×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
Shelf Life - Fruits Basket


Goto page 1, 2  Next

Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18137
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 11:07 am Reply with quote
I'm one of those people who's an anime-only fan of the Fruits Basket franchise. While I thought the anime had its slow points, I was firmly drawn in by its mix of humor and occasional emotional points (especially the part where they explain where the franchise's name comes from). I also agree that the English dub was quite well-done. Overall, it's one of my favorite shojo titles.

However, I am not a fan of the manga at all. I own and have read the first three volumes but found its artistry to be intolerable and didn't care for its looser storytelling approach. I have heard that both get better, but I was so turned off by those first three volumes that I have little interest in reading more.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Zin5ki



Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Posts: 6680
Location: London, UK
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 11:09 am Reply with quote
There is an ANN review of the previous Kaiba release here, if that helps!

The Project A-Ko sequels took me by surprise this week. As great as it is to see them being rescued, I fear they could tarnish the original's magic just as easily as they could supplement it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
belvadeer





PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 11:30 am Reply with quote
Project A-Ko: I need to get the rest of the movies. I haven't seen 2 and 3, and I only have 4 subbed on VHS.

Puzzle & Dragons X: English dub here I come! Makes me wonder when they plan to continue airing the series though. It's been stuck on episode 38 for quite some time now.

Fruits Basket: I know its name, I know many speak highly of it, and I know its storied existence spoken of at anime cons, but I have not seen any of it. I must ask, am I in for a great ride?


Last edited by belvadeer on Mon Sep 25, 2017 11:43 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
ChibiKangaroo



Joined: 01 Feb 2010
Posts: 2941
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 11:33 am Reply with quote
Overall, I liked the Fruits Basket anime because the concept was so much fun and I absolutely loved seeing how it played out. However, the character of Kyo is a massive flaw in the story. He tends to drag everything down with his obtuseness and overly dramatic anger management issues. They could have told roughly the same story with all the family members other than him and the show would have been a masterpiece.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
zztop



Joined: 28 Aug 2014
Posts: 642
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:07 pm Reply with quote
I heard Fruit's mangaka hated the anime's ending, even though the anime studio considered it a success. How true is this, and is it also why she refused to let the studio handle any more sequels for Fruits again?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4070
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:46 pm Reply with quote
Key wrote:
I'm one of those people who's an anime-only fan of the Fruits Basket franchise. While I thought the anime had its slow points, I was firmly drawn in by its mix of humor and occasional emotional points (especially the part where they explain where the franchise's name comes from).


This I have to wholeheartedly agree with... It's one thing when an obscure title gets explained so the viewer can go "Oh, ok... Interesting.", it's another when it's Pollyanna's reason for not giving up already.

And with that one named reference, I bring up Fruits Basket problem; Tohru's less of a character than a plot point. Her position in life was brought down so low prior to the start of the series that no amount of anything will hurt her more than she's already had to deal with... apart from her own death. And suddenly I'm thinking of Someday's Dreamers Two...

Which brings up a separate problem with the Fruits Basket anime; I never finished it. And I never finished it because it was never finished... it's on my shelf right now next to director Daichi's other/better shows like Jubei chan and Now/Then and Here/There still unfinished to this day despite owning the DVD for the better part of a decade.

It's sweet and nice with a hint of the tragic... but it never really hits true tragedy like After Story. It's supposedly a romance but since it was adapted so early in the manga run, it never goes anywhere. It's funny... but since it's not a full comedy it can't commit there either.

It's entertaining... and I really miss hearing Laura Bailey in anime leads... but there's no substance here. Not now or then. There it is.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
BodaciousSpacePirate
Subscriber



Joined: 17 Apr 2015
Posts: 3017
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:06 pm Reply with quote
zztop wrote:
I heard Fruit's mangaka hated the anime's ending, even though the anime studio considered it a success. How true is this, and is it also why she refused to let the studio handle any more sequels for Fruits again?


The anime's ending is dramatically different from the manga (it even switches the antagonist's spoiler[gender] and motivations). The changes aren't quite as drastic as the first Full Metal Alchemist adaptation, but they're definitely on par with something like the Bokurano anime.

As to whether or not the mangaka was displeased, I can't really speak to that.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
ultimatehaki



Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 1090
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:34 pm Reply with quote
I watched the fruits basket anime first when I was just (re)discovering what anime was and had no idea manga even existed and I could still tell the ending was tacked on and felt empty.

