2nd out of 578 books
—
1,805 voters
Fruits Basket, Vol. 1 (Fruits Basket #1)
A family with an ancient curse...
And the girl who will change their lives forever...
Tohru Honda was an orphan with no place to go until the mysterious Sohma family offered her a place to call home. Now her ordinary high school life is turned upside down as she's introduced to the Sohma's world of magical curses and family secrets.
And the girl who will change their lives forever...
Tohru Honda was an orphan with no place to go until the mysterious Sohma family offered her a place to call home. Now her ordinary high school life is turned upside down as she's introduced to the Sohma's world of magical curses and family secrets.
Paperback, 211 pages
Published
February 10th 2004
by TokyoPop
(first published January 1st 1999)
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The F Twins gave this one 5 stars!
My little sister gave it 5 stars too!
Noran dropped another 5 star on it also!
Why I don’t like it then!!!? WHY!!!!? This don’t make sense!!! It even has cats! Well one cat! And some of the characters remind me of goodreaders! like Tohru at the beginning living in her tent… in the woods! That’s totally K.I. Hope!!! She is all sad… because she lives in the woods! Then there are the side “random blah blah blah” that sounds just like Sam “Black Velvet”* I swear! And...more
My little sister gave it 5 stars too!
Noran dropped another 5 star on it also!
Why I don’t like it then!!!? WHY!!!!? This don’t make sense!!! It even has cats! Well one cat! And some of the characters remind me of goodreaders! like Tohru at the beginning living in her tent… in the woods! That’s totally K.I. Hope!!! She is all sad… because she lives in the woods! Then there are the side “random blah blah blah” that sounds just like Sam “Black Velvet”* I swear! And...more
I started reading this series when I heard about it on NPR. The radio piece was about librarians at Comicon who were stocking up on manga for young and old readers. I have always avoided manga because it makes me think of weird homely girls and pornography. I read all 20 of the graphic novels in this series in about 2 days, then sped through book 21 when it was later released. This is "shojo" manga (geared more toward girls in that it deals more with character development and relationships than...more
Catherine's Response:
I was intrigued to begin this series after reading that it was one of the most popular manga series in Japan. It did not strike me as a story trying to portray deeper meaning, but was light and frothy with plenty of action. Although a bit too melodramatic at times, Tohru’s eternally optimistic character is loveable and I found myself rooting for her and the socially awkward, Kyo. The first installment alludes to a future love triangle. I appreciated the new spin on the Chin...more
I was intrigued to begin this series after reading that it was one of the most popular manga series in Japan. It did not strike me as a story trying to portray deeper meaning, but was light and frothy with plenty of action. Although a bit too melodramatic at times, Tohru’s eternally optimistic character is loveable and I found myself rooting for her and the socially awkward, Kyo. The first installment alludes to a future love triangle. I appreciated the new spin on the Chin...more
Spoilers
This is the second manga I've read, the first being Deathnote. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Deathnote but it was still pretty brilliant.
I found the premise a little odd but not in a bad way. The heroine, Tohru, lives in a tent (her mum died and her granddad sort of threw her out)… She doesn't want to be a burden on anyone so she works hard supporting herself and keeps all her misery to herself. Yes, she's a huge Mary Sue. Anyway, Tohru finds out that her tent is on Sohma grounds…...more
This is the second manga I've read, the first being Deathnote. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Deathnote but it was still pretty brilliant.
I found the premise a little odd but not in a bad way. The heroine, Tohru, lives in a tent (her mum died and her granddad sort of threw her out)… She doesn't want to be a burden on anyone so she works hard supporting herself and keeps all her misery to herself. Yes, she's a huge Mary Sue. Anyway, Tohru finds out that her tent is on Sohma grounds…...more
Fruits Basket was the first manga I ever read. This being said, I am probably somewhat biased in my views of it which you may want to keep in mind as you read the following.
Plot
10/10
The plot may not be as complex as several other outstanding manga I have read but the slow development and amazing characters make up for any lag that I felt when reading. The premise in itself is creative and allows for several humorous situations, as well as dramatic and emotion provoking scenes. I love how the wh...more
Plot
10/10
The plot may not be as complex as several other outstanding manga I have read but the slow development and amazing characters make up for any lag that I felt when reading. The premise in itself is creative and allows for several humorous situations, as well as dramatic and emotion provoking scenes. I love how the wh...more
By most people's standards, this graphic novel series is a trashy romance. And in some ways, it certainly is. HOWEVER:
The artwork, in classic manga style, is beautiful.
