Fruits Basket

To be completely honest with everyone, when I first heard the name of the anime ( which I viewed first ), I kinda just ignored this story thinking that something with such a silly name would be a waste of my time. But I assure you, it is not.

Fruits Basket genuinely is one of the most beautiful, human mangas I’ve ever read. It’s the type of series that I feel any type of person at any point in their lives could take something from and learn from it. I know it sounds cheesy, but I really mean it. Fruits Basket is important, it says a lot and has a lot of heart. If you want something that has light-hearted moments as well as very emotional, even difficult moments, consider reading Fruits Basket. I doubt you’ll regret it, especially if you’re shoujo manga trash like me. Honestly, having this manga sit next to a lot of other shoujo series is kind of insulting to Fruits Basket, since a lot of shoujo are low key kinda bad ( this is coming from someone who has seen and read a LOT of shoujo ( I also just like shoujo a lot so,,, 😳 ). Fruits Basket has a lot more to it than being simply a shoujo manga / anime. It is more mature, and though it has troupes, the stellar writing and wonderful characters make the troupes hit right. I feel like at this point I’ll start repeating this. Just please give this one a shot. At this point, it’s a classic. I think you’ll really end up falling in love with all of the characters, the writing, the story, really just everything about it.

Thank you for reading ! If you end up reading ( or watching ) Fruits Basket, I hope you have fun :)

For people who enjoy shoujo, Fruits Basket is a must-read. I've been told that for years, but every time I tried to get through it, I had a very difficult time. I would get through the first few chapters, feel like it was too juvenile and predictable, and tuck it away to try again later. I must have started it 10 different times. Finally, I managed to power through the clumsy beginning and get to the heart of what I discovered was one of the most moving stories I've ever read. The mangaka did a huge bait-and-switch with this series. Either that or she had some traumatic life event halfway through and channeled her pain into her work. Either way, it's brilliant.

>Story-----------------10

In the beginning, Fruits Basket gives the impression that you'll go through 130+ chapters just giggling at the heroine's clumsiness and awwing at the the touching moments between her and her apparent love interests. All of the characters have difficult pasts, but they hide their pain well, even from the audience. However, as time goes on and their bonds strengthen, you start to get a glimpse of just how deeply their childhood scars affect them. Despite the supernatural element, this really is a slice of life more than anything else.

>Art---------------------10

Clean style without a lot of unnecessary details, which I appreciate. The characters all had unique designs and were easily recognizable. I wasn't a huge fan of how angular their faces got as they got older, but that's not something I'd bump off points for.

>Characters-----------9

All of the characters were extremely well developed and had intriguing backstories that interwove with each other. When you're talking about over a dozen characters, that's really impressive. The story doesn't solely focus on the heroine or the "love triangle", but instead takes a lot of care in making sure everyone gets their chance in the spotlight so that we can understand and relate to them, both as individuals and in relation to the other characters. It's really a huge accomplishment.

The reason I'm rating it a 9 instead of a 10, though, is because I'm picky about my heroines, and Tooru falls a little short for me. Her main purpose throughout the story is really to help all the other characters find courage through her kindness and generosity. It's a little cliched, and I feel like she didn't develop as much as she could have because she was constantly existing for other people. We get a small glimpse into her "true" self near the end, and it was very touching, but it just wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been.

>Enjoyment-----------10

I really love this series, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes shoujo or slice of life. I'll probably be re-reading it at some point once it's not so fresh in my mind because all the twists and turns ended up leaving me a little dizzy, and I feel like I could definitely get something new out of it the next time.

this was one of my early year mangas i got into. i love this i have up to book 13 but i read it all online. its actually so heart warming and tear jerkin
ok the title of it sound dumb but i swear to job as you keep going it gets better and better its so cute but so emotional and just inspiring and literally each character are relocatable like i feel like ik everyone in it irl, because i can easily find someone that reminds me of tohru, arisa, saki, shigure, hatori and etc etc
i dont wanna spoil it but its so worth a read like dont even just try it just read all of it theres like 23 books ok

If you have ever seen the anime Fruits Basket and are wondering whether or not to read the manga- do it! It's completely and totally worth it. The story, the art, the characters; everything is beautiful. Fruits Basket really managed to capture a wide range of ideas, emotions, and different themes.
Takaya does a fantastic job of switching from mood to mood throughout and even manages to capture the growing characters with grace. Fruits Basket is, undeniably, an incredible work of art, and I would recommend it to anyone who asked.
And, yes, the manga is every bit as good, if not better, than the anime.
Conclusion: Worth it!

