5 lessons every fruit basket fan can take to heart

Fruit basket is one of the most popular romance franchises, ranking as one of the best-selling manga worldwide. The story follows an adorable love triangle between the lively protagonist, Tohru, the moody Kyo, and the shy Yuki. After the Sohmas take Tohru in after discovering she is homeless following a family tragedy, she meets the Sohmas one by one, learning about their unique personalities and personal struggles, while trying to bring peace to the family, removing the curse that turns them into animals when they embrace the opposite sex.

In addition to being a fun and exciting story, Fruit basket has many life lessons that fans can learn from. Tohru is an incredibly positive influence, approaching every situation with a desire to spark joy and soothe hurt feelings, which reminds viewers of the importance of an optimistic outlook and genuine care for others. The series takes some dark turns, covering topics like abuse, death, and grief, but The story's portrayal of these heavy subjects is thoughtful and imparts wisdom which can help viewers solve similar problems.

5

Forgive yourself for past mistakes and do better next time

Kyo had to stop blaming himself for Kyoko's accident to get closer to Tohru

One of Fruit basket The character who struggled most with his past mistakes was Kyo, and the guilt he felt ruled his life for years. When he was much younger, he befriended Kyoko Sohma, Tohru's mother, and deeply trusted her as a confidant and friend during a time in his life when everyone rejected him because he was the cat of the zodiac. Tragically, Kyoko died in a car accidentand the collision happened right in front of Kyo.

He always regretted not doing something to help, even though it was too late, and his remorse affected his romantic relationship with Tohru. Tohru didn't understand why Kyo was so distant and withdrawn until he confessed what was weighing on him, and to his surprise, Tohru immediately forgave him, realizing there was nothing he could have done to prevent Kyoko's death, and his response compassionately helped Kyo. stop blaming yourself. Kyo learned a crucial lesson that also applies to real life: warning yourself about past transgressions does nothing to help you improve and only causes you to wallow in guilt.

Once Kyo stopped carrying the weight of that experience, his relationship with Tohru deepened and he began to develop self-love, something he had never had before. Making a mistake can be terrible depending on the severity of the occurrence, but as Kyo modeled, It is much better to use these cases as inspiration for self-improvement instead of excuses to insult yourself.

4

Call out evil when you see it

Tohru speaking out against Akito's abuse directly contributed to breaking the Zodiac curse

The head of the Sohma family, Akito, was a harsh and abusive person, retaliating with physical violence or cutting comments whenever someone did something she disagreed with or felt they were distancing herself. In particular, she was cruel to Yuki, attacked Shigure for being involved with Ren, emotionally abused Rin, and physically abused Kisa because of her close relationship with Hiro. This is just a small list of the atrocities Akito has committed and because of his status as the highest ranking member in the history of the zodiac no one thought they could resist Akito's mistreatment of others.

When Tohru joined the group by chance, she was disgusted by Akito's childish and inhumane behavior, and eventually mustered up the courage to confront Akito directly. On a few occasions, Tohru spoke out against Akito's evil acts against the Sohma family and his unhealthy possessiveness, and although this earned Akito's hatred for a time, she eventually enabled some Sohmas to realize that Akito's conduct was unacceptable. Because of Tohru's bold actions, she directly contributed to breaking the curse that kept the Sohmas trapped for so long.

Eventually, Akito apologized and put distance between herself and the family, realizing that the only way to respond after her years of abuse was to let the Sohmas live in peace. However, if Tohru had never shown up to bring justice to the situation, the Sohmas could have continued living in this disrespectful and harmful dynamic forever, proving how important it is to speak out against evil situations.

3

Always be kind to everyone, even if they don't return the favor

Tohru's character arc proves that small acts of kindness can potentially change lives

Tohru Honda might be the coolest character in the anime, and she's almost too kind. All over Fruit baskether genuinely caring personality has served her well, helping her develop loving relationships with even the most introverted and emotionally reserved characters and even breaking the Zodiac Curse that ruined the Sohma family's lives for so long. Tohru's level of goodwill has changed the lives of others, like Kyo.

Being the Zodiac Cat, the most hated animal in the zodiac, he hadn't experienced much love, so he was taken aback by Tohru's willingness to care for him and get to know him. Although he resisted at first, his patient efforts helped him make his first true friendand later, until he fell in love for the first time. Tohru is not kind to receiving anything in return, her good deeds are simply a reflection of her pure heart. Although she was her usual affectionate self, she unintentionally changed the Sohma family's lives, serving as a catalyst for the change they so desperately needed after years of being entrenched in a toxic dynamic.

Tohru's friendliness earns her the favor of almost everyone in the family, from quieter individuals like Hatsuharu to more cheerful members like Momiji. Everyone trusted her because of her selfless offers to help and listen carefully, and she became the most important non-family member in the Sohma circle. If Tohru hadn't acted so warmly and selflessly, Kyo might have lived his entire life alone, Yuki would never have found a voice for himself, and the other Sohmas would be equally unhappy, so her story shows the profound impact of small acts of kindness can have.

2

Those who attack others often suffer too

Kyo and Akito's character arcs show that those who act cruelly often suffer internal burdens

Kyo Sohma seemed like a cruel bully, attacking anyone who showed him attention and treating Yuki with special disdain. He was not the only member of the Sohmas to adopt a gruff and reserved personality; Akito went as far as physical and emotional abuse from other family members. It quickly became evident that both characters were suffering deeply. and although this fact does not excuse the resulting cruelty, it helps to explain why they reacted so quickly with anger.

Kyo has lived his entire life as an outcast, ridiculed and shunned by other family members for something as uncontrollable as his place in the zodiac signs. He decided to never trust anyone as an act of protection, not even letting well-meaning individuals like Tohru get close because she feared she wouldn't love him more if she knew him better. Akito faced similar internal challenges because even though she was the powerful god of the zodiac, she felt powerless to keep people on her side.

When other members of the Zodiac formed deep connections with each other or with members outside the family, Akito's jealousy grew and drove her to violence in hopes of breaking them apart enough to be with her. Both of these coping mechanisms were not only harmful to others, but to themselves, and by the end of the story, both Kyo and Akito had developed better techniques for controlling and dealing with their own pain, and everyone's lives had improved as a result. Kyo and Akito's character arcs show this often those who act most harshly are carrying heavy burdens.

1

You have to accept who you are before you can truly love others

Kyo and Yuki had to develop self-love before they could have healthy relationships with other people

To have satisfying relationships with others, it is crucial to have self-love and no two characters highlight this more effectively than Kyo and Yuki. Kyo and Yuki were virtual opposites, but they struggled with the same low confidence and feelings of isolation as others. Like a romance anime, Fruit basket it's all about love, but not just romantic love. These characters' arcs reveal another important type of love the series covers: self-love.

Kyo was almost exiled from the Sohma family and as a result felt alone, while Yuki couldn't be more popular but felt like no one understood who he really was and only loved him for superficial reasons such as his physical appearance. Because they were both so insecure, they struggled to relate to others and pushed everyone away because they felt safer. When Tohru appeared, she challenged them both with her eagerness to know them authentically, not just the personas they portrayed to the world.

At the end of fruit basket, Yuki began to put his own needs first, becoming student council president, finding a girlfriend he loved, Machi, and becoming more outspoken, while Kyo accepted his true Zodiac form and stopped hiding from others, admitting his love for Tohru and being reciprocated. Yuki and Kyo could not have healthy relationships, romantic or platonic, until they discover how to love themselves, which is one of the many simple but powerful life lessons in Fruit basket.