More news coming our way for the much-anticipated remake of Fruits Basket, but this time it’s on the Western side of the show: Funimation, which has gained exclusive rights to stream the reboot, has announced that lead character Tohru Honda will be voiced by none other than her original English voice actress Laura Bailey. This news was officially confirmed in Funimation’s official English Twitter account for Fruits Basket.
In addition, Funimation has also announced that besides Bailey, Jerry Jewell is also set to return to the series as well. He was the original English voice actor of fan-favorite Kyo Sohma.
Caitlin Glass is set to be the ADR Director of Furuba’s English Dub. Glass served as ADR Director of, among others, the Ouran High School Host Club dub and voiced lead character Haruhi Fujioka as well.
The Fruits Basket reboot will be having an entirely new Japanese cast & staff, and will cover the entire manga’s story. Both were special requests from manga creator Natsuki Takaya herself.
The animé will premiere in Japan on TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, and other Japanese channels on April of this year. Funimation has gained the exclusive rights to stream Fruits Basket and release it on home video.
TMS Entertainment will be producing the Furuba reboot, under the direction of Yoshihide Ibata. The script will be penned by Taku Kishimoto, and character designs will be helmed by Masaru Shindo. Natsuki Takaya herself is serving as the series’ Executive Supervisor.
Serialized from 1998 to 2006 in Hakusensha’s Han to Yume magazine, Fruits Basket follows the story of sweet orphan girl Tohru Honda who ends up living with the members of the Sohma clan. She is sworn to secrecy when she finds out that the Sohmas are cursed to turn into zodiac animals when they are hugged by someone of the opposite sex.
Source: Anime News Network (link 1), Anime News Network (link 2), FUNimation – Twitter (link 1), FUNimation – Twitter (link 2)