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Natsuki Takaya

Author of Fruits Basket, Vol. 1

118 Works 31,412 Members 238 Reviews 34 Favorited

About the Author

Series

Works by Natsuki Takaya

Fruits Basket, Vol. 1 (1999) 2,272 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 2 (1999) 1,586 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 3 (1999) — Author — 1,447 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 4 (2000) 1,376 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 5 (2000) 1,327 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 6 (2000) 1,267 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 7 (2001) 1,243 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 8 (2002) 1,206 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 10 (2002) 1,177 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 9 (2002) 1,140 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 12 (2003) 1,129 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 11 (2003) 1,117 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 13 (2003) 1,081 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 14 (2004) 1,020 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 15 (2004) 970 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 16 (2005) 910 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 17 (2005) 844 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 18 (2005) 810 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 19 (2006) 772 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 20 (2006) 763 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 21 (2006) 704 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 22 (2004) 647 copies
Fruits Basket, Vol. 23 (2007) 620 copies
Fruits Basket Another, Vol. 1 (2016) — Author — 211 copies
Fruits Basket Fanbook: Cat (2005) 192 copies
Fruits Basket Another, Vol. 2 (2017) — Author — 168 copies
Phantom Dream, Vol. 1 (1996) 104 copies
Songs to Make You Smile (1999) 62 copies
Phantom Dream, Vol. 2 (1996) 59 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 1 (2008) 57 copies
Fruits Basket Illustrations (2004) 55 copies
Phantom Dream, Vol. 3 (1996) 52 copies
Twinkle Stars 1 [Omnibus] (2016) 47 copies
Fruits Basket Volumes 1-4 (2007) 40 copies
Phantom Dream, Vol. 4 (1997) 39 copies
Fruits Basket Character Book (2001) — Author — 38 copies
Phantom Dream, Vol. 5 (1997) 35 copies
Twinkle Stars 2 [Omnibus] (2017) 28 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 2 (2008) 28 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 3 (2008) 25 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 4 (2009) 25 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 7 (2010) 21 copies
Twinkle Stars 5 [Omnibus] (2018) 21 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 5 (2009) 20 copies
Twinkle Stars 4 [Omnibus] (2017) 20 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 6 (2009) 17 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 8 (2010) 17 copies
Twinkle Stars 3 [Omnibus] (2017) 15 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 10 (2011) 15 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 9 (2010) 12 copies
Twinkle Stars, Vol. 11 (2011) 12 copies
Fruits Basket First Bite (2008) 6 copies
Fruits Basket Volumes 1-6 (2003) 3 copies
Fruits Basket Another #13 (2020) 2 copies

Tagged

2010 (102) animals (209) anime (117) Chinese Zodiac (438) comedy (427) comic (95) comics (276) curses (367) drama (353) family (316) fantasy (1,356) fiction (712) friendship (183) Fruits Basket (1,247) graphic novel (545) graphic novels (216) Hakusensha (100) Hana to Yume (96) high school (193) humor (261) Japan (284) Japanese (442) magic (154) manga (8,159) natsuki takaya (240) own (135) read (426) romance (1,409) school (120) series (189) series: Fruits Basket (184) shoujo (2,643) supernatural (269) to-read (349) Tokyopop (639) translated (111) translation (96) YA (168) young adult (363) zodiac (329)

Common Knowledge

Canonical name
Takaya, Natsuki
Legal name
Hatake, Naka
高屋奈月
Other names
Takaya-N
Takaya, Natsumi
Birthdate
1973-07-07
Gender
female
Nationality
Japan
Birthplace
Shizuoka, Japan
Places of residence
Shizuoka, Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Occupations
manga artist
mangaka
Organizations
Hakusensha
Awards and honors
Kodansha Manga Award (2001)

Members

Reviews

A series that never misses, no matter when I find it again.
 
Flagged
hannerwell | 2 other reviews | Feb 24, 2024 |
Welcome to a review I never expected to have to write because who thought Furuba/Fruits Basket would get a continuation/sequel series?

I'm not gonna bother marking this as spoilers - if you read Furuba then nothing in this volume will spoil you for who got with who. If you didn't read Furuba, why are you reading this and second you won't likely understand the references that are spoilers so it doesn't matter.

Furubana is...confusing. At least if you try to connect the "new generation" to the old. It doesn't help that our main character is so... lacklustre. Tohru had the redeeming quality that despite her hardships she had two friends who genuinely CARED for her and a mother who loved her so so much when she was alive.

And destiny but don't trust that fickle bitch because you'll wind up thinking that Yuki and Tohru will wind up together and be heart broken when he Medea-complexes himself straight to the FRIEND ZONE.

I'm still bitter, bite me.

Mitoma is...just there. Like a shadow. She's brow beaten, depressed and timid. Her mother appears to be THE WORST and she has no friends at all since she's new to the school (yes the same one every single Sohma seems desperate to attend). She's rescued by Yuki's oldest son Mutsuki (who's practically Ayame) from Mr. Class Present Takei from the original series who is now a teacher and OMG he pervs on Mutsuki and is STILL PROFESSING LOVE AND WORSHIP OF YUKI.

Which seems fair since Hanajima's brother is also a teacher (love love love) and...I forget the Prince Yuki fan club president's name, anyhow her daughter runs the Sohma Clan Appreciation Cult.

