Beyond Mere Entertainment (Fruits Basket: Vol. 1 - Natsuki Takaya)

Member Name: shroud

Product:	Fruits Basket: Vol. 1 - Natsuki Takaya
Date:	26/03/09 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: gently thought provoking, yet affirming, entertainment

Disadvantages: I think the age recommendation is a bit off

I have to hold up my hand here and admit I have loved anime and manga now for well over 20 years. It's not something I am ashamed of by any means, but I think I should mention the fact in passing as it then follows that over the course of twenty odd years, I have read manga that ranged all the way from the sub par to the rare shining example of pure genius. Fruits Baskets is one manga that I can wholeheartedly recommend to both male and female readers, as it transcends its shoujo origins and goes fearlessly where few others have dared to go. More than a coming of age tale, the series is more what could be termed slice of life, spanning a group of young people's lives as they come of age and right family transgressions based on prejudice. It says the manga is aimed at ages 13 and up, and you might be forgiven for thinking this is all fluffy and lightweight in character, but I have to say that unless your 13 or 14 year old is quite emotionally mature, I would have them wait. This is because while the opening volumes are light in tone, they hint at the darker angst and prejudices, as well as outright abuse that occur in later volumes. The effects of said twisted interpersonal relationships ends up with maiming in one case, with the emotional undercurrents that resonate into the later romantic relationships possibly being missed or misunderstood by the less life experienced set.

This first volume is an introduction to the series, needless to say. Here we meet Honda Tohru. She is a high school student who has been visited by misfortune seemingly her whole life. Losing her father at a young age, she has now lost her mother and the flat they rent. Her extended family, with the exception of her elderly grandfather, see her as just another mouth to feed and body to clothe out of obligation, and are quite relived that at her age, she can live on her own. They feel quite comfortable with this as she has told them that as the house is overcrowded "friends" are happy to have her stay. The fact is though, Tohru really only has two good friends, and neither are in a position to let her stay, so they in turn are relived that she has family to take her in. Not wishing to be a burden, she has in reality purchased a small tent and a sleeping bag and moved her few precious possessions into the tent. This tent she has placed off a dirt path in a large wooded area that is not too far from her school to be impossible, but remote enough that she should not be discovered.

Discovered she is, however, when she happens upon a small traditional style Japanese house that has a set of the Chinese zodiac animals sat out upon its outside porch. The owner, Sohma Shigure, had taken them out for a rare cleaning and sat them out to dry, and so encounters Tohru as she admires them. She tells him how her favourite animal is the cat, who in the legend, is banned from being a member of the zodiac after a trick by the other animals results in him missing a banquet given by the Creator. She feels he was wronged, and that his ostracism unjust. Shigure gives an enigmatic smile when she utters this, foreshadowing the events yet to come and the very fate of Tohru herself. It becomes clear moments later that her fate is entangled with that of the Sohma family, as also living there is her classmate, Yuki, who has an utter phobia of anyone touching him. Everyone at school knows it, accepts it, and in short order Tohru finds out why. Hearing Shigure outside talking, Yuki appears and is surprised to see Tohru. Theirs is the only house nearby, and soon they pry out of her about her tent. Shigure wants to offer her a room in their home, but Yuki is adamant she not stay because she is female and might come in general physical contact. An accidental bump on the very first day reveals the shocking reason: The Sohmas are "cursed". One child in each generation is born to be a zodiac animal, to be replaced only after death, and to be touched by a non Zodiac of the opposite sex causes transformation as does illness or extreme stress. Yuki is the Rat, and this volume gently guides us towards the succeeding volumes as one by one, Tohma puzzles out which of the other extended family members are what other animal. Including that of the Cat, and just why Shigure was so intent on having her stay after hearing her feelings about the Zodiacs...

At first glance the art is fairly typical to look at, in true shoujo style. It is the skill with which it is rendered that makes this stand apart visually, however, with small details and subtle facial expressions enriching the story better than mere words alone could do. The fact it is a graphic novel makes the deeper philosophical leanings easier to bite into and digest, as we go along with Tohru and the Sohmas as they plumb the hidden depths of the human psyche, discovering how love can both maim and heal.

The characters are fully realised, down to the side characters, and are as varied as one would encounter in real life. Likewise, while obviously a fantasy, Takaya keeps the settings and situations ruthlessly realistic, adding a hefty dose of realism that packs a punch. These qualities are undoubtedly what led this to be adapted into a 26 episode anime, which can be viewed with subtitles on Veoh, though I still recommend picking up this manga as each episode only covers so much, with the manga being much richer in texture and nuance. Also the anime was completed before the series finished, so unless you follow on to the later volumes, you miss out on the rest of the story arc and its life affirming conclusion. It should be noted that you can also read this as a fan scanlation at most online manga sites, including MangaFox, and as it is "native" manga, it should be read right to left (not to mention if you have been good and bought the book, you start at what would "normally" be the back of the book). Highly recommended for anyone 15 to 100.

Summary: An easily overlooked gem