A Review of Fruits Basket

Tohru Honda finds herself homeless after her mother passes away. When a classmate discovers this, he and his cousins take Tohru in. The twist? They're possessed by Chinese zodiac animals, and they transform into their respective animals whenever hugged by a person of the opposite sex.

Upon first glance, the summary of Fruits Basket seems very...odd. I'm aware of that. I was aware of it when I was told by a friend to watch the 2019 reboot, and when I got my husband and parents into it. I'm aware of what you're thinking right now, if you aren't already familiar with this series--what?

But, if you make it past the synopsis I gave and watch the first episode, I promise you'll be hooked, just like I was. I started by watching the first season of the remake, then immediately bought the manga, and now I'm crying alongside every other fan as we make our way through season two. Yes, I have been forever changed by this odd, quirky anime series. Here's why.

You hear about "pure" and "wholesome" things on the internet a lot. Gen Z is generally pretty depressed, so we cling to things that make us happy. This anime/manga is one wholesome moment after the other. But that's not to say that the series has no depth. There are very real conflicts, and very real villains. The characters all have very real demons to beat. Despite the wholesome moments and touching life lessons in Fruits Basket, there is also a lot of turmoil and heartbreak to be had. There's not one episode of Fruits Basket that I can watch without tearing up, even though I've been through the series four times now. Without getting into spoiler territory, story about why exactly this family is possessed by the Chinese zodiac, and their mission to break the curse, is incredibly suspenseful and complex.

I'm a writer myself, so it would be a disservice to you if I didn't talk about the characters. The series has a quite large cast, which can be a little confusing at first, if I'm being honest. Creative writers are often advised against creating story with many main characters, as it can be confusing for the reader, as well as difficult for the author to develop each one into a full character. That's not the case with Fruits Basket. Every single character has a complex backstory, as if they're all real people. They have trauma they'd rather not speak of, motives, goals, struggles, and human-like emotions. Everything the characters feel, you as the reader/viewer feel it right alongside them. As the characters grow, so do you.

For example, Tohru, the main character in the series, is incredibly cheerful and kind, which is really what makes the story so wholesome a lot of the time. You can't help but be inspired by Tohru's selflessness and just genuine goodness. But there's more to her than that. She is truly a horribly broken person. She's endured so much trauma in her short life, and she handles it by ignoring it and putting on a smile so that she doesn't worry other people. She has a huge character arc, and it's honestly just gorgeous to watch her evolve. Just as much as she touches the other characters, they also touch her and help her grow into a young adult that can face herself, her past, and the world.

Additionally, I guarantee you (well, that's a big word, so maybe "I strongly believe" is better) that it is impossible to not find at least one character you relate to at least a little bit. Yuki Sohma, another main character, has endured horrible abuse and has had very high expectations placed on him. Kyo Sohma, Yuki's cousin, has been an outcast his entire life, so much so that his own father accuses him of being responsible for his mother's suicide. Shigure Sohma, another cousin, is constantly analyzing and manipulating situations to his advantage in order to overcome his own obstacles. Even Tohru's two best friends, who are relatively minor characters, have extremely relatable traits and pasts, including an alcoholic father and a history of being bullied.

I could go on for hours, but I think I would start to bore you. Instead, please consider using this extra time you now have to watch the first episode of Fruits Basket 2019. It's available on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation, and I'm sure you can pirate it as well, if you're one that's not opposed to that.

I'm planning on watching the series again from the beginning and doing an analysis of each episode--watch along with me so we can cry about this amazing series together.