In 2019, the beloved Fruits Basket series received a rebooted anime adaptation of the popular manga of the same name. The remake promised to adapt the entirety of the manga series faithfully. With Fruits Basket -prelude- the anime series officially ends as this upcoming special event film rounds out everything.

*Please note: From this point forward, this review will contain mild spoilers for Fruits Basket -prelude- and the Fruits Basket series.

The movie wraps up the entire series, so it contains some spoilers from the episodes. And just like the episodes’ faithful adaptation to the manga source material, the film does the same. Early in the show, audiences see a brief history of the main character Tohru Honda’s family life⁠—she was recently orphaned with her father Katsuya passing when she was young due to a cold of some sort and her mother Kyoko dying from an accident. Most of all, Tohru has often emphasized and shared how loving her mom was and how in love her parents were. This film finally gives us a glimpse into how Kyoko and Katsuya met and how their relationship was.

It was no secret that most of Katsuya’s family didn’t approve of Kyoko and Tohru by extension. Seeing it unfold as Katsuya began courting Kyoko, married her, and then leaving his wife and daughter as he later passed, it was heartbreaking to see how grief overtook the family. Kyoko wasn’t close to any of her immediate family, and even after marrying Katsuya Honda, the Honda family did not fully accept her, except for Katsuya’s father. With the world rejecting Kyoko, she found solace and joy in her little family.

Though it was inevitable that Katsuya would pass, his death was heartbreaking. It wasn’t only his literal passing; it almost felt like the end of a family and all the potential they had of living together to watch their young daughter Tohru grow up. To Kyoko, it was the death of the love of her life. The grief overtook her, causing her to nearly lose sight of everything in her life until she was reminded that she still had someone to live for and love–Tohru.

The film is sad, though, from the beginning, Katsuya’s death could not be avoided. But it was also a story of love and rediscovering a love for those who are important to us.

Fruits Basket -prelude- released in select theatres across the United States and Canada on June 25, 28 and 29, and will release in the United Kingdom on July 20. The 2019 Fruits Basket series is currently available on Crunchyroll for streaming.

Published by Josephine L.

Josephine L. // Super Sailor Senshi by moonlight View all posts by Josephine L.