*Fruits Basket — Recommended Series
- Posted by Johanna on December 17, 2005 at 8:33 am
- Category: Manga Reviews
- CREDITS: by Natsuki Takaya; adaptation by Jake Forbes and others
- PUBLISHER: Tokyopop, $9.99 US
Tokyopop promoted Fruits Basket as its “most eagerly-awaited manga series”, and sales figures and top rankings have borne that out. With its blend of comedy, romance, fantasy, and drama, all expressed in an attractively mainstream art style, there’s something here for everyone.
An eternal optimist, Tohru Honda is proud of taking care of herself, even though she’s been living in a tent after her mother’s death. She’s on the property of the Sohma family, a rather unusual group whose members are possessed by the spirits of the Chinese Zodiac. When they’re hugged by a member of the opposite sex, they turn into their corresponding animal.
She knows Yuki, a mysteriously aloof charmer, from school; he’s the Rat. He and Kyo, the Cat, fight constantly because of a legend about the Rat tricking the Cat out of his place in the zodiac. Kyo’s determined to beat Yuki and regain his place in the family, but his anger often gets in the way of his desires. Combined with cousin Shigure, the Dog, it’s almost cartoony.
The guys feel sorry for Tohru, who’s trying so hard to be the daughter her mother wanted. They also need someone to take care of them and do the cooking and cleaning. (The situation is vaguely reminiscent of Wendy and the Lost Boys.) In return, she gets a place to stay and a family who cares about her. She also gives them a new appreciation for their relatives, even with the burden of their curse.
Not every Sohma is male; Kagura (the Boar) is female. She’s got a crush on Kyo, which she acts out rather violently, while reminding him that family members can hug each other without transforming. (At this point, the reader may justifiably begin wondering if “hug” is code for something else.) Other family members represent the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Ox, the Snake, the Tiger (Cub), the Ram, the Horse, and the Monkey. Over the course of the series, we meet them all.
The second book sets up a cultural festival where Tohru’s class decides to make onigiri (rice balls) to sell. More relatives, the half-German Momiji and the doctor Hatori, make appearances, challenging Tohru’s knowledge of the family secret. Hatori’s ill-fated past romance makes him a tragic figure and explains his resistance to Tohru’s presence, even though she’s having a good effect on the younger family members. Then New Year’s for some of the characters means deciding which family to spend the holiday with, the one they were born into or the one they’ve made for themselves.
In the third book, a school race is the setting for Hatsuharu, another relative, to battle Kyo, but their fight is interrupted by Yuki’s sickness. Valentine’s Day means a double date for Kyo, Kagura, Yuki, and Tohru, followed by a trip to a hot spring resort.
Book four opens with Momiji and Hatsuharu starting at the school Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki attend. The class president is a bit put off by their unapologetic individuality, but the real threat is head of the family Akito. He appears to be their age, but he’s more maturely devious, frightening all the others into obeying his dictates. We also meet Yuki’s older brother Ayame, whose flamboyance disturbs many of the others. He runs a costume shop and often behaves outrageously in comparison to Yuki’s reticence.
The group spends a week at the family’s lake house in book five. When they return, Tohru meets another relative, Kisa, a middle schooler who doesn’t speak due to teasing. Tohru can identify, and she winds up acting as Kisa’s temporary mom. Yuki also helps overcome Kisa’s silence, revealing more of his internal struggles as he does so.
Book six, in contrast, focuses more on Kyo. His curse sometimes manifests in an unpleasant way, and Tohru is challenged by the results. Kyo’s sensei, almost an adoptive father, is also present for the encounter. Interestingly, Tohru thinks the way she cares for Kyo is selfish, because it’s based on her wanting to continue sharing experiences with him, when it’s really just what he needs.
The book ends with a visit to Ayame’s shop, a tailoring establishment specializing in outfits for men’s fantasies (such as maid and nurse outfits). While Ayame explains to Yuki that he’d rather they fight than feel nothing for each other, Tohru models a darling outfit.
