Natsuki Takaya's hit manga/anime franchise Fruits Basket still stands as a pillar of the shojo world, and its 2019 reboot anime series was a treat for longtime fans and a great on-ramp for new fans to see what all the fuss is about. Fruits Basket combines many storytelling elements, from high school hijinks to heavy drama and the Chinese zodiac, and even hints at a reverse-harem scenario.
While Fruits Basket may have a few PG-13 moments, it is a wholesome series overall, and at no point does Fruits Basket try to win over fans with blatant fan service or wish fulfillment. All the same, Honda Tohru's adventure with the cursed Sohma family has the basic ingredients of a reverse-harem series, making it a great choice for anime fans who aren't too keen on harem and reverse-harem anime.
How Fruits Basket Almost Launched A Reverse-Harem
The basic premise of Fruits Basket is promising for a reverse-harem series, with an attractive, moderately self-insert female lead finding herself in a household of attractive boys around her own age. Honda Tohru is a kind orphan who learned from her mother to give other people a second chance and look out for them no matter what, and that endeared her to the Sohmas and viewers alike.
Not everyone liked Tohru right away, with Isuzu the horse and Hatori the dragon being holdouts, but overall, Tohru's adventure with the Sohmas was almost like a reverse-harem with many characters gravitating toward her. Early on, there were the makings of a love triangle between Tohru, the rat spirit Yuki and the tsundere cat spirit Kyo. On top of that, the cheerful Momiji and the timid Kisa found themselves attracted to Tohru as well, and Shigure approved of her as an uncle figure in her life.
Fruits Basket has its fair share of drama, but it also has plenty of comedy and romance as well, and the storyline has the skeleton of a reverse-harem where Tohru must choose a single lover from among several appealing candidates. She potentially could have ended up with Yuki, who seemed to have it all, or Kyo or even Ayame, Yuki's flamboyant brother.
More than once, Yuki and Kyo actually fought over Tohru -- a classic scenario in any harem or reverse-harem anime -- and Tohru remained indecisive for quite some time until she finally settled on Kyo, leaving Ayame single and leaving Yuki to pair up with Machi. It's like a harem-lite for fans of harem anime, but Fruits Basket has far more to offer than that.
The Emotional Reverse-Harem Of Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket has some reverse-harem DNA in it, which should appeal to fans of the genre, but most importantly, that's not all Fruits Basket does. The series uses the reverse-harem paradigm as a starting point, not as a premise, and Tohru's "harem" is really an opportunity for her to befriend the Sohmas in meaningful ways, helping them face their inner demons and confront the family head, the emotionally abusive Akito.
Fruits Basket is about healing and friendship, not raunchy harems and wish fulfillment, and that broadens the series' appeal greatly. Reverse-harem fans can enjoy watching Tohru rotate through all her charming friends and have some romantic encounters, while other fans can appreciate the series' heartfelt drama.
Most notably, Fruits Basket's pseudo-harem doesn't rely on fan service or other cliches to create an appealing reverse-harem narrative. Harem and reverse-harem series might even use fan service or cliches as a substitute for a plot and character depth, which can frustrate many anime viewers, while Fruits Basket delivers on all fronts. Tohru's reverse-harem scenario is just the gift wrap, while the meat of the matter is something any anime fan can enjoy, whether or not they started watching Fruits Basket for the reverse-harem elements.
A wholesome story like this one has no need to go in circles while indulging in fan service and dragging out the plot for no reason. Instead, from the very start, Fruits Basket had a meaningful and wholesome destination in mind, and Tohru being surrounded by attractive boys is just the prelude for what's to come.
