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4
| 13. Marshal
of Manga 
Fruits Basket is about different people (the fruits)
living together (in the basket) and finding a way of peacefully coexisting. The
Sohma family is rich and as diversified as the many residencies they own. They
bear a curse that affects random family members at birth, and the unfortunate
few who contract this turn into animals of the Chinese zodiac when hugged by a
member of the opposite sex. Besides leading to many
opportunities for outstanding hilarity, the curse has many unfortunate ramifications…
How painful is it for the mother who cannot hold her child in its full humanness?
Can a marriage be successful between a cursed one and a normal human? Hugging
is a very frank way to show you love and care for someone, so how does it feel
not to be able to hug back, to turn into a 'freak' whenever you are caressed?
And most of all, how would your peers react to you because you are 'different'?
It's a bit like the hedgehog's dilemma where the closer you approach it, the more
it'll hurt you, and a good few characters in this series have to grapple with
that, and find indifference easier than acceptance. What
I love about this series is the seriousness that emanates through it, under the
angelic sweetness of Honda-san. Not particularly well-off and having lost the
person most important to her, she finds she has and always will have, herself,
and her choice to act however she wants to. She utilizes her mother's memory and
teachings to live happily, fully, and elevate others from their unhappy recesses,
unlocking their hearts to see the beauty that is embedded on their backs (a metaphor
standing for your inability to see your own beauty because you cannot see your
own back, whereas others can). An interesting question
raised by Fruits Basket is whether there will always be opposing forces
(like the Ying and Yang) that attract or repel each other, such as the cat and
mouse. Initially, one annoying thing is the 'cuteness'
meter of Fruits Basket. Everywhere you go, there's always someone or something
cute, and the lead character possesses cuteness on such a level as to be almost
superficial. It seems as if all the beautiful messages carried within the anime
needs a good look, a good image, an appealing cuteness, in order to be authentic
and worthy of full acceptance. However, as I watched more and more, I felt that
it was just a way of requesting us to give it a chance and look deeper, seeing
more than mere ordinariness. Much like humans dress well, put on perfume, and
wear make-up to attract others to them and give them a chance of presenting their
inner beauty, Fruits Basket does the same on a subliminal level. Whether
the creators intended for this I do not know, but it works for me. The
crowning achievement of Fruits Basket is the way it explores love. There's
the lustful love where you're attracted to someone for looks and image alone,
there's the unquestioning love of parenthood where you are accepted and loved
for who you are, there's the love between man and woman for accepting and sharing
each other's faults and strengths, and most importantly, it reminds us that love
between people can simply mean being kind to each other and providing mutual support
all the way. The ending complements the series very
well, for Fruits Basket is not so much a plot that calls for a beginning,
middle, and end, but a looking-glass to see the processes of an ever-continuous
cycle, that of discovery in oneself and others. The
animation style is free and spirited, while the music is truly indicative of how
good this anime is. Verdict: The sweetness of this
anime can either inject glucose into your dreams, or make you sleepless due to
the horrible toothache. Watch the first few episodes of this when you're in a
good mood so you are prepared to open up to this and discover the treasures. At
the end of the journey, I hope you will find a wonderful feeling… love and
life. |
| 12. Tempy
After her mother's death, Tohru Honda finds herself living
in a tent on the Sohma land. After a landslide destroys her tent, Shigure en Yuki
Sohma let her stay at their home. Unfortunately she discovers the Sohma curse
- they can transform into animals of the Chinese zodiac!
Fruits
Basket is an engaging, entertaining and bittersweet anime. The Sohma curse
has caused many a tragedy and suffering, but Tohru, who's a kind girl, slightly
oblivious, but always positive and filled with infinite empathy, manages to soften the Sohmas and bind them together.
There are many characters which pop up, all of them quite diverse and quite charming.
Director Akitaroh Daichi (Jubei-chan, Animation Runner Kuromi,
Kodocha) creates yet another solid comedy with lots of hilarious moments,
but also moments of gentility, sadness, and tragedy. I just love it when an anime
manages to combine comedy and drama successfully, and Fruits Basket does
this brilliantly, providing comedic and emotional payoff almost regularly. A very
satisfying show indeed! Also of note is the effective music by Seji Muto
and Jun Abe, and the beautiful opening and ending themes by Ritsuko
Okazaki, a favorite of mine.
