What is this “Fruit basket series” all about??
The series tells us about the story of Tohru Honda, an orphan girl who after meeting Yuki, Kyo , Shigure Soma, learns that thirteen members of the Soma family are possessed by the animals of the Chinese zodiac and cursed to turn into their animal forms when they embrace someone of the opposite sexor their bodies come under a great deal of stress. As series progresses, Tohru meets the rest of the zodiac and family’s mysterious head, Akito Soma and eventually resolves to break the curse that burdens them. Its an interesting part of the fruit basket series ,where tohru meets number of companions, enemies , new people , and how situations and relationships unfold each time and rather how things are entangled within itself.
Introduction to the main female protagonist character from where the series begins (Tohru Family and Friends)
Tohru Honda: being the main character is an orphanage high school student who begins to live with Shigure , Yuki and Kyo Soma in exchange of housekeeping .She is an excellent cook and also works as an office janitor to pay her tuition fees . She is extremely polite , Kind and optimistic in nature .She has an peculiar habit derived from her father Katsuya , who dies due to pneumonia during a business trip .Tohru’s mother has raised her as a single mom, who also later dies in a car accident.Tohru is deeply fond of the memories of her mother , which she has photographed and always remembers the emotional sayings by her.Tohru is the main key chain breaker of the curse
Ariso Uotani : Ariso Uotani is one of the closest friends of Tohru Honda. He is depicted as tough , brash and violent . She carries like a manly voice and in appearance wears long skirts and sometimes carries a lead pipe. She is competitive in spirit and always fights with Kyo and bickers . She has an troubled past(Father alcoholic and mother left him for another man).She s joined a girl gang and had been idolizing Kyoko since her gang days .she is the protection protagonist of Tohru in this anime manga series.
Saki Hanajima:Tohru calls her ” Hana ” and her manga symbol is small flower , she is one of Tohru Honda closest friends . She has the ability to sense people waves and also send electric waves . She has been depicted as perceptive. she is also very protective of tohru like Arisa.
Katsuya Honda:Katsuya is the deceased father of Tohru Honda and husband of Kyoko Honda. He appears only in maga series in flashbacks in some parts .Katsuya habitually speaks formally ” which is away of distancing”a habit which his child tohru inherited later as shown in the manga series.He meets Kyoko as a student teacher during their initial education days, where kyoko is shown as an flamboyant nature and eventually how she gradually changes when she meets Katsuya later and then marries him.
Kyoko Honda: Katsunama is the deceased mother of Tohru Honda, appearing in flashbacks and photographs treasured by tohru . Kyoko has been the leader of female gang named ” Red Butterfly Suicide Squad”.Later in the series it shown that she tells Kyo Soma, that she has been rejected by her parents and falls in love with Katsuya Honda and gets married with him, and later has a child named Tohru. She goes through tough and difficult situations in life and also gets deeply affected and devastated by her husband’s sudden death. Becoz of her past experiences in life she raises tohru to believe that everyone needs to feel needed .She has been the most important part of Tohru , later she dies in car accident where Kyo is present but could not save her and she gives him a curse while dying that she will never forgive her
The cursed members in the Fruit basket manga anime series- The Soma Family
1) Akito Soma:-The head of the family and very frail .she is revealed the female in manga.she is often sick and runs fevers. Akito depicted as a short tempered , abusive and physically and emotionally scarred by many Somas.Akito is shown that not possessed by spirit of Chinese Zodiac, but rather fulfills the role of jade emperor.she describes herself as “God of Zodiac” , who controls the zodiac and master of souls.Akito is biologically male , but has been raised as a boy by her mother Ren as her mother is ashamed of giving birth to girl child who was god to zodiac and receiving more attention from her husband Akira.
2) Yuki Soma:-The Rat of Chinese Zodiac and younger brother of Ayame .Yuki is depicted as an attractive b, reserved and accomplished young man with many admirers, but finds difficult to be friendly with people .His mother had given control to Akito Soma, who keeps him seperate dfrom rest of the zodiac somas
3) Kyu Soma:-Kyu is cursed by the cat an animal not in the Chinese zodiac.It is the powerful force in the story of fruit basket. Kyo is depicted as an orange -haired young man who is short tem[pered and charismatic and he is also fiercely competitive and can be easily manipulated into doing things he does not want to by turning into competition .Kyo pushes away the people who wants to help him , as he is ashamed of his cat’s true form a Grote Sque, a foul smelling monster
4) Shigure Soma : – The dog of the chinese zodiac and owner of the house where he Tohru , Yuki and Kyo live.He is shown writer who publishes literary novels under his own name and traphy romances under pen names .he has been described as an problem child and depicted lazy and dirty minded seeming to take seriously nothing in his life.
5) Kagura Soma :- Is the Boar of the Chinese Zodiac , and is depicted as a girlish young woman with great and strengthen impulsive behavior which is associated with those born in her zodiac year .She is the kind of older sister type who wants or always ready to help.Kagura is the only female membered not injured by Akito.
6) Momijo Soma :- Is the Rabbit of Chinese Zodiac and her father being one of the richest members of the Soma Family is Japanese and mother -German. Momijo is depicted as cute , cheerful androgynous boy who hides a sad family behind his sunny demeanor .He is the most comfortable character of the Soma’s with his spirit possession.He was fond of Tohru and even defies Akito to protect her .
7) Hatori Soma:-Is the Dragon of the chinese zodiac. he is the private doctor to Soma family and is responsible for suppressing memories(using a form of hypnosis that is handed in his line of the family) .He is depicted as a Tall, somber man and the only man who can restrain Ayame’s worst behavior and only person Shigure trusts enough to talk .Hatori takes his duties seriously towards Soma family.
