I’m a big fan of the romance anime genre. I have watched so many different series that fall under this category, and I’m always eager to discover something new, but there is one series I admittedly have a soft spot for and have continued to revisit time and time again. Among these stories,Fruits Basketstands out to me as uniqueand even after watching so many other romance animes, I’ve yet to find something that quite replicates its magic.
Fruits Basketis indeed romantic and heartwarming, containingone of the cutest anime couples ever, Kyo and Tohru. Their story is beautiful, meaningful, and relatable, and it showcases two broken, grieving people learning to love themselves and each other in spite of the difficulties life throws their way.
I truly can’t get enough of the adorable interactions betweenTohru and Kyo and the other couplesinFruits Basket,from Hatsuharu and Rin to Yuki and Machi, are nearly as touching to watch. However, though it may seem shocking, the series' romance is not the primary reason I loveFruits Basketso much.
Fruits BasketExplores Other Types of Relationships Beyond Romantic Ones
The Series Proves That All Bonds Are Important, Not Just Those Between Couples Like Tohru and Kyo
Fruits Basketportrays romantic relationships very well, encompassing all the emotions and experiences that come with falling in love by exploring multiple different love stories. But, one of the factors that makes me enjoy the series is howequal time and attention is given to platonic and familial bondstoo.Fruits Basketdoes not prioritize one type of relationship over any other, and explores the various ways humans can connect. Some romance anime fall into the trap of only treating romantic relationships as important, allowing the main characters' other friends and family to fall through the cracks and quickly become forgotten.
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Fruits Basket is not just an entertaining and romantic shojo manga series, it is also packed with profound insights into life, friendship, and love.
I was pleasantly surprised by how the relationships within the Sohma family, Tohru’s relationship with her mother, Tohru’s relationship with best friends Saki and Arisa, and Kyo and Yuki’s relationship were all fleshed out and played major roles in the story. These bonds are all framed asjust as crucial to the overall story as the main couple, Kyo and Tohru. By offering such a well-rounded view, I foundFruits Basketto be more relatable and heartwarming on so many levels, since it covered all types of bonds, a lot of which reminded me of relationships in my own life.
Familial and Platonic Relationships Are Just as Important to the Plot as Romantic
Fruits BasketExplores Relationships Within the Sohma Family and How the Zodiac Curse Impacts Everyone
One of the story’s plot points involvesthe Sohma family breakingthe Zodiac Cursethat causes each of themto turn into an animal after hugging a personof the opposite gender. The curse negatively affected their lives in every way imaginable, and strained relationships within the family. For example, members of the Sohma family resented Akito, the family head, because of her controlling, abusive behavior. Eventually, Tohru and the others confronted her, and she began to show remorse for her harmful actions, but this is just one example ofFruits Basketunpacking interpersonal issues that are not romance related.
Kyo and Yuki hated one another, bitterly fighting at every turn. As the story progressed, they learned to love one another and make amends, putting aside past grudges and accepting one another genuinely. The series is definitely not all sad though, and there are plenty of happy family moments depicting the Sohmas enjoying a relaxing beach day or just spending time at home in each other’s joyful company. Through these varied side plots filled with a multitude of emotions,Fruits Basketreveals the value of familial relationships, no matter how emotionally fraught and hard they may be at times.
By Exploring Human Connection in All Its Forms, the Series Is Made More Relatable
Genuine Friendships Also Feature Significantly in the Story, Reminding Me of My Own Important Friendships
Fruits Basketis a story about families working through their conflicts and past wounds, just as much as it is a love story between Kyo and Tohru. The anime also delves into Tohru’s family relationships, showing her strong bond with her grandfather who she lived with for a short time, as well as her deep grief following the loss of her mother. Flashbacks give viewers a clear picture of just how tight-knit Kyoko and her daughter’s relationship was, and the series unpacks how greatly a life-altering loss like this affected a teenager like Tohru, who continued to miss her mother dearly.
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Years later, Fruits Basket still remains one of shojo’s greatest hits of all time, with relatable characters, a gripping plot, and adorable animation.
Finally,the importance of genuine,supportive friendship is a key themeinFruits Basket.Arisa and Saki, Tohru’s best friends, are ride-or-die friends who supported Tohru through her mother’s death and her attempts to get rid of the Sohma family curse. Tohru also became best friends with everyone in the Sohma family, from Momiji to Ayame. She did not just pursue a relationship with Kyo and ignore the other Sohmas, she formed a genuine relationship with each family member. Tohru’s dedication to getting to know the people around her keeps the series more interesting by portraying many different connections other than only romantic.
The Other Relationships inFruits BasketHelped Me Appreciate the Romance Even More
Exploring the Other Relationships in Their Lives Made Tohru and Kyo Feel Like Compelling, Realistic Characters
I was pleasantly surprised by the accurate picture of lifeFruits Basketpainted by delving into the complexities of human relationships and the different forms they can take. From tenuous family dynamics to love triangles, the series covers it all and gives fans of all walks of life storylines that they can personally connect with. The relationship betweenKyoandTohruis one of the highlights of the story, but sinceFruits Basketdid such a marvelous job displaying the other relationships in their lives, Iappreciated their romance and understood them as people even betterthan I might have otherwise.
Fruits Basket
Cast
Fruits Basket (2019) is an anime adaptation following Tohru Honda, a high school girl who ends up living with the mysterious Sohma family. She discovers that twelve members of the Sohma clan are cursed to transform into animals of the Chinese zodiac when embraced by the opposite sex. The series delves into the lives and challenges faced by the cursed members while exploring themes of acceptance, friendship, and personal growth.
