw for this series either. The transitions are fluid, and the character designs are simple but suit the series well. The bishounen all look good, and that's the important part. 6/10
Story: From all outward appearances the story of Fruits Basket is a reverse harem. The handsome men that vy for Tohru's affection are all from the cursed Sohma Family. Tohru accidentally discovers their secret, but she agrees to keep it and ends up moving into their house because she is without a place to live. On paper, the story doesn't look like it would amount to much, but the way that it is presented is magnificent. Appearing light, airy, and insubstantial, Fruits Basket ends up tackling some very serious issues and pulls it off very well with an amazing cast of lovable characters. Every episode at one point or another will tug at your heartstrings, and yet never seem contrived. The story also ends well, especially for a series that was completed before its manga source material. 9/10
Characters: This series has an extremely strong cast of characters. I can't think of one that wasn't developed well. Even bit characters, like the Yuki Fan Club President, not only help further one of the leads' development, but also have interesting back stories and complexities all their own. On their own, the men of the Sohma Family are interesting, but when they play off of each other and Tohru they are both comedic and dramatic gold.
Then we come to our three leads, Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru. All are equally interesting, although I was personally interested in Yuki the most, and felt, out of all of the characters, he progressed the largest amount by the end of the series. Kyo, as the outcast of the family, fills the 'tsundere' role well and has the potential to make viewers' hearts melt. Out of the three, our heroine Tohru develops the least, although her interaction and effect on the family make up for it. 10/10
Music: The music is light and cute, exactly what you would want out of a series like this. It's not necessarily catchy, and probably won't make your playlist, but it suits the series very well. 7/10
Overall: This series, and Tohru, have the potential to melt the hardest of hearts. On the outside it appears to be a typical shoujo romance, but for anyone who is willing to give it a try, they'll find so much more. Definitely worth watching over and over. 9/10
Posted by : Scamp
Posted on : 2008-12-13
The Fruits Basket Manga is the top-selling shoujo manga in America, which goes to show the hold it has on young teenage girls. I mean, it has Kyo Sohma in it! He's one of the most luscious tsundere bishies around! But if you aren't a squeeling teenage girl, I’m afraid that there isn't all that much to like.
Fruits Basket is about Tohru Honda and her exploits with the mysterious Sohma family. Each Sohma character represent bishonen templates of a member of the Chinese Zodiac, which they transform into in humorous circumstances. Actually that can be really funny at times. Fruits Basket was a pretty good comedy at times, particularly when Kyo Sohma was around. Kyo pretty much ran the show when he was on centre stage. I may have called him a luscious tsundere bishie earlier but he really was the star of the show on so many occasions.
But Kyo isn't the main character. That would be Tohru Honda and I think she remains as one of the most boring leads I have ever seen. She's too nice to do anything that may constitute in something interesting happening but also she never develops. She is the same dull person throughout the course of the show. Course, I can’t pin all the blame on her, some of the other characters are just as hopelessly dull. The idea of Tohru meeting different members of the Sohma family actually sounds like a good idea but most of the characters she meets transforms into another yawn fest.
If I was to sum up Fruits Basket, imagine Kyo dragging a giant sack with all the Fruits Basket characters inside. Kyo is the show and is the only one trying to bring the it forward, but he is dragged down by the utter crapness of all the others. If the show was all a bunch of Kyo Sohma's then maybe it would’ve been good. But it's not, hence the low rating.
Posted by : Terentius
Posted on : 2008-08-08 
I first heard about the story after flicking through the manga in a nearby store. Then I realised that the anime was just a mere 15 metres away in the DVD section. Intrigued, I decided to get the entire show for rental. Review based on MVM UK DVD (FUNimation).
Animation
Nearly all the characters were very pleasing on the eye. I found the design for Tohru to be fairly understated. She wasn’t the most striking main character I’ve seen and she almost became a visual accompaniment compared to the Sohma family. Nevertheless the colours were bright and that helped bring forth the emotional vibrancy of the show.
Story
Fruits Basket was an incredibly moving series with the entire spectrum of emotions on show from start to finish. From moments of laughter and joy, to scenes of absolute hatred and despair, Fruits Basket has it all. On the surface it looked and felt like a typical shoujo show. The reality was that it was an unusually deep story that involved an entire family’s angst and frustrations. All that changed with the introduction of Tohru into the lives of the Sohma clan. Even the very terse and cold Akito warmed up to her. As stated in previous reviews, it really was an emotional rollercoaster and as such made fascinating viewing.
