Fruits Basket - Reviews

Story - 4

When I saw the concept was around a bunch of magical pretty boys who turn into animals when the heroine hugs them I dropped the show after 1 episode. Luckily I was forced to watch it through later and I found the pearls within.

Animation - 7

The trick is not in the quality of the animation but how one uses it. It has what you need for a shoujo anime: sparkle, lots of chibi animation, sweatdrops, twirly eyes, sketchy art for freeze frames, etc. And this show makes use of them in a varying way so that they lighten the mood but it doesn't go slapstick.

Sound - 6

Pretty average piano pieces for dramatic effects. I was horrified by the use of it at some points where it over emphasized the positive feeling of Tohru's point of view to the point it ruined a beautiful scene for me. For example the scene with Yuki's fan club president and Yuki was over dramatized. The only thing that saved this score above average is the excellent english opening theme, which is very rare for animes. The ending theme "Little prayer" is also not bad. I also adore the music that plays during "in the next episode".

Characters - 9

The innovative character blend is the reason I would watch this show again. The way they are brought out into the story is different for every character and they make you guesssing what zodiac animals theya re before it is revealed. You never know if there's gonna be a new character for the next episode or not (spoiler: there usually is). Some of the characters are a a little stereotypical and over the top like Ayame and Ritsu so that's why I'm not giving it a full score, but on the other hand their problems are realistic and they are solved in a realistic way so it does boost the score.

Overall - 8

The story got better as more and more characters were introduced while old ones were still making appearances. It got a bit weird having a house where about 10 semi-family members mostly just "happened" to step in but then again Japan is a different culture so I pardon my western viewpoint. The new characters also stall the maturing of Tohru's romance with Yuki and Kyo so there's always something to expect in the next episodes which makes you want to watch more.

Hey guys!

So... Fruits Basket was truly amazing to me! It taught me SOO much about life and how the people who are always smiling could actually be the ones who need a sincere hug!

(I haven't read the manga yet but I'm sure it's as awesome as the anime!)

Fruits Basket doesn't have an awful lot of action (besides when Yuki and Kyo are fighting each other... -.-'), but it has a whole TON of comedy! (It made me fall off my chair once while at was laughing at it! XD) It also has some romance blooming between characters, which is something I love because they aren't packing the love on too hard! And it has several touching moments in the arcs of other characters and the main story as well!

[I was moved to tears several times!... =')]

The animation of Fruits Basket got a 6 from me because, honestly, I thought the producers/designers of the anime could've done better... It's still awesome though! XD

The characters are all very.... hmm... different from what you would expect from other typical anime characters... They all have their own unique personalities from hot-headed to reserved to pure and innocent.

To me, the voice actors did an awesome job on all of the characters! ( Except maybe Yuki since his voice was a bit high, but I don't really mind! The dub was TERRIBLE though! His voice was WAAAAYYYY too low!!!!)

Anyways.... This was an awesome anime all-in-all and I DEFINITELY recommend it! You can seriously learn a few life-lessons from Tohru like I did! XP

=Wish you a happy watching! =3

Fruits Basket isn't a bad anime by any means, it just...leaves a lot to be desired; especially for those who have read the manga. Since it came out while the manga was still in production, a lot of story elements were changed. This was unavoidable, really, but ultimately hurt the story and impact in a big way. The manga leaves one in awe of the feelings it is able to bring forth, feelings of warmth and sadness and empathy, while the anime seems silly and vapid in comparison. If you don't know what more Fruits Basket has to offer, then you won't be dissappointed but even then it's average at best.

I had been putting Fruits Basket off for a while (not completely sure why), and I finally got around to it. I can definitely say that I enjoyed the off-beat humor, romantic tension and unique story driving the series. There was an extremely wide array of personalities portrayed throughout the series as well. Anywho, I shall get along with the actual review.

Story: 9/10

While much of the series, especially near the middle of the season, is mostly episodic, the individual episodes are well crafted, as is the story of the series as a whole. Almost all of the characters get a rather touching and apropriate backstory, even some of the more minor characters. The story as a whole does a good job of pulling the viewer in, waiting to meet the next family member and learn more about them (saying any more would likely be spoiling).

Animation: 7/10

As the series wears on, you can certainly see more, shall we call them, shortcuts being taken with the animation. Stick characters fights or racing, loops, etc. are the more obvious ones. However, even these are fairly well done with a strong comedic effect. The character designs seem to do a good job portraying the personality of the character as well.

Sound: 7/10

The voice actors in this series range from great to... annoying. Some big name seiyuues, such as the lead (Horie Yui) and another male lead of Yuki (Hisakawa Aya) and Kyo (Seki Tomakazu) do a great job. Unfortunately, Almost all of the non-leads, espiecially in the younger children in the series, tend to have annoying voices, even if they match the characters. More than one of the characters lack almost any emotion because of this. The OP and ED are decent, although not spectacular. The OST did a good job, but nothing great.

Characters: 9/10

This series does a great job developing a wide range of characters and giving them all very distinct personalities. Even some of the minor characters get some sympathy. The only short-coming, I think, is their attempt to develope the person who was the "villian" throughout the entire series in about half an episode. I still have no sympathy for him, despite his "terrible circumstances." Oh well.

This was my very first introduction into the world of Manga and Anime, and no matter what other anime's ive watched Fruits basket has and probably always will be one of my favorites. The main character Tohru Honda is the only character that i dislike somewhat. She seems too shy and her overall character annoys me, BUT the story revolves around that personality. The other characters like Kyo and Yuki are possibly the best part of the story, with their opposite personalities a girl can pick which guy she likes better without being stuck with just one main male character. Each Character has deeper parts to their personalities that are revealed to the viewer with each new episode and it really draws them in. The story line of the Fruits Basket Anime was excellent, despite nothing really wrapping up at the end. For the most part it just ends with everyone looking happy, stopping basically right in the middle of the story. There are some parts they could work on for the anime (like making a second season...hint hint) but it really is very good.