Review

By Jennifer Styskal

The Sohma family is good-looking, smart and talented. So why are certain members of the family considered cursed? Well, it just so happens that whenever they are embraced by a person of the opposite sex, they transform into an animal of the Chinese zodiac. When kind-hearted and often naive Tohru Honda moves in with three male members of the family, hilarity ensues that is Fruits Basket.

A beautifully crafted anime, Fruits Basket is a light comedy with moments of deep reflection and even deeper characters. Unlike most shows that are driven by plot, these 26 episodes are completely character motivated while still maintaining a tight and entertaining story.

It all starts with Tohru Honda, a high school student whose mother passed away only a few months ago. With no place to live and no other family to go to, Tohru keeps a stiff upper lip and pitches a tent in a forest. After working late one night, she stumbles across her classmate, Yuki Sohma, and his cousin, Shigure. When the two men learn of Tohru’s predicament, they insist that she move in with them in exchange for some house cleaning and keeping them well fed.

A little time later, another cousin and rival of Yuki, Kyou Sohma, appears. During a scuffle, Tohru bumps into Kyou who transforms into a cat. Sworn to silence regarding their secret, Shigure explains the family curse of the Chinese zodiac. In typical Tohru fashion, she finds the bright side of this and promises to protect their secret.

Tohru proves to be the ray light in the dark lives of the cursed Sohmas when she continues to meet other members of the zodiac. While most struggle with unhappy pasts and the desire to be accepted by others, Tohru thinks nothing of making everyone her friend. Her presence is ultimately the rare glimmer of hope and the common thread that brings the tattered family together.

Yuki, or Prince Yuki as his classmates call him, is a handsome, yet shy boy. Representing the year of the rat, great things are always expected from him by his family so nothing less than perfection is acceptable to him. Tohru shows him that it’s all right to break away from others’ expectations and do what makes him happy. She teaches him to trust others and forgive their faults.

The polar opposite to the calm and straight thinking Yuki, Kyou is hot-headed and always eager for a fight. Born as the cat, the outcast of the zodiac and the Sohma family, Kyou is constantly battling others in order to prove his worth and to be accepted into the family. In accordance with the zodiac story, the rat and the cat are bitter enemies and this carries over into Yuki and Kyou’s lives. Especially since the two live under the same roof, the two are constantly fighting, forcing Tohru to act as peacemaker. The irony of it is that deep down these two envy each other, seeing the desirable attributes in the other, but never realizing that they have their own good points.

The relationship between Tohru and Kyou is probably the most touching aspect of the story. Being a cat lover, Tohru spends the majority of the series befriending Kyou and chipping away at his cold exterior. He eventually softens up to her, and later becomes quite protective of her, hinting to feelings that go beyond friendship.

Shigure is the dog of the zodiac and acts as the guardian of the other three. While his role does not appear to be major, the viewer is often times wondering where his loyalties lie: with Tohru and the two boys who are vying to keep away from the oppression of the main Sohma house or with the ominous head of the family, Akito Sohma.

The other zodiac members are introduced throughout the series, with at least one episode dedicated to their story and background. While the premise of the story first appears to be light-hearted and amusing, the Sohma curse lies much deeper, affecting each member to the heart in their own individual way. Akito is often at the source of their troubles, acting as the god of the zodiac myth. He commands the loyalty and dedication of all of the family members, regardless of some of the harsh acts he has committed. While the show doesn’t go too far into Akito’s reasons for acting as he does, he provides a nice antagonist for Tohru as he greatly dislikes her interaction with the zodiac members and meddling in the family’s affairs.

After the wonderful storytelling and light comedy that keeps the viewer glued to the TV and rolling with laughter, the series is beautifully animated with clean, crisp lines and bright colors. Complementing the artwork is the music, which remains light and soft, never overtaking the story. The voice acting is good, and although some may consider it monotone, I think it suits the show and its tone. But despite all of that, Fruits Basket is a classic anime with a heartfelt tale that old and young can enjoy. With each character, a lesson is learned that viewers of all ages can appreciate.

The characters are lovable with enough conflict between them to keep it interesting and real. Some may complain that there are too many characters to keep track of, but you have to give the creator credit in that each one is unique with his or her own back story. The majority of the individuals introduced only hang around for a few episodes before disappearing, so don’t become too attached to the secondary characters. But if you like the anime, then I highly recommend reading the manga as there is much more detail and the story continues on where the anime ends.

Should Be Watched By: 10 and up.

What’s Good: It’s just a fantastic story that keeps you coming back to time and time again. Each character is memorable and the viewer can easily identify with at least one of them.

What’s Bad: The music and voice acting is a little bland, although it’s pretty easy to just ignore it and focus on the story.

Best Episode: So many to pick from, so hard to chose. Episode 8, Don’t Cry For The Snow Will Surely Melt, is a personal favorite. Hatori Sohma is introduced and his story is revealed which is one of my favorites of all the characters. Episode 24, The Curse Of The Cat, is another great one. As the title indicates, Kyou’s true curse is revealed and his friendship with Tohru is put to the ultimate test.

Worst Episode: Episode 18, The Strongest Tag, is really just a filler episode. One of Tohru’s close friends wards off the girls of the Prince Yuki Fan Club who are determine to break the two apart.

Copyright 2007 Animated Dreams