Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Fruits Basket
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Vikkio92
 Posts: 30 |
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I don't know the original (manga and anime) and I'm still not completely sure about the central theme / point of this show (it feels like there's more at play than the love triangle, but the anime hasn't shown much of its hand yet), but I must say I am loving it.
In less than a season, Tohru has become one of my favourite characters of all times. She is sweet and kind in a way that feels natural and real, and you just want her to be happy and loved. Kyo and Yuki are both extremely compelling characters, and even though Kyo is probably more likeable on first impression as he comes across as more human than Prince of Perfection Yuki, you quickly come to realise Yuki is also fighting his own battles. It is heartwarming to see how both of them are focused on their love for Tohru, rather than on one-upping each other in order to win her over. Even better, it feels like her love for them and their love for her is bringing the two of them closer together. Honestly, it's almost a shame this is a traditional shoujo, because all 3 of them deserve to be happy and they would be perfect in a poly relationship. |
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Spastic Minnow
 Bargain HunterExempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4609 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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But that would kinda be a harem ending. And that brings its own problems. Just be reassured it's not a 1-choice harem ending. By which I mean the main character chooses a partner but all the others in the harem can't move on and are still fixated on the main character. Without spoiling too much, I'd say a major theme of Fruits Basket is "Moving On." |
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jr240483
 Posts: 4374 Location: New York City,New York,USA |
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it would be ashame if the reviews end like that! i mean its not as bad conpared to GARO CRIMSON MOON which got dropped after 12 eps!
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
 Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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Don't worry! I'm working hard to catch up on those reviews today and tomorrow. Sorry I've gotten so behind. |
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Alexis.Anagram
 Posts: 278 Location: Mishopshno |
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Thanks for working on these reviews, Jacob; it's nice to see you're back at it.
I've gotta say I'm really happy with every episode of this adaptation since the New Years chapter (of which I'm in agreement with Jacob as being a weaker showing overall). The comedic timing is still generally less precise than the original anime, a deficiency which was felt with the most recent episode, but with the expansion of the ensemble it seems like things are settling into a good groove. The White Day/Hot Springs episode in particular exceeded all expectations; they took what might have felt like something of a filler episode (the way it more or less did in the 2002 anime, complete with actual filler) and turned out something super tight and focused, with strong development for Yuki and a stunning, gorgeous rendition of Momiji's Story Time. Actually, I've come to feel a stronger sense of attachment to Yuki than I was altogether prepared for-- there's something about the blackness of his personal history that seems especially pronounced and well articulated within this adaptation's approach, and it's got me rooting all over again for him to keep reaching for the light. So here's to hoping they keep doing what they're doing. The next one's gonna be so much fun. <3
First of all, it's so exciting to see more people picking up the series thanks to this reboot. Mission success! As to this point, I am totally onboard with poly romance and there are a lot of anime/TV & movies in general that could benefit from taking this route to resolve needless jealousy and amorous angst, but I think as these three protagonists become more defined it should become clear why this approach wouldn't work for them as characters. All of them need something from one another, and have something to offer to one another as well, but it's not necessarily the same thing for any of them. |
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Kirki
Posts: 296 |
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Either in this adaptation or the previous one, I still don't seem to be able to come to like Yuki. It's not like I actively dislike him, but something about him rubs me the wrong way. Kyo makes for a much more interesting and sympathetic protagonist to watch. Maybe it's because he can be way funnier at times. Tohru is as always an absolutely perfect angel that graced this unworthy world and even her flaws seem to be there just to make her more endearing. She's pretty likeable, not irritating or anything like that, but she never felt even remotely relatable as a character to me. It always felt like she was the deus ex machina, falling in the lives of the boys and healing them with her vast perfection of her kindness. Good message, nice to watch, but it can get really cheesy sometimes.
