Title:
Fruits Basket, Book OnePublisher’s rating:
Age 13+Genre:
Romance/ComedyPublisher's Website:
http://www.tokyopop.comAnime:
http://www.fruits-basket.comSound bite:
A sweet girl gets mixed up with a gloomy but lovable family that suffers from an ancient curse. Many preteens will identify with the two characters that feel they are the odd ones out. Some cartoon violence, no nudity or sexuality, some bad language. The book includes a section on the Chinese zodiac and notes from the author.My rating:
Fine for kids of any age, if the language isn't an issue.Kid Reviews:
ShoujoOneMore details:
Plot Summary:
Tohru Honda is an orphan; her mother recently died, and she is camping out in the woods while her grandfather’s house is being remodeled. Curiosity leads her to a nearby house, where a young man named Shiguri Sohma lives with his cousin Yuki. Yuki and Shiguri have been living a miserable bachelor life, and when a landslide buries Tohru’s tent, they ask her to live with them and keep house in exchange for her rent. Life gets complicated when another cousin, Kyo, crashes in—literally. Kyo is angry and keeps picking fights with Yuki, who always beats him. Tohru soon learns that the Sohma family suffers from an ancient curse: Whenever a Sohma is hugged by an outsider, he or she becomes one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac. (I know this sounds like a weird premise, but it actually works). Kyo’s animal is the cat, which isn’t in the zodiac—Chinese legend says the cat was left out because it was tricked by the rat. Tohru, who has always felt left out, sympathizes with the cat, so she has a natural affinity for Kyo despite his gruffness. Another Sohma cousin, Kagura, comes to visit—she is in love with Kyo but gets angry every time she tries to express her affection. Eventually Tohru’s grandfather takes her back into his house, where other family members are rude to Tohru and make insinuations about her living with the Sohmas. The Sohma boys show up and tell her she is welcome to move back with them, and she does, realizing that they are her real family now.
Character and morality:
Several characters make insinuations about Tohru living with the boys, but she and they make it clear that it’s all innocent. One classmate calls Tohru a “pervert.” The Sohma boys treat Tohru well, except for Kyo, who constantly struggles with his anger.
The character of Tohru seems a bit too eager to please at times—she insists on earning her own living, she sees the best in everyone, and she takes care of the Sohma clan in a very maternal fashion. But she has a determined streak that keeps her from being too cloying. She is determined to be independent and to graduate from high school to honor her dead mother’s wishes.
The theme of being an outsider runs through the book. Kyo is angry and Tohru is awkward. She misses her mother and doesn’t click with her schoolmates. At one point, she remembers a childhood game called “Fruits Basket,” in which each child was given the name of a fruit. As a prank, the boy running the game gave Tohru the name “onigiri,” rice ball, so she was never called and spent the whole game in her chair. Tohru tells this story to explain her outsider status: “There will never be room for an onigiri in a fruits basket.” Yet Tohru does find people who accept her: She has fond memories of her dead mother, a classmate stand up for her when she is teased at school, and the Sohma boys quickly fall under the spell of her cheery optimism.
Violence:
Cartoon violence, not at all scary. Kyo and Yuki are constantly fighting. When a girl grabs Kyo by the hand, he slams her to the ground, then jumps out a window.
Sexuality/body functions:
When the Sohmas turn back into humans, they are naked, but modesty prevails and nothing is shown.
Language:
Goddammit, damn, suck, piss you off, bastard—one or two instances per episode.
Substances:
When Tohru is staggering, the boys wonder if she is drunk (she is actually sick). Shiguri, who is an adult, smokes cigarettes.
