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Plot Synopsis

Honda Tohru is may be the unluckiest high school girl ever. Not only she had to face her mother's death alone, she now have to live alone and better still, has no place to live. Desperate, she tried to live in a small tent on a portion of seemingly un-owned land. However, bad luck was still on her side, as a landslide actually buried her new home and all her belongings. The Souma family, who was actually the owner of that piece of land discovered her and after listening to her story they kindly took her in and gave her a temporary place to stay in their house. Tohru, in turn, was expected to help the three Souma boys with their household chores such as cleaning, washing the laundry, and cooking. Tohru considered herself to be lucky to actually be allowed to stay in the same house as the 'prince' of her highschool.

It was all looking good til the time that one (un)fortunate incident revealed their true selves to the clueless and ever so dim-witted Tohru. Though shocked and surprised, Tohru decided to keep their secrets with her to her death. However, will the Souma family approved of an outsider knowing their deepest darkest secret? And how will this secret change Tohru's life? Was her meeting with the Soumas a fortunate encounter, or maybe it was the exact opposite?

Synopsis by: Tareren

Story & Characters

At first glance Furuba is just another Shoujo manga with nothing different to it; the average, beautiful, kind girl getting all the pretty boys. Okay so it really is that, however there's a special touch to the way the series develops itself and how you watch each character grow and interact with each other as the story progresses.

The story starts with Tohru Honda, your as average-as-you-can-get japanese girl who has lost her mother in an accident and was living alone in a tent in the Sohma's property. Of course she wasn't aware of that until they told her, to her surpirse they take her in in exchange for her doing all the housework (it was her who suggested not staying in the house 'for free'). It's when she's there that she discovers the family's biggest secret... The family has been cursed by the vengeful spirits of the Chinese Zodiac animals and when they are hugged by a member of the opposite sex they transform into the animal they were cursed by. When Tohru comes in their life they all learn to open up their heart more and realize that not all the people in the worlds are bad; this girl affects each one of them in a unique way.

It's a beautiful Anime with heart-touching subjects, there is much you can learn from it and definitely worth buying if the chance should present. There is just about everything in this series:bishonen, angst, drama,comedy, romance, shounen-ai hints and a light-hearted, kind bishojo showing us the way.

Rating

10 (excellent)

Art

The character designs are beautiful and would characterize everyone in the series a bishonen and bishojo. The colors of the hairs and eyes of the Sohma Family match with the animal they were cursed by and it gives each one of them a unique touch.

Tohru's design is supposed to be as average as possible since she represents a normal japanese girl.

There's is also a 'big abuse' of Super-Deformed characters (Ex. Chibi form) but it just serves to highlight the emotion they are expressing and make the show even more funny.

Rating

9 (very good)

Sound

The music is simply beautiful, although the 26-episode long series only has one opening(For Fruits Basket) and one ending (Chiisana Inori) (both performed by Ritsuko Okazaki) it serves it's purpose leaving you with a serene calm sensation!

The soundtrack used as background music is delicate and simple

However if you haven't watched the series and just purchase the soundtrack for the sheer pleasure of it you will be disappointed since it is nothing special by itself, you must see the anime first so you can relate each short song to a scene.

As far as the seiyuu's gone they all seemed to fir their character perfectly. Tohru's voice was Yui Horie who also voiced for Love Hina's Narusegawa Naru. Her sweet, sharp voice goes in tune with Tohru's personality perfectly.

Rating

8 (good)

Presentation

You won't find a boring episode in this series. Each one develops and focuses's on a character's situation. Although the series was cut short abruptly and much ends were left untied (the manga is still running) seeing by itself will leave you satisfied (if not with a small crave for the continuity of it).

As mentioned before there's much you can learn from this anime since it deals with how we must see our own beauty and not be jealous of other's (among other important themes). Also each character's personality give the episodes a special touch since there are a lot of different personalities that you may relate to. You have everything from the boy hidden behind the smile to the cynical , low self-esteemed girly boy.

Although there may be too many characters for you to keep track off (13 'main characters') you definitely won't feel like that is one too many.

The humor is apt for all ages and will have anyone from 6 to 60 laughing until their stomachs hurt! however there's also a few dark touches to it and the 'realism' of the feelings that each character have is impressive (putting aside the impossiblity of the story it self) and will not picture them as perfect.

Most of the characters are scarred mentally and hurt so they are afraid to open up or have found their own 'specia' ways to deal with their pain. However it's amusing to see how a girl like Tohru can get them to open up and the experience is definitely worth a while.

Rating

9 (very good)

Final Verdict

9.17 (very good)

Reviewed by coppelia, 3y 37wk ago