Like Gunslinger Girl, Fruits Basket is another one of those popular FUNimation series that is being re-released as a more affordable brand. Sure it's basically an effort to get rid of old stock but that's what business is all about right? I assure you that in the case of Fruits Basket getting it into the hands of newcomers for cheaper is a fine thing indeed. This is a fantastic series that is as amusing as it is endearing and chances are good if you give it a shot it will strike a cord in you.

The show originated from a manga that was created by Natsuki Takaya in 1999. Two years after the fact Fruits Basket was released in its anime form and was produced by Studio Deen (Fate/Stay Night, Law of Ueki). With 26 episodes backing its peculiar story, Fruits Basket became a success in Japan and it wasn't long until American audiences latched onto it. I personally stumbled upon a plethora of accessories and the like from the series at 2007's Anime Boston and even caught glimpses of a few cosplayers.

Fruits Basket is, at its core, a shoujo romance tale. In many ways the story could be considered a reverse harem because a female stars at the center of a character roster with a bunch of boys. Sure there are plenty of other girls and some apparent cross-dressers in between, but no matter how you slice it Tohru Honda is the one in the middle of everything.

When the series begins Tohru is living it out in a tent somewhere in the middle of the woods. This may seem strange at first considering she still goes to school and pretends like nothing is wrong but there is a reason for this silliness. Her mother recently passed away in a car accident and she was living with family. That was well and good but her family decided to renovate the house and she had to find a friend to stay with. Not wanting to burden any of her buddies with her problems she opted to live it out in the forest. Lucky for her she stumbles upon a nearby house on her way to school one day and it turns out to be the residence of classmate Yuki Sohma.

The Sohma house is disheveled and messy beyond reproach. This is due to the fact that no woman lives there but there is more going on here than meets the eye. At any rate Tohru is invited to stay at the house and begrudgingly accepts. It doesn't take long for the Sohma family curse to come out and it's a peculiar one at that. Whenever a person of Sohma is hugged by someone of the opposite sex they turn into the animal for their zodiac. Yuki becomes a rat, Kyo turns into a cat (I know it's not part of the zodiac but in this story it is), Shigure morphs into a dog, and throughout the show you'll see many others as well.

In the first volume we were introduced to the concept and received six episodes of unadulterated fun. So many shows are pretentious in their introductory volume but Fruits Basket hit the ball out of the part for me. Learning about Tohru's history, watching as she came to terms with the Sohma curse, seeing how this strange world reacted to her, and witnessing all kinds of troubles was simply about as amusing as you could get. This show is genuinely funny and it was with great anticipation that I cracked open the second volume.

Luckily the humorous trend continued for these six episodes as well. With the concept laid out in the first volume the show is able to explore it even further with this installment. In the first episode the series goes down some familiar roads and includes one of those Japanese cultural festival plotlines. I know it's kind of cliché because just about every anime does one but in this particular story two more Sohma members are brought into the fold. Momiji and Hatori Sohma bear the curse as well and thusly turn into a rabbit and seahorse (apparently the seahorse is considered a baby dragon) when embraced by women.

Following in the steps of that episode Tohru gets to visit the main Sohma residence though her trip isn't purely recreational at first. Hatori seeks to get Tohru to leave the Sohma behind her and get on with her life. Considering he also possesses the ability to erase people's minds she is naturally antsy about meeting with him in the first place. This actually turned out to be one of the better episodes from the show to date because it spent a great deal of time dealing with emotions and explaining some things about the curse. In the end though, you simply have to know that Tohru isn't going to give up on the Sohma that easy.

The rest of this disc follows some traditional routes but it does so with that great Fruits Basket flare. In these episodes the cast goes on to celebrate New Years, visits a hot spring, and even gets into the mood with a little Valentine's Day story. On the surface these plots may sound tired but with this show they are anything but. The writing is a cut above what we typically are subjected to and the characters are so lively that it's a thrill simply watching them interact. Natsuki Takaya created a vibrant world with Fruits Basket and this second volume stands as proof of that. If you have never seen this show then get off your butt and pick up FUNimation's re-release! It's a must watch!

With the series being broadcast in 2001 it's not surprising to see a full frame aspect ratio attached to the DVD. The very surprising thing is that FUNimation was able to squeeze six episodes onto this disc with no loss in terms of quality. The picture throughout this volume remains vibrant, sharp, and clean. At no time did I spot defects such as compression blocking or artifacts and grain was kept very minimal. This leaves the show beautiful looking which helps to elevate the wonderful character designs and bright backgrounds.

Also not shocking with regards to the presentation is the fact that both the English and Japanese languages are served up here as 2.0 stereo pieces. Technically speaking both audio tracks are fine with no flaw but they are just underwhelming in the grand scheme of things. The presence on the soundstage is nowhere near as dynamic as it could have been though I suppose it didn't have to be due to the abundance of dialogue rather than sound effects. Fortunately the dubbing quality for both languages is solid enough and I found myself enjoying both the English and Japanese dubs.

The first volume for Fruits Basket impressed me with its bonus content. Fortunately the second installment offers a nearly equally enjoyable array of supplemental material. Once again we have some character profiles, a textless version of the opening song, and some FUNimation trailers. On the bulkier side of things is a 14 minute interview with Director Akitaro Daichi who spends a lot of time talking about the imagery found in the show. He seems personable and genuine while discussing various aspects about the series and the best part is that he seems passionate about the project, which is evident from the quality of the show.

Another original Japanese DVD feature included with the second volume of Fruits Basket is something called Room #1 which runs for 15 minutes. Basically it's one of the voice actors (Yui Horie) talking with another (Aya Hisakawa) about different aspects of the show. It's basically a fluff piece but they get into some of what drew them to the series and what they enjoyed about it. You also have to enjoy their energy as they discuss the show. That Yui is irresistibly perky. The final feature on this disc is a 17 minute reel of eye-catches from the show.

Fruits Basket may only be six years old but the series is arguably a classic. The subject matter feels somewhat fresh, the characters are endearing, and the story is a lot of fun. These six episodes continue the bizarre and endearing adventures of Tohru and the Sohma's. I simply can't get enough of the show at this point and was glued to my TV for every last second of Fruits Basket goodness. If you haven't checked it out yet then FUNimation's re-release is a must. The price is just right and you get a lot of quality anime bang for your buck. Highly Recommended

Check out more of my reviews here. Head on over to my anime blog as well for random musings and reviews of anime, manga, and stuff from Japan!