The chapters of the manga series Fruits Basket were written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya and was rated Number 1 best shoujo manga in North America and was voted 2 best shojo manga in Japan. It was second to Sailor Moon. The first chapter premiered in the January 1999 issue of Hana to Yume, where it was serialized monthly until its conclusion in the November 2006 issue. possible sources: http://comich.net/mg/hanayume/1998/hanayume199816.html and http://comich.net/mg/hanayume/2006/hanayume200624.html --> The series focuses on Tohru Honda, an orphan girl who, after meeting Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure Sohma, learns that thirteen members of the Sohma family are possessed by the animals of the Chinese zodiac and are cursed to turn into their animal forms if they are embraced by anyone of the opposite sex. As the series progresses, Tohru meets the rest of the zodiac as well as the family's mysterious head, Akito Sohma, and eventually resolves to break the curse that burdens them.
The 136 untitled chapters were collected and published in 23 tankōbon volumes by Hakusensha starting on January 19, 1999; the last volume was released on March 19, 2007. Hakusensha also released the first three chapters in a dual Japanese-English edition in November 2003.Fruits Basket was partially adapted into a 26-episode anime series by Studio Deen that aired in Japan from July 5, 2001 to December 27, 2001. The manga series is licensed for regional language releases by Delcourt in France,Norma Editorial in Spain,Dynit in Italy,Carlsen Comics in Denmark, Germany and Sweden,Glénat in Benelux, and by Sangatsu Manga in Finland. In Latin America, Editorial Vid licensed the series for Spanish release in Mexico and Editora JBC licensed it for release in Portuguese in Brazil.