Put on those nostalgia glasses! Fruits Basket, or Furuba as it’s known to sensitive otakus, has made a triumphant comeback. The long-beloved shoujo manga and anime series following an optimistic high school girl and a cursed family has finally returned to grace us with its beautiful narrative. Sometimes whimsical, sometimes serious, Fruits Basket is a story that anyone can enjoy at any age; but it’s safe to say it was mostly young girls flipping through the manga in the aisles of Borders books. The original anime charmed us, but what about the reboot? Here are 10 reasons we love it!
10 Art Style
While the original art style of Fruits Basket was great for its time, the new style is inspired. With sharper, cleaner lines and a softer, more illuminated color palette, the visuals make the viewer feel a sense of warmth and home while not being harsh on the eye. Anime art style standards have gone through many changes over the years, and Fruits Basket is no exception. Thankfully, all of the characters and settings are totally recognizable and the same distinct traits we know and love about each character have only improved. Kyo’s tangerine hair is now a beautiful, bright, blood orange.
9 Voices
One issue that happens with a lot of anime or cartoon reboots (I'm looking at you, Power Puff Girls) is that the voice actors are changed. It’s difficult to explain the kind of pain and annoyance this results in for long-time fans. Voices become associated with the history and personality of the character, so when it’s changed, it makes it difficult to get reinvested. It feels like those once-beloved characters are now strangers wearing a familiar face! But never fear, Fruits Basket has recruited all of the original voice actors and has even toned down the high-energy voice quality of the early 2000s.
8 Music
Many fans are pretty attached to the original Fruits Basket musical score. It was admittedly beautiful, and hearing the same music over the course of twenty-something episodes does cause one to grow fond of it. However, the reboot’s more subdued and lighter score has gotten praise from many fans for fitting the story and soft mood more accurately. All that really means is that fans of the famous shoujo anime now not only have the original score to listen to and feel nostalgic with but have another, fresher score to remind them of their favorite characters. It’s certainly a win-win!
7 Cuteness Factor
One of the things that make Fruits Basket so amazing is how darn cute it is. While it deals with some pretty heavy themes like death, bullying, abuse, and neglect, it offsets all these somber topics with a sense of humor and adorable situations.
It's as if the audience gets to look at things through Tohru Honda’s eyes: with unending optimism. Plus, everyone is literally cute. Maybe it's the animation, the soft color scheme or just the art style, but every character in Fruits Basket is easier on the eyes. Beware: anyone who watches is in danger of cuteness overload.
6 The Manga Is Finished
When the anime first came out, the manga was still in publication. Because of that, the anime ran ahead a bit and then had to stop because of a lack of source material. This was understandably disappointing to fans who only watched the anime, as well as manga fans who enjoyed seeing the characters brought to life on screen. But now the entire series is finished and can be done real justice! This time around, there will be multiple seasons and a slower pace. That way we will be able to finally see the conclusion on screen. It’s super exciting!
5 It Takes Cues From The 2001 Series
The biggest demographic of fans that Fruits Basket has right now are the old fans coming from the 2001 anime run era. So having elements from the old show incorporated into the new is a sure-fire way to keep them happy. The new manga adaptation has been given a very modern polish for sure, but that doesn’t mean that some of the old dialogue, scene transitions, and cute editing are totally obsolete. These cues from the 2001 series give the modern remake a sense of being rooted in something worthwhile, and that weight will carry it through to its end.
4 Character Development
Because the anime outpaced the manga, there wasn’t any way the anime could be realized for fans who had become invested in the character arcs’. Does Kyo ever learn to feel accepted? Does Yuki ever come out of his shell? Does Shiguire ever take off his mysterious mask and allow himself to be vulnerable? Does Tohru keep her optimism or does age sober her?
No fan of the anime ever found out! Now, with a longer series, old and new fans alike can see these characters learn from each other and really grow into the people the author meant for them to become.
3 Storytelling
With all of the manga at hand and more episodes planned, the storytelling has been better paced and more engaging, just as the author envisioned. There is more backstory of each character to explore, and more in-depth looks at their relationships with one another. Instead of the possible romance being the focal point of the stories, now all the interpersonal and family struggles are able to shine through and add depth to the story. While it is at its heart an upbeat shoujo manga, the current method of storytelling lends it a weight that will resonate with anyone who watches.
2 Length
More seasons! Say it again! More seasons! Whoo! It’s been rumored that there will be at least sixty-three episodes, but that hasn’t been confirmed as of yet. Still, the news about there being more than one season is confirmed and a reason for celebration! That means a more enjoyable pace, and perhaps some extra things put in to round out the story. With all of the source material at their fingertips, the people at the head of this endeavor will have plenty to work with to fill the extra episodes and the fans will certainly be glad for it and enjoy!
1 Nostalgia
This is the crux of the show. Its story is captivating, its characters are lovable, but at the end of the day, what has brought people back to Fruits Basket is the sense of nostalgia. Many fans were in their teens or younger when the first series was released, and now as adults are excited to relive that feeling. It’s going to be exciting to see it all develop, and watch the love and fandom resurge to the fore in the form of fanfiction, merchandise, and manga sales. Here’s to a bright and long future for the beloved Fruits Basket!