I discovered it on accident 'cause I found a picture of Arisa Uotani somewhere and then went to see what character it was and from what.. So I guess she drew me in??
But really, I think it was the unique story line. At first it makes you go "Huh? They change when you hug 'em?" but then it goes into something much, much deeper than that. You can feel the emotions of all of the characters and it's very.. real. Plus, I like that as time goes on, each character starts to look older and mature in their own ways. I love when mangas do that.
And, yeah, it has the stereotypical elements, but for some reason, they don't seem as stereotypical (at least not to me) when reading it. Everything fits in perfectly, and as you get further in, the stereotypical elements just kind of slip away entirely and you're left with characters and situations completely unique from any other manga you could ever possibly read.
And, really, this was the first manga that I chose to buy and read on my own. Every other one was just picked up off my brother's shelf. And to read it was the best decision ever; it's my favorite, and I go back to it quite often. Also, it was the first manga that I skipped meals to read and brought to school with me and begged all my friends to read and I missed a lot of sleep because of it and so did my friends once they decided to read it, but it was so worth it.
I can probably ramble the most about Fruits Basket out of any other manga I have read so far, but I'll restrain myself since you're not that far in.
Basically, it will make you laugh and maybe even cry at some parts (I can admit that I cried at like three parts) but more than anything, it will fill you with warm, fuzzy feelings and pages you won't ever, ever forget. Ever!
And, if you've watched the anime, it doesn't even come close. So, read on. Because it's my favorite, and I have awesome taste in manga