Hiro, introduced in book seven, is a selfish, obnoxious, conceited kid with the ability to twist anything anyone says into a failing on their part. He’s always on the attack, always ordering people around, and always complaining. He also has a crush on Kisa. He’s a complex personality, quickly established through his twisty dialogue, and humanized through his jealousy.
Tohru’s friend Arisa gets a lengthy flashback as well. She was a gangster-type, a near-criminal troublemaker, until Tohru’s mom took her under her wing. Now, she still looks and sounds tough, but she and Tohru have an unbreakable bond.
With only a few more animals to go, book eight introduces the compulsive apologizer (and Monkey) Ritsu. Emotional exaggeration is the theme, with Hatsuharu sinking into depression (alternating with fury) after a breakup and Ritsu’s panicked self-effacement at the slightest hint of potential offense becoming a twisted way to gain attention. Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo are asked to write about their future plans for school, which sends them into reflective moods of self-examination, especially when it comes to wondering about the possibility of relationships. It’s a subtle reminder that the past affects the future. Often, the chapters are heart-warming stories of encouragement, with Tohru providing moral lessons of determination or patience or endurance.
Summer vacation starts in book nine. Tohru’s concerned about homework, Yuki’s preparing to be the next student body president, and Shigure is bemoaning that his adult status means no summer off for him. There’s a flashback to Tohru’s other friend Saki, focusing on her unusual ability to sense the emotions of other people. Her psychic abilities and goth-like appearance make her an outcast, another oddball like her friends. It’s a surprisingly deep portrayal of what it’s like to be left out and to think that you deserve it. Kyo’s sensei also returns in a chapter exploring how much Kyo has been growing up.
Book ten opens with seaside enjoyment as the family vacations at their summer home. Even while goofing around, the characters’ feelings for each other reveal themselves through the way they tease and who they play with. More family members, including Hiro and Kisa, join the group for vacation, while Shigure, back in town, visits a former girlfriend who also has connections to Hatori.
Her story provides a more mature, melancholy contrast to the lighter summer fun, and when the story returns to the larger group, the tone carries over. Hiro finds out that his mother is pregnant and he’ll soon have a sibling, which leads to meditations on the nature of family. Tohru realizes that not everyone might have had the close, loving relationship she had with her mother. Other people deal in more complex ways with their parents and family members, especially once Akito arrives for a visit.
In book eleven, Akito joins the family at the summer home, instantly forcing himself into the center of attention. He’s playing jealous games, demanding the others spend time with him instead of Tohru. Although she barely knows of him, he sees her as a threat and a monster. He’s not above using guilt and threats to manipulate the other family members, fighting a competition she’s not even aware of, although she’s too good to be hurt by his schemes. When he tries to arrange for her to be left alone, she barely notices, as she’s happy that the other family members can be together. Caring wins out over fear, and Yuki demonstrates a growing maturity as he begins to understand Akito’s games and motives.
As summer vacation ends, the characters return home in book twelve. The family feels that they’re fated to do what’s in their blood, but Tohru is determined to fight against their fate, if necessary. These are key questions of Japanese culture. How much does the past influence the present? What are one’s responsibilities to the family when their desires conflict with those of the individual?
That’s even more apparent as book thirteen begins. Yuki’s absent mother attends a parent-teacher conference geared towards planning Yuki’s future. His mother, cool and remote, takes it for granted that he will do as he’s told, going on to college and preparing to take leadership of the family, regardless of his wishes. His silent personality is a result of her refusing to hear him and ignoring anything he says that she doesn’t agree with. Her treatment has warped him, affecting how he’s able to interact with others, including both Tohru and Yuki’s older brother.
Book fourteen is a focus on Rin, another of the Sohma family members, and her quest to remove their curse because of her love for Haru. It’s a very emotional tale, revolving around her emotional isolation and the reasons for it. Her motives are unstandable, but the reader wants to somehow find a way to soothe her pain.
