is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya. It was serialized in the semi-monthly manga magazine , published by Hakusensha, from 1998 to 2006. The series' title comes from the name of a popular game played in Japanese elementary schools, which is alluded to in the series.
Fruits Basket tells the story of Tohru Honda, an orphan girl who, after meeting Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Sohma, learns that 13 members of the Sohma family are possessed by the animals of the Chinese zodiac and are cursed to turn into their animal forms when they are weak, stressed, or embraced by anyone of the opposite gender who is not possessed by a spirit of the zodiac. As the series progresses, Tohru learns of the hardships and pain faced by the afflicted members of the Sohma family, and through her own generous and loving nature, helps heal their emotional wounds. As she learns more about Yuki, Kyo, and the rest of the mysterious Sohma family, Tohru also learns more about herself and how much others care for her.
Takaya began a sequel titled Fruits Basket Another in September 2015, and a spin-off series titled The Three Musketeers Arc in April 2019. The original manga was adapted into a 2001 anime television series with 26 episodes, produced by Studio Deen and directed by Akitaro Daichi. A second anime television series adaptation, produced by TMS Entertainment and directed by Yoshihide Ibata, aired three seasons from April to September 2019, April to September 2020, and April to June 2021, respectively. A compilation film titled Fruits Basket: Prelude premiered theatrically in Japan in February 2022.
Fruits Basket won the 2001 Kodansha Manga Awards in the category and the "Best Manga" award at the 2007 American Anime Awards. By December 2018, the manga had over 30 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. It has been described in academic works as "a classic fan favorite in manga around the world", and has contributed to the popularity of manga in the United States. Both the 2001 and 2019 anime adaptations have been well received, with the latter winning "Best Drama" at the 5th Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Plot
When high school student Tohru Honda's mother dies in a car accident, Tohru is taken in by her grandfather. A few months later, her grandfather decides to remodel his house and asks Tohru if she can stay with one of her friends until it is finished. Not wanting to impose on her two best friends, Tohru buys a tent and begins living in a forest near her school.
While exploring one day, Tohru discovers a nearby home where her popular classmate Yuki Sohma lives with his cousin Shigure. Soon after, a landslide destroys her tent and the Sohmas invite Tohru to move into their house. As Yuki and Shigure show Tohru her new room, they are interrupted by Kyo Sohma, Yuki and Shigure's cousin, who crashes through the ceiling and challenges Yuki to a fight.
Tohru tries to stop him, and—accidentally falling into him—causes him to transform into a cat in front of her, discovering the Sohma family curse; that twelve members of the family, excluding Kyo, are possessed by the spirits of the , and turn into their zodiac animal when they are weak, under stress, embarrassed, or when hugged by someone of the opposite gender. Kyo is possessed by the cat who was excluded from the zodiac, and is cursed to be similarly bullied and abused by the clan.
When Tohru discovers the Sohma family secret, she promises not to tell anyone, and is allowed to keep living with them. Although the Sohma curse stretches far deeper and darker than Tohru initially thinks, her presence and her acceptance of them soon become a large, positive influence on those possessed by the zodiac. She sets out to break the curse and, on the way, meets and discovers the Sohma's vengeful zodiac spirits, including their leader, Akito, who occupies the position of "God" in the Chinese legend, and who both keeps the family together and chains them to their spirits.
Production The title of the series is taken from a children's game, Fruits Basket, in which the participants sit in a circle, and the leader of the game names each person after a type of fruit; when the name of a child's fruit is called, that child gets up and has to find a new seat. When the protagonist, Tohru Honda, first plays this game in kindergarten, she is not given a fruit, and is instead assigned "" by her classmates, who do not want her to play. However, Tohru, thinking that are delicious, does not realise that her classmates are intentionally leaving her out of the game; once the game is finished, and all of the children but Tohru have been called, Tohru realizes that are not a type of fruit at all, and she realizes that she does not belong.
Tohru comes to associate this game with the Sohma family, and that she does not fit in among them any more than an does in a basket of fruit. In volume 1 of the manga, after Yuki and Kyo bring Tohru home from her grandfather's house, she begins to feel like she belongs with the Sohma family; after this, she imagines herself as a child hearing called in the game, symbolizing that she has finally found her place.
Natsuki Takaya named most of the twelve Sohmas cursed by zodiac animals after archaic names of month in the former Japanese lunisolar calendar that correspond to their zodiac animal. The exceptions are Kureno and Momiji, whose names were swapped by mistake; Kyo, as the cat, is not part of the official zodiac, and so does not follow these naming conventions. Yuki's name also does not follow this naming convention, since Takaya came up with it before deciding the other names.