Fruits Basket is just one of those series that has something for everyone; its kinda like every genre combined (though i do emphasize the kinda). It's funny, it's sad, it's happy, it's got morals, it's got romance. As well as a series i recommend reading, it's also a series i recommend rereading. Oh and though it may suggest stuff (i don't think i need to explain what i mean by that) it's an appropriate manga series for pretty much any age. So if your looking for a good manga i would definitely check out Fruits Basket.

Fruits Basket is a wonderful manga that can and will appeal to many types of readers.
I have finally finished all 23 volumes and can safely say its one of the best stories I have encountered.
The story starts with more comedy and semi romantic tones but the reader soon discovers that there is more to each character than meets the eye. I specially like the transision from comedy to more serious matters because it was smooth and didnt feel forced. I also believe that at one point in your life you can relate to a problem or situatuon the characters encounter and its a refreshing feeling to find 3dimensional characters that deal with the situation to the best of their capabilities.
The art is very much the style of Takaya sensei but if I may say it feels more polished. The expressions are well delivered and suck you in and it doesnt need the over cuteness you might find in a shoujo manga.
Settings are also well drawn and certain moments between the characters are absolutely endearing
The characters go through transitions throughout the manga whether they grow or have longer hair, there is always something to notice. But its not only the physical that changes but also the psychological. Nothing is really what it seems in Fruits Basket. There is always a reason for things and its amazing how you go changing your own opinions on the characters as the story goes.

Overall I think that whoever who reads this manga will enjoy it and will be left with a warm fuzzy feeling.
Be it that you relate to the characters or the situations, its a well told story that will surely leave a mark on you.

---Repeat the good, the bad, do it all and pile on the years-----

Fruit Basket is one of the most unique shoujo I have ever read, It is not light hearted and happy go lucky like other shoujos, Fruit Basket touches upon many realistic issues like Abuse, PTSD, Depression, Social anxiety, Abandonment issues and potray all these in very realistic way.
The main theme of this story is motherhood and romance is just a side plot, The fact that main leads have platonic relationship is what makes it stand out from rest of the shoujos.
Characters are all well written and have depth and have very good character development, Our Main protagonist Tohru may seem like your cliched shoujo heroine which her character troupe is based on that but the reason why Tohru is different from other shoujo heroines is because she has lot of depth and character development, she is not nice just for the sake of being nice but there is reason why she is so over cheerful and nice which you would find out as you go further, in a same way other characters too have lot of depth in them as well as there are lot of parallels between the characters which is something I love too.
Whether it's romantic relationships or platonic, fruit basket potrays them very realistically it also shows human nature and their psychology.
Overall Fruit Basket is a Masterpiece, there is lot to talk about and analyze, I can talk about it whole day.

I first read Fruits Basket when I was in middle school and so nostalgia is in full-force in my judgement of this series. So fair warning.

Language I read it in: English/Japanese

Story/Characters:

This is a story of abuse and how people deal with and recover from abuse so that they can live, disguised as a whimsical fantasy rom-com. The tone of the series does shift from a more light-hearted series to a much more serious series towards the end, but the balance of humor and drama is steady throughout and you are really given the time to explore and fall in love with the characters.

Fruits Basket has A LOT of characters, but you are given a chance to learn about each character and most are given a full character arc. This CAN mean going a whole volume without an appearance by the protagonist but the cast is strong enough that this is never an issue.

Art:

The art improves and stabilizes over the course of the series which was nice to see. It's not exceptional, but serves it's purpose and never distracts in a negative way so I found it acceptable.

Warnings:

There is a LOT of child abuse in this series. I think it's done tactfully and treats the subject seriously but if just the thought of it is bad I wouldn't read it.
At least one on-screen death, and talk of suicide. Some stabbing and other violence of that sort towards the end.

Fruits Basket is one of the manga that you can read over and over again and realize new things with each reading while never getting tired of it. It is by far my favorite manga. It has the unique ability to make a reader feel achingly sad and yet unbelievably happy at the same time.

