Review of Fruits Basket Vol. 4

Introduction

I have had many reactions to the anime I have seen. Some films have been thought provoking, some have been exciting, some have been atmospheric, and some have been downright gory. There has been the occasional piece of dross, but for the most part anime is great entertainment. I didn`t know what to expect from Fruits Basket when I first encountered it, but I quickly fell in love with its simple charm and warm characters, and I have rarely encountered an anime so magical. I`d be lying if I said I wasn`t looking forward to reviewing another disc in the series.

Fruits Basket has an unusual premise. The Sohma family live under a curse, a simple hug from someone of the opposite sex changes them into an animal from the Chinese Zodiac. They also have other related abilities and quirks that have resulted in the Sohma Clan becoming insular and wary of outsiders. Into this family comes a young girl, Tohru Honda. After the death of her mother she is informally adopted by the Sohmas and she becomes their housekeeper after she inadvertently discovers their secret. The final volume of this series contains the 7 episodes 20-26, and we get to meet more magical members of the Sohma family. As the series draws to a climax in the final three episodes, we realise that there are secrets yet to be revealed about the Sohma family and Kyo in particular. How Tohru reacts may alter the destiny of the Sohmas.

Video

Fruits Basket gets a 4:3 regular transfer that is perfectly adequate. The animation style does take a little getting used to. If you are used to cel animation, in other words progressive images painted on cels of plastic and photographed on painted backgrounds to give the illusion of motion, then Fruits Basket will look more than a little odd. This is cel animation as rendered in CGI. The paints and plastic sheets have been done away with, and the computer perfection results in an image that is perfectly static except only for those elements that are moving. It takes a second or two to get used to, but then the simplistic and stylised characterisation work their magic, and the technical aspects of the animation fade away. On the whole the effect is accomplished with panache and results in an effective and atmospheric story.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 2.0 English or Japanese. While you can change languages on the fly, if you choose from the language select screen, then through some nifty multi-angle magic, you`ll see the opening and end credits in the language of your choice. The English dubbing is Ok, but for dramatic intent, I`ll choose the original dub as always. Subtitles are provided in a nice shade of yellow. I forgot to mention this in my review for Volume 2, but while you can select dubtitles from the menu, there is a second subtitle track accessible from your remote that provides a more accurate translation of the original dialogue. Fruits Basket really has a mellow soundtrack that suits the feel of the programme well.

Features

As I have come to expect from the MVM anime discs, you get a nice jacket picture displayed when the disc isn`t spinning, but Fruits Basket comes with a nice selection of other extras as well.

There are 10 character profiles in text for the prominent characters on this disc. There is also a chance to see the opening credits minus the titles, though with both English and Japanese versions of the song.

Fruits Basket Room No 3, is a 15-minute interview between Yui Horie (voice of Tohru Honda) and Ryotaro Okiayu, and it`s very light hearted.

Finally there is an Illustration Gallery that is presented as a 5-minute slideshow. This shows of some of the promotional artwork for Fruits Basket, posters, magazine covers and DVD artwork. The captions are translated with optional English subtitles. It may be worth turning the subtitles off, as they can obscure some of the images.

Conclusion

The original manga that Fruits Basket is based on was targeted at an audience of young girls, but Fruits Basket has a more general appeal that certainly worked on this cynical male. The Sohma curse is certainly interesting, but the story is more one of interpersonal relationships and rounded characters. Sibling rivalries, teenage crushes, broken hearts and little tragedies are all handled with a simple sensitivity and light touch. This is all leavened with melodrama and comedy that will have you laughing out loud.

It`s a wonderful gathering of distinct characters that goes a long way to making Fruits Basket special. By now the story has evolved beyond the central triangle of Tohru, Kyo and Yuki, although it still remains at the heart of the stories. Tohru Honda is one of those characters that charm her way into the affections of those around her, melting frozen hearts and warming the coldest days. She`s a character that in western hands would be sickeningly saccharine, but in Fruits Basket is handled perfectly. Yuki is the introspective thoughtful one who is popular at school, whose alter ego is the rat. Kyo is his archrival, the cat that got left out of the Zodiac, who`s brash and outspoken. The other characters play stronger parts in these final episodes, and we get to see Yuki`s reconciliation with his unconventional brother Ayame, and we see the Prince Yuki fan club in session. As always, it`s Tohru`s warm heart and accepting nature that manages to bring the best out of the Sohma clan. The final three episodes in this disc depart from the established format, as the story comes to its conclusion, and the light-hearted aspects diminish as Tohru learns the dark secrets at the heart of the Sohma curse. And no, I didn`t get misty eyed, the room was dusty that`s all.

By parts touching and funny, Fruits Basket is a refreshing anime that certainly proves the wide variety in the medium. Once you get caught in the story, you`ll forget the stylised animation and become immersed in the characters. This disc comes with a fair selection of extras and seven episodes that will leave you wanting more.