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Sunday, September 29, 2019

'Fruits Basket' Is Melodrama Done Right

It was 2001 when Fruits Basket first got an anime adaptation.  However, back then, the manga was still ongoing, so the series did its own thing in some parts, making it inconsistent with its source material.  In addition, the manga creator and the anime director were rumored to be constantly butting heads during its production; the former didn’t like many of the choices that the latter had been making, that in the end, she hated that adaptation.  Nevertheless, the 2001 Fruits Basket was considered a shojo classic by fans.

Fast forward to 2019, and Fruits Basket has gotten a remake.  With the manga now long finished, and the creator presumably giving it her blessing, this new adaptation is set to be the definitive anime version of Fruits Basket as it would be able to follow the intended vision.  With that in mind – as well as the fact that the spring season wasn’t particularly top-heavy of notable anime – I decided to finally see for myself what this supposed “shojo classic” was all about for the first time.
Fruits Basket follows Tohru Honda, a high school girl who is forced to become fully independent after being recently orphaned.  She has been living in a tent in the woods, when she’s discovered by her heartthrob classmate Yuki and his cousin Shigure – members of the well-known Sohma clan.  After learning of her hapless situation, they offer to let her stay with them in their house.  In exchange for her board, the grateful Tohru takes it upon herself to be their cook and housekeeper.  Soon, another Sohma, the hot-headed Kyo also begins living with them.

Yuki and Kyo hate each other’s guts, and are perpetually in conflict with each other.  The former always wins whenever they engage in a martial arts battle, and as a result, the latter has become somewhat obsessed of someday besting him.  During a fight between the two, Tohru jumps in to stop them, and accidentally hugs the three Sohma boys.  Immediately, Kyo turns into a cat, Yuki turns into a rat, and Shigure turns into a dog!

Apparently, in each generation, 13 of the Sohmas are cursed to temporarily transform into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac (plus cat) whenever they are embraced by someone of the opposite sex.  Tohru promises to keep the family’s secret, and while living with Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure, she eventually meets the rest of the Sohmas’ Zodiac members one by one as they come to visit.
Although it can sometimes get “too shojo” for my taste, I still think the series is mostly poignant.  I’m not gonna lie.  This anime made me tear-eyed and brought a lump in my throat quite a few times.  Its drama is pretty solid.  It has decent comedy, too, but its most noteworthy aspect is definitely its drama – or, more accurately, its melodrama.

Melodrama is over-the-top, sappy, and manipulative in nature.  And thus, it can easily get ridiculous, corny, and goofy.  But when handled with thoughtfulness and relatability, it can be wonderfully bittersweet and reflective – pulling on the heartstrings with much effectiveness.  Anime has always proven time and time again that it’s a medium where this can be pulled off very well (case in point: watch any Ghibli or Makoto Shinkai films).  And this is what’s true of Fruits Basket for the most part.

Now, the high-quality melodrama isn’t necessarily found with the plot’s romance – the developing love-triangle between Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki (which, to be honest, I didn’t really care much for).  Rather, it’s resonated by the character relationships – specifically, the dynamic that every character respectively forms with Tohru.
Each one of these characters – both Zodiac and non-Zodiac – is emotionally broken, and is coming from a place of sadness, tragedy, heartbreak, emptiness, and/or trauma.  And it’s Tohru who has been able to reach them emotionally – due to her sincere, caring personality as well as her applying and sharing of the life lessons that her late mother had taught her – setting them up on a path of healing, self-realization, and growth.

Tohru herself is dealing with her own pains – most particularly, the pain of losing her mother, someone whom she has been extremely close with.  Despite of this, she remains kind and hopeful.  She keeps choosing to move forward and see the best out of every situation and person.  Thus, she’s able to touch the people around her, and in turn, they become devoted to and protective of her.

Tohru Honda is one of the kindest, meekest, most innocent, most optimistic, and empathetic heroines you will ever encounter in fiction.  And she’s arguably the crux of what makes Fruits Basket moving.
All in all, I like Fruits Basket.  It doesn’t always work for me, but at its peaks, it really hits right in the feels.  It’s not necessarily one of the favorites of this year, but it’s still a beautiful, worthwhile watch.

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