Story: The story centers around the juunishi, or members of the Chinese zodiac, and a high school aged girl, Tohru, when she happens to stumble into their lives. The juunishi live a dark cursed life that they hide behind fake smiles and laughter. Over the course of the 23 books, the author shows you Tohru's effect on them and how they come to love her and open up to her and others. The books build on each other, always keeping the reader strongly engaged and picking up the pace of the action with each volume. The story is dark and sinister and surrounded by death and yet manages to leak happy light that becomes the reader’s focus with only a bit of darkness on the periphery so that while you read the happy story you are all too aware of the darkness lurking in the background. The interconnectedness of the back stories for each well developed character enhance the feeling of a web of shared mystery within a well developed universe.

Characters: This is the best part of this manga. Each of them is unique and so well developed that the reader loves them with all of their challenges and sometimes even unattractive characteristics.

the quiet and selfish rat who wants more and whom people admire
the cat who is quick to anger yet people are drawn to him
the ever indifferent, carefree and scheming dog
the loveable happy hyperactive bunny who is deeper then he seems
the bi-polar cow who is calm and understanding one moment and insane the next
the calm, collected, and much nicer than he seems dragon
the loud boar with too many emotions to handle
the over dramatic snake who enjoys talking
the brooding horse who has a bit of a one track mind but cares deeply
the ridiculously annoying monkey
the shy and adorable Tiger
the obnoxious sheep with an overdeveloped ego
the reserved and kind rooster

Each of the character's individual stories grow and develop with the over all story too. THeir own stories take on a life of their own and blend together with the main story line. The best part is, they all tie up their stories.

I was especially drawn to the way the characters interacted together. The juunishi have a strange sort of relationship. They have known each other their whole lives yet hardly ever saw each other before the manga begins. They share a mysterious and compelling bond. The way they act together made me want that kind of relationship with friends. The kind of relationship where you can just walk in unannounced to a friend’s house or go to a summer home together. They are comfortable with each other in a way that doesn't seem possible without the mystery they share. No matter how glamorous or fascinating each of the juunishi is, they all depend on Tohru in their own way. They all have something she can give them by just being herself.

Art: I've always been impressed with manga artists because of how much art adds to the story. Now not only are you getting the words like in a novel, but you see the expressions on the faces of the characters. You see their body movement and their styles. Imagination is spectacular, and I love reading and picturing the characters of novels. But I can't help but be jealous of the skills and talents successful manga artists (like in Fruits Basket) have. You get something extra from seeing the sad smile, or the irritation, or the ecstasy on the characters’ faces. I especially love the clothing in Fruits Basket. Momiji's clothes in particular can always make me smile and wish I had clothes like that. The clothes, and hair, and eyes of all the characters really help to finalize their personality. Along with Momiji, Haru and Rin have great clothes that give them character.

The other thing Takaya Natsuki does really well is develop the characters over time. It took 7 years to finish the series, and her style changed a bit, but it fit because of the characters growing up through high school. You can actually see the characters getting taller and their faces filling out as time passes in the story.

Enjoyment: I LOVE this manga. It will never get old. It can always make me happy.

Overall: Fruits Basket makes me incredibly depressed and overwhelmingly happy at the same time. It always manages to cheer me up, even just thinking about it, and it also is one of the most depressing stories I've ever read. But don't get the wrong impression about the story and think that you should only read it if you like depressing stories. That's not true at all... perhaps the best way I can describe it is to say that it makes you aware of how bad things could be, and that is what is depressing. It makes you aware of a whole other life and way of living and then shows you that even that can be okay. I love this story because it really brings out the "other side of the rainbow" idea. It is spectacular at cheering up.

Fruits Basket is a very special manga that makes you really think about your life, your family, your friends, your future, your happiness.

Fruits Basket is a heart warming, gut busting, romantic manga that shows the benefits of friendship, and learning to face your own internal conflicts instead of ignoring and running away from them. It’s very down to earth and very enjoyable. The art was not my favorite, but the original plot and character development, and seeing the relationships between all the characters make up for it. The manga is an excellent mix of love, friendship, and humor, with tons of life lessons, themes, and motifs thrown in-between. I’m a huge fan of shojo and this one of my favorites.

I loved this story for a few reasons.
I loved watching/reading the books drawing grow to become so much prettier. It just amazed me how much the drawings enhanced. Also, I loved how the author often went sooo deep into emotions, this always made the story seem so much more reaqlistic, although its importantly fantasy.

