The newest anime adaptation of Natsuki Takaya‘s classic Fruits Basket manga is drawing to a close with Fruits Basket the Final. ANN reached out to director Yoshihide Ibata to learn more about his involvement with the project and his approach to making a Fruits Basket anime.
What was your familiarity with Fruits Basket before taking on this project? Were you a fan?
IBATA: I was reading it as it was serialized in the magazine. I also have the manga volumes at my parents’ home.
What is the biggest challenge of directing a show with such an enduring legacy?
IBATA: There’s the fact that it’s the second time adapting it to small screen, and the manga has fans around the world. That gave me a lot of pressure, but when I started creating it, I just applied myself to putting my best effort into making something good.