It's got a different sort of melodrama to most Western stuff-- it's somehow more direct...? But if you can embrace the 'corny', the romance and the sadness and the happiness can be the sort of intense that has you stopping to cry violently before continuing. In a GOOD way.
The thing about this novel, and the series in general, is t...more
The artwork, in classic manga style, is beautiful.
It's got a different sort of melodrama to most Western stuff-- it's somehow more direct...? But if you can embrace the 'corny', the romance and the sadness and the happiness can be the sort of intense that has you stopping to cry violently before continuing. In a GOOD way.
The thing about this novel, and the series in general, is t...more
One of my friends introduced me to the world of manga, and this story in particular. (And I'm so thankful that I cannot express it in words, only sounds that would more than likely scare people.)
If you're even wondering about this, I suggest you let your mind wonder and wander until you finally give in. If this doesn't change your life, I'll judge you harshly. Ha.
(No, but really...)
I'm rereading this series for the third time, and I love it just as much as the first. As far as mangas go (and sto...more
If you're even wondering about this, I suggest you let your mind wonder and wander until you finally give in. If this doesn't change your life, I'll judge you harshly. Ha.
(No, but really...)
I'm rereading this series for the third time, and I love it just as much as the first. As far as mangas go (and sto...more
Fruits Basket is a manga series about a teenage girl, Tohru Honda, who is struggling against ridiculous odds. Living in a tent and working impossible hours to make ends meet, Honda misses her dead mother, but persists in living life in an irrepressibly optimistic way. Soon, she finds herself unexpectedly living at the home of Yuki, the high school "prince" (meaning he's the drop-dead-gorgeous-yet-mysteriously-shy type), and his two cousins Shigure and hot-tempered Kyo. It quickly becomes evident...more
Fruits Basket is the story of Tohru Honda, an orphaned Japanese school girl who discovers the family secret of a couple of her classmates, Kyo and Yuki Sohma. As readers, we learn that the Sohma family transforms into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. This curse, naturally or unnaturally, bonds the family members together and dictates the structures of their lives. The themes of family and familial bonding are strong which fit in with what I know about the Japanese culture.
This was my first exp...more
This was my first exp...more
This whole series is absolutely amazing. It's hard to even explain it, because it's worth so much more than my simple words can say, so just listen: this is honestly an outstanding series!. The title and description of the series makes it seem very cheesy and kind of weird, but honestly the storyline is so much deeper than the life of kids who turn into animals. This series is twisted and dark in so many ways, yet is also fairly comedic and romantic. It's very psychological and has so much meani...more
The best shoujo manga ever!
Saya punya anime nya di laptop komplit dua puluh enam episode. Suka sekali dengan theme song pembuka dan penutupnya.
Honda tohru, seorang yatim piatu yang terpaksa harus mandiri setelah ditinggal ibunya wafat dan kediaman kakeknya direnovasi sehingga tohru disuruh menginap di rumah teman. Tohru justru tinggal di tenda di hutan. Aneh memang, tapi tohru yang naif polos dan lugu menurut saya wajar. Orang jepan tahu kok caranya membuat cerita terasa natural, karakter yang k...more
Saya punya anime nya di laptop komplit dua puluh enam episode. Suka sekali dengan theme song pembuka dan penutupnya.
