The Iconic Anime Remake That Goes Darker And More In-Depth Than Original, Stream Both To See The Differences
It was common for even popular anime to be canceled after one season, and for a while, Fruits Basket was one of them. However, because the series and original manga were so popular, Fruits Basket was one of the lucky few to get a second anime adaptation that went deeper into the plot and covered the full story in several seasons.
2001’s Fruit Baskets
The 2001 animation of Fruits Basket was popular, but not as highly rated as it could have been. The series missed out on several opportunities, such as ignoring some of the darker themes of the story, and just fully delving into the source material.
One of the biggest complaints about the original was how short it was. The series was made up of only one season, 26 episodes.
Making It Feel Finished?
However, instead of just going through the first bit of the story and calling it good, the anime rushed through the material and created a different ending to make the show feel finished.
However, that doesn’t mean it was bad. It had its own charm. Though it did move away from the source material a little, the characters had a lot of comedic moments, more so than are present in the newer version. Additionally, the characters felt flushed out and had many unique and emotional moments.
2019’s Fruit Baskets
Meanwhile, the 2019 version of Fruits Basket is much more faithful to the original manga. Because of this, it’s also darker. Many of the lovable and kind characters in the 2001 anime were portrayed as serious and morally gray.
Of course, the newer series also has updated animation and graphics. While some people enjoy the character of the original, there’s no denying the new Fruits Basket show has better animation as a whole.
Three Fruit Baskets Seasons
One of the best parts of the reboot is the length, having three seasons and not just one. Instead of 26 episodes, there were a total of 63. This allowed the show to go much further into worldbuilding and side characters, covering parts of the story the original didn’t have time to get into.
Comparing The Scores
The 2001 version of Fruits Basket has a score of 7.69 and a popularity score of #411. The studio behind this adaptation was Studio Deen (Ranma ½) with Akitarou Daichi (Kamisama Kiss) as director.
The newer version of Fruits Basket, meanwhile, has an average score of 8.21 and a popularity ranking of #213. TMS Entertainment (Doctor Stone) was the studio responsible for this remake, with Yoshihide Ibata (Your Lie in April) as the director.
Comparing Fruit Baskets For Yourself
Based on the popularity rankings, the average scores, and the reviews, the 2019 version is indeed the best one, especially if you want something very close to the original manga.
Also, the original author, Natsuki Takaya, was much more involved and made sure the characters were closely aligned with her vision.
If you want, you can compare the two versions of Fruits Basket for yourself. The original, 2001 version is available to watch on Hulu while the 2019 version is available to watch on Crunchyroll. Find out which one you like best, and the differences between them for yourself.