The fundamental conflict of the book is between Tohru, and her optimistic belief in the future and improving change, and Akito, consumed by his power and determined to keep things as they always have been. He hates her because he recognizes her disruptive force for good. She loves the family, even in the face of their eventual separation. The variety of types of love displayed are complex: unspoken, until both partners are ready to accept it; destructive, aimed only at controlling the emotional object; protective, even if it appears to be desertion at first; resolute, determined to help.
The distinction between Tohru and Akito is foregrounded in book fifteen, as Yuki tells the story of his childhood. It’s a complex and affecting story, contrasting Yuki’s loneliness with his supposedly favored status. Others considered Akito’s personal attention to Yuki to be a sign of Yuki’s specialness, but they didn’t realize how Akito tormented Yuki. It’s a powerful exploration of how deeply children can feel and the long-standing effects certain encounters can have.
We also learn more about Kyo and Yuki’s competition from a young age. All Yuki wanted was a friend, someone who was happy to be in his presence. That’s what Tohru provides for him, almost a mother figure with her loving acceptance of him no matter what he is or how he behaves. That’s why he’s jealous of the different kind of relationship Kyo and Tohru have; he doesn’t necessarily want Tohru as his girlfriend, but he doesn’t want to lose the time and attention she gives him.
The second half of the book takes a lighter turn as the focus turns to preparations for a school play. It’s Cinderella, and Kyo is playing Prince Charming, with Tohru miscast as the wicked stepsister, goth Saki as the lead, and Yuki as the fairy godmother. Yuki’s brother Ayame is providing costumes, and given the personalities of those in the roles, they have to rewrite the story somewhat to gain willing participation.
Book sixteen opens with an exploration of Tohru’s mother’s past. As so often happens, she was able to give her daughter what she never had as a kid — the feeling of acceptance and love that could be relied on, no matter what. The mother’s own childhood was one of acting out due to neglect, with a near-criminal past, until one person finally had faith in her.
Over half of this book tells her love story, leading to her marriage and the birth of Tohru. Two outsiders built their own kind of family together, able to overcome their individual uncertainties together. That tells the reader more about where Tohru gets her strength and her belief in the power of love to make impressive changes.
Tohru and her friends are preparing to graduate in book seventeen, but first, they think back to the New Year and the changes that came with it. Yuki finally stood up to Akito, disturbing the family dynamic, and Akito’s secret was revealed to Tohru.
The person who tells her is Kureno, a zodiac member whose curse has been broken but whose unquestioning loyalty to Akito is misplaced. It’s all the result of toxic family relationships, of those who feel hurt or betrayed trying to force others to provide the love they miss.
Book eighteen and book nineteen are also available, although I have not yet had the opportunity to read them.
Underneath the fantasy transformations of this series, the emotions feel real and varied: jealousy, a longing for acceptance, friendship, dealing with a legacy, facing one’s fears, learning to care for others unselfishly. There’s an underlying theme of memory and loss, pondering when, if ever, it’s ok to forget, and whether memories are valuable even if painful. The themes are deep and meaningful, providing much material for thought underneath the entertainment.
The art is typical for manga, huge eyes dominating pointy-chinned faces under spiky hair. The emphasis is on faces and figures with minimal patterned backgrounds, but the animals are simply shaped, emphasizing their oddness, and cute. Tohru and the kid characters are cute like baby pets, and the boys are cute like teen idols.
The title comes from a game Tohru played as a child. We called it “Fruit Basket Upset”, where every kid was given a fruit name, and when their fruit was called, they changed places. When her class played, Tohru was named “Onigiri”, or “rice ball”, instead of a fruit, symbolizing how she doesn’t fit in with the family she was born into.
The large cast can be a lot to keep up with, so the introductory pages listing names, signs, and basic characteristics are much appreciated. Some books also have extras, which may include background on the zodiac signs, creator interviews, game rules, or fan art. There is more information available at the Tokyopop website.
