fruit baskets

Fruits Basket (フルーツバスケット, Furūtsu Basuketto?), sometimes abbreviated Furuba (フルバ?), is a Japanese manga series by Natsuki Takaya. It was serialized in the semi-monthly Japanese magazine Hana to Yume, published by Hakusensha, from 1999 to 2006. The series was also adapted into a 26-episode anime series, directed by Akitaro Daichi. The series tells the story of Tohru Honda, an orphan girl who, after meeting Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Sohma, learns that thirteen members of the Sohma family are possessed by the animals of the Chinese zodiac (十二支, Jūnishi?) and are cursed to turn into their animal forms if they are embraced by anyone of the opposite sex.

The word “Fruits” in the title is always plural; the spelling originates from the transcription of the English word “fruit” into Japanese, where because there is no “tu” sound, “tsu” is used instead. The title comes from the name of a popular game played in Japanese elementary schools, which is alluded to in the series.

The name spellings used in this article correspond to those given in the official Region 1 DVD and English manga releases. Romanization style names are given in Western order, with the family name last.

Add a comment October 4, 2009