Review of Fruits Basket

Harems are difficult to do well. Some fail to give enough depth to all the love interests, some have a weak hero/herione, or fail to have a decent plot. Not Fruits Basket. The plot had a nice underlying message, which is that everyone is deserving of kindness. Even the "evil" characters had something heavy resting on their shoulders. The humor was done well, nicely mixing with the darker undertones. The plot deviates from the manga quite a bit towards the end, which is a kind of confusing, but all in all the story is still just as good as the manga. One of my favoriteparts in both was when Tohru talked to Ritsu. Though Ritsu was treated has comic relief for the most part, the speech where Tohru talked about how everyone plays a part was nice and sweet.

The story focused on the characters, yes, but that is one of its charms. Each person was treated with respect, and none were tossed aside in favor of the main love triangle. Even Tohru's mother was given just enough backstory to make you respect her.

I am particularly fond of the art. The show is full of bright colors, just like a basket of fruit.

Overall, while the manga is better, the anime should not be missed. It will leave you feeling happy, and maybe change your outlook on life. Just a little.

"It's not always easy to see the good in people. In some people, you might even doubt that it's there at all. But if you can somehow, find a way to believe...sometimes that's all it takes to help someone, to give them the strength to find the good in themselves." ~ Fruits Basket