Honda tohru, seorang yatim piatu yang terpaksa harus mandiri setelah ditinggal ibunya wafat dan kediaman kakeknya direnovasi sehingga tohru disuruh menginap di rumah teman. Tohru justru tinggal di tenda di hutan. Aneh memang, tapi tohru yang naif polos dan lugu menurut saya wajar. Orang jepan tahu kok caranya membuat cerita terasa natural, karakter yang k...more
I've always been fond of manga. I enjoy the style and the broad range of subjects that manga authors address. Fruits Basket is a favorite. It's a great series, though it starts out leaning heavily on comedy and transitions to much darker topics. The series as a whole is a about the healing of a very damaged family through their interactions with a young girl named Tohru. She's one of those rare characters who makes you want to be a better person. She sees the good qualities in everyone she meets...more
I don't care who you are, male or female, whatever age, into manga or not, this series is WELL worth the read. My favorite manga of all time, untouchable, I cannot even begin to explain the magic of these books. The characters are the most lovable and relatable I have ever EVER come across. The depth of their individual personalities cannot even begin to be described in words. Natsuki Takaya created a world so believable despite its unrealistic and comedic foundation, I'm nearly convinced that i...more
Aug 16, 2012
Kayla
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Lots and lots of people
Recommended to Kayla by:
Cousin Kiko
I won't review every single volume in the series--I don't think I have the time for that. :)
Fruits Basket is the story of Tohru, an orphaned but optimistic and hardworking girl who was living in a tent while her grandfather prepared a place in his home for her. One day as she walks to school, she stumbles upon Yuki Sohma, the most popular boy in her school. Yuki and his cousin, Shigure, live in the woods near Tohru's tent. Tohru of course doesn't want to be found trespassing on their property, b...more
Fruits Basket is the story of Tohru, an orphaned but optimistic and hardworking girl who was living in a tent while her grandfather prepared a place in his home for her. One day as she walks to school, she stumbles upon Yuki Sohma, the most popular boy in her school. Yuki and his cousin, Shigure, live in the woods near Tohru's tent. Tohru of course doesn't want to be found trespassing on their property, b...more
Jun 21, 2012
Monica!
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Monica! by:
Jesse *Countess of Cocoa* Aphridion
Goddammit, I am not smart enough to handle these right-to-left mangas.
It just does not compute for my poor brain, conditioned on years of trashy scifi and also comics featuring Batman.
Reading this took me probably six times longer than the page length would normally require, because I had to keep pausing and saying, “Wait, what?” at which point I’d realize I’d scanned the page backwards.
It’s going to be a long eighteen-thousand volumes, or however many there are in this series.
But anyway! Back...more
It just does not compute for my poor brain, conditioned on years of trashy scifi and also comics featuring Batman.
Reading this took me probably six times longer than the page length would normally require, because I had to keep pausing and saying, “Wait, what?” at which point I’d realize I’d scanned the page backwards.
It’s going to be a long eighteen-thousand volumes, or however many there are in this series.
But anyway! Back...more
Mar 30, 2012
Gabrielle
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
younger girls, hardcore shoujo fans
Shelves:
manga
I liked this manga a lot when I was younger, but now that a few years have gone by this manga's flaws are much more visible: while they improve with each volume, the art is nothing otherwordly but serves the story well. The characters however start out being likable but become caricatures of themselves as the story progresses; the heroine in particular suffers from this and by the end of the series I personally thought she had crossed the line between "adorable space cadet" and "hopeless idiot"....more
I love Fruits Basket!~ After Death Note, it was the second manga I read. (Come to think of it... I really haven't read much manga. Since I'm churning through series--and a growing obsession with Japan and all things related--right now, this shall be fixed soon... ehehe.)
Unlike Death Note, though, I never actually finished this series. I got pretty far into it though, and I'm not exactly sure why I stopped reading it. (view spoiler)...more
Unlike Death Note, though, I never actually finished this series. I got pretty far into it though, and I'm not exactly sure why I stopped reading it. (view spoiler)...more
It may seem odd for some reading this to see that I find Fruits Basket charming. But I do! This first volume just pulls you in with a sweet charm that is rather unexpected. To be sure, as you read on, you will find this charm has a darkness to it, but that only makes it that much better!
As with all manga series, this first volume sets the stage and introduces the main characters. Easily my favorite character is Kyo. He’s the cat from the zodiac story and is as tragic as the animal he represents....more
As with all manga series, this first volume sets the stage and introduces the main characters. Easily my favorite character is Kyo. He’s the cat from the zodiac story and is as tragic as the animal he represents....more
Okay, this is a classic. Definitly a classic. For most people it may even be their first manga. It wasn't my first but i still loved it.
I have to be honest and say that although i loved this manga techiquelly it deserves three stars rather than four seeing as the plot didn't really build up until the last few volumes and how basically the first half of the series was based on introducing new characters.
But in the end, i just fell in love with each and every character. They were all so engaging...more
I have to be honest and say that although i loved this manga techiquelly it deserves three stars rather than four seeing as the plot didn't really build up until the last few volumes and how basically the first half of the series was based on introducing new characters.
