10 Best Shows Like Fruits Basket That You Should Watching Update 04/2024

Shows Like Fruits Basket

Spirits, curses, love, and friendship are all common tropes in other anime, so Fruits Basket isn’t alone in having these themes. Take a look at these that are similar to those featured in the series.

Fruits Basket has become a cult classic in the shoujo genre since its release in 2001. Fruits Basket’s recent 2019 remake has only served to demonstrate how timeless the story of Tohru Honda and the Sohma family is.

Spirits, curses, love, and friendship are all common tropes in Fruits Basket, as are other anime tropes. When it comes to subverting tropes and playing up the comedic aspects of stories, some shows do it with a lighter touch, while others try to tell stories full of complex characters and high stakes drama. Regardless of how it’s done, Fruits Basket fans may also enjoy other great anime like A Certain Magical Index.

1. Natsume’s Book of Friends

Natsume's Book of Friends

Natsume’s Book of Friends, which was a finalist for the first Manga Taisho award in 2008, was adapted into a six-season anime series and several feature films. An orphaned teenager with the ability to see yokai (spirits) named Natsume is featured in the story. He receives from his grandmother an object known as the Book of Friends, which gives him command over the spirits whose names are written in the book. Natsume, on the other hand, chooses to release spirits rather than use the book to control them and even forms a close bond with a young spirit named Madara. It’s a story full of hope and beautiful imagery in general.

2. Orange

Orange has become one of the most intriguing animes of the last decade thanks to its unique plot and stunning visuals. In the future, 10 years from now, Naho Takamiya starts receiving letters from the past. To avoid making the biggest mistake of her life, she must somehow avoid meeting Kakeru Naruse, the new transfer student. The story that follows is one that unfolds slowly but thoughtfully and will require viewers to have plenty of tissues on hand. The story of Orange shows that an old story can be told in a new and interesting way.

3. My Love Story!!

My Love Story

Both Fruits Basket and My Love Story!! have heartwarming moments interspersed with plenty of laughs. One of the biggest high schoolers in the class wants nothing more than to find true love, but all the girls he meets have eyes only for him and his best friend, Makoto Sunakawa.

One day, Takeo saves shy baker Rinko Yamata and falls head over heels in love with her. Takeo makes Rinko feel the same way, but neither of them can say it out loud. With its new take on high school romance and goofball humor, My Love Story!! puts a fun spin on the classic love triangle story.

4. Kamisama Kiss

Kamisama Kiss begins in a similar fashion to Fruits Basket. Nanami Momozono, like Tohru Honda, is a high school dropout who was evicted from her apartment because her father racked up gambling debts. After saving an earth deity named Mikage, Nanami is invited to live at a shrine, where she meets Mikage’s pet dog, Tomoe. Although it’s against the rules for yokai to fall in love with humans, Nanami eventually finds herself attracted to Tomoe, who develops feelings for her as well. Kamisama Kiss explores these themes of love and overcoming obstacles in a heartwarming way throughout the series.

5. Your Life In April

Your Life In April

It’s never a waste of time to live life to the fullest, as Your Life in April shows. After his mother dies unexpectedly, piano prodigy Kosei Arima loses his ability to hear himself play. However, he returns to the world of music years later after meeting the free-spirited young violinist Kaori Miyazono. As Kaori and Kosei get closer, their relationship and music both blossom. The series has a fantastic soundtrack, as well as some of the best acting and visual effects in recent memory.

6. Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits

In many ways, Kakuriyo: Bed And Breakfast For Spirits is a reworking of Fruits Basket’s tropes. An ordinary college student named Aoi Tsubaki can see a lesser yokai known as Ayakashi. In the Hidden Realm, spirits roam free. One day, Aoi meets an Ayakashi named Odanna, who kidnaps her and takes her there. The debt her father owes Odanna necessitates Odanna proposing marriage to Aoi in order to pay it off. When Aoi persuades Odanna to let her work at his inn, their romance takes off. Despite the fact that it combines magical and romantic themes, the show still manages to be visually appealing while also being quirky and endearing.

7. My Little Monster

My Little Monster

Fruits Basket and My Little Monster both have themes about learning how to socialize and accepting one’s true feelings. A studious student, Shizuku Mizutani is only concerned with her future plans until she meets Haru Yoshida, a new classmate.

However, despite Shizuku and Haru’s widely held perceptions of one another, the two form an unlikely friendship and eventually fall in love. Together, they develop a sense of responsibility for one another and learn new ways to communicate with their loved ones. The great performances by the main actors in this odd-couple story enable it to take familiar themes and make them feel fun and new.

8. Lovely Complex

In this buddy comedy/love story hybrid, the polar opposites are attracted to one another. Atsushi Otani, Risa’s friend, is a much shorter man than he should be for his age. Their banter is light-hearted, but when they find themselves having feelings for other people, the two friends agree to help each other find happiness. Despite their failures, they grow closer as a result of their experiences and learn that size isn’t a factor in attraction.

9. Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You

Kimi Ni Todoke From Me To You

In addition to being a nominee for the first Manga Taisho award, Kimi ni Todoke was also the winner of the Best Shojo Manga category at the Kodansha Manga Awards. In spite of being a sweet and laid-back teen, Sawako Kuronuma, 15, is shunned by her peers. When Kazehaya, a well-liked boy, develops feelings for her, Sawako begins to meet new people. When it comes to romantic comedies, there are few better than Kimi no Todoke: From Me To You.

10. Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High School Host Club takes a fresh approach to shoujo anime tropes like mistaken identity and the reverse harem. Haruhi Fujioka attends the prestigious Ouran Academy and is a student named Haruhi. This all-male club forces her into membership after she accidentally breaks an expensive vase that belongs to them. Haruhi discovers what it’s like to be a host after assuming a male persona, and the result is pure comedy. Since its debut over 15 years ago, the show has been a fan favorite thanks to its tongue-in-cheek tone and self-aware humor.

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Patrick Sather is an Irvine, California-based writer who specializes in science fiction and fantasy. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and he strives to create interesting content for ScreenRant readers. A current finance employee, his long-term goals include opening a board game and puzzle cafe. Writing about anime takes up most of the free time he has. He also writes a first novel while also talking philosophy with his wife and keeping an eye on his infant daughter.