Fruit Basket(2019) || Anime Review

I finally mustered up enough motivation to write an anime review of Fruit Basket.

Note: There will be some comparisons to the 2001 anime version of Fruits Basket but honestly who wouldn't mention that first-ever animated series for this wonderful story?

Comment down the suggestions for more anime or your opinion on Fruit Basket. Critics are welcome!

Onto the Anime Review of Fruit Basket by Wired Ends.

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PLOT
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-Curse of the Zodiac-

I've always had a liking for our western zodiac as well as for Chinese zodiac and seeing author use the legend of the zodiac in this kind of way was really fresh to young me who watched the first series. Now, with the new series being over, I have to say I'm really happy some things were improved, mostly in regard to the design of characters' zodiac form (they just became much cuter and more detailed). As for the curse itself, in this adaptation, I could feel very strong dread, especially within some members of the zodiac, and knowing more about their troubled backstories really emphasized what a burden the curse actually is on them.

-Simple acts of kindness make everything beautiful-

This whole show revolves around kindness and cruelty of the real-world, especially if you're in a situation that feels similar to one of the Soma family. And the fact that Tohru came into the lives of these people who all just wanted some form of kindness says more than anything. Also, we maybe didn't see Tohru's mother Kyoko alive, but the way Tohru always talks about her and the way she behaves reflects how good of a mother Kyoko actually was.

Do not think that Tohru is the only one giving kindness: she also receives so much kindness from people she helped with her presence and her antics. This makes her stronger and willing to keep moving forward. This show is so wonderful not because of the plot itself or having flashy scenes but because of feelings as well as lessons it teaches us and if all of us would give at least a bit of kindness to someone every day, we'd feel so much better about ourselves as well as the world.

-Perfectly flawed-

All characters in this show have a certain flaw or character trait that is in a way of their path to kindness but it's those flaws that make them so real, relatable, and loving despite this story's fantastic undertones (I meant fantasy as a genre). Conflicts in this show are real and raw and while first episodes draw you in with humor, you later start to realize not all these characters are as innocent or without any guilt for what's happening to them, but once we learn about their backstories we start to relate to them so much on a higher level. Fruits Basket, both older and this newer version had such an amazing way of showcasing characters. The characters feel too real.

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CHARACTERS
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-Tohru Honda-

I feel extremely sad when I see people calling Tohru "useless" or "Mary Sue". She's far from all of that. She's a goofy, happy-go-lucky space cadet that is too innocent and too adorable for her own good. Some people tend to use it against her in many ways. She's willing to help anyone. She is aware that she's not as smart or knowledgeable about some things to be able to solve everything. Many people have also said she's too annoying because of her personality. She allows others to step all over her. But thinking about what she's been through in her life, I can say that this passive behavior is her way of coping with her losses.

Yuki refused to let the sadness and sorrow consume her. She decided to live on fully while doing the best she could in all aspects of her life. She thinks that her parents gave her that life to keep and cherish. Her relationship with other members of Soma family and their eventual or immediate infatuation with her has nothing to do with her looks or aura but due to the fact that Tohru is able to say the right thing in the right moment in a non-patronizing way, by telling that certain character what her mother had taught her and what she'd personally experienced. This girl is willing to help anyone the best she can. It's that raw kindness she emits and shows what draws people to her.

-Kyo Soma-

Cat of Chinese Zodiac. Hotheaded, rude, competitive, and reckless, Kyo is the type of person people either hate or love. Since he cares for nothing else than martial arts, he tends to brush off or push away certain people or situations because he doesn't like them or is afraid of them for some reason. But when it comes to people he cares about or remembering someone's kindness towards him, this boy will most definitely return the favor or kindness given to him. Being burdened with the heaviest curse among Zodiac members and everyone else's behavior towards him, Kyo became an outcast. He really wants to belong with his family even though he's not aware of that desire.

He wants to be recognized for who he is and for what he does, but after being shunned for so long and losing both of his parents at a young age, He became closed-off in his shell of rudeness and competitiveness. The reason he hates Yuki so much is due to the fact Yuki is who he is in the Zodiac circle and Kyo feels extremely envious of his position in the family even though he would never admit such a thing. By the end of the season, Kyo undergoes a lot of stress and shocks due to certain events, but because Tohru and others decided to accept him as he was, he became more open and calmer than before. I honestly love this cat boy and want to give him the whole world.

-Yuki Soma-

Rat of the Chinese Zodiac. Being completely opposite from Kyo, Yuki's always been celebrated for being born with a Rat spirit in him. He was isolated from everyone else as a child. He always had to put up a facade of perfection in front of everyone. Even now, when he's away from the main house and lives with Shigure, he still cannot break out of his shell. He's afraid of what people will think of real him once they scratch the surface.

His hostility towards Kyo also lies in envy. It's mostly because Kyo was granted a life of freedom and was always allowed to be himself. Yuki always had the role of the most powerful Zodiac spirit bestowed upon him. Tohru's presence really helps him relax more and his relationship with other members of the Zodiac, especially his brother Ayame, really becomes better as the season progresses. Yuki still has a long way to go in his character development, especially considering his fear of Akito and his trauma. This amazing rat boy is doing an amazing job and I feel really proud of him.