But in the end, i just fell in love with each and every character. They were all so engaging...more
I don't know if I should actually be rating Fruits Basket. It's my first ever manga, so I don't really have the experience to judge this in the context of other manga. And I think that all the problems that I had with it were a result of me being a manga newbie. For example, is it normal for the authors of manga to spread little personal notes/bios throughout the text? It felt kind of jarring to me and would interrupt the narrative flow, but maybe that's what manga readers like.
There's definitel...more
There's definitel...more
Let me start my Fruits Basket review by saying that this is my first traditional manga read. Meaning that it reads from right to left. It took me a little while to get the hang of it but not so long that it took away from the story. Fruits Basket was very different from anything I have read recently. I say this because 1) I have never read about characters that are cursed in the way that the Sohmas are cursed. And 2) I have never read a character as optimistic as Tohru Honda. In all honesty she...more
Aug 22, 2011
Theresa ♫
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fellow humans who are on a hunt for shoujo manga
Shelves:
manga,
the-romantic-manga-shelf
I've read the entire series of Fruits Basket from Volume 1 to Volume 23, so I'll review the series in Volume One--just in case any of you are curious about what Fruits Basket is like.
Fruits Basket is ranked as one of my favorite shoujo mangas that I've ever read! It's amazingly amazing!
The story begins with a young, high school girl named Tohru Honda who lives in a tent in the woods because of the passing of her mother and her grandfather's house renovation. She is discovered by one of her class...more
Fruits Basket is ranked as one of my favorite shoujo mangas that I've ever read! It's amazingly amazing!
The story begins with a young, high school girl named Tohru Honda who lives in a tent in the woods because of the passing of her mother and her grandfather's house renovation. She is discovered by one of her class...more
i loved fruits basket!! i watched the anime before actually reading it, and i have to say, i love love loved it!!! the characters were all cute in there own way, the story was very well written and the entire layout made it too cute for words!! *^^* the anime was well done, it was very similar to the book. manga. thing... and even the music was perfect! i liked how in the book the author had little comments and such on the sides and even some of them were about totally different things (like my...more
Everything about this manga series is perfect. You'd be stupid not to read it. Heck, even if you don't like comic books or manga at all (which described me--I generally detested manga and comics before Fruits Basket) you just HAVE to read this series. I'd say it's a requirement for things to complete in your life.
Oh yeah, and it might seem a little boring because this is just the first one in a series of 23. However, it gets extremely well written after this one (keep in mind this book just "sta...more
Oh yeah, and it might seem a little boring because this is just the first one in a series of 23. However, it gets extremely well written after this one (keep in mind this book just "sta...more
Jul 08, 2011
Anna
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of Twilight or other romantic swill
Recommended to Anna by:
my friend Dyani
I know I am writing this as the minority point of view, but I hated Fruits Basket. At first, I found it mildly dull, but as the story failed to progress interestingly, I found myself grinding my teethe waiting for the plot to pick up. It's about a cloyingly sweet, kind, selfless, gentle, beautiful high school girl named Tohru Honda. She lives in a tent in the woods (really, Takaya?) because her grandfather can't keep her and her mother died. Sweet, innocent Tohru is wrought with guilt because sh...more
My best friend and I had begun some strange argument about silver hair on guys, how we came to this is far beyond me. But, for this argument I am extremely grateful, for it led to my discovery of Fruits Basket (She ended up showing me a page depicting Ayame arguing with Yuki).
And I am absolutely in love with this series. I suppose I'll go down my usual list:
The characters, as said in my shelves, are incredible. There is an enormous slew of them, but they are introduced at a slow enough pace, and...more
And I am absolutely in love with this series. I suppose I'll go down my usual list:
The characters, as said in my shelves, are incredible. There is an enormous slew of them, but they are introduced at a slow enough pace, and...more
I had seen Fruits Basket everywhere and heard about how amazing it was over and over again. I finally decided to read it. I can't say it's the most compelling manga I've ever read, (having taken me over a week to push through it), but I do understand the appeal and it is totally different from most manga out there. I can honestly say a LOT happened in the first volume. It is informative on the history of the Chinese zodiac and luckily the story did get better as I pushed on. While I wasn't convi...more
I thought the first few volumes were good, and I was riveted, but after a while the story started to get painful to read, and the art got kinda funky for a while (but it finished on a nice note).
