The classic shojo series Fruits Basket is about one girl’s relationship with an entire cursed family, the Sohma family, and the twelve Chinese zodiac animals that they represent. Although Tohru Honda had suffered considerable losses recently, such as the death of her mother Kyoko, she is in good spirits and is never truly alone.
Already, Tohru has a few friends at school to call her own, and despite the danger, she befriends nearly every member of the Sohma family and heals their hearts one by one. Many of the Sohmas return Tohru’s gesture with friendship, and these tight bonds are what give the Sohmas and Tohru hope that the zodiac curse can be broken once and for all, setting these friends free. Who ranks at the top of Tohru’s inner circle?
10 Tohru & Ayame Sohma Bonded Over Their Support Of Yuki
At first, the snake member of the zodiac, Ayame Sohma, came on rather strongly, and Tohru was mildly alarmed by Ayame’s flamboyant and eccentric ways. Ultimately, though, the robe-wearing Ayame meant no harm. In fact, his #1 goal is to heal his relationship with his younger brother, Yuki Sohma.
Tohru is 100% on board with that goal, and she and Ayame soon bonded over their common interest in Yuki. Ayame is quite fond of Tohru, and more than once, he wanted to dress her up in lovely clothes to bring out her true beauty. Tohru isn’t terribly vain, but she was flattered by the attention all the same.
9 Tohru Supports Hatsuharu Sohma’s Stubborn Love Life
Hatsuharu is the ox member of the Chinese zodiac, and like a black and white cow, he has a light side and a dark side and is generally stubborn and persistent. Hatsuharu didn’t think much of Tohru at first, but he soon realized that she is a kind and wonderful person, and changed his opinion of her for the better.
Hatsuharu and Tohru aren’t exactly joined at the hip, but then again, they do have mutual respect, and Tohru is highly supportive of Hatsuharu’s love life and quest to find true happiness. Hatsuharu is grateful for the support.
8 Kagura Sohma Sees Tohru As A Fun Sister
At first, the hot-headed Kagura Sohma viewed Tohru as a love rival, since both girls had an invested interest in the cat-based Kyo Sohma. These girls accepted Kyo for who he was, strengths and weaknesses alike, and Kagura was feeling jealous. But not for long.
Kagura had her own personal baggage to work through, and Tohru was there to help. The two girls soon became the best of friends, and among other things, they enjoy cooking and servicing meals together. Shigure will always be grateful for that.
7 Kisa Sohma Sees Tohru As Her Big Sister
Kisa Sohma also sees Tohru as a sister in spirit, even more so than Kagura. She is the tiger member of the zodiac despite her meek personality, and she is trying to figure out her relationship with Hiro Sohma, the sheep member of the zodiac. Tohru is there to help.
Kisa used to live in a timid shell until Tohru helped her emerge from it, and now, Kisa feels as though she owes her exciting and happy life to Tohru. Tohru is simply glad to be of help, and she can’t help but dote on Kisa in return.
6 Akito Sohma Learned To Embrace Tohru As A True Friend
Of all people, the head of the Sohma family, Akito Sohma, ended up becoming one of Tohru’s closest and most loyal friends, though the road to that friendship was a rough one. For a long time, Akito was intensely jealous of all the attention and love Tohru attracted to herself.
As the god of the zodiac, Akito is completely dependent on the ties that bind her to the twelve zodiac members. But once the curse is broken anyway, Akito has no choice but to learn to stand on her own, and Tohru was always ready to lend a helping hand. At last, Akito is ready to take that hand.
5 Yuki Sohma Has Long Since Been Tohru’s Advocate In The Family
Yuki Sohma, the rat spirit bearer, was one of the first Sohmas to ever meet Tohru, and he has been Tohru’s ally and advocate ever since. He is outwardly viewed as a perfect prince by all the girls at school, but in reality, he suffers imposter syndrome, and not even he can fully stand up to Akito. Enter Tohru.
For a time, it seemed like Yuki and Tohru would have been the main pairing, with how well these characters got along and protected one another. Yuki has drawn a lot of strength and conviction from Tohru, and he’s ready to use it to break free of Akito once and for all.
4 Kyo Sohma Couldn’t Believe That Tohru Really Accepted Him
Kyo and Tohru ended up as the central pairing of Fruits Basket, but this wasn’t terribly obvious at first. Kyo Sohma was an aggressive tsundere who was mostly preoccupied with his feud with Yuki, but Kyo did have good things in his life, such as his martial arts master, Kazuma.
Tohru was determined to help Kyo heal his heart and find happiness, despite Kyo’s attempts to push her away. Over time, Kyo became one of Tohru’s fiercest allies and friends, and eventually, their friendship blossomed into true love, and they married when they were older.
3 Momiji Sohma Is Tohru’s Rabbit Ally & Best Friend
Momiji Sohma, the bearer of the rabbit spirit, appeared not long after Yuki and Kyo did. Momiji is half-German and quite excitable, always seeing everything as a fun adventure or quest. His upbeat personality instantly endeared him to Tohru, who sees him as a little brother of sorts.
Tohru is highly protective of Momiji in every sense, and she was heartbroken when she learned the truth about how Momiji’s mother effectively phased him out of her life to start a new family elsewhere. Momiji returns Tohru’s friendship in full and is stubbornly on her side in the struggle against Akito.
2 Saki Hanajima Is Tohru’s Spooky But Dear Friend From Middle School
Saki Hanajima was Tohru’s good friend even before Tohru met the Sohmas, and this friendship has withstood the test of time. Back in 8th grade, the eerie and quiet Saki Hanajima was unpopular because people thought she had occultic powers, and she dressed in all black. But Tohru saw right through that eerie exterior.
Tohru extended the hand of friendship, and Saki gratefully accepted it, since Tohru was the first person outside of her family to accept her. Now, both girls trust and respect each other deeply, and Tohru can’t imagine life without her.
1 Arisa Uotani Is A Reformed Gang Member & Tohru’s #1 Protector
Arisa Uotani is a tough but kind girl who is Tohru’s other best friend, and she won’t take any nonsense from anybody. The two girls were at odds at first, since Tohru had a comfortable and normal life with her mother Kyoko, while Arisa was a violent delinquent with a neglectful father at home.
Arisa tried to mock Tohru for being some goody-two-shoes, but in reality, Arisa was hurting and needed someone who truly needed her in return. Tohru’s attempts at friendship inspired Arisa to quit her girl-gang despite the abusive exit ceremony, and Arisa never looked back. Today, she is Tohru’s fierce protector in terms of physical safety and emotional support alike, and anyone who tries to mess with Tohru will have to deal with her friend first.
About The Author