Couple years later I found the manga online and read it all in like a week and was greatly pleased that the story went further and in a totally different direction leading to a satisfying end.

I'd still recommend the anime dub or sub because it really is enjoyable aside from the end but read the manga afterward not before, if you're new to the show.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
CheezcakeMe





PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 3:46 pm Reply with quote
ChibiKangaroo wrote:
Overall, I liked the Fruits Basket anime because the concept was so much fun and I absolutely loved seeing how it played out. However, the character of Kyo is a massive flaw in the story. He tends to drag everything down with his obtuseness and overly dramatic anger management issues. They could have told roughly the same story with all the family members other than him and the show would have been a masterpiece.


Maybe the anime cut it out or down but he was severely abused by his family in the manga. And I guess his angry outbursts, which are understandable in the context of the manga, didn't work with the light comedic tone of the anime? It's been years since I visited either.
Back to top
epicwizard



Joined: 03 Jul 2014
Posts: 420
Location: Ashburn, VA
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 6:03 pm Reply with quote
Interestingly, Puzzle & Dragons X isn't available on Blu-ray in Japan. Just DVD. I'm kinda surprised that the licensor is allowing FUNimation to release the show on Blu-ray.

belvadeer wrote:
Puzzle & Dragons X: English dub here I come! Makes me wonder when they plan to continue airing the series though. It's been stuck on episode 38 for quite some time now.

Crunchyroll states on the show's page that there's some licensing issues.
Quote:
Due to licensing issues, we do not know when episode 39+ will be available. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your support.

This is pretty much a sign that the licensor is holding back on giving anymore episodes to FUNimation until the game gets released in North America. The show is a half-hour commercial for the game, after all.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
aquadon1963



Joined: 22 Jan 2013
Posts: 80
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 6:22 pm Reply with quote
I love Fruits Basket ..its one one my all time favorite harem rom coms.
I enjoyed the hurt and strained Soma family relations and the fact that Tohru just blazed on thru them with love .... teaching everyone around her the power of love .
And yes Laura Baily got on my favorites list from this Show ...great job Laura


Last edited by aquadon1963 on Mon Sep 25, 2017 7:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Maidenoftheredhand



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 2632
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 6:43 pm Reply with quote
Well I love Fruits Basket manga and anime.

I will say one place where the manga fails for me is there are one too many pairings. It was like almost every character is romantically paired up with someone and that really annoyed me. And some of the romances feel really forced. That being said I love Who Tohru winds up with and felt that romance was really well developed.

Speaking of Tohru she is also more developed in the manga than she is in the anime for the person who had a problem with her anime characterization. After all the anime only covers the first 8 volumes of the manga so it is understandable that you wouldn't see the full development of the characters in the anime.

Still I loved the anime enough to read the manga so it did that job perfectly. And yes I loved both the Japanese and English performances.

In fact Fruits Basket was my first shoujo so it will always be special to me. I still have the original singles of it and the first release of the manga.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SUPER_METR0lD



Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Posts: 76
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 7:14 pm Reply with quote
I've always wished that Fruits Basket would get the "Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood" treatment with a brand new, true the manga anime version that completes the entire story. I know it'll never happen, but man I'd love it so much if it did.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
aquadon1963



Joined: 22 Jan 2013
Posts: 80
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 7:49 pm Reply with quote
This might be slightly off topic but is there any way to find out the size of production run for this or any series?
I'd like to wait till price drops a bit on Fruits Basket SSAE blu-ray Box and a sale combination ..but also don't want to miss out on the LE Box. I like Funi's LE boxes they fit a 2 cour show ( 1/2 the time ) and they're simple with MAX ANIME MINUTES .... they fit neat and clean on my shelf and are big enough to read easily ....Thanks funi
Im not much for the crazy shape Sentai collectors/ or huge 1 cour Premium editions
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
meruru



Joined: 16 Jun 2009
Posts: 470
PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 7:59 pm Reply with quote
Oh, Fruits Basket. I prefer the anime, which is a whacky rom-com. Though most of the anime from what I remember follows the manga, the manga is never quite as humorous in tone and diverges from being funny at all later, becoming more of a drama. I had a fridge moment while reading the manga that spoiler[the Sohmas are pretty much a literal cult in the manga. How the entire family, especially the juunishi, are purposefully kept very isolated from the world, horrifically abused, and taught this is normal. Not exactly cute like the anime. ]
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group