There is definitely going to be spoilers but this is an old-ish manga sooo… yeah.

I’ve just finished re reading Fruits Basket and I thought I’d talk about the female characters. I am going to talk about the manga overall, the romantic relationships and the interesting views on parents and bonds but those shall be other posts. So stay tuned for them and I hope you enjoy this Furuba (Fruits Basket) series.

Honda Tohru

The beloved protagonist Tohru! She’s a good character. At first she’s annoyingly nice that it doesn’t seem real. But the more you get to know her the more you understand her. She’s an optimistic being who is very loving.

She is however very stubborn, she never gives up on anyone or anything.

She has experienced extreme loneliness but she doesn’t let it get her down. Instead she endeavours to reach others to make sure they never feel such loneliness.

She is the definition of selfless and really there is nothing wrong with having a person who thinks of others always.

However I was worried about Tohru, who was thinking about her? Who was making sure she didn’t fall apart and break? There is a moment where she breaks but that’s when we see she has friends to put her back together, to repay the love she’s shown them.

I like Tohru’s character, she’s an interesting human. I like that she’s humble and not perfect but still endeavours to be kind and loving.

Hanajima Saki

I can relate to Hanajima. She’s a person who went through adversity and came out stronger, like a phoenix! Her love for Tohru is almost unmatched and she has a great brother in Megumi. Really she was blessed.

Reading her backstory made me angry, how can children be so cruel? That was something I did not understand nor did I like. Okay, I kind of understood it, there are mean children out there, but I did not like it at all!

Hanajima makes me so happy because with the help of Tohru, Arisa and Megumi she becomes a strong woman who embraces her uniqueness. She’s funny, dark and completely herself. She loves food and is loyal. I also love when she’s drawn with her hair down. I also like her fashion, I’m not into all black everything but I like the style of the clothes.

She’s a fun character and I’m glad Natsuki Takaya created one like her.

Sohma ‘Rin’ Isuzu

This might be another strange love for some people. I don’t know about you but I loved Rin. She was hard and sharp tongued but she did it to protect others. She never did it to hurt others.

Her backstory was so sad. Her parents… I’ll talk about that in another post but dang! She went through a lot and really she was just looking for love.

She goes on a big journey in the manga and to be honest she’s still on that journey at the end but she’s at a much more stable place.

I wanted to see her succeed the most. She was so weak on the inside that I just really wanted to see her succeed.

She’s a character who reminded me that it is okay to ask for help. You don’t have to be strong on your own all the time, no there are people out there who can help you. Thus I also learned from Rin.

I loved how she was drawn too, that long flowing black hair. And I also loved her fashion style. If I could combine Hanajima’s and Rin’s styles I’d be golden.

Uotani Arisa

My thug with a good heart. She went through a lot as a young woman and her story almost mirrors Kyoko’s (Tohru’s mom). I like that she gets to turn her life around and finds love in friendship and romantically.

She’s a strong character who sees the value of Tohru and Kureno.

To be honest I like her because she’s fierce, honest and stands up for those she loves. She doesn’t judge and she’s loyal. She’s a fun character.

Sohma Akito

Okay, you may be thinking why!?!

It’s not that I love Akito or anything but she went through a lot. Her father wanted one thing and her mother another. She wanted love and for people not to leave but she was brought up in a toxic environment with a curse that gave her a ‘god’ complex. It’s no wonder she turned twisted for a while.

However she changes. She atones and changes. She then decides to dedicate her life to protecting the freedom of the other former zodiac members.

She has the biggest transformation and was probably the most cursed.

I’ll admit I was mad her for most of the manga. But I’m glad she changed and turned her life around for the better. I think that’s the key to life.

 

So those are my favourite characters in Furuba, do you have any? What are yours?

Happy reading!