Despite being a bit late to watch the original Fruits Basket,around 2010 if I remember right, it was a really good and fun show. I was unsure of what to think when I heard Fruits Basket was getting a reboot, following more closely to the Manga, but at the same time I was looking forward to it.
Fruits Basket is focused on Tohru Honda and her interactions with the Soma family. Stumbling across the home of two of them, they quickly discover she has been living in a tent to save on money and offer to let her live with them until renovations on her grandfather's house are finished. She quickly learns the members of the Soma family are cursed with transforming into the animals of the Zodiac when hugged by someone of the opposite sex.
The main focus is on her relationship with Yuki and Kyo, the Rat and Cat respectively, and the hatred to two have with one another.Stemming from the old story with how the Rat tricked the Cat, which caused the Cat to be left out of the Zodiac. However, there is something constantly brewing in the background involving some fairly twisted actions were taken by the head of the Soma Family, Akito, and some kind of devious plans from Shigure, the one who owns the home they all live in.
This is where the show really does start to shine, the relationships between all the characters. Everyone has a distinct and well-conceived personality (Which a couple of exceptions I'll get to),but at the same time, all interact differently with others. Yuki, for example, holds an obvious contempt for Kyo, can be a lot more gentle when dealing with someone like Tohru and speaks to his brother with a high level if embarrassment. All this is while holding on to an air of class and sophistication. This holds true across most of the show's characters.
The show hinges on how much you like your heartstrings being pulled at, because the show is constantly focused on the rough life of the Soma's and their inability to interact with people normally.More then that, you get a look at some of the darker aspects of living in the family, including the houses head Akito. There are many looks at how explosive and violent a person he can be with the other members, yet at the same time there are a lot of people of the Soma clan who can't bring themselves to blame him. There are at times this weird Stockholm syndrome feel some of these people have in relation to Akito, and it makes a lot of things about the show uncomfortable.Mind you, this is a good thing as it adds to the mystery and darkness behind the Soma Clan.
When Fruits Basket gives characters time to grow, you get some very sad moments that make you feel for these characters. Sometimes you watch them overcome some of their issues, other times you get a glimpse at the strength the character has had all along, but consistently the show manages to make you care about all these people. Even outside the Soma's and Tohru, you have her two best friends that get a lot of great moments and who you end up caring about.
Where the show does falter is episodes that introduce and resolve most of a character's issues in the span of one episode. Both the Tiger and Sheep, for example, just kind of show up, Tohru works her warmhearted sweet girl magic, and by episodes end it's just kind of done. Whereas other characters you get to spend time with and understand before you start to get really into their problems and hardships, allowing the payoff to hit you in the feels, there are characters like these that just show up and things happen, and then you move on. This leaves you with episodes that feel like they are just kind of fillers and a waste of time.
There is also an aspect of the show that can potentially grate on certain people, and that is the show fairly constantly is trying to sound deep or have some kind of message. It's especially obnoxious in the case of those characters that get little to no build-up. That said, we aren't talking about a show that does nothing but tries to be deep, there is a lot of comedy relief and characters just doing the things they would be doing. It's a hard line to walk, but for the most part, I think they handle the mix well.
I avoided any comparisons to the original here, but there is something I need to talk about in relation to the original. Both Season one of the remake and the ending of the original is the same.There are differences, but it should be noted that changes were made in the original anime from the Manga it was based on in order to wrap up the story there. In the new anime, it's following closer to the original which continues on past this point. As a result, there is a difference in feeling. It feels a lot more like the end of a season rather than the end of a show, and as a result, the impact isn't felt quite as heavy. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can vary how much something like this may get to you.
I loved watching the reboot of Fruits Basket. In most ways, I actually do feel it surpasses the original and is a definite watch for anyone interested in a non-action anime for this year. It's charming, funny, and despite getting a little bit long-winded with it's themes and messages a time, very enjoyable.
Also, Creepy Wave Girl is best Girl.
