Since its initial release in 2001, Fruits Basket has cemented itself as one of the most popular titles in the shoujo. The recent 2019 remake of Fruits Basket has only served to provide further proof that the story of Tohru Honda and the Sohma family is a timeless tale of love and friendship.
Fruits Basket's themes of spirits, curses, love, and friendship are popular tropes in other anime as well. While some series attempt to subvert these tropes and play up the comedic aspects of the story, others take a more serious approach and attempt to tell stories full of thoughtful characters and intense drama. Whichever method is the case, there are a number of excellent animes like Fruits Basket that fans of the show could also grow to love.
10 Natsume's Book of Friends
A finalist for the first Manga Taisho award in 2008, Natsume's Book of Friends was later adapted into an anime that spanned six seasons and several feature films. The story is centered around Natsume, an orphaned teenage boy who has the ability to see yokai or spirits. He inherits an object called the Book of Friends from his grandmother that allows him to control spirits whose names are written in the book. However, rather than use the book to control spirits, Natsume chooses to release spirits instead and even forms a close bond with a precocious spirit called Madara. The overall effect is a story brimming with optimism and full of beautiful imagery.
9 Orange
Boasting a unique storyline and magnificent visuals, Orange has established itself as one of the most intriguing animes of the past decade. One day, Naho Takamiya begins to receive letters sent from herself 10 years in the future. The letters instruct her to somehow avoid making the biggest mistake of her life, and that the mistake has to do with a new transfer student, Kakeru Naruse. What follows is a slowly unfolding but thoughtful story that is sure to require viewers to have more than a few tissues readily at hand. Orange serves as an example that it's possible to tell an old story in new and interesting ways.
8 My Love Story!!
Fruits Basket is not only full of touching moments but also tons of laughs, and the same is true for My Love Story!!. Takeo Goda is a hulking giant of a high schooler who desperately wants to find true love, but every girl he likes falls for his handsome best friend, Makoto Sunakawa.
One day, Takeo saves Rinko Yamata, a shy girl who loves to bake, and he is instantly smitten. Rinko feels the same way about Takeo, but neither of them is able to express how they feel. My Love Story!! offers a fun spin on the love triangle story with its fresh take on high school romance and goofball humor.
7 Kamisama Kiss
The beginning of Kamisama Kiss starts off very similar to Fruits Basket. Like Tohru Honda, Nanami Momozono is a homeless high schooler who is kicked out of her apartment due to her father's gambling debts. The kind-hearted Nanami is invited to live at a shrine after saving an earth deity named Mikage, where she meets Mikage's familiar, Tomoe. Over time, Nanami finds herself falling for Tomoe, and despite the taboo against yokai filling in love with humans, Tomoe beings to feel the same way about Nanami. Throughout the series, Kamisama Kiss explores these themes of love and breaking barriers in a heartwarming fashion.
6 Your Life In April
Your Life In April is a spirited tale of how living life to the fullest is never a waste of time. Kosei Arima is a piano prodigy who loses his ability to hear himself play the piano after his mother dies suddenly. Years later, he meets a young violin player, Kaori Miyazono, whose free-spirited nature entices him back to the world of music. Kaori's and Kosei's relationship blossoms as does their music as they grow closer to each other. The series features one of the best soundtracks in years as well as amazing performances and visuals.
5 Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits
Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits hits on many of the major tropes established in Fruits Basket. Aoi Tsubaki is a college student who is able to see Ayakashi, a type of lesser yokai. One day, Aoi encounters an Ayakashi named Odanna, who ends up kidnapping her and taking her to the Hidden Realm, the world where spirits live. Odanna asks Aoi to marry him in order to pay off a debt her father owes him. Aoi manages to talk Odanna into letting her work at his inn, and the two's relationship develops from there. The series manages to weave together magical and romantic elements into a visually pleasing narrative that is quirky and charming.
4 My Little Monster
The themes of learning how to socialize and accepting one's true feelings are important concepts in Fruits Basket, and the same is true for My Little Monster. Shizuku Mizutani is a studious student who has little interest in anything else but her plans for the future until she meets fellow classmate Haru Yoshida.
Shizuku is considered cold and callous, while Haru is seen as wild and violent, but the two strike up an unlikely friendship and develop feelings for each other. Together they grow to care for each other and learn how to express themselves to their family and friends. This odd couple story manages to take familiar themes and make them feel fun and new thanks to great performances from the main characters.
3 Lovely Complex
A buddy comedy that also doubles as a love story, Lovely Complex is an example of how opposites attract. Risa Koizumi is a very tall girl for her age, while her friend, Atsushi Otani, is very short for his age. The two friends are always joking around with each other, but when they both end up developing a crush on other people, they make a pact to help each other find love. Their endeavors fail, but they end up growing closer together, and along the way discover that size doesn't really matter what it comes to attraction.
2 Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You
Another nominee for the first Manga Taisho award as well as a winner for Best Shojo Manga at the Kodansha Manga Awards, Kimi ni Todoke is an uplifting coming of age story. 15-year-old Sawako Kuronuma is ostracized by her classmates despite being a sweet and easy-going girl. Her life changes when a popular boy, Kazehaya, starts a relationship with her and Sawako begins to make new friends. Kimi no Todoke: From Me To You, treats fans to a charming love saga about misfits that defy expectations.
1 Ouran High School Host Club
A fresh take on the themes of mistaken identity and the reverse harem, Ouran High School Host Club manages to parody many of the tropes common in shoujo anime. Haruhi Fujioka is a student at the prestigious Ouran Academy. One day, she accidentally breaks an expensive vase owned by the Host Club, and its all-male members force her to become a member of the club. After donning a male persona, Haruhi learns what it takes to be a host, and hilarity ensues. The show has been a fan favorite since its release over 15 years ago, largely due to its tongue-in-cheek style and self-aware humor.
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