Review of Fruits Basket

To be honest, I never would have bothered with Fruits Basket had I been able to sleep at 3 AM. But with nothing to do, and a lot of friends who greatly admired it, I downloaded the shoujo to buy it no more than two weeks later. The story is good, though not the best. A pretty young girl gets wrapped up in a science fiction/fantasy scenario involving a lot of beautiful young men. But while a synopsis may come off as dull and repelling to some, as it was for me, the elements of the show grip themselves together and create a truly unforgettableexperience.

So we've now all read what I thought of the story when I read about the show online. It sounded weak and amateur. But the way the story is executed went far beyond my shallow expectations. "The curse" I read in every blurb plays a very small part in the anime, I believe, at least in the sense that it doesn't seem to be the driving force through most of the storyline. What the show took to heart and really projected was the interactions of our beloved heroine, Tohru Honda, and the people she meets along the way.

This brings me to the characters. These people may not be found in every corner of the Earth, but they are real enough to believe and connect with. The characters have carefully selected individualized emotions that they keep to themselves, and we viewers have to watch them be masterfully uncovered, in order to better appreciate the show ourselves. Even if the plot doesn't appeal to you, I would suggest you put your time towards Fruits Basket for the genius cast of characters created.

The sound and the music was designed flawlessly for the art. While I don't appreciate all of the images and sequences (particularly when facing a more dramatic moment), I do enjoy the upbeat and lively look and sound of the anime. The music will, I repeat will, get caught in your head, and makes the pictures in front of you into an even cuter scene than what was already, silently, there. I hate to compare for a review, but I will here anyway (may it be the only time I do!): the anime's sound and art better projects the "love life" feel of Fruits Basket than the manga is able to do. I would suggest putting the anime before the manga. Then go back for the completed story.

Even animes I hold in the highest regard often go untouched on my shelf after I've finished them, but as for Fruits Basket, each DVD is incredibly worn down. I have watched and rewatched and watched again and never once has my interest in the show deteriated. This is one of my most beloved animes, and I can't imagine it ever being someone's "waste of time." It's within my top five.

-shoujokiss7