However, I didnt like a couple of things. I felt that the last volume was created for nothing, it was pointless, and they way it ended was kind of disappointing. The characters should have had a more happy ending, for example, like the bunny character, Momiji, I think he shouldve had a better ending. If he couldnt get Tohru, then he shouldve at least got his family back. I think his was the most sad story. I think the author should just make a squel about him, that would be amazing, and lovely.

But all in all, the book was great!
I enjoyed reading every volume (except the last) ^^

Well, look at me, breaking my own rules... I stated in my little profile blurb that I didn't think I could ever rate something using the highest OR lowest rating. And while I'm sure I could find some flaws in this series if I went looking for them, I am entirely satisfied with the manga for Fruits Basket.

Can it be a little cheesy? Of course. I love this series, but not even I will deny that. But I'm not gonna lie... I'm a sucker for the types of stories (like this one) where there are more than enough sad backstories to go around. But that's one of the things I love most about this series: I can't think of a single character who was overlooked. Even Tohru's 'normal' friends and Yuki's fellow student council members have their place in this story. And they don't seem overshadowed by the magic element.

It certainly helps that I've always had a fascination with fables and folk tales and things like the Chinese Zodiac. But it was really the characters-- not the curse plot-- that shined here. And it's a bonus that I support every single canon pairing.

This is my first review so it's gonna suck.
Fruits Basket is the very first manga series I read all the way through and it is what got me to read more. The story is great starting with our little Tohru living in a tent and then going to live with the Shomas yadda yadda. Fruits Basket is hilarious!!And very sweet. It make me laugh and aww! every time I read it. Even though Tohru is cute and innocent and the story is sweet, this manga has the most cuss words in a manga i have ever read! That makes it even more hilarious. This is my favorite manga and will be for a long time. I really recomend it!!!

Fruits Basket is a truly wonderful story, it makes it's rather outlandish premise believable and interesting, the romantic story is very sweet but doesn't dip into sappy territory and the characters are quite unique and distinct.

The thing that stands out the most is the characters. They have somewhat cliché exteriors, but there are quite complex personalities and motivations lurking underneath that get revealed as the manga goes along, especially the leads. I was particularly impressed with Tohru, I never thought that your average anime/manga ditz could be so interesting. The main plot is also very interesting, with themes of love, loss and redemption. It's very sweet, and I really liked the ending.

There is a very large cast, 3 main leads and at least 15 supporting and assorted minor characters (that's off the top of my head, there's probably more). Natsuki Takaya does a marvellous job of giving every character a decent amount of time, each with a backstory and secondary plot that gets resolved.....I can't think of one that didn't get resolved in a manner I did not like. There were occasions that the story did make the happy to sad transition rather quickly that it was a little jarring, but on the whole the jokes and serious stuff are quite well balanced out. A couple of the plot devices did feel a little contrived, but they didn't look out of place.

But having such a large cast means that it can be difficult to follow what's happening to or with who, and it isn't helped by the fact that some of the character designs are very similar. There were quite a few occasions where I had to do a double take (like 'how the hell does Kimi know Rin?....Oh, wait, that's Kagura). But on the whole, I did like the art. Natsuki Takaya gets better as the series goes along, and she does a good job of changing her characters as they grow older.

I think I would reccomend Fruits Basket to just about anybody. I think it has something to offer to everyone, not just a romance story.

I started reading after rewatching the anime. I picked up from where season 2 left off and honestly, this is by far my favourite manga and anime.

Story: 10/10
I loved it. It has everything you need, you get the action from Kyo and Yuki, the romance, the comedy and the overall amazing storyline.

Art: 8/10
It took a while to get used to because some of the characters look similar and I get confused easily but it's easy to adjust to it.

Characters: 10/10
This manga / anime has the best character development I've seen so far. And all of the characters are ones you can grow to love so easily. I've gotten emotionally attached to most of them, Kyo, Momiji and Tohru mostly. It tells the story of each and every person in the story so well and you truly feel like you're getting to know the characters.

Enjoyment: 10/10
The emotions this made me feel are just outstanding. I don't think I've ever cried, laughed or smiled at a manga as much as I have with this one. It's amazing, I finished it around 45 minutes ago and I still want to cry whenever I think about any of the characters or what's happened. Thinking about how I've finished it makes me sad though. I wish I could see more of the characters and see them happy. It's really heartwarming and honestly has made me cry so many times, although not only because of the sad moments, the happy ones too. I got so emotionally attached to them that whenever something happened to them, It made me either happy or sad and most of the time that made me cry.

