Review of Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket is an anime that sets a mood at the start and follows that mood til the end. Story - 7 Definately dialogue driven rather then plot driven, Fruits Basket doesn't start you in one place and end in another, it simply delivers a message. With a mildly unrealistic female main character, helping a slew of male characters to overcome problems based on social interaction, the material seems almost redundant by the time you finish the show. True the message delivered is quite potent and subtly monumental, but the presentation and delivery of it would have been much better if it were more raw (less overworked).Don't look for action here, nor knee-slapping comedy, but expect to be slightly heart-warmed. I wouldn't recommend watching it all in one sitting as the pace can be slow, spacing it out will make it a much more enjoyable watch.

Art - 7

Certainly not the shows strong point, every character having the same sharp pointy nose, the same big eyes and the same shaped face. Eye color, and hair are the only defining features really, with no heavy people, no exceptionally short or tall people (save adults versus children), and little if any varied skin color. The environments were well done with great forest shots. A very pastel springlike feel to most of the artwork.

Sound - 8

The sounds of Fruits Basket have a pleasant feel to them, not very loud, or distracting, harmoniously catching your emotions and delivering them to wherever the show intends for you to be. The sounds work perfectly in performing their function, but on their own I think they would merely be acceptable, not being strong enough to be a focus.

Character - 7

Pretty standard character forms but most of them do well. The main character is unrealistically upbeat, and Yuki (her classmate) is a little weak in development only performing a story role, but the rest of the characters are pretty solid. I especially liked the trio of Yuki fans, and their interactions with Tohru's friend Hanajima. Mitsuru and her strange family are pretty unique as well.

Enjoyment - 7

I didn't feel like there was enough material to Fruits Basket, it felt a little too fluffy like cotton candy but not as sweet. There was the same feel to almost every episode, with little or no change of pace, and several redundancies. Overall it had a pleasant and fuzzy atmosphere with a few dark moments to add some flavor. A good watch for anyone who wants to see something with a strong heartwarming feel to it. Otherwise it might be kind of slow.

Overall - 7