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I love both fruits baskets shows and was very excited for this film, not just because it meant more of it but it also meant that a shoujo anime was getting a cinema release. I feel like this film was done so dirty. The real film doesn’t begin until about 40 minutes in, with the start being a compilation of Tohru x Kyo best moments which has no positive impact on the second half of the film. It was very disappointing. Then there was the second part which honestly had incredible potential; I knew bits about Katsuya and how his relationship with Kiyoko formed and ... thought I’d hate him, but the film does a very good job of gaining sympathy and becoming invested in their family, and the ending is sad and made me hope for mercy despite knowing what happens from the show. But it could have been so much sadder and better executed if the first 40 minutes were spent fleshing out Kiyoko and Katsuya, the relationships between them and their parents, and Kiyoko’s grief. While the second half was great, it was so rushed and clearly trying to make up for a lack of time. I feel so bad for everyone working on this project because the effort and care is apparent, but I have a feeling one of the higher ups made a bad choice and screwed everyone over. I don’t know if this was due to budget restraints. I would put this as a six but I feel like the second half doesn’t deserve that since the bones are there and is better than good. If you can watch this on playback though, I’d recommend skipping the first half if you’re only interested in new content (which I feel like anyone could enjoy).

To add: While this has nothing to do with the quality of the film, I’d also like to point out how difficult this film was to access in cinemas compared to the jujutsu Kaisen and demon slayer films despite the show being a similar level of popularity, which seems kind of sus. It could be nothing, but the fact that the show happens to be a shoujo while the other two are shonen definitely rubs me the wrong way, which has added to my frustration with the film.

I started watching this anime because it showed up in my recommended and seemed like a nostalgic watch, which it definitely was despite never having watching this as a child. You can tell this is an older show with a small budget but I honestly enjoyed the outdated sound effects because it reminded me of other shows I used to like. Where I think this show shines though is in storytelling and character writing; sure the baddie is a bit bland (although i like his kind of soft side in regards to his child) and while the redemption for some characters was hinted at it ... did come a bit out of nowhere, but Cinderella, Charles, and their relationship are leaps and bounds better than any other Cinderella adaptation I’ve seen, and their relationship has better development than quite a few popular anime ships imo. Some of the side characters (mainly Isabel) are also quite good. I really enjoyed how some of the smaller (filler seeming) episodes came to play into the main story later on and I was able to binge this over a weekend and enjoy it. There could definitely be some improvements to this show but I think it’s a good watch nonetheless (although if you have a thing about good animation I wouldn’t recommend).

Unrelevent side note; I also find it funny how Charles (the prince) looks like a slightly prettier version of Derek (the Swan Princess) and a dark haired version of John Smith (Pocahontas), 90s animation seems to have had a type.