Characters
I was impressed at how the characters of the show were brought out of their shells by the intervention of Tohru. Even though she hardly ever developed as a character, she was the epicenter of the entire show. Through her, the Sohma clan started changing. Instead of remaining self-pitying or loathing, they (over time) started accepting not only their faults, but each other. I could not help but feel nothing but sympathy for everyone in the show and it is a credit to how the characters were portrayed through Tohru.
Music/Sound
It had been a number of years since I last saw this show, but one thing that definitely stood out, was the beautiful music. Much like her contribution to "Princess Tutu", the OP and ED by Ritsuko Okasaki were just wonderful. Normally music is used just to accompany a particular scene. In the case of Fruits Basket, it enriched it. The English dub was excellent and at the very least was on par with the original Japanese. Definitely one of the better dubs I've heard in a very long time.
Summary
After being initially put off by its shoujo target audience, I have to say that Fruits Basket is a superb show worthy of watching by most anime fans. I don't think it would appeal to those who prefer something more exciting and action packed. However, if it is an involving story, cast and plot that interests you, then Fruits Basket is an excellent choice.
Posted by : Gen3s1s
Posted on : 2008-05-12
Fruits Basket. I can tell you straight up thats it's awesome. An incredibly unique story about the zodiac family and their unfortunate situation, which can sound silly but let's look past this because it works wonderfully well with great characters and a great musical score to boot.
Like I said. The story is unique, although somewhat weird, but it's incredibly detailed and at times deep with character development Aside from that, it's all about the family and the curse of the zodiac. It may not seem that bad but it effects each member differently although some don't seem to mind it what so ever (that's probably the way I'd take it depending on the animal).
The characters might just be the pinnacle of this anime, however, some are irritating. Honda Tohru was too simplistic. Her type of character is used in many animes, I suppose that personality was needed. Characters are unique, I especially like Kyo, the type to pretend not to care but cares so much more than you'd expect. The characters have their own quirks. Character development was done well. A little slow but thats makes it easier for you to take them in, each with there own level of deepness and sadness. Hearing a characters stories can really make you understand why each character is the way he or she is. Character development wasn't done with every character which is one of disappointments to this anime, but not a big enough disappointment to affect the score.
The Music can capture you, as if the story wasn't enough but still the gentle tones can make a scene perfect. The OP suits this anime in such a big way, so gentle and sad which is the quickest way to describe the anime. The ED does the same thing but with it has a slight hint of happiness to it. The character's voices fit every character perfectly they can really make them who they are Kyo especially but Yuki's seemed dull and kinda girly.
The animation. I don't know if it's good for its time, or if they didn't have a lot of money or whatever the reason may be this is probably the bad part of it all. If the animation was trying to be unique then I didn't get it. It's bland for the most point which was what takes away a score in my book. It would've been better if the animation was done with more of a Kyoto art style seeing as they already have the big eyes nailed, but all in all, animation isn't terrible, it just isn't great either.
To sum it up, it's somewhat like a dream, one that you can talk about with everyone and something you can claim to be the greatest dream you've ever had. It's incredible don't let the weird storyline scare you. Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed.
Posted by : szoku
Posted on : 2007-11-25
Of course I would have to give this show a really good rating. It was so touching. Tohru, the main character, made herself the show. I love how the story was put together with little stories about each of the 13 people with the zodiac curse. There were so many times it made me cry. I really don't like to watch anime in english but the acting was alright. There were a lot of funny moments. I especially love the opening and ending theme. It was just refreshing to watch something so positive. It makes me feel better about life. I would recommend this to everyone. I love it so much, I just might wanna watch it again.
Posted by : forshizzle
Posted on : 2007-07-25
In all honestly, Fruits Basket was wonderful.
The beginning episodes eludes you from the fact that this show has much depth and emotion. Not a surprising assumption, since it's about a family morphing into the lower ranks of the animal kingdom. However, as you make your way through the later episodes, you get penetrated (yes, penetrated. it's THAT cah-razy.) by the emotional impact that these animated characters have on you. When I watched this, expecting little intensity and realism, I didn't realize until the end of the series how important each one of the characters was to me. Oh yes, it's that good.
