Fruits Basket

Honda Tohru has had a tragic life. She lost her mother recently who was raising her alone. At school her life is pretty much like everybody else but after school she would go home to a tent in the woods. On her way to school one day, she meets some of her neighbors who have a house out there. They are Yuki, a popular yet secretive guy with his own fan club who she knows from school, and his cousin Shigure. She finds they share an interest in the 12 animals of the chinese zodiac, like her. She soon discovers they have more than just an interest in them. Kyou picks a fight with Yuki and Tohru tries to stop him by grabbing on to him. This causes Kyou to change into a cat. She learns that the Sohma family has a particular curse. Whenever they get nervous or get snuggled or hugged by someone of the opposite sex, they each change into one of the animals from the chinese zodiac. Since Tohru now knows their secret, and that Yuki, Shigure and Kyou are somewhat lacking in cooking and housekeeping skills, they invite Tohru to stay at the Sohma household.