What happens in the life of the unfathomable Sohma Family? Will they finally manage to break through from their inborn curse?
Find out more about the thirteen members of the arcane Sohma Family who have been possessed by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac and how one girl changes their fate forever.
“To Truly Love Someone, Is To Always Put Their Feelings Before Your Own… No Matter What.”
Fruits Basket Anime is basically about a 16 years old girl befriending the thirteen members of the Sohma Family who have been cursed by the Spirits of the Chinese Zodiac.
After the departure of Tohru Honda’s mother, she becomes an orphan and lives with her grandfather for four months but later on, she moves out of the house since the house needs renovation.
Though her close friends offer her a home to abide by, she declines as she refuses to be a burden to them. To this, she set up a small tent in the forest where she has been found by her classmate Yuki Sohma and his older brother Shigure Sohma. They offer her a place to stay and takes her to their house where both of them persist in her staying.
Initially, she hesitates to live with the Sohma family and returns to her tent. Adding to her misfortune, her tent gets destroyed by the landslides so nowhere to go she eventually heads back to live with the Sohma Family. Afterward, she meets Kyo Sohma and befriended despite his raging personality.
She is in bewilderment when she finds out that the people she lives with have been possessed by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. The Sohma Family’s kismet slowly began to change after Tohru permeates into their lives.
How many Seasons are there in Fruits Basket Anime?
Fruits Basket (2001) is an anime adaptation series, it has been adapted from the original manga series both written and illustrated by the highly renowned Natsuki Takaya producing 136 untitled chapters compiling 23 Volumes. Fruits Basket has one Season consisting of 26 episodes that are adapted from the original manga series airing from 5th July 2001-27th December 2001.
The 2001 series ends on a blissful morning with Tohru carrying home the Cat zodiac possessor Kyo after he goes on a rampage the previous night.
On top of this, the fandom is blessed with a spin-off story Fruits Basket: The Three Musketeers Arc focusing on the “The Mabudachi Trio” Ayame, Hatori and Shigure Sohma of the original Fruits Basket manga.
After decades, Fruits Basket upturns with a better quality anime adaptation directed by Yoshihide Ibata, which premieres in Spring 2019. The first season has aired from April to September 2019 and the second season from April to September 2020. The third and final season is airing from April to June 2021.
Great news for Fruits Basket fans, there is an announcement of a new anime series starring Tohru’s parents Kyoko and Katsuya. The new series Kyoko to Katsuya no Monogatari is set to premiere in 2022.
How many episodes are there in Fruits Basket?
Fruits Basket(2001) has 26 episodes that hinge on the first 8 Volumes of the original manga series. The anime adaptation premieres on TV in Tokyo in 2001. It also comes in DVD of 9 volumes by King Records from 29th September 2001 through 22nd May 2002 scheming monthly.
Meanwhile, Fruits Basket(2019) has 25 episodes in the first season adapting the first 5 Volumes and parts of Volume 6 and 7, again 25 episodes in the second season adapting the remainings of Volume 6 and 7 to the beginning of Volume 17.
Lastly, 13 episodes in the third and final season Fruits Basket: The Final adapting the rest of the remaining Volumes.
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Meet the Main Characters of Fruits Basket
The most engrossing fact of Fruits Basket is that it has multiple main characters each playing a crucial role.
1. Honda Tohru
The female main protagonist and best girl of the series Honda Tohru is the epitome of perfection. Tohru is an altruistic, loving, and warmhearted person. She is kind towards everybody and is also a great cook.
Tohru is a high schooler with average grades and works part-time jobs after school. She has an average height with long hair and a cute face. Her father passed away leaving Tohru and her mother Kyoko behind at age three.
Later on, her mother also died in a car accident leaving Tohru to be an orphan. She lives with the Sohma Family after moving out of her grandfather’s house and her tent. Tohru made friends with the Sohma Family members and helps in breaking the curse that possesses the Sohma Family.
Tohru falls in love with Kyo and marries him later in the future. According to the writer, Tohru doesn’t fit in anywhere, she is portrayed as a rice ball in a basket full of fruits but after her encounter with the Sohma Family she feels accepted and her life begins to change for the better.
2. Kyo Sohma
Kyo Sohma, cursed by the spirit of the Cat zodiac is the main character of the series. He falls in love with Tohru and confesses his love to her in the final season. In virtue of the old Chinese Zodiac folktale, he holds grudge against Yuki and throws tantrums whenever he is around him.
He can transform into an orange cat whenever he is hugged by the opposite gender or when he is under distress but his true form is a hideous monster emitting a foul odor, his semblance reveals when his bracelet comes off.
Matching with his appearance, he is aggressive, hotheaded, and rather awkward towards people. His mother commits suicide and his father puts all the blame on Kyo without realizing his responsibility for her death. After having nowhere to go Kazumi takes care of him and treats him like his own son. Kyo’s acceptance of himself as the cat zodiac breaks the zodiac curse and emancipates all the Sohmas.
3. Yuki Sohma
Yuki Sohma, cursed by the spirit of the Rat is the tritagonist of Fruits Basket. He is admired for his feminine looks and his engaging persona. Yuki is known as “Prince Charming” by his classmates and even has a Prince Yuki Fan Club. He becomes the class President getting over his fears.
Though windless and unflustered as he looks, he is severely traumatized by his past. He loves Tohru like his own mother and helps her whenever she’s in trouble. In the final episodes, he falls in love with Machi and gets married to her.
Need Fruit Basket Watch Order guide?
Since Fruits Basket (2001) has only 26 episodes and is considered complete before the manga finishes, I strongly recommend watching the reboot of the classic 2001 instead.
1. Fruits Basket (2001) (this series is not mandatory to watch you can start with the reboot version)
2. Fruits Basket Season 1 (2019)
3. Fruits Basket Season 2 (2020)
4. Fruits Basket Season 3 (2021)
You can watch the whole series on Netflix, Funimation, and Crunchyroll.
Top Anime Like Fruit Basket
If you enjoy watching rom-com, Slice of Life, and Supernatural fiction like Fruits Basket you will savor watching these Anime:
- Kamisama Kiss
- Your Lie in April
- Kimi no Na Wa
- Kokoro Connect
- Hotarubi no Mori e
- InuYasha
- Monogatari
- Noragami
- Snow White with the Red Hair
- Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
Final Words
The enthralling animation keeps us on the edges of our seats the whole series, getting a grip on every scene. Both Fruits Basket(2001) and its reboot are binge-worthy but out of pure honesty Fruits Basket (2019-2021) is downright the favorable choice than the former.
It’s the 5th highest-rated Anime in MAL and finally gets the love and attention it deserves. Anyway, it is as clear as day that the anime adaptation can pose for everyone’s favorite anime.
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Awesome
Niceeee💖💖💖 will watch it later
This article is very well written and easy to understand. Even as someone who doesn’t normally watch anime, I am very intrigued by it now. Kudos to the writer. Very good job.