Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

Happy New Year! :)

Let's start the year off with a related and very popular manga series, 'Fruits Basket'. 'Fruits Basket is a manga series by Natsuki Takaya. It's one of the best selling shoujo manga series in the United States and Japan, even earning itself a very popular anime series with 26 episodes.

'Fruits Basket is the story of orphaned and destitute Tohru Honda, who before meeting Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Sohma, lived in a small tent in the forest. The Sohma boys take Tohru into their care after her tent home is destroyed in a mud-slide. Tohru knows Yuki as a quiet and popular boy from her school, but as she comes to know the Sohma family, she learns they are cursed. Thirteen members from the Sohma family represent an animal of the Chinese zodiac, and are cursed to turn into their animal forms when hugged by someone of the opposite gender. Yuki and Kyo are the rat and cat zodiac animals, who naturally loathe each other because in the traditional folk tale, the rat caused the cat to be removed from the zodiac. After finding out about the Sohma's curse, Tohru must promise to keep their secret or have her memory removed. Tohru's optimism teaches the Sohma family many lessons as she meets each member of the zodiac, who have all dealt with family, love, and emotional problems caused by the curse. Tohru also develops a strong bond with Kyo and Yuki, who both seem to love her. As the story continues, Tohru learns that the Sohma curse is darker than she thought, but sets out to break the Sohma curse and help each member of the zodiac in any way she can.

'Fruits Basket' is a long series with 23 volumes, which is shortened and rearranged in the anime. The anime series changes almost all events regarding Kyo's "second form", which is the darker part of the Sohma curse. The anime also ended with an ambiguous ending, which didn't touch the true ending in the manga series, where Yuki and Kyo express the manner of their love for Tohru.

Overall, 'Fruits Basket' is a cute series with a lot of small stories and events intertwined in it. I was never able to get through the whole manga series, because I felt the pace was just too slow. The anime left too many details regarding Yuki and Kyo's feelings for Tohru, but was entertaining. Plus, I really loved the theme song, which helps a lot when watching a series! :D The anime makes Tohru seem like she could be a therapist! She is just so good at recognizing all of the Sohma family problems (plus, the adorable theme music intercepts and it's nearly impossible not to smile or feel like crying!).

The manga and anime both have perks, but are both fairly slow-paced. Popular or not, I've also never liked Natsuki Takaya's art very much. The characters are lovely, but have bizarre proportions when it comes to their unusually short legs! XP Takaya succeeds in creating a kid-friendly shoujo manga though, which provides a key reason to the manga's popularity. If you like cutesy shoujo manga series with romance, gender bender, school themes, and animals, 'Fruits Basket' is a must see/read! :)

~Pseudonymous Jayne