It is a rare thing in the anime world to see a "perfect" remake, but the 2019 adaptation of Natsuki Takaya’s masterpiece came pretty close. Honestly, if you grew up watching the original 2001 version, the news of a total reboot probably gave you a bit of whiplash. The cast of Fruits Basket is a sprawling, emotional web of voice actors who had to carry one of the heaviest stories in shojo history. It isn't just about teenagers turning into animals when they’re hugged. That’s the hook, sure. But the real meat of the story is the trauma, the generational abuse, and the slow, painful process of healing.
Finding the right voices was a massive undertaking. For the Japanese production, Takaya-sensei specifically requested a completely new cast to distinguish this version from the 2001 Studio Deen run. She wanted a fresh start. Meanwhile, for the English dub fans, Funimation (now Crunchyroll) pulled off a minor miracle by bringing back many of the original legacy actors. This created a fascinating dynamic where the English version felt like a homecoming, while the Japanese version felt like a brand-new evolution.
The Heart of the Series: Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki
You can't talk about this show without starting with the central trio. Manaka Iwami took over the role of Tohru Honda in the Japanese version, bringing a soft, almost fragile optimism that felt grounded. It's a tough role. If Tohru is too bubbly, she’s annoying. If she’s too sad, the show loses its light. Iwami nailed that balance. On the English side, Laura Bailey returned. Bailey is a titan in the industry now—you’ve heard her in everything from The Last of Us to Marvel’s Avengers—but she stepped back into Tohru’s shoes with a grace that felt like no time had passed at all.
Then there’s the rivalry.
The conflict between Yuki and Kyo Sohma is the engine of the plot. Nobunaga Shimazaki (Yuki) and Yuma Uchida (Kyo) are heavy hitters in Japan. They brought a specific modern intensity to the roles. In the English dub, Eric Vale (Yuki) and Jerry Jewell (Kyo) reprised their roles. It’s wild to think about. These actors played these characters in their early careers and then came back nearly twenty years later with decades of life experience. That added a layer of maturity to the dialogue that wasn't there in 2001. You can hear it in Jewell’s voice; his Kyo is still angry, but there’s a weariness to it that makes the character’s eventual growth feel earned rather than scripted.
Why the Support Cast of Fruits Basket Matters So Much
The Sohma family is huge. Keeping track of all the zodiac members is a chore if the performances aren't distinct. Think about a character like Shigure. He’s the puppet master. He’s funny, sure, but he’s also deeply manipulative and arguably one of the most selfish characters in the series. Yuichi Nakamura (JP) and John Burgmeier (EN) have to play that double game. They have to make you like him while making you deeply suspicious of his motives.
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Then you have the "outsiders" who protect Tohru.
Uotani and Hanajima are the best friends everyone wishes they had.
The 2019 cast of Fruits Basket gave these two more room to breathe.
Atsumi Tanezaki—who many now know as Anya Forger in Spy x Family—voiced Uotani in Japanese. It’s a complete 180 from her other famous roles. She brought a rough-around-the-edges loyalty that perfectly countered Satomi Sato’s eerie, monotone delivery as the psychic Hanajima.
The Intensity of Akito Sohma
We have to talk about Akito. In the 2001 version, Akito was voiced by a man (Chad Cline in English, Murako Wakaba in Japanese) because the anime ended before the big reveal about Akito's gender. The 2019 version fixed this. Maaya Sakamoto (JP) and Colleen Clinkenbeard (EN) took on the role of the "God" of the Zodiac.
Sakamoto is a legend. Her performance as Akito is chilling. It’s a high-wire act of playing someone who is both a terrifying tyrant and a broken, terrified child. Clinkenbeard, who is well-known for playing Erza Scarlet in Fairy Tail and Luffy in One Piece, delivered a performance that felt visceral. When Akito screams in the final season, you don't just hear the anger; you hear the centuries of Sohma family trauma cracking wide open. It’s uncomfortable to watch, which means they did their jobs right.
The Complexity of the 2019 Reboot Casting Decisions
Casting isn't just about who sounds cool. It’s about chemistry. The 2019 production team, led by director Yoshihide Ibata, spent an enormous amount of time ensuring that the "bond" between the actors felt as suffocating as the bond between the zodiac members.
In the Japanese industry, the seiyuu (voice actor) culture is intense. Fans have deep attachments. When the new cast of Fruits Basket was announced, there was a lot of skepticism. Could anyone replace Yui Horie as Tohru? But as the series progressed, the fans pivoted. The new cast brought a psychological depth that the 2001 version—which was much more of a slapstick comedy—didn't require.
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Take Momiji Sohma.
The rabbit.
Megumi Han (JP) and Mikaela Krantz (EN) had to handle one of the most heartbreaking subplots in the series (the memory erasure of his mother). Momiji starts as "the cute one." By the end, he’s one of the most emotionally intelligent characters in the cast. Han’s ability to shift from a high-pitched, childish tone to a somber, deepened voice in the later seasons is a masterclass in character development through audio alone.
