Fruits Basket: Prelude

Fruits Basket: Prelude is a very emotionally strong movie. The atmosphere changes from one moment to the next, and everything is very intense. It is a bittersweet story full of lessons that will strongly resonate with many viewers. Still, I am a little annoyed that the first third of the movie (about thirty minutes) is just a compilation of scenes regarding Kyo and Tohru's relationship from the TV show. Yes, it is very well-put-together compilation that is full of inner monologues and perfectly depicts all the important aspects and nuances of their relationship from start to finish, it is just that there is nothing new that I was not already familiar with. I can, however, admit that it ties in well with the storyline regarding Tohru's parents and that it fits well with the overall concept of the movie and the message it is trying to convey. However, I am still not one-hundred percent convinced that it was entirely necessary within the narrative. Kyoko and Katsuya's story could have easily stood on its own, been just as strong, and perhaps even had more screen time to develop if they had not included the compilation. As it was, while it was also strong, deep, touching, and moving, it managed to convey its message and show everything the viewer (not just of the original anime series) wanted to know. However, it also felt very rushed, almost like a montage of the Kyoko and Katsuya drama. So, while the result is excellent, bringing quite a lot to the table and adding to the overall picture and themes introduced by the anime series, I could not shake the feeling that I did not quite get what I was hoping for from the movie. I think that if the movie's focus had been on Tohru's parents, I would have been more satisfied. But still, this movie is full of really strong emotions, a good message, and well-written characters. It, therefore, does not deserve to be awarded less than 8/10. (12/05/2022)