I’m Watching ‘Fruits Basket’ For The First Time And Chose The 2019 Version, Here’s Why

Whenever I ask my anime-loving friends what shows I should watch, they inevitably suggest the classic shojo story, Fruits Basket. I finally listened.

My friends know that I like cute stories and romantic comedies, so it makes sense that they pointed me toward Fruits Basket. It follows orphaned teen Tohru Honda as she goes from living in a tent in the wilderness–so as not to bother anyone–to being essentially adopted into the home of a bunch of guys with an interesting secret. But when I fired up Crunchyroll to follow my friends’ suggestion, I was faced with a dilemma. Do I watch the original 2001 series or the 2019 reboot?

What’s the difference between Fruits Basket 2001 and 2019?

Both the original series and the reboot are based off the Fruits Basket manga by Natsuki Takaya. The story spanned 136 chapters over 23 volumes, so that’s a lot of story! When the original Fruits Basket anime series aired in 2001, the manga was only part-way through the story. The show got 26 episodes while the manga finished six years later in 2007. That means that, even if the original anime had the best intentions, it won’t have a complete story.

Speaking of which, the 2001 version didn’t exactly follow the manga anyway. Some of the characters acted completely differently to the original source material. For those who loved the manga, these changes were wholly unwelcome.

The newer 2019 version, which spans 63 episodes over three seasons, is much more faithful to the manga. Not only does it follow the energy of the manga more than the 2001 version, but it also completely finishes the story, following the entire manga series up to its ending.

Which version of Fruits Basket should you watch?

Normally when a beloved show or movie gets a reboot, the purists will always recommend the original. And that could potentially make sense here since the 2001 Fruits Basket was so beloved. But if you really want to be a purist, the 2019 is the better choice. With a more faithful adaptation of the manga and a complete storyline, you’re going to get the most out of what manga author Natsuki Takaya intended. And if you care a lot about aesthetics, the 2019 version looks better, too. All of the above is why I chose the Fruits Basket reboot as my introduction to the story, and I recommend you do the same.

You can watch both the 2001 and 2019 versions of Fruits Basket on Crunchyroll.