The beloved Fruits Basket is back with a new reboot more loyal to the original manga. The 2001 version has a special place in many fans' hearts, but it was truly disappointing that there was only one season devoted to this fantastic story. Fruits Basket 2019 is a love letter to devoted fans who have waited many years for an anime that tells the entirety of the Sohma family's story.
The new series boasts more modern animation and Masaru Yokoyama composed a simply breathtaking soundtrack for this remake. There are a ton of differences between the original 2001 version and its successful reboot, but some stick out more than others.
Updated September 7th, 2021, by Brittanie Maldonado: Fruits Basket is an international hit that captivated audiences the world over, as clearly evidenced by its successful 2019 reboot. The reboot faithfully recreated Natsuki Takaya's work with an updated modern setting, more detailed animation and designs, and a beautiful soundtrack. The entire anime has completed airing since this article was first published, and fans noticed a lot more differences between the 2001 and 2019 versions when compared to just the first season of the reboot.
15 There's A Technology Upgrade
The first Fruits Basket anime came out before the ubiquity of smartphones, so they were understandably left out of the 2001 anime. In the 2019 reboot, more than one character is witnessed using a smartphone to take photos or make calls.
Other technology was also improved, as Shigure now has a modern television in his home. The inclusion of updated tech was hard to miss and helped ground the Fruits Basket reboot in modern times, which is quite fitting since the original series was never meant to be a period piece anyway.
14 Hatsuharu's Signature Coat Was Slightly Changed
In both the manga and the 2001 Fruits Basket anime, Hatsuharu's iconic white long coat had a fringe of white fur at its collar. But in the 2019 reboot, the white fur was changed to black.
For old-school Hatsuharu fans, seeing the black fur garnered a mixed reaction since it's not what they were expecting. The black fur does give more emphasis to the fact that Haru has a "White" side and a "Dark" side, which may be why the change was made.
13 Kyo's Beads Are Changed To Red & White
Initially, Kyo's beads were animated in Fruits Basket 2001 as black and white, which is certainly how they appeared in the manga's black and white pages. But later in the manga, it was revealed that the beads were meant to be white and red.
Supposedly, Kyo's beads are made with human bones and the red beads are dyed with blood. The bracelet is meant to keep his beast form at bay, suggesting they were supposedly imbued with magical properties. Kyo explains the significance of the beads to Tohru in both the manga and 2019 reboot.
12 Fruits Basket 2019 Focuses More On The Story's Tragic Roots
The 2001 version featured a lot of slapstick comedy and scenes purely devoted to humor, but the 2019 version takes on a more serious tone. The animation and storyline focus more on the deep tragedy that the characters have endured.
A couple of examples are the inclusion of significantly more blood to accentuate the scenes of Kyoko's death and Hatori losing sight in his eye. Perhaps this is the proper treatment for a story that includes this much trauma.
11 Ayame's Secret Life Isn't Included In The First Season
The episode where Tohru and Yuki visit Ayame's shop isn't included in the 2019 version's first season, unlike the original 2001 version. In this comedic episode, Tohru convinces Yuki to go to Ayame's place of work to help bridge the infamous "rift" in the siblings' relationship.
While there, Ayame reveals that he sells erotic costumes for men's wildest fantasies, which does not help the relationship at first. But despite all the familial friction, Tohru's mission does succeed, and the brothers draw closer. This scene was added to a later season.
10 Kyoko's Backstory Is More Fleshed Out
In the 2001 version, viewers only get tiny glimpses of Kyoko and testimonies from Tohru, Uo, and Hanajima about how great of a person this woman was. But in the 2019 version, there are several long scenes devoted to Kyoko's philosophies and how she lived her life.
Now, viewers can truly understand how much of a loss she was to the three girls and the world in general. Kyoko was a fantastic mother for Tohru and practically a second mom for Uo and Hanajima. There's a reason why she's looked up to so much.
9 Uotani's Connection To Tohru Is Fully Explained
Uo-chan is one of Tohru's best friends and she makes some brief implications in Fruits Basket 2001 about how much Kyoko has impacted her life, but the full story is never revealed. The 2019 version finally satisfies that curiosity with two episodes dedicated to Uo's checkered past.