Media Manga
The 136 chapters of Fruits Basket were serialized by Hakusensha in from July 1998 to November 2006.The first chapter of Fruits Basket was published in 16th issue of in 1998. While the issue's cover date is listed as 5 August 1998, it was actually released on 18 July 1998. The last chapter of Fruits Basket was published in 24th issue of Hana to Yume in 2006. While the issue's cover date is listed as 5 December 2006, it was actually released on 20 November 2006. These were collected into 23 volumes released from 19 January 1999 to 19 March 2007. On 4 September 2015, the first two volumes of were released in Japan under the Comics Special imprint. The 12th and last volume was published on 20 July 2016.
The series is licensed in English in North America and the United Kingdom by Tokyopop and in Singapore by Chuang Yi. The Singapore edition is licensed to be imported to Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. All 23 English-language volumes have been released in North America and Singapore. In addition, Tokyopop released a box set containing the first four volumes in October 2007, and started re-releasing earlier volumes in "Ultimate Editions" combining two sequential volumes in a single larger hard-cover volume with new cover art. The first volume met with mixed reviews. Six volumes were released.
After Tokyopop ceased publication, the series was re-licensed by Yen Press, with plans to release it as twelve omnibus editions corresponding Hakusensha's collector's editions. Starting in June 2016, Fruits Basket: Collector's Edition was released in English by Yen Press.
Spin-offs
On 4 September 2015, a new series, Fruits Basket Another, began serialization in HanaLaLaOnline. In August 2017, it was transferred to Manga Park. Originally, it was announced that Fruits Basket Another would be finished on 3 December 2018, however, in March 2020, it was announced that the series would return with a "chapter 13" (released in three parts) on 20 April 2020. The second part of "chapter 13" was published on 4 May 2020 and the third part of "chapter 13" was published in September 2020; Takaya announced that this would "tentatively" be the manga's last chapter. The first collected volume was published on 19 August 2016. The series finished with its fourth volume, released on 18 February 2022. In November 2017, Yen Press announced the acquisition of the manga.
A three-chapter series, titled was published in on 20 April, 5 June and 5 July 2019. A "second season" began on 20 April 2020. The second chapter was published on 20 June. The third and final chapter was published on 5 August 2020. The chapters were collected in the fourth volume of Fruits Basket Another. Yen Press digitally simulpublished the series.
Anime (2001)
Directed by Akitaro Daichi, the twenty-six episode Fruits Basket anime series was animated by Studio Deen and produced by NAS and TV Tokyo. It premiered on TV Tokyo on 5 July 2001, with the final episode airing on 27 December 2001. Some parts of the plot deviated from the manga and were portrayed differently. The opening and ending themes were performed by Ritsuko Okazaki. The opening theme is "For Fruits Basket" (performed by Meredith McCoy in the English dub version). The first ending theme is (performed by Laura Bailey in the English dub). The second ending theme is "Serenade" (performed by Daphne Gere in the English dub).
The series was released in Japan in nine individual DVD volumes by King Records, with each volume containing three episodes except for the first volume, which contained two. The first volume was released on 29 September 2001, with subsequent volumes released on a monthly basis until the final one on 22 May 2002. A series box set was released on 25 April 2007, containing all twenty-six episodes as well a message card from Natsuki Takaya, a 60-page deluxe booklet, and a bonus CD soundtrack.
Funimation aired the series with their English dub on the Funimation Channel as well as on Colours TV and also licensed it for Region 1 DVD release. It released it in the form of four individual volumes containing 6–7 episodes and a complete series box set. On 20 November 2007, Funimation re-released the series, doing so again on 1 August 2017 on an upscaled Blu-ray. In the United Kingdom, Funimation originally distributed the series through MVM Entertainment, but changed distributors in November 2006 to Revelation Films. Revelation re-released the four individual volumes under their label. They also released the series box set on 22 January 2007. MVM re-licensed the series in late 2011. In Region 4, the series was released as a complete series box set by Madman Entertainment on 15 October 2003.
Anime (2019)
A new anime adaptation was announced in November 2018. It featured a new cast and staff, per Takaya's request, with TMS Entertainment handling production. Yoshihide Ibata directed the series, with Taku Kishimoto handling series composition and Masaru Shindou handling character designs. The first season ran for 25 episodes from 6 April to 21 September 2019, on TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, and TV Aichi. The first opening theme for episodes 1–13 is "Again" by Beverly. The second opening theme for episodes 14–25 is "Chime" by Ai Otsuka. The first ending theme for episodes 1–13 is "Lucky Ending" by Vickeblanka. The second ending theme for episodes 14–25 is "One Step Closer" by Intersection.
A second season aired from 7 April to 22 September 2020. The third opening theme for episodes 26–38 is "Prism" by AmPm ft Miyuna. The fourth opening theme for episodes 39 onwards is "Home" by Toki Asako. The third ending theme for episodes 26–38 is "ad meliora (acoustic mix)" by The Charm Park. The fourth ending theme for episodes 39 onwards is "Eden" by Monkey Majik.
A third and final season, titled Fruits Basket: The Final, aired from 6 April to 29 June 2021. The fifth opening theme is "Pleasure", by Warps Up, and the fifth ending theme is "Haru Urara" by Genic.