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New Fruits Basket Anime Casts Takuya Eguchi, Ai Kakuma

The 25th and final Season 1 episode of the new anime of Natsuki Takaya's Fruits Basket manga aired on Friday and previewed two new characters for the second season of the anime, which will premiere in 2020. Takuya Eguchi will play Kakeru Manabe, and Ai Kakuma will play Machi Kuragi. The anime's English Twitter account announced that Aaron Dismuke and Caitlin Glass will play Kakeru and Machi, respectively, in the English dub.

Takuya Eguchi as Kakeru Manabe

Ai Kakuma as Machi Kuragi

The anime premiered in Japan on April 5, and the show's "Season 1" has a total of 25 episodes. Funimation and Crunchyroll are streaming the anime as it airs. Funimation has also licensed the home video rights. Crunchyroll describes the anime's story:

Tohru Honda thought her life was headed for misfortune when a family tragedy left her living in a tent. When her small home is discovered by the mysterious Soma clan, she suddenly finds herself living with Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Soma. But she quickly learns their family has a bizarre secret of their own: when hugged by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Zodiac!

The new anime has an entirely new Japanese cast and staff, as per Takaya's request. The anime will cover the entire manga's story.

Yoshihide Ibata (Pikaia!!, FLCL Progressive) directing first season at TMS Entertainment. Taku Kishimoto (Silver Spoon, Haikyu!!, 91 Days, Hanebad!) was in charge of series composition. Masaru Shindō (Macross Delta, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU) drew the character designs. Takaya herself served as executive supervisor.

Ai Ohtsuka performed the show's new opening theme song "Chime," and INTERSECTION performed the new ending theme song "One Step Closer." Beverly performed the first opening theme song "Again," and Vickeblanka performed the first ending theme song "Lucky Ending."

Sources: Fruits Basket anime's website and English Twitter account (link 2), Comic Natalie