Fruits Basket 1st Season - Reviews

If you have been looking for a wonderful casual anime to watch look no further. The story is enough to keep one entertained and sweet enough to allow one to simply relax. It has its ups and downs and you can enjoy the whole story as a result. 

The animation is georgeous. Extremely detailed and fun. It really pops! I would compare it to many of the best animated shows out there because it often comes close.

The music is calm and totally fitting to the show.

The characters are really where this show shines. Every character is treated in such an astoundingly human way with just a little over the top flair but not too much. It makes the show truly immersive. You can relate and get to know each of the characters in a deep way, their happiness, their saddness and why they act the way they do. They really are the best part of the show.

Pros: Fun story, great animation, fun sounds, amazing characters, totally clean and wholesome

Cons: If you are looking for something intense go try something else. This is only meant for those who truly enjoy relaxing and it is one of the best ways to relax.

This is a faithful to manga remake, and whether you've seen the orignal anime or read read the manga, or have no experience with the series at all, this is worth the watch. 

Characters are well built and you'll quickly find a favorite, though some definitely have some quirks about them. The series is really deep and full of secrets which only get hinted at within the first season. We're back for the long haul and this anime is going until the manga is covered in it's entirety. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Tohru, oh sweet Tohru, what are you doing acting like a psychatiarist in that house? You're a teenager and trying to solve that person's trauma and problems, stop, let him see a psychatiarist you can't...What? You talked to him and now his entire trauma healed? Well okay but just because it worked this tim...What? It worked again? and again?? Jeez Tohru stop wasting time in that house and open your own clinic, I can already see it. Hundreds lining up to see the great Dr. Tohru with her miraculous power to heal your trauma. Man we'll make BANK!

Okay, jokes aside, I watched the original Fruits Basket back in elementary school and I seem to remember enjoying it (somewhat?) so I decided to give this show a shot for the sake of nostalgia, but boy did it dissapoint. I still can't fathom all the praise this show receives and its position as one of the classics. And I am writing this to add perspective among a boatload of glowing reviews. This isn't meant as an attack to the show or anyone who enjoys it, just constructive criticism and an extra perspectve for anyone considering to watch this. So let's begin:

Story (8/10):

So we got our main heroine that lost her home and mother and decides to live in a tent that so happens to be on the land of the Sohmas, a family conveiniently full of cute boys with issues. We get our usual reverse-harem setup with our heroine having to live in the house of the most popular boy in class with his hot cousin and..creepy... uncle? (I really can't remember their relationship). But wait! there's more, we got an interesting supernatural element to blend in this otherwise bland shoujo/reverse-harem. Seriously though, storywise, I actually really liked the premise. I am a sucker for slice of life animes and if you add a supernatural element and some drama for tension then I am hooked. Sadly, despite its unique-ish premise, this anime really dissapointed me in other areas.

Animation (8/10):

Solid animations with crisp clarity and good character designs. No complaints here,

Sound (7/10):

Again, good voice acting and a nice soundtrack. I especially really liked the OP.

Characters (4/10):

We have just gotten to the worst offender. Most characters in this show are actually really likeable and nice. They all undergo some sort of development, well, everyone EXCEPT Tohru. And that, perhaps is the biggest reason why I disliked this show. I LITERALLY ended up loving EVERY SINGLE character aside from her. If that's not a bad sign I don't know what is.

You see Tohru is not a bad person, actually she's kind. TOO KIND if you ask me but whatever. She's so ridiclously dumb and wise at the same time, but hey she's cute so that's okay right? Oh she's also extremely shy and never stands up for herself, well ain't that a great example to set for future generations. GIRLS! forget standing up for yourself and shaping your life, just have your mom killed, your extended relatives kick you out and then settle to live in a tent in the yard of the most popular boy in your school. I am sure that'd work out amazingly.

Okay, maybe I am being overly cynical but I am so sick of all these weak heroines in shoujos. Tohru embodies most things I hate in a female heroine: clumsy, dense, and RIDICULOUSLY SUBMISSIVE. But that all would have been fine with me if she undergone at least SOME DEVELOPMENT, but nope, we're up to episode 20 and she's still as kind and submssive as a rug, well probably kinder since a rug can static shock you but Tohru could never! She'll just smile in a corner and spout some words of wisdom that will heal anyone's soul. If her supposed wisdom was a supernatural element in the story and is something like she's a reincarnation of a kind maiden or some crap like that then I'd at least enjoy her character at least a little. but Nope, we're supposed to believe that a teenager's kind words are enough to heal the trauma of any person she meets. Man I wish real teenagers were like that but they're all too busy tiktoking and calling me old even though I am only a couple of years older. Well healing traumas and causing traumas is only a difference of one word am I right? No? I should get help? Haha you're funny.

Don't even get me started on her presence and characterization. Her entire character can be summed up as "cute girl that lives in a house full of cute boys and has the miracoulous power to heal people's traumas". Everything else about her is as flat as the planet is to flatearthers. She has NO MOTIVATION to be so kind, 20 episodes in and we NEVER LEARN why she's even helping the Sohmas. I was patiently waiting even CRAVING some semblance of a motivation on Tohru's part. Maybe a flashback where her mom told her to never cry or show weakness, or Tohru herself resolving to help the Sohmas since she went through hell and doesn't want anyone else to suffer what she did. Or even having her fall for Yuki or Kyo and deciding to help their family because of that. But nope! She still acts as the Sohma's designated shrink for absolutely no reason other than maybe the fact they provided her with housing (even though I think her doing housework is more than enough if you ask me) at which point she might as well be replaced with any generic nice clumsy female character and the story wouldn't change that much. Seriously? what was the point of her mother dying? That seemed to barely affect her characterization. Well maybe it would have come into play after 20 episodes but I am not sticking around to find out.

Overall (6.6): 

In the end, this isn't a horrible show by any means. I've definitely seen way worse, but I found it extremely overrated. If you're a fan of traditional shoujos and like some nice eye-candy boys I would recommend at least giving it a shot. It seems that a lot of people like it so there's at least some merit in this show. If you're however a veteran shoujo watcher looking for something unique or a disliker of traditional shoujo female characterization, I would recommend steering away from this one.

It really reminded me of those 80s soap operas that my mother used to watch, like The Bold and the Beautiful or Santa Barbara. I guess the Kardashians would be a modern version of those shows. A lot of eccentric characters, doing eccentric things and overdramatizing literally every interaction. 

Nobody likes each other, everybody is trying to keep secrets and they're all trying to rely on the main character for support. Basically, most of the cast members are negative people who really enjoy negative things and you have 1 girl who is too good for all of them and she's already stumbling through life herself but everybody wants her attention.

It brings back so much nostalgia from when I read the manga, and I love all the characters so much. I really like the change in art style too!