-Shigure Soma-

Dog of the Chinese Zodiac and owner of the house Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki live in. Now, you may be fooled by his goofy exterior, but Shigure proved to be rather mean, manipulative and sadistic even on many occasions. His actions are never of physical nature but rather reflect in his psychological manipulation of those weak-minded and also hitting where it hurts the most like fears and traumas. He's far from being a good person, but honestly, I loved this crazy mutt.

Not everyone falls for his manipulation (Hatori, definitely not) and most of the time he's able to stop when he sees he went overboard with his teasing, but is also very observant and knows what to say to make situations less tense. I felt bad for his editor, he likes to bully her so much but he at least does his writing job properly. Now, it's hinted Shigure has much more sinister intentions but I guess we'll know more once the second season drops. All in all, Shigure is a bastard who I both love and hate, mostly depending on the situation. Still, he takes his role as a protector of those three kids very seriously and I respect him a lot for that.

-Kagura Soma-

Boar of Chinese Zodiac. Hotheaded, dual, and sometimes violent, Kagura is person Kyo fears the most. She has a huge crush on Kyo and wants to marry him and sometimes turns into this yandere-ish girl who beats the shit out of her love interest because he's been rude towards her. But under that brute and cute exterior Kagura is actually incredibly insecure and only wishes to have her feelings returned as a validation that someone cares about her.

She's very protective over her crush on Kyo mostly because she thinks no one can understand him as she can (she accepted his other form) but after meeting Tohru she was one of the catalysts for Kyo's change, mostly because she realized how much of a great influence Tohru is on Kyo. Despite not liking some of her actions, I like this character very much and I can completely relate to the insecure part of her character.

-Hatsuharu Soma-

The ox of Chinese Zodiac. A silent guy who turns into a rude and wordy asshole when you tick him off to an extant Hatsuharu is the most adorable thing in the world while is also a total bae. He hated Yuki at first because he was convinced he's been called a fool because of Rat's and Ox's relationship in the legend, but as he grew to meet Yuki more, he realized he's responsible for his own reputation and happiness and now he has a fat crush on Yuki. But aside from being that cute, silent type with a switch, Hatsuharu is also incredibly caring and loving and shows his feelings by taking care of others. Honestly, what a precious boy.

-Momiji Soma-

Rabbit of Chinese Zodiac. He's a cutesy type of character that likes to whine, be loud, and always getting his ass in trouble or other people's business, but I found him so damn adorable in both versions of the anime. But because we mostly knew his loud and cute side during most of the anime season, we got hit really hard when we learned about his backstory and it really made me cry, both in older and this newer version. Momiji, however, accepted his life for how it is and is satisfied with just a fraction of affection he can get from his mother but doesn't change his adorable exterior. In the end, Momiji is wonderful and supportive as well as the brave little guy who has nothing more but adoration for Tohru and her compassion about his situation.

-Hatori Soma-

Dragon of Chinese Zodiac and my favorite character aside from the main trio. Collected, cool and so incredibly handsome, Hatori caught my attention right from the start and after finding out how he became so closed and cold towards everyone really breaks my heart, honestly, he doesn't deserve such treatment, he just wanted to settle down and live with a woman he loved. But it's so nice seeing his interactions with Shigure and Ayame, mostly because they have a strong brotherly and friendly connections, and Hatori always being the rational one in their friend group. Also, seeing him soften a bit after a talk with Tohru really melted my heart. I love this man so much.

-Akito Soma-

Head of Soma family. He's the main reason almost everyone in this family has some kind of trauma an that's mostly due to how psychotic he is. Just seeing sheer terror in Yuki's eyes when he meets Akito was enough to make me hate him and no amount of sad backstory can compensate for his behavior. I really hope he redeems himself later but I have a fear he might do something to Tohru considering how he talked about her on a few occasions. Yep, I really don't like Akito.

-Uotani Arisa-

One of Tohru's two best friends and former delinquent. In the old version of Fruits Basket we didn't get to see her backstory but after seeing it now only adds more to her adoration for Tohru and her mother Kyoko. Just seeing how protective and supportive she is of Tohru was a wonderful thing to watch. Knowing her backstory with her alcoholic dad and mom who left her when she was little only added up to her now much more developed character.

-Hanajima Saki-

One of Tohru's best friends and a psychic. The first anime had not shown Hana's backstory. She is a strong girl. She continued to go on even after all those years of bullying. Thanks to her wonderful family, Arisa, and Tohru who always stood by her. I'm really happy to see her like she is now. She's very very protective of Tohru and is even ready to kill for her. Gotta love those friends of hers!

I know there are more characters in this season. I felt these are most important when it comes to the plot. Hopefully, I'll be able to talk about others in a review of the second season.

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ANIMATION
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Animation-wise, this series is so much prettier than the first version. That's not a surprise since there is literally 18 years between these two adaptations. The animation is fluid and character designs feel refreshing while the color palette is so much to my taste. The simply wonderful art style and a showcase of details in important scenes.

That was the anime review of Fruit Basket by Wired Ends.

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