December 17, 2005 at 11:58 am
I love this series, and it’s proved to be one of the most popular introductions to manga I’ve come across (the other is Iron Wok Jan).
December 19, 2005 at 9:53 am
A nice write-up. I have one nit to pick: you wrote “as the series begins to draw towards its end…” It’s true that there are rumors that the series will end with vol. 22 or 23 (nothing official, though, afaik). There are 18 volumes out so far in Japan, with enough uncollected material to fill two more, so for Japanese readers the series may be drawing to a close. But for English-speaking readers, even if the rumors are true it’s only a little more than half over.
January 13, 2006 at 8:52 pm
Thanks very much for the information — I’ve removed that line. I had the mistaken impression that the series was only 14 books.
February 5, 2006 at 11:08 pm
I like your summary of the series. It hit all the top points. Impressive. I was wondering if you knew of any websites that tell the number of books in an anime series.
February 6, 2006 at 7:34 am
Thank you. I think Anime on DVD has the kind of list you’re looking for.
February 6, 2006 at 5:26 pm
I appreciate the suggestion. I found exactly what I was looking for. Thanks.
February 6, 2006 at 6:47 pm
Do you know of any other good manga besides the stuff you’ve reviewed already?
February 6, 2006 at 7:16 pm
I love Fruits Basket and all, but I haven’t found any manga as good as this series yet. I’m on the look out though. Anything that might interest me I try to check it out.
March 25, 2006 at 11:31 am
Currently on book 15. was wondering if the last book is out? and what no. book it ends ^^
April 16, 2006 at 2:55 pm
It’s going to be at least 19 volumes, I’m told.
April 30, 2006 at 2:50 pm
where would you find book 14 and 15? because my friend dez got me in to fruits basket, and we just bought book 12 and 13. plus, it has to be in english ^_^borders doesnt have book 14 or 15 yet so ideas will be appriciated!
April 30, 2006 at 4:13 pm
Books 14 and 15 will be released later this year, so I’m afraid you’ll have to be patient until then.
May 12, 2006 at 6:13 pm
I LOVE this series!!!!!!!!!!!!! this has incredible characters and a plot so eloquent and lively, that the book is comparable to real life. Everyone should read FB! I’m so glad there should be at least 22 books! They are addicting!
August 3, 2006 at 1:13 am
OMG I LOVE this series!!! :) I have to get all the books. The characters r so amazing and the boys are really cute! Also the situation in the books are like what happens in life. they definatly should make more Fruit Basket I LUV THEM :)
August 3, 2006 at 1:23 am
FrUit BaSkEt is really well written! I love how you made the book in order in life it’s sooooooo GREAT. The characters are really kOol! All the details in them are awsome. I wish I was in the books to sometimes! I’m curently on book12 and going onto book13 soon I can’t wait til then i hope u make at least 22-24 books are even more but that maybe too much to ask! OOO i luv wat i just read:) hehehe! Well I’m out I LOVE………………………..
F R U I T B AS KE T & F R U I T B A S K ET !!!!!!!!!!! I’m seriously in love wit FRUIT BASKET YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL :)
August 21, 2006 at 7:09 pm
I hope everyone has seen this link. The author gives some clear info on when Furuba will end. The story is getting ever stronger, to my mind.
Time magazine interview with Fruits Basket manga-ka Natsuki Takaya
August 27, 2006 at 12:01 am
it is very good
September 27, 2006 at 1:19 am
U The Best……..I love this Series…….
……….(^_^)………………
November 11, 2006 at 8:34 pm
I love Fruits Basket! It was my starter series in manga because some people on the internet encouraged to read the manga since I saw the anime and loved that too. I picked up the first volume and became a big fan.
I just love the emotions and real to life situations Tohru and the Jyuunishi (did I spell that right?) go through. The cast is large enough that there is someone in the Furuba world that every reader can relate to.