Viewers learn that Arisa Uotani used to be involved with a lot of bad people and she looked up to past gang-member The Crimson Butterfly— aka, Kyoko Honda. Eventually, Kyoko and Tohru inspire Uo-chan to leave her delinquent life and become a better person.
8 Hanajima's Connection To Tohru Is Revealed
Saki Hanajima often mentions that Tohru changed her life, but exactly how that happened was not shown in the 2001 version. But in the 2019 version, an entire episode is devoted to Hanajima's backstory. The episode expands on how Hanajima endured intense bullying on account of her psychic powers.
The torment grew so severe that she and her family had to move to another town where Hanajima met Tohru, someone who accepted her unconditionally. This episode concluded the origins of Tohru's close group of friends.
7 The Mystery Of Akito Is Fully Unveiled
In the 2001 version, Akito's impact on the other Sohmas is shown in less detail and instead focuses on how Akito affected Yuki most. The 2019 version, however, delves much deeper into the traumatic experiences every Zodiac member had to endure when dealing with Akito.
The 2019 reboot also reveals a detail that wasn't touched on in the 2001 version: Akito is a biological woman who was forced to live as a man. It turns out that Akito has plenty of her own traumas that led her to her abusive ways, although that's certainly not an excuse for her actions.
6 Shigure's Personality Is Fully Fleshed Out
In the 2001 version, Shigure is the obnoxious, hilarious, but a little bit pervy author who avoids his editor at all costs and even to the point that he drives her into depressive hysterics. In the 2019 version, he still maintains much of this personality, but he's also been dialed back a bit to add more mystery.
He has an odd association with Akito which many of the Sohmas point out and it's hinted that he may be somewhat obsessed with her. The 2019 reboot fully reveals Shigure's connection with Akito, much to long-time fans' delight.
5 The Mysterious Baseball Cap Is Included
This important prop in the manga did not make an appearance in the 2001 version. However, in the 2019 remake, the baseball cap is shown several times, and its backstory was fully revealed by the end of the series.
The cap is associated with both Yuki and Kyo, although Tohru has no idea of the cap's significance since Yuki left her with the hat and ran off without explaining himself. She keeps this ragged greyish-blue hat in a place of honor with her picture of her mother, indicating the hat's significance to her.
4 The Horse & Bird Of The Zodiac Make An Appearance
One of the most disappointing parts of the original series is that viewers never got to see the Horse and Bird Zodiac members. At the end of Season 1 of Fruits Basket 2019, Isuzu Sohma (or Rin, the Horse of the Zodiac) makes a brief appearance that promises more of her in future seasons.
It's not until later seasons that Kureno Sohma, the Bird Zodiac, finally appears, completing the entire Cursed Zodiac cast. Both Rin and Kureno play huge roles in the series, so it was a treat to see them finally included.
3 It Completely Finished The Manga's Story
The 2001 Fruits Basket only lasted one season, wrapping up in an unsatisfying climax where viewers never got to see if the Sohmas can ever be freed from their curse or if Tohru ever gets together with one of the boys.
In contrast, the 2019 reboot fully covered everything the manga had to offer, with Fruits Basket: The Final released in the Spring 2021 anime season. At long last, faithful fans of the Fruits Basket franchise were able to see one of their favorite stories faithfully and lovingly animated in its entirety.
2 Tohru Makes A Romantic Choice By The End Of The Series
The original Fruits Basket anime played to the tropes of its time, one of which being the shojo romance story love triangle. Both Yuki and Kyo seemed motivated to become closer to Tohru, although Yuki was more honest about his feelings at first than Kyo.
While the 2001 anime ended with no indication of who Tohru would choose, in the 2019 anime (and the manga), it's revealed that she falls helplessly in love with Kyo. Yuki forges his own romance with a fellow student council member while Kyo eventually returns Tohru's feelings.
1 Tohru Helps Break The Zodiac Curse
Notably, the 2001 anime never revealed if Tohru breaks the curse. This is partly due to the fact that the 2001 anime wrapped up before the manga was completed, and it included events only up to about volume 8 of the manga.
After creator Natsuki Takaya recovered from the hand injury that put the manga on hiatus, she finished up the series and revealed that Tohru's presence did indeed help weaken the bonds of the Zodiac curse. Freeing each Sohma from their celestial bond was always meant to be the culmination of the series.