<P> As this title progresses the fact that this title was one of the more popular series in Japan becomes clear . The characters get a lot of love . You get to experience them when things are good, as well as when they are struggling . The pacing is perfect . There is a good mix of comedy, fun filler, drama and action (something for everyone). In addition Fruits Basket is easy to relate to . With all the different personalities and the different signs of the zodiac, there is always someone to associate with . There are few titles that can do all that well, Fruits Basket puts all of these aspects together and makes a tasty treat...</P> <P> Takaya's artwork is considered to be more than artistically appealing, with Takaya's skills in detailed art, shadowing, and shading allowing her to convey the character's moods and emotions without the character having any dialog at all . </P> <P> The real strength of Natsuki Takaya's artwork isn't that that it looks good--though it definitely does, from its beautiful characters to the intricately rendered textures of their clothing--but how well it communicates mood and emotions . Not content to rely on facial expressions, though she does them well, Takaya is particularly apt at using shading and shadows to indicate character's mental states...The details of character's emotions--the disparity between Tohru's private emotions and her public front, the punishing intensity of Kyo's feelings for Tohru--are not only discernable but tangible, all without a word being spoken . </P> <P> In Manga: The Complete Guide, Jason Thompson gave the manga 3 and a half out of four stars . While finding the series to be "surprisingly sad" and praising the well - defined characters, he felt the series was "neither particularly well drawn nor incredibly witty". As a whole, he considered it "a fascinating manga, like a sweet, melancholy dream ." Animerica reviewers felt the anime adaptation was similar to Ranma 1⁄2 in terms of premise and its using a similar musical score . Julie Davis found the characters to be "superficially pretty" and "so - clean - they - look - almost - like - paper - cutouts" with "really, really gigantic eyes", though she notes that the animal alter forms of the zodiac members were "cute and cuddly". Fellow reviewer Urian Brown disagreed, stating that "the characters are designed in a sleek stylish manner that is classy" and felt the animation was "refined". A factor in the success of Fruits Basket in English - speaking countries was that the books were being sold in bookstores, rather than comic book shops, which are considered to be a predominantly male domain . </P>

When does the fruits basket anime end in the manga