But I *have* to note, I strongly recommend reading the manga afterwards, even if for some miraculous reason you didn't like the anime that much. Or read the manga before, whatever. Anyway, the manga pulls the story onto a whole 'nother level. It's dark, funny, and reveals secrets that the anime didn't dare unveil. And damn, it's pretty shocking.
Posted by : safaia-chan101
Posted on : 2007-01-05
Overall: Fruits Basket is an anime series that is truly hard to forget about after you have watched the whole thing. People may think at first it's a strange anime, where humans turn to animals of the chinese zodiac when hugged by the opposite sex or under stress, but trust me, it is much more than that. It's an anime that'll make you cry and laugh all at once. Seriously, if you haven't cried even once during the entire series, you really don't have a heart (no offense intended). As much as there's a dash of fantasy when it comes to the animals, this anime is much more realistic than it seems. It really relates to life's hardships and such. It could make you look deep into something you haven't realized before and could somehow change your outlook of life. The thing I love best is that it teaches us many things that, unless we listened, we probably didn't realize before or maybe what we have forgotten already. And is also shows that not everyone is perfect. The thing I don't like is that people consider this series to be mostly for girls only. What are you talking about? Guys could watch this too!
Storyline: Well I don't really see an actual storyline here besides that Tohru Honda (the protagonist) is healing the scars of each zodiac member she meets and all. It's mostly just like life though. Life is just...changing, People and etc. That's what you could see as the story progresses.
Characters: Honestly, I love all of them! They are all unique in their own way and their tragic pasts really shatter the heart. They are necessary to support other characters and the storyline as well. I also love their cute animal forms!
Music/sound: The opening theme is just beautiful, sometimes it makes me want to cry but it's also great at making you feel peaceful. Truly fits the series well and the lyrics too. The ending theme is sweet. It's also interesting that a few characters even have "theme" songs of their own, which is pretty amusing. And that piano melody that appears at the end of episode 25 is also just beautiful! Overall, the music/sound is awesome. About the voice acting? Well, I like the english better than the japanese. I'm not saying the japnese voice acting was bad, just saying I like the english better. They suit each character perfectly.
Animation: It's nice, that's all I can say. The characters are all good-looking in their own way.
Flaws: I'm not sayin this series is perfect, either. Well, nothing is. There are a few pointless episodes that I actually wouldn't bother to watch again...and the ending? After their visit to Akito, I mean. would you really call that an ending? It seemed incomplete, so I was hoping for more...but it really was the end.
Value: I bought the whole DVD at once, watched the whole thing, and had a feeling I never felt before. Can't explain, but it was a good feeling. I even made my other friends watch it, and I loved to see their reactions. Yeah, some of them didn't even know what anime was, and now it changed their ways. So enough said, 10/10. I hope i encouraged ya'll to watch it, cause don't think it's a waste of your life! It's all worth it.
Posted by : Ravensdark
Posted on : 2007-01-01
I have been putting off looking at this show because the description of it just put me off. In all of the other stories that I have come across where a girl gets put into a reverse harem I seem to just find it really irritating.
In Fruits Basket it just is not a harem story at all or even a romance story. What the story is about is one of the most angelic characters that I have ever come across and her tragedies and trials, and how this angelic girl is able to turn hearts and make those who hate themselves find what is good in their lives and their own positive traits.
I do not know how I can further recommend a show then what I have said. It is really a show that is worth your time to watch and think about.
Yes there are a few characters that I found extremely irritating. The monkey and his mother especially, but just drops my rating of this show from maybe a 15/10 to a 13/10.
Now for those people that are for action and violence, and those that do not like scenes that make people cry I would recommend avoiding this show. If you like a show that can touch hearts then this is about as good as it gets.
Posted by : Molenir
Posted on : 2006-12-19
I wanted to give this series a better rating. It comes so close, and yet fails at the end. This story is about a girl named Tohru and her life with the extremely unusual Sohma family. This is a sweet, wonderful, enjoyable, uplifting anime. It does so well for the first 23 episodes. And then the final 3 are simply so disappointing.
The music, both opening and closing scores were wonderful. I must have watched both OP and EN very nearly every episode. There are only a few shows I've done this with. The music was simply that good. It really sets the tone for the series.