December 17, 2006 at 11:26 am
Great point! The characters are diverse, and there are a wide range of them.
December 21, 2006 at 3:59 pm
You need to read fruits basket!! its my favorite along with inuyasha and bleach!I love it so much! Even if doubting it try it!now!
my favorite guy is kyo…*sighhhh*
suchh a good manga! the first one i ever read and by far on of the bests!
December 30, 2006 at 10:03 pm
I love it all but i got the books from the liabary and i’m stuck on book 10 at the end when Yuri tells Tohru that he LOVES HER *grrrrr*
December 31, 2006 at 7:30 am
If your library doesn’t have book 11 as part of their collection, see if they can get it for you through Inter-Library Loan. (That’s where they borrow it from another library.)
January 1, 2007 at 4:37 pm
OMG! First i was like wow manga is so weird. but then at borders i was looking for something and grabed FB cause it caught my eye! now I LOVE MANGA! i read two other manga series Kagetora (its really good) and Dramacon (awesome). if any one has an awsome manga series PLEASE tell me!
FB rocks and is the BEST manga EVER!
January 5, 2007 at 1:52 pm
i love the books keep making more they rock
January 30, 2007 at 11:24 pm
If you want a good ROMANCE series to start with, a suggestion for that would be SENSUAL PHRASE. I think that its really good!
February 5, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I think furuba rocks!
February 12, 2007 at 2:31 pm
i love Fruits Basket it is my fav manga i have all of the dvd’s but i still need to get the manga but i have read up to book 13 and i love it! i like InuYasha too but only the anime not the manga the manga pictures are too weird!
Fruits Basket is the best #1 manga ever!
February 13, 2007 at 9:09 pm
I LOVE KYO!!!! He’s the best in the world I would do ANYTHING for him (you know if he was real). OH WHY IS HE NOT REAL?????? why arn’t real guys as cool as anime ones? Furuba rox out loud its like my bible!!!!1
February 14, 2007 at 12:09 pm
kyo is hot whenever i watch the movies my sis and i will be like there’s your hottie and there is mine! she likes Yuki though but i think that kyo is the coolest and Hatsuharu comes in second!! but i think that Hero is an anoying jerk.
February 14, 2007 at 2:25 pm
I have been told several times that Tohru ends up with Kyo in the manga and that they kiss and run away together. Is there any truth to this rumour?
February 20, 2007 at 1:12 pm
I only got into reading ‘Fruits basket’ last year and I already have 10 books and all of the DVDs. I LOVE THEM. I have a question, though. . . is there some way that I can write to Ms Takaya??? I’ve combed the internet but I can’t find an address.
February 20, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Most authors can be reached via their publishers, who often forward mail. Try writing her via Tokyopop.
February 20, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Thank you. P.S. Fruits Basket also inspired me to write my own graphic novel. It’s called ‘Herrakaun High’ which should be out later this year. Keep you eyes open.
March 1, 2007 at 6:43 pm
My friend got me into this when she showed me the anime. I went home with the borrowed dvds and watched them all straight away. I then found a site which had translated all the manga into Japanses for those who speak English, I have downloaded and read up to chapter 118, but they haven’t done any more! I really want to know what happens and am now waiting very unpatiently for it to be either uploaded or (in the far off future) to be released over here!
And I’ve taken quite a liking to Kyo. I’m currently trying to get hold of a ginger kitten to adopted (and then name Kyo…)
:D
March 1, 2007 at 8:42 pm
I LOVE fruits basket!!! I just got introduced to it, lets see, two weeks ago? anyways I can already tell that it is going to be one of my favorite mangas!!! (momiji is mine though ^.^ I call him!!) Though may I make a slight suggestion to you and the others who make comments on this site? Try not to spoil it for us readers who are just getting started!!!! Thanks!!! My other fav is Rurouni Kenshin, it and fruits basket are tied with Bleach for first!!!
