Fruits Basket 1st Season

"I'll hold another banquet."

"I'll hold banquet after banquet, forever unchanging..."

"I may be lonely right now..."

"...but everyone is waiting for me...

on the other side of that promise."

That was in the long-distant past...

The original memory, forgotten by everyone.

The original promise.

Wow! It looks like it'll be another hot day,

even though it's mid-September already!

All right, Mom, you look after things here.

See you after school!

I have plenty of time today, so why don't I take a walk around the area?

The air feels so nice!

A new discovery: there's a house here.

How cute!

Well, now!

It's not too often I see a girl around here.

H-Hello! I'm sorry! I was looking around without permission!

Go right ahead.

But wouldn't a young person like you find this place boring?

No, not at all! These zodiac knickknacks are adorable.

Ah, yes. They're a favorite of mine, too.

It's another set without a cat, though...

Cat?

Oh! Are you thinking of the cat from the old zodiac folktale?

Yes!

My mother used to tell me that story all the time.

Once upon a time, God told the animals:

"I invite you to the banquet I shall hold tomorrow."

But the Rat, who loved to pull pranks, lied to his neighbor the Cat,

"Listen, sir, let me tell you the news." "Why thank you."

and told him the banquet was the day after tomorrow.

On the day of the banquet, the Rat rode on the Ox's back,

then leapt easily down to arrive there first.

After him came the Ox, the Tiger, and all the rest,

and they all feasted merrily until dawn.

"Welcome to the Banquet"

All of them except the deceived Cat.

Tohru! Why the heck are you crying?

That poor Cat!

Okay, I've decided!

I'm going to quit being a Dog and be a Cat instead!

"*She's trying to say that she'll switch her birth year from the Dog to the Cat."

My, my.

I wonder what face he'd make if he heard that.

Pardon?

Anyway, so you were born in the Year of the Dog?

That makes me feel close to you. After all, I'm a Dog--

-too.

Lay off the inappropriate flirting.

Are you all right, Honda-san?

Did my cousin pull any funny business?

--S-Soma-kun! Good morning! --That really hurt!

--S-Soma-kun! Good morning! --Did you pack a dictionary or something?

Two, in fact.

Good morning.

Oh, do you two know each other?

This is Honda-san. She's in my class.

I'm Tohru Honda. It's a pleasure to meet you!

Oh. Well, I'm Shigure Soma, Yuki-kun's cousin.

Say, what brings you here?

I, er, live nearby...

You live... near here?

--Huh. --Well, I'll be going!

Honda-san?

Yes?

Since you're here, why don't we walk to school together?

What?

Honda-san, what is the meaning of this?!

U-Um...

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Yuki's second-year representative,

Motoko Minagawa!

P-Prince Yuki...?

Prince Yuki core principles!

Never steal the prince's personal effects!

Never invade the prince's home!

Never speak to the prince without someone else present!

"Prince Yuki" is the club dedicated to praising, loving, and protecting

the prince who has graced our school with his presence.

Honda-san!

You have publicly signaled your revolt against our well-disciplined club!

Now let's have a clear explanation of why

--you arrived at school with Yuki today! --Scary.

Speak!

It was a coincidence...

That's right: Yuki Soma's handsome features

have won him a "prince of the school" position already in his freshman year.

If "coincidence" was a good enough excuse, we wouldn't need the police!

--That's right! --What she said!

I bet you're getting a big head just because Yuki-kun was nice to you--

Hey, you. Don't you dare use those dumb excuses to pick a fight.

Wh-What's your problem? You delinquents think threats solve everything!

I'll use evil waves...

...to make you .

Uo-chan, Hana-chan, you saved me.

You poor thing. That was some bad luck!

Hanajima, don't actually do the wave thing.

"Home Economics Room"

I gotta say, though, you sure don't come to school with the prince every day.

It made me very nervous.

Soma-kun is too beautiful...

You know...

...I find his waves quite strange.

Here comes Hanajima's Wave Report.

Strange in what way?

That's the thing--I'm not sure.

True, he is a little mysterious.

When a second-year confessed her love to him a while back and tried to hug him...

Yuki-kun!

...he sent her flying. Scared the heck out of her.

"A Princely Scuttle"

I didn't know that.

--I wonder why... --You three!

Move your hands, not your mouths!

Ah...

What?

We're done already, moron.

Don't you talk big! I know Honda-san did all of that!

The rice is done, too.

Sheesh.

--Hey, Tohru, I'm going shopping --Teacher, mine went wrong!

with Hanajima after school. Wanna come?

Sorry, I have to work today.

Right, you promised to pay your own tuition, didn't you? That's rough.

But you work almost daily.

That shouldn't be necessary just for tuition, surely?

Here, extra-large.

Thanks.

I'd like to start living alone after I graduate, though,

so I have to start saving now!

You're gonna make me cry! Eat up, Tohru. Build your strength!

--Yes, ma'am! --Tohru-kun cooked this, not you.

You're still staying at your dad's parents' place, right?

Yes!

Are they feeding you okay, at least?

They better not be squeezing all your wages out of you.

Delicious.

I can't tell her. If Uo-chan knew I was living in a tent...

...she might charge into my grandfather's house on her motorcycle.

Soma-kun!

Thank you for this morning!

Nonsense. I apologize for Shigure.

Oh, no, he's a very nice person!

He even showed me his zodiac knickknacks.

That's right, you were saying something about being a Cat?

I was an odd child.

Mm-hmm. The Cat is an idiot.

And ornery, too.

Honda-san, did you know

that the zodiac animals actually began as part of the sexagenary cycle?

They were used as numerals and clock divisions,

then later yin-yang and elemental relationships were folded in with them.

That's when they became fortune-telling tools.

The math never left room for the Cat to begin with.

I think that's for the best anyway, though.

What's so good about being allowed to join the zodiac?

The Cat is such an idiot.

So... are you saying you hate cats, Soma-kun?

Oh, I'm sorry! I have to go to work!

--Honda-san. --Yes?!

You look under the weather.

It's still so hot, too. You should be careful of your health.

When I was three, my father got sick and died.

After that, my mother worked and worked to support us.

"Household Accounts"

Tohru-chan! Your mama is hungry for sukiyaki today!

My mother protected me.

She was always so powerful and cheerful.

I never thought someone like her...

...would die in an accident.

Everyone argued over who should take me in...

--...but in the end my grandfather was the one to do it.

-Dinner is ready, Grandfather.

-Thank you, Kyoko-san.

He's living on a pension now, and I didn't want to be a burden.

-I'm Tohru, Grandfather.

-What did you cook today, Kyoko-san?

--So, I promised to pay my own tuition and living expenses.

-Hotpot. Also, I'm Tohru.

That all happened in May.

Kyoko-san, I'm supposed to go live with my daughter's family for a while

while this house is being renovated.