When I first read Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya, I was in high school and dealing with lots of insecurities as one does becoming an adult. I had given up on reading YA novels at that time and dedicated myself to teen manga instead because I enjoyed them more. I remember loving the world, the story, the art, and the characters of Fruits Basket so much that I became obsessed with the anime as well (the original adaptation before they made another one). I had grown up with the story of the Great Race with the animals of the Chinese Zodiac and fell in love with the way Natsuki Takaya incorporated it into her manga. Now that I have reread it as an adult, how do I think of it now?
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Fruits Basket is still a wonderful and timeless manga. Natsuki Takaya has created a world that is charming, delightful, fun, serious and hopeful. Her artwork is beautiful and her writing is incredible. All of the characters are amazing, I love them for all their differences, individual personalities and the growths that they go through in the story. The story itself is great, I have cried and laughed all over again. Truly a beautiful coming of age tale. I highly recommend it!
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Fruits Basket may look very cute but it can get very serious. So as a trigger warning, this manga deals with: loss/coping with loss, mental and physical child abuse, suicide, and some violence. If you do read this manga, I hope you enjoy it!
5/5⭐️