March 6, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I was never a big Manga Fan before…My friend told me she had been reading it, and my honest initial reaction was “What?! Backwards books…How Peculiar…” While browsing the manga section I saw Fruits Basket, and I was like “Hmm…Seems like a good one to start with.” My friend told me it was ‘Corny’ looking. But, after reading the back, I was thinking ‘It does sound odd…what is this curse thing…?’ And then I started reading it and got compeltely hooked! It’s the first, and best Manga I’ve heard of! I didn’t know it was the top selling and most demanded Manga! I’m glad there are more fans out there like me. Any Furuba fan, is a friend of mine! :D
March 24, 2007 at 8:33 pm
I love reading fruits BAsket!
Ive read all the way to book thirteen
it makes me sad to thik that soon the series will be over in english just 8 mmore books and its done!!!!!
March 24, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Fruits BAsket Is the best series in the world!!!!! I already finished the whole sereis. Ive seen all the episodes and I LUV KYO!!!!!!!!
March 26, 2007 at 3:33 pm
I love this series. nothing will ever be better.
xoxoxoxoxo
March 28, 2007 at 7:13 pm
i love fruits basket its one of my favorite series
March 28, 2007 at 7:17 pm
my friend loves the series and gave me the first book and as soon as i started reading it i got hooked it is such a good series now i read 1 or 2 a day and love them i wish the series wouldnt end though
April 4, 2007 at 8:53 am
I LOVE FRUITS BASKET!!!!!!!!! & Kyo!
April 4, 2007 at 8:54 am
MY KYO NOT YOURS!!! *hisses*
April 9, 2007 at 8:19 am
hehehe i agree kyo kiks ass XD i reeli want the comics th :( its my birthday so i guess i can buy a few of em lol but where can i buy the 1st one?
i never used to be into manga but now i know wat my frends on about! ive caught the manga flu XD
April 9, 2007 at 4:59 pm
you can go to Borders to buy the first book or all of them!
April 10, 2007 at 10:20 am
OMG WHERERERRERERRE!!!!???? plz tell me XD
April 13, 2007 at 7:33 pm
i told you, you can go to BORDERS to buy manga it’s a book, cd, and Cafe` store. you can buy all kinds of manga there.
April 14, 2007 at 6:27 pm
i just lovr this show funny, sad and happy i will that touri woudl like yuky it will so cute and the make a great couple.
April 14, 2007 at 9:27 pm
what? your comment makes no sense at all, can you right it again but in a way i can understand?
April 16, 2007 at 9:17 am
think she saying ” i just love this shoow its funny, sad and happy uuuuuh…tohro and yuki would look so cute together and make a great couple”? lol
April 18, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Thanks that really didn’t make sense to me!! but now i understand!!! Oh did you know that at Amazon it is really expensive? if i were you i would go to http://www.half.ebay.com it’s alot cheaper…. you just have to find a time when they are selling them on there!! its just like ebay but cheaper!! and the website is put out by ebay too.
April 28, 2007 at 3:24 pm
I read all the fruits basket books and I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 28, 2007 at 3:26 pm
PLEASE TELL THEM TO WRITE ANOTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 2, 2007 at 6:16 pm
i like this page!!!!!!!!!!1
May 9, 2007 at 6:27 pm
i love this show but, but i think Yuki should go out with Tohuru they make a perfect couple i beg of you to make them be togethere please please come on please i am going to cry if you don’t lol lol lol lol,
Gao you make me sad now because Yuki likes Tohuru too and they look cute togethere lol lol Gao!
May 22, 2007 at 4:58 pm
my friend started reading fruits basket and she was obsessed with it and she told me about it and i was like *errr.then one day i went to the comic section in my library and my eye caught fruits basket and i thought i’d give it a try and after i started reading it i got hooked with it and it’s my first manga ever and i love it!!!
i think kyo and tohru makes a great couple but we’ll have to see about that…
May 25, 2007 at 9:13 am
Fruits basket was actually the fist manga that i have read too. i luv it! i have read up to book 13 so i need to hurry and read the rest of them!
