Review of Fruits Basket

Story: The plot overall is very unique. There are plenty of subplots and good mystery to be revealed gradually throughout the anime. I loved that it was multi-faceted and could be described as dramatic, romantic, or comedic. The romance wasn't annoyingly teasing like it usually is in most anime. It's not quite straightforward, either, but I believe that this anime was made to expose the benefits of friendship and whatnot. There is a romance factor, clearly, but it did not overwhelm the true plot. The ending was nicely climactic but it did leave a cliffhanger, which was sort of upsetting because where I live it isvery difficult to find the manga of certain anime to finish the actual story. If you do happen to know where the Fruits Basket manga is sold or even have copies of it ready, be prepared because although there is an alright ending to the show there are still loose ends that are tied up in the continuation of the manga. I haven't read the manga myself, however, so I suggest reading it from the beginning anyway since they sometimes vary from the anime's storyline.

Art:
I'm not generally picky about the artwork of anime. But I know good art when I see it. The art for Fruits Basket was absolutely terrific. I don't know, maybe I am exaggerating a bit. But I loved the realistic features of it and the zodiac animals were adorable. The expressions were well done and the bodies looked proportional. The chibi faces made for great humor as well.

Sound:
If I'm honest, the songs weren't too bad. But they were extremely repetitive and got kind of skeevy after a while. The solemn tunes creeped me out after about the tenth episode. They can be tolerated, but don't be surprised if you start humming them to yourself out of nowhere.

Character:
I loved the characters! They were all fantastically developed at an even pace. I feel that character development and growth is one of the hardest aspects in anime making, simply because it usually sucks. All the main characters started out as seemingly vague students with ordinary lives. Personalities stuck out nicely and I thought it was exceptional how even the side characters had 3-dimensional personalities. Of course, I do think that the producer of the anime kind of overdid Tohru's bottomless pit of kindness and selflessness. It was just surreal how much of a masochist/sadist she appeared to be. Also, in the English dubbed version, her voice irritated me often.

Enjoyment:
I definitely enjoyed watching this. I even rewatched it several times. I only wished they had finished out the actual story from the manga with more seasons instead of just cutting off at episode 26. I was disappointed by that, mainly because I'm too lazy to pick up a book, but other than that it was a satisfying ride.

Overall:
Art and character were my favorites regarding Fruits Basket. I would have liked to hear less taunting music and have a more "complete" feel to the ending. I highly recommend this anime for anyone looking for a laid back kind of watch.