The List

Our 5 Favorite Fruits Basket Characters

The spring 2020 anime season is in full swing and one of our favorite series is finally returning, Fruits Basket! If you aren't familiar with the series, you're going to want to fix that immediately but to summarize, the show stars our cheerful heroine Tohru, an orphaned girl just trying to make it on her own without causing anyone too much trouble. Unfortunately, she set-up her makeshift home on the property of the Sohma family. The Sohmas are a strange bunch, to say the least. Certain members are cursed with the spirit of the Chinese Zodiac and will transform into their respective animal if they're embraced by the opposite sex.

Tohru ends up living with three members of the Sohma family; Kyo who is more or less ignored by the family proper because he represents the Cat; Yuki the Rat, and Shigure the dog. That's just the beginning of Tohru's life with Sohma family as more and more members are introduced. Now, you might want to check out the show to find your own favorites, but here's the five characters we can't get enough of.

5. Tohru

Tohru doesn't have any magic powers to her name unless you count the disarming effects of kindness and optimism. Tohru's the type of person that tries to see the best in others and believes that trying her best and working together can overcome any obstacle. She seems like the idea best friend to have around when you need to cheer up. Tohru can sometimes put others ahead of herself to her own detriment and has shown to have problems vocalizing her own needs because she doesn't want to bother others. A lot of Fruits Basket is about Tohru finding herself and a healthy balance so she doesn't get taken advantage of because of her easy-going nature.

4. Hatori Sohma

This quiet, stoic doctor carries an unbearable weight on his shoulders. He seems very serious and almost shut off from others, it's hard to believe he's close friends with the more boisterous and jovial Shigure and Ayame. Despite his cold demeanor, Hatori does care for others and was even engaged at one point. However, along with his ability to transform in the Dragon from the Zodiac, Hatori has the ability to erase others' memories and this has put him in a painful position whenever he has to protect the Sohma family's secret. When he's first introduced to Tohru, he tries to deter her from getting mixed up with the Sohma family in hopes of protecting her from meeting a similar fate and potentially losing her memories. Hatori is the kind of guy that seems really cool but you also want to protect him.

3. Momiji Sohma

How can you not love this little bunny? Momiji looks young but he's only one year younger than Tohru. He likes to play up his child-like looks by wearing stereotypical kid clothes like sailor outfits or lean into his German heritage with European-style clothes. Momiji hides a lot of pain behind his cheerful demeanor and is trying to stay strong and confident to not worry his family. As one of the cursed members of the Sohma family, his transformation caused emotional distress from his mother to the point that his father had to intervene and Momiji doesn't live with them anymore. Instead, he's left in the care of Hatori who doesn't supervise him much. Despite his hard early life, Momiji loves to make friends and is very affectionate. He's also much smarter than he lets on. Just look at that cute little face!

2. Arisa & Saki

Tohru's two best friends may not have animal powers, but you won't find more loyal companions anywhere else. Arisa is a former gang member who aspired to be just like Tohru's mom, Kyoko. Kyoko helped set Arisa straight and she became fast friends with Tohru, putting behind her days as a delinquent to be a protective best friend. Meanwhile Saki is the group's resident goth. She has a somewhat serious demeanor and the ability to pick up on and emit “vibes” from others. These psychic powers led to Saki being bullied when she was younger but Tohru accepted her fully and now the trio are inseparable. Even when all the craziness with the Sohma family stars, Arisa and Saki have Tohru's back and are there to support her when emotions start running high. These best friends have more than earned their spot at #2

1. Kyo Sohma

You knew we had to do it. The Fruits Basket question of the ages is “Yuki or Kyo?” and factions have been fighting tooth and claw ever since. Do you choose the rowdy, emotionally-stunted Kyo or the seemingly perfect, internally conflicted Yuki? We're throwing our hat in the ring for catboy Kyo, flaws and all. Kyo has suffered from ostracization from the Sohma family because of his status at the Cat. The cat is not one of the 12 Zodiac animals, but the story goes that he was originally invited to the big feast and intended to show up; but the Rat intentionally lied to him and made him a day late thus setting the wheels in motion for the eternal rivalry between the two animals. Kyo has since become fixated on regaining his place in the family, hopefully by defeating Yuki in hand to hand combat. The appeal of Kyo isn't in his rivalry with Yuki though, it's how he learns to confront his past trauma and become more honest with himself and Tohru about his feelings. We love a tough guy with warm center!

THE POLL

Last time we asked you what class of servant you'd summon if you were a Master in the Fate Universe! Here's the results!

1. Saber
2. Archer
3. Caster
4. Rider
5. Assassin

This time we want to know who your favorite Fruits Basket character is! Let us know in the poll!

See you guys next week!