Fruits Basket, Volume 8

2002 first published in book form in Japan, although as a comic in 2000, this TokyoPop translation from 2005
Natsuki Takaya
Fruits Basket, Volume 8
Bought newish for $9.99
Slightly worn paperback
B-

This does have one of the characters that made it into the anime (which shuffles things around more than I realized), the "monkey" Sohma, Ritchan, who's just as hysterical (in the over-reacting, not funny, sense) as his mother the hot springs "concubine."  I find him annoying, and I wasn't that into the other stories, but I thought the "haunted house" sequence was great and I wish that had been animated.

There were fifteen volumes after this, a few of which I read, but I didn't care enough to buy them, or keep going.  Mostly I see the books as a supplement to the anime, rather than the other way round, but they're somewhat entertaining on their own.

Fruits Basket, Volume 6

2000 first published in Japan (both comic and book form), this TokyoPop translation from 2005
Natsuki Takaya
Fruits Basket, Volume 6
Bought newish for $9.99
Slightly worn paperback
B-

There's no more of the Takaya interview, but there is my favorite piece of fan-art, a "Disneyfied" Shigure.  This volume goes up to the point where the anime ended, although the visit to Ayame's shop and the revelation of Kyo's secret form are reversed in the anime for dramatic reasons.  I think I used to own Volume 7 but it was too focused on new characters.  I do have Volume 8, which we'll get to in 2001....

Fruits Basket, Volume 5

2000 first published in book form in Japan, although 1999 in comic form, this TokyoPop translation from 2004 
Natsuki Takaya
Fruits Basket, Volume 5
Bought newish for $9.99
Slightly worn paperback
B-

Tohru meets Yuki's brother Ayame and Kisa, the latter one of the few female zodiac members.  The interview explains more about the dynamics of the family, and also discusses the "Original Drama CD" (never available in the U.S. I'm assuming).

Fruits Basket, Volume 4

2000 first published in book form in Japan, although 1999 in comic form, this TokyoPop translation from 2004 
Natsuki Takaya
Fruits Basket, Volume 4
Bought newish for $9.99
Slightly worn paperback
B-

Tohru meets some non-zodiac members of the Sohma family, including Momiji's mother and sister (who don't know who he is), and Akito, the sinister young head of the family.  The interview with Tayaka continues, this time (after more blathering about video games) talking about the creation of the comic, including its name.

Fruits Basket, Volume 3

1999 first published in Japan (both comic and book form), this TokyoPop translation from 2004 
Natsuki Takaya
Fruits Basket, Volume 3
Bought newish for $9.99
Slightly worn paperback
B-

Tohru meets Hatsuharu (ox) as well as the mother of the monkey (oddly translated as "concubine" of the hot springs spa).  The relationships get a little deeper than before, although there's still lots of slapstick and mild violence.  There's even more fan-art than before, as well as an "Interview with Takaya-sensei."

Fruits Basket, Volume 2

1999 first published in Japan, but published in comic form in 1998, and this TokyoPop translation from 2004 
Natsuki Takaya
Fruits Basket, Volume 2
Bought newish for $9.99
Worn paperback
B-

This time Tohru meets Momiji (rabbit) and Hatori (seahorse, rather than a dragon), and there's quite a bit of back story on the latter.  Also, her friends Hana and Uo invites themselves to a sleepover, but the Sohma's secret isn't revealed to them.  Tohru tells a story that didn't make the anime, about a boy in a cap leading her home when she was lost.

This is about equal to the first volume and is the first to include fan-art and even fan-haikus.

Fruits Basket, Volume 1

1999 first published in Japan, but published in comic form in 1998, and this TokyoPop translation from 2004 
Natsuki Takaya
Fruits Basket, Volume 1
Bought newish for $9.99
Slightly worn paperback
B-

When I first saw the anime, I loved it so much, I watched the whole DVD (six episodes) in a row.  I got the manga not long after, and enjoyed it less, partly because I missed the wonderful American voice-acting.  I also quit maybe a dozen volumes in because there were too many side characters, and I wanted the focus to stay on Tohru Honda and the Sohmas.  (In contrast, I read Kare Kano to the end, getting it from the library, and finding it about equal to the anime, although I only bought the anime, not the manga.)

As the dates at the top indicate, it was hard to know where to place this chronologically, especially since this edition contains an interview with the American actress for Tohru.  But I decided that the way it was originally packaged as a book matters most, especially since we get what presumably wasn't in the comic form, Takaya rambling about various topics, including what sound like rather boring video games.  Occasionally she'll offer insights into her characters, but not often enough.

As for the story itself, it's a good one, with Tohru learning the secret of the Sohma family, that thirteen of its members turn into animals of the Chinese zodiac (including the exiled cat).  If I recall correctly, these first six chapters roughly correspond to the first five episodes, with Tohru meeting, moving in with, and then briefly leaving Shigure (dog), Yuki (rat), and Kyo (cat).  The mix of personalities offers interesting contrasts.  I do have to gripe about a couple of things.  One, I don't find the violence of Kagura (boar) towards her "beloved" Kyo funny, although it sort of works in the anime.  Two, I don't mind reading back to front (TokyoPop's "authentic" format), but I don't like how it's not always clear whether to move down or right.  And three, some of the font is incredibly tiny (not only translated but shrunk down from the comics), so I ended up skipping the smallest.