Tohru Honda is sixteen years old, recently orphaned, and living in a tent in the woods to avoid being a burden to anyone. The woods, as it turns out, belong to the Sohma family — specifically to Shigure Sohma, a cheerful novelist, and his cousins Yuki and Kyo, who are students at Tohru's school. When her tent is destroyed in a landslide, the Sohmas offer her a room in exchange for housekeeping. Tohru accepts, grateful and characteristically uncomplaining. She soon discovers the secret the Sohma family has kept for generations: thirteen of them are possessed by the animals of the Chinese zodiac and transform into their animal forms when embraced by someone of the opposite sex, or when under great physical or emotional stress. Yuki is the Rat. Kyo is the Cat — the thirteenth animal, the one excluded from the zodiac by legend, the one the Sohma family treats as an outcast. Tohru, whose instinct toward kindness is completely genuine and not remotely performative, begins finding her way into the lives of people who have learned to keep everyone at a careful distance. Fruits Basket is a 26-episode shojo series directed by Akitaro Daichi — the director of Now and Then, Here and There, Jubei-chan, and Elf Princess Rane — produced by Studio Deen, and based on Natsuki Takaya's manga serialized in Hana to Yume. It aired on TV Tokyo from July to December 2001 and became one of the best-selling shojo anime of the early 2000s, winning the Animation Kobe Best Theme Song Award in 2002 for Ritsuko Okazaki's "For Fruits Basket." The series adapts roughly the first eight volumes of the manga and ends without full resolution — a complete faithful adaptation was later produced by TMS Entertainment in 2019. Funimation released the series in North America on four individual DVD volumes, with a complete series box set released November 16, 2004; a Viridian Collection reissue followed in 2007. Note: director Akitaro Daichi and original author Natsuki Takaya had significant creative disagreements during production, and Takaya has publicly stated she dislikes the adaptation. Notable Staff & Voice Talent Director: Akitaro Daichi (Now and Then Here and There, Jubei-chan, Elf Princess Rane) Original Manga: Natsuki Takaya (serialized in Hana to Yume, Hakusensha) Studio: Studio Deen (Fushigi Yugi, Haunted Junction, Ranma ½) Music: Shigeru Chiba / Yoshio Abe Opening Theme: "For Fruits Basket" by Ritsuko Okazaki — winner, Animation Kobe Best Theme Song 2002 Ending Themes: "Chiisana Inori" / "Serenade" by Ritsuko Okazaki Japanese Cast: - Yui Horie as Tohru Honda (Kurogane Communication, Love Hina TV & specials) - Aya Hisakawa as Yuki Sohma (Cardcaptor Sakura, Battle Athletes Victory, Sailor Moon, Oh My Goddess!) - Akira Ishida as Kyo Sohma (Gokudo, Slayers, Now and Then Here and There, Rurouni Kenshin) - Ryotaro Okiayu as Shigure Sohma (El-Hazard, Burn Up W, Nadesico) - Tomokazu Seki as Hatsuharu Sohma (Chobits, Arjuna, Vandread, Gate Keepers) - Mika Doi as Kagura Sohma (RG Veda) - Kikuko Inoue as Tohru's Mother / Akito Sohma (Tenchi Universe, El-Hazard, Gate Keepers, Oh My Goddess!) English Dub Cast (Funimation): - Laura Bailey as Tohru Honda - Eric Vale as Kyo Sohma - Jerry Jewell as Yuki Sohma - John Burgmeier as Shigure Sohma - Meredith McCoy as Kagura Sohma (performs English opening theme) - Christopher Sabat as Ayame Sohma (Rurouni Kenshin, DBZ) - Jamie Marchi as Tohru's Friend Uo — her first anime role DVD Features (FUNimation Release) - Clean Opening & Ending Animations - FUNimation Previews Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles Edition Details Japanese Title: フルーツバスケット (Furūtsu Basuketto) Runtime: ~650 Minutes (Complete Series, 26 Episodes) Director: Akitaro Daichi DVD Release Year: 2002–2003 (individual volumes); Complete Box Set November 16, 2004; Viridian Collection reissue 2007 Original Broadcast Date (Japan): July 5 – December 27, 2001 (TV Tokyo) Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment Rating: 13+ Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada) Note: Adapts approximately the first 8 volumes of the manga; story left unresolved. A complete faithful adaptation was produced by TMS Entertainment in 2019–2021. Genre: Shojo, Romantic Comedy, Drama Themes: Chinese Zodiac Curse, Chosen Family, Emotional Healing, Orphaned Heroine, Sohma Family Secrets Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.
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