I must also mention the voice acting. I normally listen to animes in Japanese. This is mostly because the voices in the English Dub are freqeuntly horrible. This however is one of the few anime series I've seen in which the English Dub is actually better then the Japanese. With very nearly every character, their voices were actually better then they were in the Japanese.
While there are many episodes that were fillers, each one filler or no, remained enjoyable, with one lone exception. And this brings me to the ending. Without getting into too much detail, there were 2 things that irritated me about the ending. The first was simply that the conclusion was stretched out over 3 episodes. I really felt that 1 or at most 2 would have been sufficient. Essentially everything in the 25th episode is filler. That brings me to the second problem. In the 25th episode, Tohru completely breaks character. While I won't go into detail as to how she is different, she simply isn't the same character that we see in the other 25 episodes.
Despite the letdown at the end. I have to say this is a wonderful series. It earns the rating, and comes so close to a 10. If it were possible, I would give this a 9.5 I definitely recomend watching and probably buying this series.
Posted by : mushmouth
Posted on : 2006-12-11
Fruits Basket is a really cute anime, and as a guy, I'm saying that despite myself.
I didn't know what to expect when I first started watching the series, but when seeing the art for it I knew immediately that it was a shoujo. I wanted to stop watching but Thoru Honda's character is really endearing, and seeing how things progress for her make watching Fruits Basket well worth it.
The progression of the story is predictable but it's still enjoyable to go through the journey with Tohru. The art is typical shoujo but that's not to say that it's bad, it's actually quite good.
Fruits Basket is a great series to get into if you're into seeing something with a happy ending.
Posted by : kannagisai
Posted on : 2006-09-16
I just finished watching this again (for like the 10th time) and I must say that it is an absolute tragedy that they cannot figure out a way to make another season of this truly excellent anime. As far as character-driven series go, they really don't come any better than this. There is possibly only one single episode in this entire series that isn't crucial to gaining some necessary insight into one of the enormous cast of the characters' lives. In fact, this may be one of the only series with as many protagonists -- and despite that fact, you come away feeling like you actually know and understand each one of them.
The entire series revolves around a curse and how each individual copes with the pain and isolation it brings, both within their very extended family and in their everyday lives in society. It paints an absolute perfect picture of how people respond to hatred, abuse, and prejudice and how it can shape them in their interactions with others. Granted, the actual "curse" is a bit outlandish, but it's not very far - fetched in the realm of anime. It's pretty surprising at how well they integrate it into the story as both an element of comedy and utter pain and sorrow. Tohru, the main character, is the ideal foil to all that ails the clan and it is through her perspective that the viewer comes to see each character for who they truely are.
Fruits Basket gets my absolute highest recommendation, especially if you are someone who appreciates experiencing the entire spectrum of emotions when watching a series. A plea to those who made this show: We NEED to see this series finished on DVD. Do the right thing.
Posted by : spritzofsweet
Posted on : 2006-08-02
Ah. Fruits Basket. I agree with the previous post, the beginning is a bit unrealistic, but then again, the whole plot is pretty unbelievable - but they make it work.
I love the music in this anime. Especially Ayame's song.
The characters in this story? If this were an essay, the writer would get a top score. All the more major characters are linked back in with Tohru and vice versa. In fact, some of the minor characters help develop the more major ones' personality. They've all got a reason to be there. Their personalities also reflect their animal side to them.
Another thing I think they pull off quite well is where they cut off the anime. They pick a nice, dramatic scene - with an emotional connection to the weather too. Even if it doesn't focus on Tohru. But in their situation, they can't really rush to the plot at the end of the manga. That'd be hazardous.
All in all, this anime is wonderful. It pulls you in, makes you want to watch the episodes nonstop - heck, it hooked on a few of my friends who disliked anime before. If you haven't already seen this, what are you waiting for?
Posted by : mangaddict
Posted on : 2006-07-24
I'm so disappointed that this is a 9 out of 10 anime when in fact it should be a 10. The beginning was highly disappointing. Tohru loses her only parent to a car accident. She is not poor but was left with nothing (maybe she was but that was never stated or implied). She camps out in the wilderness because she didn't want to bother her friends with her problems. What kind of pathetic lame excuse is that?! Also, her mother died just a week ago yet I haven't even seen her cry once. She is just a child and shouldn't have that kind of strength. In the first episode, her Mother Teresa personality is overplayed to the point where it transcends from strength and kindness to just plain inanity. I'm just venting.
