Okay, so I read this series and I'm confused by all the praise. Is it really that good? The main problems I have with the story are that:

(spoilers may follow)

1) There are too many characters. This makes it difficult to have a deep understanding of the main characters (Tohru, Kyo, Akito, Shigure, Hatsuharu, Rin, Momiji, Yuki...). Although many character's backstories are showcased, this takes up a few chapters and then the characters don't really have a large role to play later on. So my impression is that more than half of the chapters are filler. They don't really push the plot forward. One really large gripe I have is the all the time spent on the student council. I don't understand the existence of these characters. They have elaborate backstories (some a bit too convenient aka Manabe's relationship with Tohru through his girlfriend...) but in the end, it doesn't even really matter?? Because it's like the characters exist just to exist but not to actually play any role in the actual story?? Also, because of the student council, Yuki's role in the story is largely just written out because suddenly all of his appearances are student council-related. It's like he realizes he loves Tohru but then nothing really happens on that point and then suddenly he's like, "Oh, I don't love her." That really irritated me because his character essentially died. And I could never really care about the other council members so reading about them was just annoying. Same with Tohru's friends. They didn't really need all that backstory, because it wasn't like after understanding them more their character developed. It's as if you understand their past and then their present self is all they will ever be. The story didn't change them. And Arisa's romance with Kureno really bothered me so much. There was really nothing between them, and suddenly she's so head over heels in love and he likes her too? Doesn't make sense. Felt really contrived. I could go on about the excessiveness of the characters....

2) Characters' actions don't make sense/are so nonsensical that I can't believe they can sympathize with each other. Okay, Akito is really a monster and I really couldn't sympathize with her at all. She was physically violent against everyone pretty much for all of their lives and was just so despicable that I really couldn't wish for her happiness or anything. It felt like there was no justice. I can't believe other people were in love with her in a romantic way. Like it just feels so wrong. And weird. And Hatsuharu and Rin were really young when they got together and got it on. It feels kind of wrong. Same with the strange relationships between Ren, Shigure, Akito, and Kureno. Like, it's abusive and feels gross. But the author glossed over this so I'm just left with an unpleasant feeling. And I also don't like the relationship between Arisa and Kureno. The age gap... and the shallowness of it... it's just unpleasant and unbelievable.

3) Characterization is weak. The characters don't really do anything. Like, Tohru said she was going to find a way to break the curse but she never really did anything. It was just revealed to her (or the reader) that things would happen... even though she made such a big deal about doing something. Other characters are also really passive. Like, the issue of Kyo being outcasted in the family but still eating with the other Soumas and talking with them is so unexplored. Like, the author mentions a few lines but it would have been better to show something instead of just say a few words and leave it. In the end, nothing really happened and the curse broke. But like, I felt that there wasn't even that much information given about the curse (why they were cursed, why it was breaking (the explanation provided just seemed shallow), etc) so I felt bored. Honestly, the characters also didn't speak to each other enough. Half the time I felt like they were just having flashbacks to the past that was so tragic and nothing really happened in the present. Like, you can't live in the past! Stuff has to happen in the storyline's present timeline, but seasons just came and went and nothing really substantial or plot-futhering happened. Because of this, I also couldn't really be convinced of Tohru's love for Kyo. Suddenly out of nowhere she is so in love with him. But they don't even really talk that much and of the things that they said to each other, nothing was really that special. I hate depending on "sentimentality" to build up a relationship. But it felt like Tohru just needed a love interest and somehow the author wanted to avoid a love triangle although she was building one up in the beginning so she just wrote off Yuki's character and suddenly Tohru was head over heels. Couldn't feel it. Same with Momiji suddenly developing feelings for Tohru. Like, I can see the hints but then the progress was like BAM IN YOUR FACE and I couldn't really "believe" in it. It just seemed like he needed a love interest so how about make him interested in Tohru? Not really interested in the concept of pairing everyone up with someone for the sake of pairing everyone up.

3) Plot is weak. And boring. Man, was it booooooooooring. I couldn't get into it at all! Was I reading the same thing as all of these other reviewers ? Nothing happens in the story! Everything is just flashbacks! And the characters go through such sudden personality changes - they are not consistent or believable! Basically you could take out the entire middle portion of the manga. I feel like ~70+ chapters are not necessary. I don't want to read about these tragic characters because they are tragic. Their tragicness is not believable or "sympathizeable" because they don't do anything to move the plot along. And the things that they do do just make them go around in circles.

4) Speech bubbles and narration were confusing. Half the time I couldn't figure out what the narration was trying to say (or who the narrator was). Speech bubbles were also not clear. And the characters have such a bad habit of only saying half of what is needed for everyone else to understand the situation... and then the chapter ends or it goes into a flashback. Like, everything is all over the place. Pieces of the story are explained too late, so by the time new revelations are made, I'm just bored with the whole thing. I don't need such a mysterious vibe the whole time! Especially not one with so many fillers interspersed throughout (they really throw me off!). The "mysteriousness" actually made it really hard for me to follow what was going on.

I did like that the characters physically grew and matured throughout the series. That was unique. And some characters had really amazing personalities and I looked forward to them getting screen time (Hiro, Kisa, Rin, Hatsuharu, Momiji). Too bad there was such a huge cast that it was hard to develop their characters and relationships with each other more.