Overall: 10/10
I wish I could rate it higher. This is my favourite manga / anime I've seen and I highly doubt there's going to be something that can change my mind. If you're not into reading manga, you should definitely go and watch the anime because it's equally as good (and I prefer the art design). Plus, it's getting its third and final season in April 2021 which is going to cover the rest of the manga. Words cannot describe how excited I am because for what I've seen in the manga, this new season is going to be absolutely amazing even though I can tell you for a fact that it's going to end up making me cry for days on end.

Just trust me on this, you HAVE to watch/read Fruits Basket. It's just so good and you'll hopefully agree with me on that once you've seen it. :)

I first began to read Fruits Basket when I was but a tender adolescent. Just a few of the volumes had been released then but I had bought every one of them until the 12th one. After that point, I was slowly outgrowing the world of mangas and completely forgot the series before the following volume was ever published.

I’m 23 now, a year fresh from graduating university, and I had recently returned home to visit my family. My mother had informed me that she had packed up all my old things in boxes and as I was sifting through them, I found my Fruits Basket collection. Nostalgia overwhelmed me and I then decided to reread, and to finally finish, the series.

This is not a lie. I still, as I have back then, love the story that Fruits Basket holds. There are definitely some flaws but overall, the way the author weaved this story is captivating. I have not read many Shojuo mangas so I don’t have much to compare with, but I can now understand why this was once one of the top selling mangas back in its day.

However I do want to create this review with a more critical, but still APPRAISING, eye.

The Story: 10/10

The story, at face value, sounds very cliché. Kind of like this: “Girl, who recently loses parent decides to live with a few men in a house, but little does she know that they have a big secret and when she finds out, it’s gonna be a whole whirlwind of an adventure! Stay tuned!” Sure there’s that clever and interesting back story of the Chinese Zodiac and its curse but I remember raising my eyebrow as I read the plot. However, it didn’t turn out that way. The story is simply written beautifully and you’ll quickly find yourself being pulled into it. At its core, it is about forgiveness, growing up, acceptance, and most importantly, that true happiness is found when you love and have that same love returned. Yes, as an older person reading it now, I did find it somewhat annoying that every single person had a tragic story behind them (like a Telenovela honestly), but the way Takaya entwines everything with comedy and lightheartedness makes it bearable and you’ll find yourself bawling at times as the story unfolds.

The romance in this manga is also one that is written with as much care and thought; It does not rush through it nor does Takaya just throw the main characters at each other and nor is it predictable. The beginning Yuki x Tohru x Kyo love triangle was first introduced but that completely changes to something more deeper and stronger. Such as with Kyo and Tohru (god bless them), to put it plainly, their love for each other just makes sense. It isn’t like other stories where the author shoves two characters together and force them to make love and have the audience root for them as they fornicate, their love grows timidly and cautiously AND ITS JUST. SO. DAMN. BEAUTIFUL! (Onions everywhere!!!)

The Characters: 10/10

There are many characters in this manga and you will have your favorites (KYO!!), and your dislikes (Rin), and your don’t-really-care’s (student council people, meh), but that’s the power of this manga. There is a variety of characters with different personalities that play out with each other. I would like to defend our heroine Tohru Honda. Many people hold a deep love-hate relationship with her and I know that my younger-self never really approved of her as being the main character (omg it was Twilight all over again). I thought she was too plain, too boring, too flat, too gentle, too nice of a character to have THAT much effect on everyone she meets. This is of course coming from a raging little girl who thought herself akin to a strong, independent female. Still now, I do not prefer bubbly main characters in novels or mangas, but in Tohru, I find solace. I finally see her value in the story, as that girl, who in herself, is very flawed and needs as much gentleness and kindness and love as all the other characters she befriends. You will find yourself loving her, I promise.

For the rest of the characters, they are all very much fleshed out and written about carefully. The persons that they are when they are introduced are definitely not the persons they become at the end of the manga. This is definitely evident on the two main male characters, Yuki and Kyo, but also with our antagonist Akito. I truly did appreciate how each character, even the side ones, had their own personality, yet I also believe that Takaya did not intend this for the purpose of just having a slew of characters to add interest to the story, but instead each one had an effect or addition to the entire story line.