The next twenty three episodes are a masterpiece. There are so many characters and they are perfectly portrayed (Saki is the coolest) but I'm sad to say that not all of them contribute to the story. Ritsu and Hatsuharu are amusing dead weight.
There is no plot to the story except for character development. I have never seen an anime pull that off as well as Fruits Basket. As the story moves on, Tohru's deep impact on everybody's lives becomes evident. What I love the most about the story is that there is no stupidity or wasted time.
I'm not sure on what to say about the ending. It was climactic and um... unexpected. The climax didn't really have anything to do with Tohru. Kyou becomes the main character of the story and I found that irritating.
I give this anime a 9 out of 10 as a critic and two thumbs up as the audience.
Posted by : Youki18
Posted on : 2006-07-17
This Anime I believe is nothing less than a masterpiece. It intertwines a group of people with totally different and bizarre personalities through the love of one young , Tohru.
Music 9/10:I am giving this score simply because the music sets out what it intends to do. It colors the show nicely, and though some might not like it, if you tried putting anything else with it, it just simply wouldn't work to the same affect.
Animation 9/10: Colorful and bright animation. However, sometimes you wonder if Tohru's eyes could get any bigger!
Story 10/10: Although you'll be frustrated at times, this anime will keep you laughing and crying till it ends, and then you'll be wishing there was more. The love Tohru has for everyone she meets is portrayed so beautifully it shames you, and if nothing else, it will teach you how to relate better to others.
This is the only anime to move me to the point of tears, laughter and humility so many times, its certainly an emotional rollercoaster! So shut the curtains, find a blanket, some tissues, and buckle up.
Posted by : hpikkachu
Posted on : 2006-07-05
Wow. When I think of Fruits Basket, that's the first thing that comes to my head. Wow. I watched this series awhile back and I can say that it touches you in ways that other anime don't. It is a very special and unique series that makes you go through so many emotions...
Story:
Honda Tohru is a very simple minded girl who recently lost her mother. She's now stuck living in a little tent on her own because she doesn't want to be a burden to anyone. She's absolutely adorable! If everyone was like her, we'd be living in heaven; honest! She works at night to pay off her school fees and always puts others first. One day, while strolling through the area in which her tent is set up, she stumbles across a house. It just so happens that the house belongs to Sohma Yuki who attends her school. She has a crush on him (at least, that's what we're led to believe). Yuki and his cousin accidentally find Tohru living in her tent on part of their land. They take pity on her and allow her to live with them to cook and clean. But the Sohma family are cursed. Most of them take on a form of the Chinese Zodiac when touched by the opposite sex. It's a big secret that they've let Tohru in on. The story is filled with laughs as Tohru meets members of the family and tries to guess which animal they are. It also contains much tradegy as the Sohma family struggles with the curse. A beautiful storyline!
Characters:
Tohru is obviously the main character. She is the most adorable thing! It's almost painful to see her take so much onto her own shoulders. Tohru is loved by everyone she meets because of her over-friendly personality. Yuki is part of the Sohma family and he takes on the spirit of the mouse. He's really smart and all the girls at his school love him! He even has his own fan club; not that he likes it though. He's a really sweet guy and I think he has some major feelings for Tohru. Kyo is Yuki's cousin who is also cursed. Kyo is the cat of the zodiac signs. Legend says that the mouse of the zodiac signs tricked the cat into missing the BIG zodiac sign party, and that's why the cat is excluded from the list. Kyo has always hated Yuki because Kyo's the cat and Yuki's the mouse. OKAY! confusing, right? Don't stress, their situation is hard to put into a few words. We meet heaps of other characters but these three stand out for me. All the characters have gorgeous personalities and they're all different, if not strange, in their own way.
Animation:
Very nice. Not the best I've seen but still of very high quality. All the characters are drawn very thin and facial expressions are excellent.
Music:
The opening theme sounds so sad!!! The ending theme is really sweet. I really enjoyed the music alot, I even got the piano sheet music for one of the background songs; i love it!
Overall:
Like many others, I was blown away by Fruits Basket. It presented something new and fresh. It made me laugh my head off through the majority but the last few episodes are considerably dark. During the 'dark' episodes, I screamed and then cried real tears. It was an emotional rollercoaster! I highly recommend this series because it just has so much to offer!!! YOU WILL NOT REGRET WATCHING IT!!
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