... Last updated on October 17th, 2016, 8:33am

This one right here...The 'cliches' that you might find in other stories (Tragic past, cheerful naive female lead, there are the tsunderes and stuff), but the thing that didn't make any of his sound cliche is the way they were presented. Natsuki-sensei explored all those characters, and their personalities were very relevant to their pasts and dreams, as well as the way they were raised.
I loved how this story is about moving on, and nothing is 'magically' solved. The scars are left, but they are mostly healed, and the characters all go through development.
Each of the characters have their own issues, traumas and problems to solve and fix.
This is a truly psychological manga that deeply explores a lot of issues, and at the same time explores human feelings, and human nature. It explores flaws and positive points. It explores weaknesses and strengths. Truly a masterpiece!
This is the first time I have heavily cried in a manga.
The complexity of all the characters made me dive into this manga, to the point where I had to remember that those characters aren't real. They felt so real! I couldn't possibly loathe any character, because they weren't just backround, flat characters that are pure evil, they had their own stories. I still hate some characters, but then again I understand what they have been through.

When I first picked up this manga in 2013/2014, it was after I watched the anime and wanted more. To be frank, I went in only expecting romance and didn't really care at all about the overall story. So naturally I got bored and quit reading it thinking that 136 chapters was too long for me since I just wanted the main couple to get together already. Back then I would've

Coming back to it now, what was I thinking? Fruits Basket is more than just a shoujo romance or a comedy, it was so so much more. The author managed to take so many complex characters and give you an attachment to them, even to Machi, a character that's introduced very late into the story. I felt like crying, laughing and just wanted to smile in so many parts. Given the vast amount of characters, I started to understand why it was so long and I'm so glad she was able to be elaborate in her character development. Fruit's basket is such a beautiful piece of work, and I'm talking about the art. Not only did her art develop as the story went on, but the author's storytelling as well. When I first read it everything completely flew over my head and I didn't appriciate the story and characters for what they were.

All in all, it's a touching shoujo that will make you care for more than just the main couple. I love this series and can't wait to buy the Aizōbans!

... Last updated on February 28th, 2016, 12:17am

Rarely have I seen such emotional depth and tight plotting over so many volumes in a slice of life series. (Yes, it's technically a supernatural series, but the fantasy elements could almost be removed and you'd still have a really solid story about overcoming different kinds of abuse and heartache).

As many have pointed out, the art starts out rather rough but improves drastically as the series continues (this is quite common for any long running series, though admittedly Takaya's art was rougher than most when she first started.)

The maturity and depth of the plot is where Fruits Basket really stands above the crowd and it takes a more seasoned reader to appreciate the subtleties of some characters (most people who read this under the age of 14 have a difficult time understanding everyone's motivations, but reading it again as an adult brings much greater insight.)

I honestly can't name another shojo that DOESN'T resort to hand waved gimmicks or fan service to endear the characters to you, but Fruits Basket doesn't need those. Honestly, the characters seem like very real people, even the most flamboyant. Give it a go!

This work represents the turning point of Natsuki Takaya's career. Given the length of the series, it's easy to expect a drastic change in art and storytelling by the end of the tale. As it is, this work represents everything that makes Takaya who she is.

As her longest-running series, a large shift happened as the story goes on: it begins with her 90s-style art, following the trends of ukiyo-e-inspired girls' comics of the time, but changes heavily by the end where things are much smoother and more organic, appearing more clean and soft. It moves into a very modern-looking art style, though no less beautiful.

The storytelling also changes. As the story progresses, things become much more emotionally straining, and Takaya shows off an incredible skill. In previous works, depression was always very constricting on the reader; it effectively gave a taste of the sharp edge of such deep despair and could be difficult to go through. As such, the shorter works suited this. However, given the length of this story, changes had to be made. Although things were more comedic for a long while, the sad moments early on were never especially "deep". The story never put the reader in pain. By the end, however, things become much more heavy, but Takaya's style has shifted by then: by the end of the story, this "depression" begins to feel less like tearing or drowning (a sharp pain) and more like a simmering melancholy.

The style Takaya adopted in this story has persisted since then, but this work may very well be the best one she has created. It takes all the best aspects of her earlier style and slowly evolves into something new that hasn't been replicated quite so perfectly; the evolution from one type to the next creates something greater than could be done either before or after the change has been finished.

Fruits Basket is a wonderful work that anyone and everyone should read. It is truly one of the greatest comics ever drawn.

This manga is a work of genius. It's an amazing concept, the art is gorgeous and just gets better as it goes, and the characters all become well-rounded and amazing in the end. I cried so much in the last ten or so chapters just because I wasn't ready to let go of the story yet. It is kind of long, but it becomes so addictive the more you read it that I finished it in only three days.



It's bittersweet and lovely, but also highly entertaining and funny. I very much recommend it.

The story dragged on far too long for my taste, but he plot was surprisingly twisted in a way that kept me wanting to know more.

First half of this very long manga felt disjointed, like it was written from chapter to chapter (the events from one chapter weren't really relevant in the next chapter). It was like the mangaka had a good premise but didn't know what to do with it so she just ran around in circles for a while. I was so bored I wanted to drop it.

However the second half is what makes this manga worth while, because Takaya-sensei finally starts showing her great talent for character development. I was really happy that the characters were finally evolving after so long, especially Tohru, because ''Tohru the saint'' from the first half really started to annoy me, so it was nice to see some depth in her. In the end after reading the whole thing I have to say this story is very dear to me.

I'd definitely recommend this, but try watching the anime first and than pick up the manga where the anime left of with the story. The first half is just better narrated in the anime.