Fruits Basket stands as one of the biggest titles in the world of shojo anime, alongside other classics like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura. All three series feature strong and compelling female leads, and while these titles stick closely to shojo's core values, Fruits Basket knows how to diversify its portfolio to great effect.
Heroine Honda Tohru's story arc is based not only on love and relationships but also on a surprising variety of shonen and even seinen story elements, making Fruits Basket far more than the sum of its parts. The story has a bit of everything for everyone in one shojo package, which may help explain the series' success and good reputation. A lot is going on here.
The Shonen & Seinen Components That Deepen Fruits Basket
Even if Fruits Basket is a shojo anime series, especially its 2019 reboot anime, the story smartly weaves in some shonen and subtly seinen elements to diversify the story's tone, character arcs and broader market appeal. On their own, some of these characters could easily end up in a shonen series more akin to Tokyo Revengers or even Jujutsu Kaisen -- mainly the male characters whom Tohru meets. As a shojo series, Fruits Basket places the biggest emphasis on female characters such as Tohru herself and Sohma Isuzu, but the prominent male characters get full character arcs of their own, and they are more than just ideal hunks for girls to fawn over. They compare well to the likes of Usui Takumi from the Maid-Sama! series, for example, who is seemingly good at everything and thus experiences little growth.
Yuki and Kyo are shonen-style characters in a shojo world, and not just because they're males. They are passionate but flawed young men with goals, rivals, friends, enemies and much more, and they even engage in martial arts, a rarity for shojo anime. Kyo's personal arc as the cursed Cat may be Fruits Basket's best, and in his own right, Kyo may remind viewers of shonen heroes like Uzumaki Naruto or even InuYasha. He is a hotheaded but kind boy who has a bad lot in life, and he must fight hard to overcome these challenges, make something of himself and prove his worth to the world. Yuki has a surprisingly similar character arc involving his imposter syndrome as the beloved Rat of the zodiac until he finds the courage to stand up to Akito and eventually finds love with Machi.
Either of them would make a fine shonen lead, and they integrate well into Fruits Basket while broadening the story's themes and giving readers/viewers even more characters to root for and relate to. At times, Fruits Basket even caters to the seinen and josei crowds with its older characters, such as Sohma Shigure, Hatori and Ren, and the drama can become shockingly intense and sophisticated. This is no time for silly misunderstandings at high school or awkward first dates. This drama is worthy of any josei or seinen anime, giving Fruits Basket some much-needed depth and weight.
How Fruits Basket Stays True To Shojo
Not only does Fruits Basket integrate elements of shonen and josei into its narrative, but it also modifies these elements so they match the series' overall shojo tones. At times, fans might wonder, "Is Fruits Basket really a shojo title?" after seeing scenes of Kyo and Yuki slugging it out or heavy drama among adults, which is certainly different than what they'd see in Maid-Sama! or Cardcaptor Sakura. Out of context, these may look like shonen or josei-style anime scenes, but Fruits Basket smoothly integrated those elements by adding a shojo coat of paint to maintain a consistent tone and stay true to the core of the shojo demographic.
Fruits Basket is all about empowerment, romance, the healing power of friendship, faith in humanity and the virtues of altruism, all told from the viewpoint of Honda Tohru. Yuki and Kyo argue and throw punches, but that's only how those boys express their frustration -- it won't help them achieve their goals. Kyo won't ever find happiness by beating up Akito or taking command of a youth delinquent gang, but instead by opening up and allowing Tohru to heal his wounded heart. Kyo needs a loving friend who believes in him, not a battle partner, and Kyo's deep relationship with Tohru is what gives him the strength to achieve his shonen-style goals and make something of himself. In a way, Fruits Basket "tamed" the wild side of shonen and proved that strength without compassion and love for others is meaningless and empty.
The same is true of characters ranging from Momiji to Yuki and Hatsuharu. Yuki and Kyo are strong in the dojo, but after meeting Tohru, they gain emotional strength and intelligence and learn to accept themselves for who they are. Only then can they find what they are looking for and grow as people, and that's a classic shojo character arc for anyone, male or female. That's why Fruits Basket is indeed a shojo title. The heart is always stronger than brawn.