Finishing Fruit Basket as a 33 year old
(Full spoilers ahead!)
I read the manga up until most of season one back when I was a teen, and I remembered a fair bit. Iâd always been curious to see how the story wrapped up. Iâve preferred the animeâs art over the mangaâs (totally subjective), so I went for the anime this time around. And honestly, Iâm really glad I did. So here are some of my scattered thoughts.
Yuki had the best character arc by far. He starts off as that âperfectâ prince-type character I found really annoying back thenâand still found annoying rewatching season one! But as the story unfolds and we get more of his backstory, everything clicks into place. The pressure, the loneliness, the feeling of playing a role that didnât fit him, the emotional distance from his mother⌠all of it hit harder now. I especially loved the scenes with his brother. The student counseling episode was probably my favorite moment in the whole series. His arc was subtle and strong, and I really liked his romance with Machi too. Itâs a shame we didnât get more of her in the anime.
Kyo and Tohru were adorable, beginning to end. They were my ship when I was a kid, and I was still rooting for them. I actually found it okay that Kyo told her he was disappointed in her at one pointâit felt real. In relationships, people do hurt each other sometimes. What matters is coming back from that and growing. That said, I do feel like Tohru wasnât the most compelling character as I watched with adult eyes. I wouldâve loved to see her written with more depth.
I really liked Rin and Hatsuharu too. Honestly, both of them felt so mature, like they couldâve been in college. Their dynamicâtrauma, trust, pain, healingâwas emotionally rich and really moving. Two emo kids that I will defend with my whole heart.
I was also glad that Momiji didnât end up with Tohru. Their dynamic was sweet, but there was a maternal, nurturing quality in the way she treated him, and turning that into romance wouldâve been weird. I know he gets more closure with his sister in the sequel, which I havenât read. But it wouldâve been nice to get a little of that in the main story. That said, Momiji is definitely one of the most touching side characters, and itâs easy to see why heâs a fandom favorite.
I didnât buy into the Kureno x Arisa insta-love at all, but Kureno as a character was interesting, and I found his dynamic with Akito compelling.
Akito's part of the story left me with mixed feelings, especially around her gender reveal. Itâs a twist that worked narratively, and itâs very typical of early 2000s manga, where gender play was a common trope in shojo manga. But watching it now, it feels⌠off. Thereâs something about it that brushes up against the âcrazy crossdresserâ trope, or like a reversed forced transition. Itâs complex, and Iâm not sure how it sits today, especially for queer viewers. Iâd honestly be curious to hear what LGBTQ+ fans think, because part of me sees some uncomfortable implications.
As for Shigure and Akito⌠I loved how twisted the relationship was. But they should not have ended up together. Their story felt like it needed to be a tragic almost-love. Something full of pain and longing, but ultimately about two people who did too much damage to ever truly be together. I wouldâve loved to see Akito choose a life outside the Soma clan altogether, far from the old power structures. A real breakaway without Shigure in the picture.
I really appreciated how the show explored Kagura and Kyoâs bond. It was messy, and honest. Guilt, pity, affection, and ultimately, friendship. I wasnât expecting to like their scenes as much as I did.
Tohruâs parents, though⌠I still find their romance creepy. The whole teacher-student thing just doesnât sit right with me. But I did love the way they supported each other as two people rejected by their families, and I really appreciated how the movie gave us more of Kyokoâs grief and inner world. That part worked well for me.
Hatoriâs romance, on the other hand? No thank you. It felt off. Falling for your friendâs fiancĂŠ and then dating him after she loses her memory just⌠no. That whole storyline had this weird heteronormative energy of trying to pair off everyone, no matter how awkward the circumstances. It was one of the few parts of the series I just didnât enjoy.
I also really wish we got more of Tohruâs best friends. Not necessarily in romantic arcs, just more scenes of them. Their backstories were so well done, and the way Kyoko (and later Tohru) helped them find themselves was really powerful. They were such strong characters and deserved more focus.
Kisaâs arc was another highlight. The bullying, the selective mutism, the traumaâit was beautifully handled. Her slow healing felt real and gentle. Hiroâs guilt, and his complicated relationship with Akito, added layers to his character too.
I also found Ritsu really fun, and honestly wish weâd seen more of him. His relationship to gender presentation and anxiety had so much potential. Itâs a shame he didnât get more space in the story, especially since Fruits Basket already flirts with queer-coded narratives.
Despite most of the cast being in high school, a lot of the emotional themes are really intense and sometimes the adults seem even less functional than the teens. Watching it now, in my 30s, itâs still incredibly enjoyable and deeply relatable in places. I think if Iâd finished the series as a teen, it wouldâve hit me even harder. But even now, Iâm so glad I went back to it.
Itâs beautifully acted (I watched in Japanese), the music is great, and the tone feels much more grounded than the over-the-top comedy of the 2001 version, which I never really liked. This new adaptation strikes the right balance between sweetness and pain. I get now why Fruits Basket is considered a classic in the shojo worldâand Iâm not disappointed to have finished it, even if it took me this long.