Real-World Connections and Voice Acting Evolution
It’s worth noting that the English cast had a unique challenge. Voice acting as an industry changed between 2001 and 2019. In the early 2000s, dubbing was often rushed, and scripts were sometimes localized to the point of losing the original meaning. By 2019, the standard for ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) had skyrocketed.
- Script Fidelity: The 2019 English scripts stayed much closer to Takaya’s original manga dialogue.
- Recording Quality: The switch to high-fidelity digital recording meant the nuances in breathy or quiet scenes (like Kyo’s confession) were preserved.
- Actor Maturity: Most of the English cast were in their 20s during the first run; they returned in their 40s. This "life weight" helped ground the heavy themes of the "Final Season."
Addressing Common Misconceptions
People often think that the 2019 version just "retold" the same story with better art. That's not really true. Because the cast of Fruits Basket was recording a complete adaptation—including the "Macho Fairy" stuff and the darker Rin Sohma arcs that were cut from the original—the emotional labor was much higher.
One big misconception is that the English cast was a "lazy" nostalgia play. Honestly, bringing back the original actors was a massive risk. Voice actors' ranges change as they age. There was a real fear that Eric Vale might not be able to hit Yuki’s softer, more youthful registers, or that Laura Bailey would sound too "adult" for a high schooler. They spent weeks in prep and early recording sessions just finding those specific voices again. It wasn't a "copy-paste" job; it was a reconstruction.
Key Players You Might Have Overlooked
While everyone talks about the Sohmas, the "adult" characters anchor the tragedy.
Kazuma Sohma, Kyo’s adoptive father, is a fan favorite. Voiced by the incredible Kazuhiko Inoue (Kakashi from Naruto) in Japanese and Ian Sinclair in English, Kazuma provides the only healthy male role model in the entire Sohma estate. Sinclair’s performance is particularly noteworthy because he had to step in for the late Dameon Clarke, who voiced the character in 2001. Sinclair managed to honor the original vibe while making the character his own.
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Then there is Rin (Isuzu) Sohma.
She didn't even appear in the 2001 anime.
Aki Toyosaki (JP) and Brina Palencia (EN) had to introduce a character who is intensely guarded, physically abused, and deeply traumatized. Rin is the "missing piece" of the zodiac puzzle. Palencia’s portrayal of Rin’s desperation to break the curse—often at the expense of her own body—is arguably some of the best work in the entire dub.
How to Experience the Fruits Basket Performances Today
If you're looking to dive back into the series or perhaps watch it for the first time, there is a specific way to appreciate the work the cast of Fruits Basket put in.
First, don't just stick to one version. Even if you're a "subs only" or "dubs only" person, certain scenes hit differently in each language. The "Kyo's True Form" scene in Season 1 is a great comparison point. The Japanese version focuses on the visceral horror and the guttural screams of Yuma Uchida. The English version focuses on the quiet, heartbreaking rejection in Jerry Jewell’s performance.
Second, watch the Fruits Basket: Prelude movie. It’s the prequel story of Tohru’s parents, Kyoko and Katsuya. It features Miyuki Sawashiro and Yoshimasa Hosoya in the Japanese version, and Lydia Mackay and J. Michael Tatum in the English version. It’s a heavy watch, but it provides the final context for why Tohru is the way she is.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Collectors
- Check out the "Behind the Scenes" features: The Blu-ray releases from Crunchyroll often include commentary tracks. Hearing Eric Vale, Jerry Jewell, and Laura Bailey talk about returning to these roles after 18 years is genuinely moving. They aren't just reading lines; they actually care about these characters.
- Follow the actors on social media: Many of the cast members, like Brina Palencia and Colleen Clinkenbeard, are very active in the convention circuit. They often share insights into how they approached specific scenes or how they handled the more "triggering" aspects of the Sohma family history.
- Compare the 2001 vs. 2019 scripts: If you’re a nerd for localization, look at how the dialogue evolved. The 2019 version is much more comfortable with silence. It lets the voice actors breathe, whereas the 2001 version often filled the space with "manga-style" sound effects or extra jokes.
The cast of Fruits Basket didn't just voice a cartoon. They brought a definitive end to a story that had been left unfinished for nearly two decades. Whether it’s the original Japanese seiyuu bringing a modern edge to the zodiac or the English cast returning for a legacy run, the performances are what turned this remake into a modern classic. It's a story about the "banquet" finally coming to an end, and thanks to this cast, it ended on a high note.
Next Steps for Your Fruits Basket Journey
To truly understand the impact of the performances, your next step should be to watch Season 2, Episode 18 ("Do You Wanna Kiss?"). This episode features a pivotal confrontation between Rin and Tohru that showcases the incredible range of the 2019 cast, highlighting the raw emotional stakes that the original series never reached. Once you've seen that, you'll see exactly why the casting for this reboot was such a big deal.