There is a reason why Fruits Basket is considered amazing, actually there are many, and in the end, this happens to be a favorite of mine. I've read alot of really atrocious manga and alot of really dazzling, show stoping, freaking amazing manga, so I'm sure I have the right to judge FB. I'm not going to lie, there were a few problems in the beginning (the artwork, the paneling, the dialogue) but it progressively got better around the fifth book.

The reason why this series is so great is because its got great characterization and a finely detailed, super tight plot. People tend to say that Tohru is pretty much a Mary Sue, a perfect character, and that in itself makes her annoying and unreal... But, if you paid attention through out the 23 books, you'd notice just how much of a stepford smiler she was and that she too had alot of pain that she hid by being an overly optimistic and cheerful girl. (V17- "I can't explain it to anyone...but on the other side of the door...I'm afraid she's starting to fall apart.")

Not just her, the other characters were just as amazing. Though I think my favorite was Shigure. He could have been considered the mastermind behind pretty much everything, and he was seriously messed up. (or just as much as Akito). I loved that Natsuki Sensei showed such a broad spectrum of human emotions, something many mangaka and authors can't do. As a writer myself, I'm astonished at how well everything fits together. It just runs seamlessly.

I can not tell you how many times Fruits basket has made me cry. (At least every volume.) But probably the saddest moment was in volume 16- "I wonder what hurts more- to be left behind or to leave behind?" *curls up in a ball* can't read that book without sobbing...everytime.

I absolutely love this manga! It is one of my favorites and I love reading it again and again! The relationships between the characters (Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki especially) is great and the story is unique. The comedy, romance, and drama make the story even better. I wish there was more to read!! At least I can watch the anime numerous times (wish the animators would finish animating the manga) and never get tired!!

Loved it. This manga made me go through loads of emotions. The characters are not perfect, which I find sometimes annoying. The art wasn't great at the beginning but improves and makes the manga a better read.
I agree with a lot of comments, so i won't repeat everything execpt: READ IT, you're in for hours of good entertainment!!

The first time I read this series, I gave up after the first few volumes. Frankly, they sucked. The art was really bad. The plot was just the members of the zodiac one after another coming to Tohru with their personal problems and having all of them solved by a few meaningful lines and a big smile of her.

The second time I picked up this series, as I read past those volumes, everything turned out to be much better. The art was improved as the characters looked much cooler. The plot was intriguing with some dramatic twists. The characters figured out the solution to their problems on their own, though sometimes with Tohru's help. Despite having a huge cast of characters, the author managed to portray each one of them with depth. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the romances from multiple couples, which were actually quite slow but really sweet.

However, there are a few negative things I want to point out. First, although the art got better after a while, some characters looked so alike to the point of confusion sometimes. Second, the whole mother love of Yuki for the heroine was quite hard to swallow. How can someone realize that he loved a girl of his age and then acknowledge that as mother love? Finally, the series, in my point of view, was just too long. I know for that many characters, 23 volumes were need. It just that sometimes reading them was a little bit tiring.

... Last updated on September 4th, 2016, 10:31pm

I've watched Furuba back when it was aired in my country then watched it again around 3rd or 4th yr. I really hated the ending because I'm a Kyo fan and the series was leaning more to the Yuki x Tohru couple. It's been on my wishlist for a very long time and now finally had the initiative to read it.

I think the plot is quite interesting and makes you wonder how did they end up with that curse (although in the end it was never said how did the Souma family end up with the curse). The characters are also interesting but some are just... meh. It's just that they're too good looking and you can't help but fall for their looks. But not only they're good looking but some characters JUST LOOK THE SAME and some just suddenly changed I had to wonder who the heck that is. And it just so happens everyone has personal issues, too personal and familial if you ask me. There is not a single person who never had a family issue. It's just that how they cope is different. Regarding Tohru, I read in the forums complaints about her and I must say, I do agree in some like how naive and somehow "saintly" she is but she's definitely not perfect fot she's really stubborn to boot and at times, she sticks her nose in others' business a lot.And even if someone like her exists, I don't think there are a lot who will treasure her, people would just use her for all they care. The character development for her is quite slow too. It takes too long for her to show her "selfish" side. Kyo, well, Kyo's Kyo.

To be edited and continued...

Fruit Basket, also lovingly known as Furuba, is strictly a human story, despite the façade of the fantasy element. The ability to change into zodiac animals is merely a premise, but the exploration of human needs or the lack of them is the main theme. Takaya sensei focuses on very real human issues such as abandonment, loneliness, and yearnings experienced by the Furuba children/ adolescents. In reality, don’t we all want to be accepted by our peers and loved by our parents? Don’t deny it, because it’s true.

The first several volumes serve as an introduction to the story, the characters, and are light in tone and emotions. The plot unexpectedly takes a dark turn after certain characters appear, thus making the story difficult to read. One of the good things about Furuba is character development, but one of the bad things about Furuba is the numerous characters and the emotional pathos they all have. Some readers may be put off by the amount of characters and their stories, but they are worth reading into because their emotions are so raw, candid, and definitely relatable.

Many readers are also put off by the main female character Tohru. In her defense, she has a difficult life (although I could make a case that most characters in Furuba have difficult childhoods, but I digress). She is doing the best she possibly could for herself as well as others by living honestly and working hard at her job. She is the epitome of shoujo protagonist: Clumsy, naïve, dumb at school, annoyingly cheerful, and perpetually optimistic. She is, in fact, one of my favorite shoujo protagonists. She understands people, accepts them unconditionally, and intrinsically teaches others to do the same, all by doing nothing but being herself. I don’t find her preachy like some other female MCs from other manga. Her relationships with her mother, friends, and the Juunishi-sufferers are touching and drive the character and plot developments. Tohru is truly wise beyond her age. She reminds me that being strong is not necessarily by fighting or screaming at others, but by providing acceptance and be forgiving of others.

The other characters are also memorable and I love all the pairings, which are appropriate and not rushed. The ending is sweet and satisfying, given all the anguish the characters have went through. I only wish my favorite character of the series, Momiji, has a more conclusive ending,

Overall, Furuba is heart-warming and sweet, with a touch of bitterness and angst. I highly recommend it.

... Last updated on November 15th, 2012, 5:58pm

this was perfect !!! i mean the romance the charachters everything was making sense to me very romantic i love it !!!! from the beginign to the end the story was very interisting it still one of my favorite

I remember loving this manga the first time i read it many years ago; this was actually the first licensed manga series i ever bought so i can re-read in the future. Due to my awareness of others though i sort of forgot i had the books after the 2nd re-read...but the story itself always stayed in my mind.
I still recall after watching the anime and another re-read, how i wished there was more of the "future" to read/watch. Now i can understand why it wasn't really necessary....Maybe i have matured?LOL
I have become curious about how i feel about those series i used to "love" when i first started reading mangas, so i started digging into my old collections. In some cases the feeling has been completely gone, and has left nothing but a bitter taste in my mouth. Luckily this was not the case with this series, in fact, i would actually say i appreciate it more than i did then. While my first time it had been about the big gestures and scenes, this time it's all about the small, in between the lines parts. I find myself wondering how i never noticed this or realized that

Fruits basket has a good story line with moral lessons on every arc. However I'll give this a score of 8.5 because I think that a lot of characters had major growth with their personality but the mangaka failed to put any character growth with Tohru.

Overall it's an enjoyable angst filled manga with generic female lead.

... Last updated on November 28th, 2012, 5:06am

what happened?? It was so boring by chapter 90 odd something that i skipped towards the end, the evil dude was a chick and the chick loved a dog......and then why did the chick become a nice person? and what happened in the end?