Fruits Basket Part 1 (with ANN’s Jacob Chapman)

Covers volumes 1-8 of Fruits Basket by Natsuki TakayaAt the height of the mid-2000s manga boom in the US, there was no bigger series than Fruits Basket. And this story about orphaned Tohru Honda and the Sohma family curse has endured, getting a very special rerelease in recent years. For a series this influential, we brought on one of the biggest Furuba fans of all: Anime News Network editor Jacob Chapman. We discuss why Fruits Basket left such a lasting impression, who our favorite Sohmas are, how Tokyopop and Yen Press’ translations compare, what the curse really is, Kyo’s “true” form and the search for what’s real, Furuba’s message about belief in others, particularly as it relates to religion and family, and much, much more. Most importantly, obviously, we answer the question: Yuki or Kyo? And just think: This is only the first of three episodes about Takaya’s masterpiece.Click here for a transcript of this episodeREFERENCESFruits Basket is available from Yen Press in a very nice collector’s editionThe Fruits Basket anime is available from FunimationJacob’s Fruits Basket radio drama can still be listened to hereAn in-depth Twitter thread from Jacob comparing Yen Press’ editions to the original Tokyopop releasesOther manga Jacob keeps up with (since he doesn’t read that much manga): Attack on Titan, To Your EternityOther big shojo titles popular during Fruits Basket’s heyday: *Skip Beat, *Boys Over FlowersQuiz Segment: Can We Guess Your Chinese Zodiac Based On Your Taste In Food? [Buzzfeed]Outro song: “For Fruits Basket” by AmaLee (an English cover of the Fruits Basket anime opening). Download this song and AmaLee’s other great covers in iTunes here.SOCIALJacob on Twitter: @itsbonedaddyShojo & Tell on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and FacebookAshley on Twitter: @AshMcD00If you have any comments or questions about the episode, email us at [email protected], reach out to us on your preferred social media network, or comment on the episode page.