June 20, 2007 at 2:31 pm
hey thanks everyone who says it got them hooked on manga… i am so going to use furuba to infect my school. that’ll show the non-believers!!!! muhahahahaha (and kyo’s MINE so :p!)
July 17, 2007 at 11:03 am
I love this book it like I can feel the pain
July 20, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Yeah i read up to book 15 now and i still love it, it just keeps getting better and better! you guys can have kyo he is hot but i claim Hatsuharu (Haru)he is the cutest one! at least thats what i think you can have your own oppinion!!
July 26, 2007 at 3:24 am
OMG! i love fruits basket soooo much this was the 1st manga i have ever read and it was just so amazing i own all the books and DVDs =] I cant wait for 17 to come out =) but i will b sad when its over =[ i which there was more than only 4 DVDs though
July 26, 2007 at 3:26 am
oh and i do SOOOOOO agree with Kami Haru is most certainly the hotest of them all lol
July 27, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Thanks Amber at least someone thinks Haru is the hottest one, like me! don’t you guys wish that kyo, haru, yuki, ect. were real? i do! that would be sooo cool.
July 31, 2007 at 6:54 am
yes i do everytime i watch the dvds or read one of the new namgas i find myself wishing that too lol
August 29, 2007 at 11:35 am
This series was okay, but for some reason Tohru really got on my nerves. I had to stop reading after book 5 because I couldn’t stand her any more.
September 1, 2007 at 1:05 pm
At first she got on my nerves too but thats just because of how good she is. you just want her to do something bad, get in trouble or something. but then i got over it cause everybody else liked her and i started thinking in everybody elses shoes. besides she and rin are the only ones that can break the curse. i think!!
September 3, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Maybe, but fter a while I just got annoyed at how she always would repeat what her mother once said, how it seemed like people just hung on every word she would repeat…
I have to say, that I loved the humor though. Everytime I read, I can’t stop laughing. I could probably read the whole series if Tohru wasn’t so… Tohru-ish and it seems like something happened to the art as the story went on.
September 7, 2007 at 8:22 pm
I have a question for Izzi Turner who wrote comment 34. you said that you wrote your own series and to keep an eye out. so i did and i haven’t seen anything. did you realy get it published? does anybody know if she got it published? if anybody can find anything out pleez tell me!!
November 1, 2007 at 9:59 am
I was so happy
when I was read fruits basket.
but I’m so sad too
because in Indonesia, especially in book store I just meet Fruits Basket Book till 15.
Actually, I really know what happened with kyo soma.
I’m so sad….
November 1, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Really what happened… nevermind i want to read it, but I wish that all 23 books were out so that I could read them.=(
November 4, 2007 at 10:30 pm
[…] Fruits Basket Book 17 is a turning point, with a major family secret revealed. […]
November 7, 2007 at 12:34 pm
[…] and updates her review pages with comments on recent volumes of Nana, Emma, ES: Eternal Sabbath, Fruits Basket, Kat and Mouse, and Tramps Like Us. Dan Polley checks out vol. 11 of Black Cat and vol. 1 of Vampire […]
November 14, 2007 at 8:07 pm
o.k. i love this book it’s the best i
ever read (next to shaman king you must read this to you like it *-*)if you cant get all the books yous library will order
them for you!^_^
so you no i call them books that makes it
sound like you read more than 150+
words. i love this “book” a lot!
P.S.kyo is sooo smooth with the girls!