Firstly, the characters. Tohru just gets annoying after a while. It'd be nice to have a more complex main character instead of the eternally cheerful but with a sad background kind of character. Every single person she meets likes her sooner or later, even the antagonist. My favourite charactes were some...more
Firstly, the characters. Tohru just gets annoying after a while. It'd be nice to have a more complex main character instead of the eternally cheerful but with a sad background kind of character. Every single person she meets likes her sooner or later, even the antagonist. My favourite charactes were some...more
Tohru Honda, a sweet orphaned girl, was living in the forest in a tent waiting for the remodeling of her grandfather’s home to be finished. What she did not know was that the land was owned by the Sohma family and when they found her one day in the forest they offered to take her in. The Sohma boys are good looking and sometimes a bit testy, but Tohru instantly feels a connection with them.
It turns out, they are not exactly human; their family is cursed with the spirits of the Chinese Zodiac. W...more
It turns out, they are not exactly human; their family is cursed with the spirits of the Chinese Zodiac. W...more
I've picked up manga and I feel I have to explain myself! Our library had the first dvd volume of Fruits Basket, so I checked it out and got hooked. The premise is the Sohoma family are cursed to have 13 members of the Chinese Zodiac among them. Their curse? Partly is that if they hug a member of the opposite sex then they transform into the zodiac animal they represent. Very fun!
Unbeknowns to me our library only had the first volume and as I said before I was hooked! So after a quick trip onto...more
Unbeknowns to me our library only had the first volume and as I said before I was hooked! So after a quick trip onto...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What is Your Zodiac Animal? | 196 | 189 | Jun 12, 2013 07:19pm | |
| Favorite Character and Why? | 11 | 30 | Jun 11, 2013 05:52am | |
| Kyo or Yuki? Whose your favourite? | 211 | 299 | Jun 11, 2013 02:44am | |
| Manga & Anime...: Fruits Basket | 1 | 2 | Jun 09, 2013 09:41pm | |
| does anyone now if there is going to be a season 2? | 22 | 64 | May 09, 2013 08:37am | |
| Roleplay Central~: Character sign-up | 117 | 71 | Apr 24, 2013 03:44pm | |
| Kyo or Yuki | 17 | 31 | Apr 24, 2013 04:13am |
Natsuki Takaya (高屋 奈月 Takaya Natsuki, real name Naka Hatake) is the penname of a Japanese manga artist best-known for creating the series Fruits Basket. She was born on July 7, 1973; (Tanabata). Takaya is left-handed and once revealed that she wanted to be a mangaka since first grade, when her sister started drawing.
She was born in Shizuoka, Japan, but was raised in Tokyo, where she made her debu...more
More about Natsuki Takaya...
She was born in Shizuoka, Japan, but was raised in Tokyo, where she made her debu...more
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“Just be yourself and you'll be fine”
—
163 people liked it
“Shigure: JUST LISTEN TO ME FOR A SECOND, KYO!
Kyo: SHUT UP! I HATE THIS! DO YOU REALLY GET THAT MUCH ENJOYMENT FROM PLAYING WITH PEOPLES' LIVES?!
Shigure: Well, yes, now that you mention it, I do--BUT THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!
Kyo: Man, your persuasion skills SUCK!
Tohru: Um, welcome home. Dinner's-
Kyo: NOT HUNGRY!
Shigure: KYO! DON'T TAKE THIS OUT ON TOHRU! And come back to the entrance hall this instant and take those shoes off!
Yuki: He's right, Shigure. You really do suck at persuasion.”
—
139 people liked it
More quotes…
Kyo: SHUT UP! I HATE THIS! DO YOU REALLY GET THAT MUCH ENJOYMENT FROM PLAYING WITH PEOPLES' LIVES?!
Shigure: Well, yes, now that you mention it, I do--BUT THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!
Kyo: Man, your persuasion skills SUCK!
Tohru: Um, welcome home. Dinner's-
Kyo: NOT HUNGRY!
Shigure: KYO! DON'T TAKE THIS OUT ON TOHRU! And come back to the entrance hall this instant and take those shoes off!
Yuki: He's right, Shigure. You really do suck at persuasion.”

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