Fruits Basket As A KDrama

So I saw a lot of these kinds of casting articles all over the place and I thought oh how fun and wanted to try it out for myself!!! I thought about what anime would be a good choice to be turned into a kdrama and Fruits Basket was one that came to my mind immediately. Fruits Basket has been one of my favorite anime since I first saw it so if you're interested, I also have weekly episode reviews. Click here to go through the Fruits Basket tag!

If you don't know, Fruits Basket is the story of a high school girl who moves into a house with 3 members of the Sohma family after her mom dies. There she gets to know their family secret and meet a bunch of members of the extended family. It's a story majorly about healing, overcoming trauma and finding love whether that's romantic or platonic. The manga has been fully released and there are two adaptations of the manga in anime form. I would personally recommend the new 2019/2020 version if you prefer anime to manga (like me) cause it is the better adaptation in my opinion as it sticks to the manga more accurately than the 2001 version. We're coming up on the end of the second season and from what I've gathered so far, there will be one more season to wrap up the story.

Now no more procrastinating! Let's jump right in, shall we? Of course I do have to say that a lot of the characters are supposed to be high school age but I did choose actors that are slightly older in their 20s but I think can still play high schoolers. Just a fair warning though that there might be spoilers below so if you haven't watched Fruits Basket yet, watch it first and then come back here!

Tohru (16) - Lee Yoo Bi

I chose Lee Yoo Bi as my pick to play Tohru cause though she's a little older than Tohru is meant to be, I think she's a perfect fit. If you've seen her in Pinocchio or A Poem A Day, you know that Yoo Bi has these big doe eyes and this softness in her acting that I think would fit perfectly with our cinnamon roll Tohru. She can play ditsy and clumsy but also play serious if she has to cause Tohru is normally very kind but her kindness is also a shield from the world and it's really only with people she really loves like Kyo that she can let that wall down and show her insecure side.

Kyo (16) - Kim Min Jae

Kim Min Jae was my pick to play Kyo because I think that he's one of the best actors I can think of who can play Kyo's duality. Kyo is this tsundere type who's quick to anger but falls in love with Tohru and quietly pines for her for a large portion of the story cause he doesn't think he's good enough for her. As I thought about who could portray this best, I thought of Min Jae in Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency, The Great Seducer/Tempted, and even his current drama Do You Like Brahms? His bread and butter honestly seems to be playing the unrequited love type and he played a pretty amazing tsundere type in Flower Crew so I think he could kill it as Kyo!

Yuki (16) - Kim Myung Soo (L)

My pick for Yuki is Kim Myung Soo aka L from Infinite cause I think Myung Soo could do a really good job here. Yuki is this princely looking character who pushes all his emotions way down due to his trauma and once he comes out of his shell, is a little dorky. Myung Soo fits this cause not only do I think he's got this regal look to him but I think that he could play the slightly dorky role like in Angel's Last Mission: Love but also the more stoic emotionless side like in Shut Up Flower Boy Band.

Shigure (26) - Kim Woo Bin

Can you even think of a better casting for Shigure than Kim Woo Bin? Really! I'll wait! No but seriously Shigure is this character who at first you think is going to be the cheerful older brother until you realize that he's more mischievous than expected. He's over here playing chess when the rest of us is playing checkers. I think Woo Bin could really play up this cunning side and also play flirty and seductive while also bringing the quiet sadness and longing for love that Shigure hides from the world.

Arisa (16) - Park Shin Hye

Though Park Shin Hye is a little older than Arisa, I think she would play a really good Arisa in my opinion cause Arisa just reminds me so much of Shin Hye's role from Doctors. She used to think that the only way she could survive in this world was by joining a gang and not caring about school but then she met Kyoko and Tohru and learned how she could be good. She made up with her dad and then fell in love with Kureno but loves him from a distance. All of this is totally in Shin Hye's wheelhouse.

Saki (16) - IU

When I thought of who could play Saki, IU was the one and only person that came to my mind! I do think that it would be a bit of a shame for IU to take on this role cause honestly Saki doesn't have the most meaty role in Fruits Basket but I just saw IU in Saki's sweeping outfits and saying all the dark things that she likes to scare others with while also playing the traumatized child that she was. IU also has experience with building chemistry with men twice her age as seen in My Mister so if Saki really does go after Kazuma at some point, IU can handle it!

Kagura (16) - Jung So Min

This is another smaller role that I feel a tiny bit bad about giving to an actress I adore but I after watching Fix You/Soul Mechanic, Jung So Min was just so amazing playing a character with fits of rage so I think she would make an amazing Kagura! Kagura's the type of girl who seems extremely fragile and girly but will throw down if she has to and I think So Min could kill it here.

Momiji (15) - Park Bo Gum

Casting Momiji wasn't as hard as I expected cause almost immediately I thought of Park Bo Gum to play him! Momiji has one of the saddest childhoods that I've seen in Fruits Basket so I thought that Bo Gum could really play that well not to mention the fact that he's absolutely cute as button like Momiji is! I mean when Bo Gum smiles, he looks like a giant puppy that you want to smother in hugs and kisses. His character in Reply 1988 is very similar to what I would see Momiji as: a little air-headed on the outside but with a solid core when it counts.

Hatsuharu (15) - Ji Soo

Picking an actor for Hatsuharu was actually kind of tough cause he's so suave (especially around Rin) but also so deadpan. I don't know if Ji Soo has actually played this type of character before but I know that he can definitely pull off suave and his romance in Fantastic had a similar dynamic to what Haru has with Rin in terms of how he helped his love interest get out of an abusive home and though he loved her, didn't force that love on her until she was ready.

