Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Volume 1

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, and because she sees and believes in that good, those people begin to see it in themselves. She loves unconditionally, and changes, for the better, everyone she meets.
This first volume introduces us to the indefatigable Tohru Honda as well as show more the mysterious Sohma family. The first few volumes deal largely with the hilarity caused by the strange curse under which the twelve members of the Junishi suffer.
I didn't have many complaints with this series, but a friend of mine, who is less familiar with the manga style in general, said she found it difficult to tell the characters apart, especially as the series progressed.
I was also glad to see that the English translation kept the Japanese honorifics. show less

Same as it ever was

The original Fruits Basket anime was one of the first I watched, and it is probably the source of my continued preference for shōjo manga and anime.

I knew there was more to the story than was included in the original series and was pleased to have the opportunity to read it when this series of Collectors Edition reissues was published. The story is sweet and funny, and the art is simple but it gets the job done. I'm enjoying hanging out with Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure again.

I finally am doing it, kids. I’m reading the thing. Sorry it took me 15 years and almost a dozen people over the years saying, “you should read Fruits Basket!” to finally pick it up.

3.5 stars isn’t an option so I rounded up. I was a little confused at the beginning of the story but I didn’t give up. I had a hard time telling which character was talking when and some transitions were difficult to follow or didn’t exist.

I finally figured it all out about 1/3 of the way in and found myself really enjoying the story. It’s a sweet story of an orphan girl who finds and makes friends with members of a family that have a curse upon them related to the zodiac creatures.

The artwork is beautiful and the story cute.

Fruits Basket is a beautifully drawn shoujo (girls’) manga. The story is mostly character driven, and reflects - by charming example, and a little contrast - on the value of good relationships (family and friends in the spotlight).

It is about an orphaned schoolgirl who is taken in by a family that turns into animals when hugged (it’s a curse). The story follows her time at school with her friends and adopted family.

Really cute manga. My niece recommended this series to me, so I'm planning to keep reading so that I can discuss the series with her.

A ball of rice, squeezed
Tightly, not in pressure but
Affection: Freeing