Tohru Honda is a first year high school student when her mother dies, leaving her alone. Tohru chooses to live with her paternal grandfather, but when he decides to renovate his home, Tohru decides she doesn't want to burden him and begins to live in a tent in the forest. Tohru only wants to finish high school to make her mother proud.
Later she finds out, the land Tohru is staying on belongs to the Sohma family. And Yuki Sohma is the most popular boy in Tohru's school. Eventually, the Sohma's discover her tent and they invite her to come live with them... As their brand new housekeeper! o(>o<)o Tohru agrees, of course.
But by accident, Tohru discovers that the Sohma family is cursed to turn into an animal from the Chinese zodiac when embraced by the opposite sex. Tohru quickly grows close to the family, and they become dear friends to her. Tohru struggles to keep the Sohma family secret and learn more about the family...