8)Hatsuharu Soma:- Is the Oxe of the Chinese zodiac.Haru as famously called is depicted as having Yin and Yang personality which mirrors the Ox’s traditional personality characteristics in the zodiac .He has reputation in the family for being somewhat stupid .He is protective of those he cares about and has an pinche to bee to nice to everybody for his own good
9) Ayame Soma:-Is the Snake of the Chinese zodiac and Yuki’s older brother .He is depicted as vivacious , flamboyanat , self confident and self centred in nature.he has been described as a draining person to meet in real life .Ayame runs a shop named after himself and runs and sells custome made romantic costumes .As snake , ayame is susceptible to cold.
10) Kisa Soma:- Is the tiger of the chinese zodiac and she is depicted as a cute but very shy and withdrawn girl in the series , and has been the second most beautiful girl in anime series Fruit Basket .Kisa is an fan of fiction anime series Mogeto.
11)Hiro Soma:-Is the ram or sheep of chinese zodiac , and loves kisa more than anything else.He tends to criticise people that seems older than really he is, but frequently regrets what he says to nothers when he is made aware of how insenmsitive his remarks can be , His mother being one of the most comfortable with his transformation when being spirit possessed.
12) Ritsu Soma:- Is the monkey of Chinese Zodiac and is depicted as a beautiful , but unstable young man with very low self esteem and has a tendency to overreact.He apologizes frantically for everything , even when things that are not his fault.Ritsu is blessed with fast and an extremely agile body , he is able to react quickly and climb high grounds easily .
13)Isuzu Soma:- Is the Horse of Chinese Zodiac.She is tall and initially has hip -length dark hair often called as “Rin”.Fans of this series described her as character of sexiness.She has been depicted as an stubborn, independent to the point that she cannot stand being dependent on someone else , she is sharp tongued but very well concerned about others
14)Kureno Soma:-Is the former Rooster of Chinese Zodiac, he did not like other to see his animal form which was sparrow instead of Rooster. He is depicted as selfless ,polite just like Tohru. he is probably the most lonely of those affected by cure becoz of his isolation.
Other Characters of Fruit basket-The student Council and other Characters:-
1) Machi Kuragi -The student council treasurer during Yuki’s presidency .she is Hatsuharu and Momiji’s classmate and kakeru’s half sister.She an amiguos disorder (where she ruins things when they r too perfect either methodically or in fit of violence , it happens mainly becoz of the stress she accumulated by her parents always pushed her to extent .She doesn’t interact apart from her half brother.
2)Kakeru Manabe:-Vice President of the student council during Yuki’s presidency. He is Machi’s half -brother.he is headstrong approach
3)Kimi Todou :- One of the student council secretaries during Yuki ‘s presidency.She is an attention whore and an brainless beauty
4)Nachito sakurangi:-One of the student council secretaries during yuki’s presidency .he considers Yuki as his rival, as he crushes on the president of yuki’s fanclub Matoko Minagawa
5) Makoto Takei– Former Student Council president
General characters:-Minami , Mio and Mia, Rika also appear in the anime series and all of them have big crush on Yuki
School Staff:-Mayuko Shiraki, the homeroom teacher of Tohru, Arisa, yuki, saki
Other Characters (Subbordiante Characters to main caracters):-
1) Komaki nakoa:- Kakeru’s girlfriend
2) Mini Kuramae:-A Chlothing designer who works in ayame’s store
3)Mitsuru:-Shigure’s editor
4)Tohru’s paternal grandfather:-
5)Mr Uotani- Arisa’s Father and a recovering alcoholic
6) mr and Mrs hanajima:-Sakis parents
7) Mr and Mrs katsuname -Kyoko’s parents who were callous and unloving to the point that they disowned kyoko
8) Sohma’s head amid:-An old retainer of the Soma Family and has been working with them for more than 20 years
9) Zodiac God (spoilers) -Once upon a time , there was a very lonely man who became friends with thirteen animals who regarded him as a god . not warning to part with friend , the man cast a spell that would blind him and the animals in an everlasting bond throughout their next lives. this is the origin of the Soma family curse
What does Fruit basket series teach u about??
This series digs you into various shades of vivid characters and their traits each having unique persona as per their chinese zodiac. This extraordinary manga series as a simple message put forward to the viewers is to be kind to your opponents as well. It has also women as sheroes .Tohru being their main protagonist characters brings light to moral ethics like selflessness commitment , patience to deal in uncertain and cruel circumstances and how to deal with it consciously and unconsciously , which applies in our personal life too when we feel we ave lost hope or think negative and try to not face hardships.
Fruit Basket Manga Series Highlights –
This series focussess and highlights the interrogating problems faced by adolescents and providing responses to issues taht are just valid as films and novels.This series is captivating and has storytelkling which contains physocological believibility and sense of realness. The manga series Fruit Basket will look at how effectively can employ fantasy to represent issues facing adolsescents focussing on their interpersonal relationships
Fruit basket Season 2 –
In the final moments season 1 viewers were introduced to character who never appeared in the first anime:Rin the Horse. She is going to play significant role in season 2 , which will also introduce the missing zodiac member , Kureno the rooster . half siblings kakeru manabe and Manachei kurabe whos erve under Yuki’s student council will also make their anime debut.Beyond just meeting new characters , expect to learn a whole lot more about the sohma curse.In the season 2 things are going to get dark , more intense which will further distinguish this new anime from earlier comedic bentof 2001.Season 2 released on 7th april 2020