History repeats itself.

We meet Yuki's son, Rin/Haru's twins, Tohru/Kyo's son, Hatori/??'s daughter (please be Hanajima's daughter), Yuki's other son who appears to possibly be unable to go outside for some reason and Yuki's niece (Manabe's brother's daughter). The vaguest of all references are made to the original cast, though in the asides they're more explicitly referenced. Other vague allusions to the now broken curse as well.

Overall I was underwhelmed. Mostly because I don't want to follow such a dreary girl - maybe if this was longer but it'll only be three Vols and I would have preferred three "slice of life" adventure Vols of how all the kids are then an introduction to a new unrelated completely gal.
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Flagged
lexilewords | 1 other review | Dec 28, 2023 |
It kind of hurts to write this, until I remember that by the end of Furuba the series as a whole is more of a three star for me after it being so very good in the first half. I didn't have the same expectations of Furubana. My reviews for vols 1 and 2 show how...conflicted I feel over this sequel series set two decades (or so) after Furuba featuring the children of our original Sohmas.

Mitoma as is an uncharismatic main character to follow; she spends half the series as anxious as Ritsu. Constantly apologizing, constantly holding her tongue. Not the same way Tohru would, Mitoma was much more of a "I don't deserve to exist" sort of way. We learn this is largely her mother's fault and for a time Mitoma seems to come out of her shell, especially in regards to Shiki (Shigure and Akito's child who bears a lot of abuse from his grandmother and the older resentful Sohmas in general).

I think maybe because Takaya didn't mean for this to go on as long as it did, she didn't pace revelations vs. nostalgia story bites very well. The issues Mitoma faces in volume 3 would have been better served starting in volume 2 as this.volume's plot is bookended by a carefree opening at the Sohma beach house and a largrly carefree ending at a school festival. The issues Mitoma had to live with weren't truly resolved - merely having people in your life telling you that you can overcome something while dealing with that abuse isn't a resolution. Mitoma didn't come to a plan beyond "wait it out". It cheapened the fact she was urging Shiki out of his shell in a gentle way.

Plus I'll be honest I cared way more for the fact Shigure apparently still was THE WORST and somehow Hatori's daughter Kinu wound up being Ayame's daughter Hibiki's keeper (much like Hari was to Ayame).

Sadly the old crew doesn't make any real appearances so :shrug: in the end a mildly interesting if unfocused sequel.
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Flagged
lexilewords | 1 other review | Dec 28, 2023 |
All right buckle up.

Some amendments to my Vol 1 review - the kid who is weak and we see at the end of the volume is Shiki, Akito & Shigure's son (a first year middle school student). Will wonders never cease.

Hanajima meanwhile appears to have a son as well, Ryo, who is a third year in middle school (but not a Sohma...so then did she not end up with Kazuma?).

Momiji and an unknown woman had a daughter, Mii, who's so darling. Momo is Momiji's assistant and quite close with Mii.

Ayame had two kids - a son Chizuru and a daughter Hibiki (who is a spitting image of her mother but practically Ayame in personality).

Hiro is mentioned, though little is said and Kisa not at all. I still think that Kinu is Hatori's kid (either Uotani & Kagure's kid or Hatori's), I..haven't seen anything about Ritsu.

Meanwhile the story itself is better paced and explained - I understand Mitoma better and she plays off Shiki well. And while it's hard not to compare every one against their parents I felt somewhat chastised by Chizuru who apparently is compared against his father (positively and negatively) fairly often. Yes yes I'll try to see them as individuals.

The ending bonus is a scene from Mutsuki's childhood where he's recounting his fav memory of home with his parents and how he learned about the Zodiac Curse from Yuki. In a scene that's far more emotional when you remember what Yuki's life was like as a kid, it gave some good insight into Mutsuki as well as how hard the Sohma Generation we all read about with Tohru are trying to not repeat those mistakes.
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Flagged
lexilewords | 1 other review | Dec 28, 2023 |

Lists

Awards

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Associated Authors

Alethea Nibley Translator
Sheldon Drzka Translator
Athena Nibley Translator
Adam Arnold Contributing writer
Jennifer Miller Production manager
Deron Bennett Retouch & lettering
Chris Buford Digital imaging manager, Digital Imaging Manager
Mike Kiley Publisher & E.I.C., Editor-in-Chief
Peter Ahlstrom Associate editor
Ron Klamert VP of production
Stuart Levy C.E.O., Publisher & C.E.O.
Jake T. Forbes English adaptation
Mutsumi Miyazaki Production manager, Production Manager
Jose Macasocol, Jr. Production artist
John Parker President & C.O.O.
Jill Freshney Managing editor
Christian Lownds Cover designer
Jason Milligan Production artist
Antonio DePietro Pre-Press Manager
Gary Shum Cover designer
Lindsey Johnston Managing editor
Matt Alford Art director
Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Adapter, Adaptation
Beni Axia Conrad Translator
Kinami Watabe Translator
Adrienne Beck Translator

Statistics

Works
118
Members
31,412
Popularity
#627
Rating
½ 4.3
Reviews
238
ISBNs
607
Languages
11
Favorited
34

Charts & Graphs