Yay, the Tiny Little Librarian decided to try out my Ask TangognaT feature, and wrote in to ask about the suitability of Fruits Basket for a collection where the guidelines are no extreme violence and no sex/nudity.
A couple of disclaimers — I’ve never done collection development for a public library, and I’ve only read volumes 1-4 of Fruits Basket, so I’m not sure what happens in the later volumes. That being said, looking at Fruits Basket with those guidelines in mind, this is what I think, beware plenty of plot spoilers are ahead:
There’s plenty of cartoon violence in Fruits Basket, as Kyo and Yuki (the Cat and the Rat) are constantly challenging each other to martial arts battles. There isn’t really any blood, and the violence is more humorous and exaggerated for effect than anything else. I don’t see any problem there.
The sex/nudity thing might be another matter depending on how strict the collection development policy is. Fruits Basket is rated Teen or 13+, and I think if I had a kid I wouldn’t have any problem giving Fruits Basket to them if they were in the 11-13 range. The characters transform into animals after being hugged by a member of the opposite sex — losing all their clothes in the process, because how would a rat wear a schoolboy uniform? When they transform back they are naked but you always see the male characters from the waist up. When a female character transforms from her animal back to human form, she is clearly naked, but you see her from the side and she is standing behind another character so no one sees her breasts or anything. In volume 3 the characters go to a hot spring (onsen) to bathe (very common in Japan, heck I went to one once) and they are covered by towels or in the water the whole time. So there is some nudity, but it is not very detailed, and although you know the characters are naked, it isn’t really a big deal in my eyes. I find manga that seems to exist only to show girls’ skirts flipping up (panty shots) more offensive than the type of nudity in Fruits Basket.
With sex, there are a few comments made in the book about the logistical difficulties of being in a romantic relationship when one turns into an animal whenever someone of the opposite sex hugs you. At the onsen, Tohru stays in the same room as Yuki’s little cousin Momiji, thinking that he’s in elementary school although he turns out to be much older. This was basically a sitcom-like plot twist, as nothing happens but the situation is exaggerated for comedic effect. There are hints of a love triangle developing between Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo, but so far it seems to be more of an Anne of Green Gables + Gilbert “kindred spirits” type of love than anything else. I consider the sexual content in Fruits Basket to be very mild, and probably on the level of many young adult novels that would be in any libraries collection.
I’d recommend Fruits Basket if the descriptions above (I really had to hunt through the volumes for any isolated incidents that would be remotely offensive) sound like they wouldn’t be pushing the no violence/sex/nudity policy too much. If that policy was in place at a library where I worked, I wouldn’t be ordering stuff like Blade of the Immortal, Samurai Executioner, or Hot Gimmick, but I think Fruits Basket would be ok — it is cute and sweet, has tons of heart, and is wildly popular. But I’ve never had to deal with a book challenge, so your mileage may vary!
11:34 am on March 8th, 2005 1
I guess I’ll mention that in later volumes there are also touches of homosexuality/bisexuality thrown in. Nothing too graphic, I think, but it’s there. When Yuki’s brother Aya is around he usually flirts with Shigure and he also owns a men’s “fantasy” store. Is it worth it to mention the cross-dressing?
Actually, I think the 13+ rating on the back is pretty accurate - I tend to think of it as the equivalent of letting a kid watch the Simpsons or the Family Guy. They’re probably not going to come across any content in a 13+ manga that they wouldn’t find in either of those two shows. The only rating I’ve seen on a manga that I’ve ever really disagreed with was the “E” for everyone on Cardcaptor Sakura.
cathy
11:26 pm on March 8th, 2005 2
Thanks! I’d forgotten about the cross-dressing
5:24 pm on April 7th, 2005 3
i think that i want yuki and tohru to get together but i totally dont get akito plus at then end of the first season anime it showed kyo as a monster and yuki and tohru hugging him in his (true form) wow it was a sight but i toatally wish there was a girl like tohru for all the shoma family boys and girls
5:39 pm on April 7th, 2005 4
oh sorry didnt clarify to well and boys for the shoma girls plus i heard akito totured yuki mentally by locking him up in a closet plus akit it the zodiac of the cock i thought he was the cow because a cows are leaders since he was head of the shomas plus i also heard that yuki looked to tohru as a mother and at the end of kyos tranformation is he hugs tohru for excepting him in his true hideous form it happens when kyo loses his bracelet plus ithink momiji is so cute anyway its difficult to decide which boy tohru should be with but hat cant wait to read the rest of the vols and bye write me
9:39 pm on April 18th, 2005 5
yeah…i heard that about akito and yuki too. kind of confusing though….when you read that beginning of the whole series then all of a suddenly read about all of the spoilers. ^-^ me luv ruining things. well i think ish an AWESOME anime! hilarious, touching, and makes plenty of sense.
