Fruits Basket originally aired way back in 2001, with a more lighthearted approach. Thisanimedidn’t cover all of the manga, and made a few changes to the story. Thankfully, 2019 brought a new season of Fruits Basket that retold the story of Tohru is a true-to-manga way, laced with a fitting emotional impact.
If you’ve just finished watching Fruits Basket and crave more romance dramas, we’ve got you covered. In this list, we’ll go over some of the best anime like Fruits Basket that you may watch now. These anime have a mix of drama, romance, and comedy that will leave you hanging on to every episode.
10Kamisama Kiss
First up, we have Kamisama Kiss. This anime is quite similar to Fruits Basket; the protagonist even looks a little similar. Kamisama Kiss follows Nanami, who is recently homeless (like Tohru) and comes to stay in a shrine.
This leads Nanami into the world of the divine, where she essentially needs to take on the roles of a god with no experience. Like Fruits Basket, Kamisama Kiss blends together everyday life with the mythological, making for an enchanting watch.
9Yona Of The Dawn
Yona Of The Dawn takes a step back from our world and instead takes place in a fantasy realm where Yona is a princess. Things don’t stay peaceful for long though, as Yona eventually flees the palace with her guard Hak.
Once the palace has been left behind, Yona focuses on becoming strong enough to take on her enemies. The dynamic between Yona and Hak is worth watching, and each character is incredibly well-developed.
8March Comes In Like A Lion
March Comes In Like A Lion doesn’t deal with the same subject matter as Fruits Basket, and the main character is a bit different, but the overall vibe is very reminiscent of Fruits Basket. In March Comes In Like A Lion, Rei Kiriyama is a high schooler living alone with a serious case of loneliness.
Upon meeting three sisters, Kiriyama begins to bond with them and untangle his emotions. This anime definitely has the found-family aspect, which is also similar to Fruits Basket. Both shows also deal with characters who attempt to hide their emotions, which isn’t entirely good.
7Blue Spring Ride
Next, we have Blue Spring Ride. This seems to be aclassic high school romance anime, and you’d be partly right if you guessed this. Rather than meeting first in high school though, Futaba and Kou met when they were young kids. Now, the two have reunited in high school.
This anime beautifully captures young love without feeling like a typical, trope-filled shojo anime. It’s worth noting that the anime doesn’t cover the ending, so if you want the full story, we highly recommend reading the manga as well.
6Snow White With The Red Hair
The title of this anime is a bit silly, but Snow White With The Red Hair is a wonderful show that also involves a type of found family. In this anime, Shirayuki was living as a humble apothecary at an herbal shop until the prince tried to force her to become his concubine.
Of course, she doesn’t give in and instead flees, only to run into Zen Wistalia, who happens to be the prince of the country next door. Shirayuki finds a place in this court and doesn’t fall victim to theshojo tropeof being helpless.
5Orange
Get your tissues ready, Orange is an emotional rollercoaster with a supernatural twist. This twist comes in the form of a letter that Naho received from her future self, dictating what she needs to do to help the new transfer student.
Orange feels a bit underrated, but the story is absolutely phenomenal. What’s more, the characters are all great, and the animation is nice. If you are looking to shed some more tears after finishing Fruits Basket, then Orange is the perfect show for you.
4Your Lie In April
Your Lie In April following middle-schooler Kousei Arima, who recently lost his mother and became unable to play the piano like he once did. At this point, he begins to lead a relatively boring life, until he meets Kaori Miyazono.
The two develop a beautiful and innocent friendship, as Kaori helps Kousei regain his confidence in music again. Overall, this is a touching show that gets surprisingly emotional.
3I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
The name of this one is weird, but hear us out. This is an anime movie based on a light novel, so the entire story is contained within the movie. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas follows a high school student who stumbles across the diary of a classmate. In it, he learns that she has a pancreas-related illness (most likely pancreatic cancer).
From this brief description alone, you can probably guess thatthis movie will be sad. Still, it’s a beautifully tragic story about two high schoolers who aren’t quite romantically involved, but have an emotional connection.
2Horimiya
Horimiya is incredibly lighter than the previous entry, so if you don’t really feel like being sad anymore, this is a good option. Horimiya follows two students; Hori and Miyamura. Hori is a smart and beautiful student who is quite popular, while Miyamura is a bit more shy and reserved.
While they may sound like opposites, the two develop a friendship and eventually, a romantic relationship! Overall, Horimiya is filled with realistic love and side characters who are just as good as the main couple.
1Natsume’s Book Of Friends
Last but not least, we haveNatsume’s Book Of Friends. This anime takes it back to the mythological, following Takashi Natsume, who can see youkai. Shortly into the story, he comes across a book from his grandmother, which lists the spirits that she defeated and bound to herself.
While you won’t get the romantic drama of Fruits Basket, Natsume’s Book Of Friends is a beautiful anime, with many saying that it can help ‘refresh your soul’. Overall, it’s a bit of a hidden gem, but well worth the watch.
