A Girl and a House Full of Craziness
- Episodes : 13+ (ongoing)
- Genre : Romance, Slice of Life, Comedy, Drama, Shoujo, Fantasy
- Airing Date : April 6, 2019 - Ongoing
- Producers : TMS Entertainment
Contains Spoilers
Fruits Basket 1st Cours Introduction
Yes, there was a Fruits Basket anime that aired back in 2001 but ended prematurely due to the fact the manga had yet to end (it wouldn’t end until 2003). Finally, after 18 years, Fruits Basket has finally come back on the air! It’s not a continuation of the original 2001 series but a complete reboot that is intended to tell the full story. Just like its predecessor and its original source material, it is about how Tooru Honda, a down on her luck but optimistic 16-year-old orphan is trying to live on her own in a tent, but ends up living with Yuki Souma, the most popular boy at his school. However, Yuki has a tendency to be very sensitive to hugs and rejects the confessions of his admirers.
Tooru learns this the hard way when she restrains Kyo, Yuki’s rival and cousin, which turns him into a cat. As it turns out, if selected members of the Souma family are embraced by the opposite sex (who are not of Souma bloodlines) or are in weak condition, they turn into a creature representing the Chinese zodiac. In the case of Yuki, he turns into the rat. Seeing that Tooru is trustworthy, the Souma family decides to let her stay with them as she learns more about their ups and downs and keep everything together despite things falling apart.
1. It is Under the Supervision of Natsuki Takaya
The best news to come from this anime is that it is under the supervision of the original author, Natsuki Takaya. Thanks to that, we can get not just the full story, but the story as she originally intended it, or make the necessary changes to suit modern day conditions and audiences. Just like how Araki’s supervision of JoJo has helped make its anime version a hit, Takaya’s help does exactly that for Fruits Basket. For example, Momiji in this new version is true to the original source material in that his mother is German and tends to use German phrases to be cute. In the 2001 version, his German heritage is not even acknowledged.
2. It Balances the Humor and the Dark Qualities
If there is one thing this version does better than its 2001 predecessor, it knows how to strike the right balance between its humor, and its “hit the feels” darker qualities. In the original version, the humor felt too much in your face and so did its emotional moments. This anime does a great job of not expressing these two extremes in an over the top manner. The 2019 version is enough to make you laugh, and it knows how to organically transition to make you want to cry.
3. Great Animation and Design
The character designs are retrofitted in a way to represent the modern style of Shoujo, and yet is still faithful to the original source material. Shoujo should be rounder and softer, and this edition does exactly that. Nothing is too sharp or rectangular (like in the 2001 series), and they don’t exaggerate the expressions way too much. The color palette is very soft and appropriately feminine.
1. Domestic Violence/Toxic Relationships
You will (probably) laugh a lot when watching this anime, and there are times that you may cry. Putting aside its hilarity, Fruits Basket dives into some serious topics, most emphatically with abusive relationships and coming from a dysfunctional family. If such themes (or even when it’s implied) disturb you, then we recommend you avoid watching this series since this topic is explored to some very disturbing extremes.
Final Thoughts
This is only just the beginning so far and the best news is, you don’t have to watch the original anime in order to view this one! While there are some notable changes (which is a different topic for a different article), they tell the same story with the same themes, but in this case, the remake is much better! The designs are perfect for fans of all generations, the music appropriately fits the atmosphere, and the voice acting is superb. If you want the ultimate slice of life anime, the 2019 Fruits Basket is it. If you want an anime that will make you laugh and cry, then watch this series now!
Author: Justin "ParaParaJMo" Moriarty
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