UNLUCKY MANSION

Fruits Basket was the first anime I watched at the ripe age of 11/12 back when it was still on Netflix, which had to be part of the reason why I was so captivated by it. Oh the nostalgia factor of 2001 Furuba…its ost, older animation, and english dub and all. I find I still have a vivid mental image of certain scenes like of Shigure laughing at Tohru with an arrow pointing at him in the first episode or of the various flashbacks Tohru has with her mom or of Tohru throwing up in the forest in the last episode lmao. So much of ‘01 ver’s charm comes from its ost. The easy, dream-like soundtracks function quite well for my own nostalgia, but also for the characters reflecting their own pasts, joys and tragedies and all, everything happening simply, but unfathomably. The lighter tracks promise a better future…even if a lot of the cast can’t quite imagine what that looks like, they can still gain strength from the small, pleasant moments found in their daily life.

I guess what compelled me the first time was that despite the scale of tragedy the characters faced, the genre was still undoubtedly slice of life so the main trio had to go through motions of school life with the rest of the cast popping up here and there. That doesn’t make them well-adjusted to normal life though and that’s what made being introduced to the cast, having first impressions, then learning about them fun. Ensemble casts my beloved. Being into something long enough is always amusing because how you interact with it changes too, so I’ll be referring to a child me’s feelings and then my own now. Child me was very much swept up with the drama that associated the main cast and the circumstances of the curse. I liked Kyo in the typical angsty Shoujo boy fashion and I liked Tohru because she was Tohru. I remember being so sad about Hatori and Momiji's tragic backstories. I liked seeing the tension and moves played out between certain members of the cast.

It was when I reread Furuba/watched the reboot in 2019/2020 when I really understood the heaviness of the story. Our main cast was essentially bound to stay with their abuser forever, within an inner clan that upholds several oppressive structures. The curse, stemming from a lighthearted tale of of god inviting the zodiac animals to the banquet so they wouldn't be lonely, becomes harrowing in real life. There's a truth here: for many families, abuse is painful, but the lack of support from being alone is even worse. It's fascinating seeing the various tragedies and forms abuse can take within a larger clan structure, but also among smaller family units especially considering the reality that some do indeed have it better than others. Ultimately, each zodiac member finds a different way to live. We, alongside Tohru, get to parse through their different viewpoints and dynamics with each other.

I have a greater appreciation and fondness for the main trio of characters. It's hardly easy to live. Not for Yuki who has had his past stripped away from him or Kyo who has his future barred away or for Tohru whose circumstances make the ownership of her own past and future blurry. And yet, as the days and seasons slowly pass by, they are able to confront the truth of their situations, their identities and the life ahead of them.

I think Tohru is a character that can rub the wrong way for many and I get that (she's an emotional Nice Girl who can get pushed around and is perhaps not minding her business). It doesn't help that her main point of growth as a character is like. hey maybe she should take care of herself and not work too much. It's something I've seen several times with female characters and it's just...a bit boring if not made better with depth. Tohru is a character that I think I caught at the right time. Just a bit later and I might have even disliked her. I think criticisms of her can be really valid, but my affection for is a decent part of why I like the series so I'm talking about it here. Tohru's relationship with her girl best friends (Arisa and Hanajima) do so so much for her. I love their friendship together and I love that it cements all three of them, including Tohru, as being weird as hell. The nice girl-creepy girl-rough around the edges girl...they were kinda the blueprint! Making some of her closest relationships with women keeps her from being like...girl who primarily emotionally supports men. Her backstory with them are a highlight for me and it helps characterize her as someone who helps other people because she doesn't want to be alone. There's a desperation there and I truly think the emptiness of Tohru's life can be felt throughout the story. Tohru is not someone who just gives. She's not even someone who really really saves any of the Sohmas either. The save themselves. I enjoy her as a character that presents the value in having a supportive figure. Sounds simple, but after witnessing an industry dedicated towards self-growth and self-help from an individualistic standpoint...at some point! you have to admit people can only grow with the support of others! There's a reason things started changing for the Sohma family after Tohru came in. The simple acts that let another person know you support them and are on their side can be radically life-changing.

And that's a lot of what Fruits Basket is. Characters coming to understand and support each other in their daily lives and suddenly, getting from point A to point B...getting closer to the life you want for yourself...is a little less impossible in such a harsh environment.

I still find it very interesting how certain character stories do or don't appeal to me as much now as I'm older. Certain characters like Hatori and Momiji were still enjoyable, but the kind of melodrama offered from a lover or a mother whose memories were wiped appealed more to a younger me...Now, I find myself really enjoying characters like Yuki (who is my favorite character in the series and of all time to be honest), Kakeru and Machi, Kagura, Rin etc. These are characters that were only in my grasp after accumulating life experience I guess. Yuki's journey is really emblematic of what I like about Fruits Basket as a whole. His character development is easily the best the series has to offer. I could speak a lot on his character alone, but maybe that's better left in a separate post somewhere else on this site. Regarding romantic relationships, I liked Kyo and Tohru in the truer? sense back then. Now, they are (said affectionately) cringe straights that uhh have their moments but they're cute overall I suppose LOL. Yuki and Machi were cute then and they're still cute now. I just think Yuki reads as gay now. I guess, basically, a part of what makes Fruits Basket feel special-er is that it's a story I interact with differently each read.

Fruits Basket's highs are high and lows are low. I can't not acknowledge its flaws. It's reflective of the time period it was made in and it's a shame that it has to feature some tasteless jokes and relationships and be really painfully heteronormative. Nonetheless, I think there's some real heart to its themes about abuse and living a better life. Its cast of strong personalities continues to charm me.