Manga
Fruits Basket: Banquet
By Chris Zimmerman
April 20, 2010 - 06:38

Tokyopop
Writer(s): Natsuki Takaya
Penciller(s): Natsuki Takaya
Letterer(s): Michael Paolilli
ISBN: 978-1-4278-1798-3
$14.99 US



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Created by Natsuki Takaya, Fruits Basket has since gone on to become one of the most popular manga titles in the world, running for 23 volumes before making the transition to anime. In America alone, the series has enjoyed success as the #1 selling shojo title.  For fans who are unfamiliar with the series seeking to find out the reasons behind its popularity, Banquet provides an excellent primer.

Fruits Baskets is the story of Tohru Honda, a recently orphaned high school student who lives with the Sohma family in exchange cooking, cleaning, and general housekeeping. Over time she develops a friendship with her landlords and discovers that they are not what they appear. As it turns out, the Sohmas are possessed by the animal spirits of the zodiac, cursed to transform into said animal when hugged by a member of the opposite sex.

Fruits Basket: Banquet is akin to a supplemental book, featuring extra content that no fan would want to be without. Included are full color illustrations, interviews, commentaries, and games. There is much more content to be found between the covers that is sure to please fans though to detail it all would be exhaustive.

Casual fans will probably find minimal value in Banquet, diehards on the other hand, who can’t get enough of Takaya’s unique world and are still hungry for more are sure to find themselves attracted to this release.
Rating: 8/10

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