See To hide the table of contents
The original 26-episode anime, Studio Deen’s Fruits Basket, launched on July 5, 2001. The anime follows the story of the 23-volume manga of the same name by Natsuki Takaya. The director, Akitaro Daichi, and Takaya had many disagreements during the anime adaptation. Takaya came to hate this version of his story, and it took 18 years for another version to have a chance.
In 2018, Natsuki Takaya agreed to TMS Entertainment to adapt her story. Thanks to many adaptations at Takaya’s requests, the reboot had the chance to cover all the chapters. This resulted in a 63-episode anime that premiered in 2019. Although the 2001 and 2019 versions are both based on Takaya’s manga, there are many differences between the two. By comparing the first episodes, viewers can see what has been changed to meet Takaya’s expectations.
Graphics, editing and voice acting play a major role in the story.
A key difference, noticeable from the first second of each anime, is animation style changenot. Although there is an attempt to match Natsuki Takaya’s art style and blend in with popular animation of the time, there’s something about choosing the 2001 version that doesn’t quite workt. Takaya’s style works well on a page, but when translated into animation, the story doesn’t have the same effect. The color choices – which were a problem with Takaya – lack dimension and fail to bring viewers into the magical world. What makes a game of Fruits Basket so amazing is the story’s connection to life and nature. By choosing bland palettes, the 2001 version fails to emphasize this importance.
Besides the animation style, another key visual point that shows a drastic change is the editing style. While some edits simply follow a popular trend in early 2000s animation, others are quite odd. A recognizable choice is the use of a television static filter during certain scenes. The first appearance of this filter takes place when a character with psychic abilities, Saki Hanajima, threatens to use her powers on a couple of girls who bully her friend, Tohru Honda. At that time, using the filter is an understandable choice. However, later this filter is used several times in a conversation where Hanajima is not present or even mentioned. There is an abundance of unnecessary transitions and filters that are used throughout the episode. Compared to the first episode of the reboot, this amount seems almost ridiculous.
While visuals played a huge role in fulfilling Natsuki Takaya’s desires, another issue was addressed by TMS Entertainment. Takaya was disappointed with the choice of cast and crew in 2001, especially with Akitaro Daichi as director. The reboot was already in more reliable hands when Yoshihide Ibata was hired as director, and the entire Japanese cast was replaced with new actors. However, much of the English cast remained the same. The first two episodes, even compared in English, show each actor’s drastic improvements and how their understanding of their respective roles has evolved over the years.
Music can be just as important as images for storytelling.
The addition of music throughout the first episode of the reboot is another change made between the two series. When comparing the first episodes of the original series and the reboot series, the 2001 version seems oddly quiet.. Some scenes in the 2019 series follow the 2001 storyline verbatim, but thanks to the inclusion of music, thee reboot has much more impact. The reboot is able to tie the plots together through the use of a recurring score that is established from the first episode. Without this possibility, the original anime is unable to connect the scenes in the subconscious of its viewers.
2019 Anime Learned What Worked With The Original Anime And What Didn’t. The best decision TMS Entertainment made was to follow Natsuki Takaya’s requests when it came to adapting her story for the screen. The original Fruits Basket anime has a special place in fans’ hearts, but the reboot was able to execute the story correctly from the very first episode.