12:30 pm on May 11th, 2005 6
Sorry for being so tardy in replying, not sure how I missed this! Thanks for checking them so carefully for me - that type of nudity shouldn’t be too much of a problem. It’s more the ones where you’re happily flipping through and then - boing!! - boobs everywhere! So, it looks like I can safely order it - yay!
7:12 pm on May 11th, 2005 7
Well, there aren’t boobs everywhere, so I’m glad you’re ordering it. It is SO popular and one of my new favorite manga!
9:50 pm on June 8th, 2005 8
well, yes i do have to agree that it first doesn’t make any sense if you don’t really know much about the charecters, thats why i ruin it for my self and read the spoilers. then, i tell my friends becuase it’s so fasinating to talk to them about things that they don’t know in an anime they are really familiar with. Post me on maybe having !!!!!!!!!!!!!!megumi hanajima having a crush on kisa sohma.!!!!!!!!!!! cool or what. poor hiro sohma.
4:35 am on July 6th, 2005 9
how many books are there in the fruits basket series?i dont know and I`m kid of interrested.
~Nachi
3:08 pm on July 6th, 2005 10
The Tokyopop page for Fruits Basket lists 16 volumes, but I don’t know if that is accurate.
3:54 pm on July 30th, 2005 11
Fruits Basket is the BEST manga EVER. I think Tohru will end up with Yuki and Kyo will (though currently dreading the thought) end up with Kagura. I’ve read all of them that are out so far where i live (up to 10) At the end of the 10th Yuki admits he loves her, It was so sweet. ~Shea (age 13, just old enough to read it witout getting weird looks!)
3:56 pm on July 30th, 2005 12
Oh yes, I also know of everything to come except for the ending… Like Akito’s lil secret. Btw- In response to something written above… I dont think Megumi and Kisa would be sooo cute but i really think Hiro and Kisa are wayyy cute already. ~Shea
11:28 pm on November 10th, 2005 13
i know who tohru is going to end up with….but i wont spoil it for you guys and i also know much more about other secrets within the sohma family…but yeah i wouldnt want to offend anyone by telling you guys if you dont want to know….peace ^^
furuba rocks!!!
12:43 pm on December 28th, 2005 14
Hey everybody!!! I came across Fruits Basket Vol. 4 a couple of months ago at a random store and the reason it caught my attention was because it was BACKWARDS. I picked it up and read the summary at the back, and a spark just came to my head that said “You gotta buy this book!!!” So I did. I read the whole thing within 2 hours and just totally fell in love it! I went back to the store about a month later, BUT THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANYMORE :’(
I’ve gone on the internet trying to find more information about it. I love how Japanese cartoons have this strong pull on you that draws you towards them and MAKES YOU WANT MORE. I think they’re called subliminal messages (he he). But what I was wondering was if u guys knew where to find more of these books. I live in Canada, so maybe they’re not as popular here as they are down in the states and obviously in Japan. I also found out that it was turned into an anime a few years ago, and it makes me so mad that I have never seen it :(. Do you guys know if it’s still running, and if so, on what channels? If guys can answer some of these questions I will love you forever and ever!!! Oh, and one last thing: I have a bit of a different opinion about the “love triangle’s outcome”. I think (and hope) that Torhu will end up with Kyo instead. He has that sort of “bad-boy-with-a-soft-side” attitude that I find completely IRRESISTIBLE!!!! Plus, Yuki is too popular and doesn’t deserve Torhu’s love as much as Kyo does (yes, I do know about how Akito tortured him mentally by lockin him in a closet, but still) Ok, I’ve said enough
Talk to u ppl l8ter!!
5:15 am on January 1st, 2006 15
Uhmmmmm….guyz? There is still Fruits Basket here in the Philippines….If you want to watch it once again, view studio 23 channel “KABARKADA MO”.
It is from Monday to Friday, 3 episodes per day, 2:00 P.M. after Sports Report.
Don’t worry Sports Report takes 15 minutes only.
7:55 am on June 30th, 2007 16
i like to watch fruits basket alot i mean alot im a fruits basket fan.