Fruits Basket (Manga)

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Name: Fruits Basket       
Type: Manga

Author: Natsuki Takaya

Books: 23 
Genre: Romantic comedy, drama, harem
Age Rating: 12+

Review: 
A beautiful story with wonderful characters and an engrossing story. Appeals to all audiences, but probably more particularly to girls. This series follows the story of the lovable Tohru Honda during high school. The Sohma family--Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo--finds her living in a tent after the death of her mother, and offers to shelter her in their home. But is there more to this family than meets the eye?

Filled with themes of friendship, humor, tragedy, a smidgen of romance, and hauntingly real characters this series is absolutely breathtaking. A lot of what gives this story depth are the important messages and thought-provoking such as "It's okay to feel weak sometimes. It's okay to be afraid. The important thing is that we face our fears. That's what makes us strong." The art wasn't as good as some manga, but the plot made up for what was lacking in artistic style. 

Other than mild sexual references and fleeting nudity, I'd say it's appropriate from ages middle-school and up. The romance is a big part of the story, but it is clean and sweet. Another thing I appreciated was the clothes and the way the girls were drawn. There were no unrealistically large breasts, and there weren't very many swear words. There were times when two or more characters were physically fighting with one another, but it was always exaggerated in a way that usually made it funny.

Fruits Basket is fluffy (meaning it's harmless and there are a lot of cutesy scenes), but it does start getting more intense and there are a lot of emotionally draining moments. I felt everything. Sadness. Fear. Surprise. Compassion. Love. Hurt. Anger. I can say with confidence that while I read this, and after (especially after) I felt every emotion humanly possible, and that's a sign of an amazing story. It's as if you are a part of the characters' world, and it is beautiful. 

This is the manga that changed my life. I can honestly say that they are my favorite book(s), and I've never been able to say that before because I'm an avid reader. I fell in love with all the characters, and I felt deeply connected with the main character, Tohru. Above all, I recommend Fruits Basket.

For more on Fruits Basket, click here.

Mature Content: 

• Mild Profanity- "Damn" is used sporadically, especially by Kyo in reference to Yuki 
• Violence- Akito is abusive to the other characters; she hits, locks them up, and uses hateful words
• Sexual References- Words like"pervert" and allusions to sex
• Nudity- The Sohma's are naked after transforming back into human form from their zodiac animal form, but nothing is ever shown
• Homosexuality- Momiji cross-dresses, but isn't homosexual
• Magic- The Sohma family is under a magical zodiac curse
• Intense Scenes- This manga is very emotional

Personal Note: 

 Momiji is the literal best!