KYO and Tohru for EVER…not yuki he thinks of her as a mom… ok hope i helped a bit good luck and keep reading “BOOKS”
November 14, 2007 at 8:10 pm
P.S. D.N.Angel. and demon diaries is pretty
good to !!! good luck with life and fare well!^_^
November 15, 2007 at 8:37 am
now this is one of my fav manga of all time!!!!!! i have a sick and twisted love for kyo. and haru and hatori are way hot too. i love toru’s out look on life( wish i was more tike that) and i really feel for kyo ( no not just because i think hes sexy as i dont no what!) im still not dont reading it but i can tell its ganna be good! my friend already told me the twist about akito ( really wish he didnt) but noing me its sill will be a shocker! ^.^
November 15, 2007 at 2:40 pm
me to i two wish i was more like that..toru
that is…is hase the 18th come out?it supost to be . think in november it came
out!you never no!^_^(by the way crystalcloud i think you are so right Koy
is pretty hot….for a character!)i whish
thay where real perhaps thay are?if so
Natsuki is a mager stoker or she’s
wherey about where she is! i love her like a sister!do you not?
November 20, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Hi, i love this website.
How long have you liked Fruit Baske?
November 22, 2007 at 12:28 am
i started reading them when they first came out and i have been a fan the whole time!! it is by far my fav manga!!!
November 27, 2007 at 4:28 pm
ya it is the best in my world (then again so is shaman king you must read)i suggest
you get the fan book for fruits basket
explans it all.^_^(and more)
November 28, 2007 at 10:02 pm
when is the 18th book coming out? i want to read it….
November 29, 2007 at 7:06 am
Book 18 is out — I just haven’t had a chance to get it yet for review. I’ve gone ahead and added the link above. Thanks for the reminder.
December 5, 2007 at 3:33 am
can I ask…???
what the last book from fruits basket and how much the chapter?
thanks before….
December 28, 2007 at 4:09 pm
i luv kyo! he is so hot, that when he talks and when he smiles, i melt in the book.kagura is who i am. if he dosen’t love me back i will kill him.(not literally)
February 15, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I love fruit basket though I’d sujust not reading in class it’s so funny your teacher will hear you.
February 15, 2008 at 8:17 pm
I agree! don’t read in class! I have gotten in trouble many of times for laughing too loudly! I have now finished this series though! It has a great ending, and i don’t like many manga endings! There are 23 books total and they are really great! this is by far my favorite manga!
April 1, 2008 at 2:14 pm
[…] Fruits Basket. Ah… this was the first manga I really fell in love with. I started reading it in 2006 and have kept on to Volume 18, almost done with the series. It sounds silly at first, but wait until you get to the double digits. Then Takaya-san hits you with the heavy stuff. […]
April 1, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Furuba is a truly great series, to put it lightly. I think it speaks to teens in particular because all of the Juunishi as well as the other characters have so much to work through emotionally and socially, just like in real life.
I first saw the anime when I was in 9th grade, and I was hooked from that point onward (I am now a college freshman). No matter how many times I think “I’m over this,” all I have to do is flip through one of the books and remember all of the parts I love and then I’m head over heels again.
I do wish there was way less profanity and suggestiveness, but if you can overlook that (I edit my books with white out–I know everyone will think that’s weird!) Furuba is full of wonderful moments. It gives me so much to think about. Everyone can find at least one character to identify with, and you end up truly loving so many of them and being very interested in what is going to happen in their lives. I love this series! Thanks for your very good review.
April 7, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Fruits Basket is a great book. I started reding it not to long ago and i’m totally addicted and can’t wait for the next volume!!!!!!!
April 11, 2008 at 4:27 am
I’m very like fruit basket. i most like KYOU, he is very cool. and touru who innocent. and yuki is very cool too.
I’m very very like fruit basket!!!!!!!!!
April 15, 2008 at 10:52 pm
I love Kyo-kun I just hope there is a man out there like him.
April 23, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Where would u find the first book?
April 24, 2008 at 6:40 am
At your local bookstore or library.
April 28, 2008 at 10:20 pm
I Love fruits basket it’s my favorite manga. I think there are 23 volumes I’m still in volume 13
I want to read more and more
May 10, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I love Fruits Basket it’s still my favorite no matter what ^_^