Kisa (13) - Kim Sae Ron

I picked Kim Sae Ron to play Kisa but this one was a little hard cause in actuality Kisa (and as I'll mention later for Hiro) is 13 but I don't know any korean child actors off of the top of my head so I decided to age up Kisa for my casting and yet still pick someone who's younger than the rest of the actors. Sae Ron is actually only 20 so I think she can play a slightly younger character pretty well. Kisa is a giant cinnamon roll of a character and I think Sae Ron can really play up the bubbly side of her while also diving into the trauma of Kisa's bullying as seen in Sae Ron's performance during Mirror Of The Witch.

Hiro (13) - Lee Jae Wook

As I mentioned with Kisa, Hiro is also 13 which made casting a bit hard cause like I said I don't know any korean child actors off of the top of my head so I decided to age up Hiro as well and so I chose Lee Jae Wook who's 22. By being so close in age to Kim Sae Ron, if there are any romantic scenes, they won't be super awkward to watch. Besides that I think Jae Wook could really play Hiro's tsundere side really well cause his character would be similar to the role he played in Extraordinary You in that he's cold to everyone but the girl he loves. Honestly Hiro is just a baby Kyo and part of that was the reason I debated if Jae Wook should play Kyo but with Yoo Ri playing Tohru, I wanted a slightly older actor to play Kyo.

Ritsu (22) - Jang Dong Yoon

I chose Jang Dong Yoon to play Ritsu for fairly obvious reasons! I mean Dong Yoon killed it in The Tale Of Nokdu at playing a man dressing up as a woman not to mention the fact that he's got the girlish features needed to play Ritsu. 

Rin (18) - Krystal Jung

I went with Krystal Jung to play Rin based on the fact that Rin at first glance is one of the more voluptuous characters in Fruits Basket which I think Krystal could really play that up but more importantly is completely torn up on the inside and had one of the worst childhoods. I think based on Krystal’s character in Player that she would be able to portray the fake anger and confidence Rin shows to the world to hide her soft insides especially after she breaks up with Haru. And we know that she can do romance with Bride Of Haebak!

Kakeru (16) - Nam Joo Hyuk

Nam Joo Hyuk is my pick to play Kakeru cause I think he would be able to perfectly embody the annoying guy who bugs Yuki nonstop until Yuki decides to make him his best friend cause that was very similar to his role in Weightlifting Fairy Bok Kim as well as Cheese In The Trap! And I’m sure if there’s more meaty tragedy for Kakeru, then Joo Hyuk can play that as well.

Machi (15) - Park Hye Soo

I chose Park Hye Soo to play Machi cause Machi is a very timid character who doesn’t speak much but when she does, is able to see the core of people but more specifically Yuki. She’s also got a ton of baggage from her childhood and the way she was raised. Hye Soo I think could play this timidness and heavy backstory perfectly cause it would be a similar role to the one she played in Age Of Youth!

Kyoko (30) - Shin Min Ah

I had a bit of a hard time choosing an actor to play Kyoko cause though Kyoko plays a large role in Fruits Basket, we mostly see her through flashbacks in other people’s eyes so it’s hard to say much about Kyoko. She was a delinquent in her past until she had Tohru after which she went through a cycle of depression when she lost Tohru’s dad only to buck up and become one of the best parents in Fruits Basket. Honestly in the end I went with Shin Min Ah cause I just think she’s the right age to play Kyoko and I think that she plays loving really well as seen in Tomorrow With You but she could also play a little mischievous like in My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho.

Kazuma (40) - Ji Sung

Ji Sung was my pick to play Kazuma mostly just cause I love him and he’s the right age but also because while Kyoko is the best mom in Fruits Basket, Kazuma might be the best dad! He adopts Kyo when Kyo’s world falls apart in order to atone for some of his mistakes and loves Kyo unconditionally. It reminds me a lot of Ji Sung’s role in Entertainer where he in the mentor for a lot of younger idol trainees and uses his guilt and regret to teach them to do better.

Akito (19) - Lee Joo Young

Akito’s casting was hands down one of the easiest to make cause the minute I thought about a good female actress who could play a male character, Lee Joo Young came to mind. Her transgender role in Itaewon Class was perfectly acted and though Akito isn’t actually transgender but just pretends to be a guy because of her backstory, I think Joo Young could portray her well. I know that Joo Young has never actually played a villainous character but there’s a first time for everything right??

Ayame (26) - Jang Keun Suk

Aya is one of my favs of the older zodiacs but I had a bit of a hard time finding a good actor to play him cause he's just so energetic and over-the-top and yet he's so loving and protective too. In the end I went with Jang Keun Suk cause though I've never actually seen him play an energetic character, I think he's got the perfect slightly girlish features to play him and I definitely think he can play loving. Not to mention the fact that we know that he's not afraid to grow his hair out for a role!

Hatori (26) - Yoo Ah In

I chose Yoo Ah In to play Hatori cause Hatori is the type of character who takes the world onto his shoulders. He's so weighed down by his grief and guilt and yet is so handsome and manly without really even trying (he's so many people's husbando!) so I think Ah In could really bring some of his character from Chicago Typewriter into this. He can play very serious and work-focused while quietly being full of grief due to being unable to be with the woman he loved.

Kureno (26) - Kim Soo Hyun

Honestly until I looked up how old Kureno was, I didn't realize that he was actually the same age as Aya, Shigure, and Hatori cause idk why I always assumed he was older but maybe that's just cause of how much more serious he is than the others not to mention the fact that he's always around Akito so it's not like there's a lot of cause for him to be cheerful. The reason I picked Soo Hyun to play him is cause Soo Hyun is really good at playing the silent type who's a giant dork once they open up cause if you look at his characters in It's Okay That's Love and You Who Came From The Stars, they're almost perfect examples of how Kureno is dorky around Arisa but serious otherwise.


Let me know if you agree with my casting choices or who you would choose instead!

xoxo Allie