So far, it's mainly Kyo's charisma and the mystery surrounding Akito and Shigure that make the show for me. The rest has yet to manage to move me in any way. |
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thebond&thecurse
Posts: 24 |
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It seems like such a dangerous game to ask "speculative" questions about a series when you already know all the answers
 Nevertheless, these reviews are still fun.
spoiler[but less than a year before the start of the series is Kyo's early childhood?] Episode 10 was the episode I was most looking forward to for the beginning of this reboot and I think through it we can see that when the series gets the heart of what was left out of the first adaptation that is where it really shines. Ep. 12 convinced me of that even more so. |
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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Kyo isn't flashing back to spoiler[Kyoko's death in that nightmare, he's flashing back to his own mother's death. This sort of thing just keeps happening to him!] |
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thebond&thecurse
Posts: 24 |
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Um, do you mind explaining to me why you think so? spoiler[In the manga, it's a flashback to Kyoko's death. It's the same outstretched image of her arm as we see later on in other flashbacks of her death. In the anime now, it clearly shows his adult hand reaching out, as he did before he 'hesitated', towards Kyoko's back (the short hair - his mom had long hair -, purse on her shoulder, skyscraper as they're at a crosswalk on a city street), then his eye with the image of a car coming on (his mother killed herself by jumping in front of a train - it's fuzzy here but it definitely looks more like a car), and then the purse flying through the air with blood and the skyscrapers again.][/spoiler] |
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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Hey gang, I just want to issue a formal apology for the lateness of these reviews. Please know that we are taking the situation seriously, and I don't intend to keep making the publication of this series so unstable. Coverage will be caught up fully by this Friday, and if I'm unable to review new episodes going forward in a timely fashion, coverage will pass to Lynzee Loveridge so that reviews won't lapse in the future for this beloved series. I'm sorry again for falling behind so frequently.
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KitKat1721
 Posts: 953 |
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Glad to see some more reviews pop up this morning!
Episode 11: The Foolish Traveler tale is an interesting one. I feel like there's a lot to think about there (I loved how colorful it was though)!. About how being too selfless can be really destructive, how it wasn't so much that her kindness was idiotic, but the world taking advantage of it to that extreme was cruel, etc... And I agree, Yuki's storybook romantic gestures do just feel even more swoon-worthy when the art is so lovely. Episode 12: I really loved this episode as another example of how Fruits Basket blends its comedy and drama. I love Hatsuharu's little rant about uniform choices (where was he during my private school uniform-wearing days?). Although Tohru is what, 16 years old? Her just not getting the joke was kind of pushing it on the oblivious-ness there. I guess she more than made up for it later on by standing up to Akito and helping Yuki. Speaking of, Yuki (and Kyo's) expressiveness has been on point so far, more so than I remember in the original anime or manga (at this point in its run at least). Episode 13: I'm still fine with the more downplayed comedy (and I can't say I miss Ayame's bagpipe musical theme from the original) because I think overall it will serve the story better, but I agree, this episode probably could have been a bit more over-the-top just to match Ayame's over-the-top design and voice(s). |
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murdock_tm
Posts: 22 |
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I'm firmly of the belief that life happens, and it's obvious from the three reviews posted today that a lot of deep thought was put into the review per episode. It's unfortunate that you fell behind, but "life happens". (PS I appreciate all reviews as they happen, even if they are slightly behind the times for series airing. A lot goes into making a 1000 word review.) |
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KitKat1721
Posts: 953 |
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Just wanted to echo this here. Each episode review was very in depth (especially Ep. 12, at least to me personally), and its clear a lot of time went into them. Life happens, and that takes precedence. |
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SNaGem
Posts: 41 |
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Why on earth are the user review scores so low...?
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Merida
 Posts: 1945 |
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Those scores have been a joke for a while now... Glad Jacob is going to continue the reviews for this show, they give me a lot of additional insight! As for these episodes, there can never be enough Aya-chan and Momiji needs to be protected at any and all costs! |
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