Fruits Basket: An Overview

Fruits Basket (Furuutsu Basuketto) is one of those popular character-driven anime series that manages to skillfully combine comedy and drama to drive its point. Ostensibly geared towards young females, it has nevertheless managed to consistently snag favorable notice from anime critics and its intended market, and more besides.

The series starts on a funny-bittersweet note. You just can’t help but instantly empathize with Tohru Honda, a recently orphaned 16-year-old high school girl who, until lately, has been living with her grandfather in his house, which was currently being remodeled. Unwilling to impose on her relations and friends, she sets up camp (unwittingly) in the wooded vicinity of Shigure Sohmas’ house. After a series of interesting events, she eventually becomes part of Shigure Sohma’s (author of steamy romances) household, consisting of Yuki Sohma and Kyou Sohma, who go to the same school as Tohru. In exchange for room and board, she agrees to work as a housekeeper for the colorful trio.

It isn’t long afterwards that she stumbles upon the family’s well-kept secret (and what a funny scene that was — you ought to see it to appreciate the humor), and — in the process of interacting with the charismatic, fascinating members of this extraordinary family — manages to teach everyone that there is more to strength than stoical toughness.

However, the road is not smooth for the slightly ditsy protagonist. In the course of the 26-episode story, Tohru learns to cope with jealous schoolmates (Yuki’s rabid fan club) and judgmental relatives, and to survive the mind-boggling and hilarious reactions of various ‘cursed’ Sohma clan members. Her major stumbling block is Akito Sohma, the frail, but bitter and manipulative leader of the Sohma clan.

Fortunately for Tohru Honda (for all her quiet resilience and unquenched optimism), she has two protective and devoted school friends: Saki Hanajima (a psychic of sorts) and Arisa Uotani (an ex-gang member), who are both a study in mental toughness themselves. She also forms an unlikely but strong bond with Yuki and Kyou, who in their own touchingly awkward fashion, try to help and shield Tohru from the worst of Akito’s vengeful machinations.

This is one series where the characters are sharply defined. Despite the huge cast, it’s easy to single out and identify a character, mostly due to the concept of Jikkan-Juniishi (based on the Chinese zodiac, which comprises 12 animals that each ‘cursed’ Sohma clan member correspondingly personifies), and the way the show’s creators deftly handled the story. The fact that the show is based on a hugely popular manga series (still ongoing, I think) in Japan also works hugely in its favor.

Other factors that contribute to its appeal is the art and the music it employs to complement (but never gratingly overwhelms) the scenes being portrayed. The opening and closing songs are also appropriate.