The Art: 8/10

I forgive Takaya for the art simply because the story trumps all the flaws and because her art matures as the manga progressed. However, I was not a fan of the art in the beginning of the series. There is such a thing as too-big-anime-eyes. I also did not like that some characters looked too similar, sometimes I only had to depend on the coloring of their hair to tell some of them apart. I also know that she notes several times that she adores drawing pretty girls, but that hurt her in her design of some of the male characters in the manga. Not that they were bad, I just wish she added more details and finishing touches in her designs when it came to the boys (biceps and abs galore). However her shading and expressions were some of the best I have seen. You can truly feel the emotions, either bad or good or funny, with some of the shading and expressions she put on her characters.

The Ending: 10/10

Satisfaction. Pure satisfaction is all I can say. Read the manga and find out but I guarantee you that you will finish it with a smile on your face.

My favorite manga of all time. End of story.

The characters, the plot, the style... all of it is completely enthralling. Just the premise is so unique - a family who turns into Zodiac animals when hugged by members of the opposite sex? Already a formula for hilarity!

At first, the manga's fairly light. Tohru is innocent and a do-gooder, and while at first that's annoying, she does grow up quite a bit throughout the story and her personality becomes very endearing. And due to the necessity of a full Zodiac, there's a massive cast of incredible characters. Each one has a backstory, a distinct personalities, and there are some relationships and characters that are incredibly unexpected but marvelous.

The plot moves along slowly but surely, but it's mainly driven by the characters themselves more than a "story" on its own. But that's what makes it so wonderful. It's seamlessly realistic even with the magic animal thing thrown in. You'll love this manga from start to finish, and you would be heartbroken when it's all over - except for how fantastic the ending is.

The art is exceptional, but a little shaky at the beginning. Takaya Natsuki really gets into her stride mid-manga, and that's when it's just marvelous. One great thing she does is age the characters throughout the multiple-year timeframe of the series. Because it takes place over a few years, there's so much room for character growth, and Takaya Natsuki takes advantage of it all.

A really, really amazing manga. Read it. Now. You won't regret it!

Story: I also found this manga in my high school library, and my friends highly suggested it. They were right. It had to be one of the best mangas I ever read as well. So what's the story? Well, with her parents both dead, though she was much closer to her mother, Tohru lives alone in a tent in the wilderness as she continues going to school like a normal teenager. She remembers how her mother used to tell her stories about the Chinese zodiac and the cat that was supposed to be in it, but the rat didn't tell him about the feast and the race the king held. Little did she know that the story was actually true. She comes across a house in the middle of the forest that is owned by three men: Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo, who share the last name, Sohma, even though they are not related to each other whatsoever. The reason for this is because there is a curse placed on them. Whenever a human hugs each of them, they will turn into an animal in which the year they were born from the Chinese Zodiac, with the exception of Kyo, who transforms into the mysterious cat. Shigure is the dog, and Yuki is the rat, which is why Kyo hates him so much. Tohru finds out there are more than just they who belong in this "family," and the longer she stays with them, the more she finds out their dark secret. They say this is a romance shoujo manga, but I wouldn't really consider it. Yeah, the main character is the girl, but that doesn't make this shoujo really, so there is sort of false advertisement. 10/10

Art: The art style is very old because this series was created in 1998. As the story progresses though, the styles does get more modern. This used to turn me off a little, but I just learned how to deal with it. Hell, I couldn't even read through Bleach I was so turned off. Still, the age of the art doesn't really stop me from reading it. It's just the way it is. The art still gives the characters personality, and the story is still told from this. 8/10

Characters: Because there is each member of the zodiac in here, plus Tohru's parents and friends, there are so many characters in here, there are more than I can even count. However, let me tell you about the ones who are going to be the most important in the story. Tohru, of course, is believed to be the one who could help break the spell of the Sohma family. What she has to do is to befriend all of the members and get them to trust her, even the head of the family, who is not so easy to please. Yuki and Kyo are the key players in Tohru's life because they were in it before she even knew about it. Yuki is an admired person at school, but Tohru and the rest of the Sohma family are considered to be his real friends. He finds it very hard because he was mostly isolated (you'll understand why in the manga). Kyo is very nasty because of the cat's past, but you can easily tell that he loves Tohru more than anything. Kyo also has a very terrifying power as the cat and has an alternate form that Tohru is not afraid of. He also knew Tohru's mother, but that will be explained once you get into the material. Okay, this guy is not that important but my favorite character is Momiji. He's half German, half Japanese, and his zodiac is the rabbit. Momiji is so full of energy and he's adorable as Honey in Ouran. Actually, even though I can't list every character here, each one has his or her own personality, and that is what makes each character interesting. There are no copies or anything. It's pretty cool once you think about it. 10/10

