‘Fruits Basket’ Creator Comments on Reboot’s Change to Fan-Favorite Character

The Fruits Basket reboot has premiered to a few audiences in the United States and Japan, and soon fans will be able to see the new anime series for themselves in not too may days from now. The reboot will be featuring new designs, staff, and cast, and fans have noticed that one recent addition has undergone a notable change as Motoko Minagawa’s hair color has been altered for the new anime.

Motoko Minagawa will be portrayed by M.A.O. in the new anime series, and a look character design reveals her hair color has been shifted from her look in the 2001 anime. But original creator Natsuki Takaya took to Twitter to defend the change.

Takaya will be serving as an executive supervisor for the new anime series, and confirmed to fans that Motoko’s new hair color is more in line with the manga series. The anime will be adapting Takaya’s original manga more closely than Studio Deen’s take in 2001, and this hair color is one of the shifts to be more in line with her interpretation of the character.

According to translations from Anime News Network, Takaya explains that Motoko’s new hair color is her choice, “It might not be well-known, but Motoko’s hair color in the original [manga] is a shade of indigo…I’m thankful that Motoko’s color is the same. I will oversee that the color [design] is correct and all characters are the same color as the original [manga]. Although pink…pink is cute too!”

Takaya further elaborated that this new reboot anime series will be following along her specifications. It’s why the new series was able to get off the ground in the first place, “I said ‘Yes’ after confirming as much as could about all aspects [of the anime]. There are no people involved in the production that will just make selfish decisions about the characters and story and move forward. I’m so relieved…since not everyone is good at that.”

Officially premiering in Japan on April 5, and licensed for a release in other territories by Funimation, Fruits Basket will feature an all-new staff, Japanese voice cast, and visuals. Yoshihide Ibata is directing the series reboot for TMS Entertainment, Taku Kishimoto as series writer, and Masaru Shindo as character designer. Takaya will be supervising the series, and one of its big goals is to adapt the manga rather than deviate into its own original story like the original anime series from 18 years ago.

Fruits Basket was originally created by Natsuki Takaya for Hakusensha’s Han to Yume magazine in 1998. The series follows a sweet, young, orphaned girl named Tohru Honda who ends up living with a few members of the mysterious Sohma clan when shenanigans ensue. Things get out of control when Tohru learns the family has been cursed to transform into zodiac animals whenever they are hugged by someone of the opposite sex. Sworn to secrecy, Tohru decides to help break the cyclical curse, and the girl falls in love with a special someone along the way.

via Anime News Network

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