If there is anything
unsatisfying about Fruits Basket is that the story isn't finished - the
manga is still ongoing and not all of the Zodiac animals have been revealed. Here's
hoping for a second season soon. |
| 11. Iodine
 
A very warm, very sweet girls' series that isn't exactly a
romantic comedy, but covers smilar thematic ground. When wide-eyed schoolgirl
Tohru winds up living with the strange, mostly-male Sohma family, she discovers
they suffer from a mysterious family curse that is the root of their numerous
troubles. She also finds herself caught between cousins Yuki and Kyo, whose eternal
rivalry has now extended to fighting over her affections. Though it has its darker
dramatic moments, the series is very light and easygoing, making good use of its
gentle humor and supernatural premise. The cast of characters have personalities
that are a little too convenient, though, and getting past their superficially
generic fronts can take some patience. Our heroine is particularly iffy in construction,
selfless to the point where she seems to lack any sense of self-preservation,
and all the Sohma pretty boys are emotional basket-cases. The
show's style is definitely aiming for cuteness, with its gauzy pastel colors and
owl-eyed character designs. Animation is decent, and the music sets a very comfortable
mood. There is, however, a bit of a sweetness overload at times, that often distracts
from the plot's subtler dynamics. Still, the writing is as sound as it is fluffy,
and the more frivolous aspects are all eventually forgivable. The show's format
is fairly episodic, with loose story arcs that let the characters do a good amount
of growing up between dramatic crises, and very few of the usual contrived romantic
complications are there to get in their way. Since the source manga is still going
strong, the ending isn't so much a conclusion as a good place to stop. The anime
certainly could have gone on quite a lot longer. |
| 10. Tyrenol
When I first heard about it, I thought the show was some demon
spawn which grew off of the Child's Toy series. However, just like the
show's female lead Touru Honda, it tries to be sweet and endearing. It strives
to please everybody despite being surrounded by chaos and curses from all directions. You
rarely meet a character who can make friends with a delinquent AND an "ominous
storm." Let alone some chap who would be quick to yell at you. (I'm talking
about Kyo, the Souma who turns into a cat when you guy him.) Despite half the
show being done in CG; it's comedic and heart-tugging without being as mean-spirited
demanding like Child's Toy. |
| 7. Eso
Touru Honda lost her mother is a car accident on May. In order
to not burden her grandfather, she lived in a tent. One day, she heads off to
school when she runs across the residence of the Soumas. Little does she know
that the Soumas have a little secret; whenever they are huggled by someone of
the opposite sex, they are transformed into one of the Juunishi, the Chinese zodiac
of 12 animals. What really makes this series stand
out is the life lessons presented in almost every episode. I found these particularly
interesting. There is a plot, however it is not too significant, nor is it introduced
much during the episodes. Instead, the series is character-driven. Each member
of the Juunishi have their own individual problems, and it's Touru to the rescue!
Touru is incredibly nice and understanding, drawing her advice and consolations
from advice given to her by her mother. With kind words in her arsenal, she helps
the Juunishi, even though Akito, the head honcho, has major problems and trys
to divert her away from the Juunishi. The animation is done nicely. The eyes are
quite large from what I'm normally used to, but then again, this adds to the kawaii-ness
of this series. There are plenty of bishounens in this one, and frankly, this
is the first time I've seen an anime with this many bishounens. Touru's character
is ideal, but sometimes I wonder if there's someone like that in real life. Not
too much romance nor action in this, but there's plenty of laughs. The opening
and ending themes are slow in pace, but leave a feeling of serenity in me after
listening. Overall, this anime is average, with no real tangible plot to grasp,
and no real conclusion. Yea, the ending left some loose ends untied. I want to
know more. Pick this up if you're in search for some chicken soup for the soul. |
| 5. Cross
Scars
Among the masses of modern anime that are referred to as 'style
over substance' Fruits Basket stands out as a gem of a series proving that
anime directors still can produce series that are truly memorable. Fruits
Basket is an entirely character driven series. For almost the entire series
there is no plot development between episodes and the plot that does arise in
the last few episodes is directly focused upon the characters. Any series like
this lives or dies by it's cast and Fruits Basket has a great set of characters.
The cast is a varied in their character as the animals in the Juunichi and none
of them appear like a stereotypical stock anime character. That this is such a
character driven series means that a lot of time is spent focused on the characters
and their feelings. This really brings them to life and makes them understandable.
Most of the characters maybe under the curse of the Juunichi but even the problems
this throws up are related to their human emotions and it's impossible not to
feel for them. So there may be no real plot but instead
it's the characters that we watch develop over the course of the series and that
is what's so good to see. Even those characters who aren't main ones are still
given plenty of time to develop and relate the problems they've encountered linked
to their curse or other circumstances. This may give the impression this is a
serious series and to a degree it is but there is also plenty of humor put into
it to make sure it never comes across as melodramatic, merely very touching. There
is a mass of tender moments in this series and all are backed up a fine, gentle,
soundtrack, which is never imposing, but one that still has the desired effect. Fruits
Basket is an excellent series in every sense. A great cast, supported by notably
excellent seiyuu, drive this series and help to make it one of the most touching
and heartwarming series I've ever seen. It's a real pity that more series like
this aren't made now days. |
| 
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(4.5)