I was really nervous about reading Fruits Basket: Another, because i didn't want it to influence my enjoyment of the original manga.

I have heard really mixed reviews about it, with some people saying that it just recycles the characters and dynamics from the original but without any of the substance, and so even though I was excited to hear about it when it came out, I steered clear from reading it.

However with the 2019 anime reboot my Fruits Basket feelings CANNOT be contained and I was desperate enough to start reading Fruits Basket: Another. Surprisingly, I really enjoy it so far. In addition to thinking of it as an additional epilogue, as many commenters have mentioned, reading this manga is also like reading a canonical fanfiction straight from the mangaka herself.

The story is pretty basic, and reading it as a standalone manga I would not be very impressed, but as a supplement to the original Fruits Basket, it's incredibly enjoyable. It's also really fun to guess which characters are related to who, and to see the personalities and mannerisms that have been inherited from their parents. I also really like the shift in dynamic as someone from "outside" the Sohma clan is welcomed and supported through her emotional struggles and shown unconditional love for the first time (paying it forward from how Tohru affected everyone's lives!)

I can't wait to read more of this series and meet more characters who will undoubtedly be showing up in the future.