Enjoyment: I was so into it that I just took out every single book from the library on the same day. I read this much faster than Gentlemen's Alliance or Kitchen Princess. And I was very upset when I got to the 23rd volume. It was just so good. I can't wait to watch the anime. Was it funny? Yes. Did it give me what I wanted? Yes. 10/10

Overall: You need to read this and watch if you haven't already! The score is a rounded 10 out of 10.

I loved almost everything about Fruits Basket, or Furuba. The plot was really exciting with a bunch of interesting side stories and a lot of background information for each character. I love Natsuki Takaya's drawing style and each character is unique but some share similar characteristics. There are a lot of main characters and I've never seen a manga (or anime) series that was based on the zodiac.

Although sometimes hearing about each of the characters' painful history can be kind of disturbing, it's still makes the characters seem more real and alive. I love how each character has a little symbol that represents them and the series proves to be full of unexpected surprises.

Overall, this is probably my favorite manga series ever and I will hopefully be able to finish it soon.

-kemmec

Okay, so I will start off with saying that this was my first manga ever. I've reread it several times since then, but it still has a certain nostalgia attached to it that I will try to bypass in this review. Feel free to take my scores with a grain of salt.

Story (10): Tohru Honda is an orphan and a typically hard-working shojo manga heroine who finds herself living with the Sohma family (for reasons I won't get into here, it's not that important anyways). She gradually discovers that the Sohma family has a secret: a curse. 13 family members, the 'Juunishi', have been cursed with a particular sign from the zodiac, and when hugged by a person of the opposite sex, they turn into that animal. Put that together with the fact that Tohru is living in a house with two attractive boys her age, you expect a cute love triangle and a cast of adorable supporting characters, right? Wrong. Takaya almost uses this expectation to her advantage, as the characters who begin so one-sided and simplistic suddenly reveal depth through their backstory or their actions (there is, however, a love triangle). The 'curse' is aptly named. Best of all, once you re-read it, you realize that Takaya has been hinting at the ending and certain plot twists throughout the series, long before she reveals them (through use of reoccurring symbols and dialogue). Even after several re-reads, this story is still excellently done.

Art (9): Takaya DEFINITELY improves throughout her journey (comparing the first book to the last book is shocking). There will be a few awkwardly drawn joints, and the characters are rather out-of-proportion in the first few books, but it is manga, so it doesn't detract from the storyline. One of my absolute favorite things Takaya uses is space: her panels are impeccable, and there are more than few instances where I have paused just because the panels have been so striking (mild spoilers: when Kyo thinks (about Akito and Tohru) "Is he using her?" comes to mind). Overall, her work is very very well done.

Characters (10): This is what makes this series so lovable. Every character, even those you don't think are interesting (see above) become slowly 3-dimensional. You will love them, cry about them, hate them (I don't know if I've ever hated a character more than a certain character in Furuba), and gradually think of them as a family, albeit an extremely disfunctional one. They are so well written, and they're what make this series so worthwhile. If you read this series for anything, read it for the characters. If storyline is a 10, this should be a 12.

Enjoyment (10): Even after reading so many manga and watching so much anime over the years, this is still in my top three. I honestly believe that I changed to become more like Tohru after reading this (I read it at a fairly impressionable age), and I still love paging through it. It should also be mentioned that, while giving the reader a wonderful storyline and great life lessons, Fruits Basket is funny - surprisingly so. I've been reading Fruits Basket in public places and had people turn to look at me because I was laughing aloud.

Overall (9.5; I rounded down for my official score): The only reason this isn't a ten is because I'm sure that I've been influenced greatly by my nostalgia and love of the series. That being said, I truly believe this series is one of the best I've ever read. I wholeheartedly encourage you to read it, and buy it if you can (it is out of print now). I hope you enjoy it!