Yuki Sohma is one of the protagonists in the anime/manga, "Fruits Basket". He and his family members are secretly cursed to turn into the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac when touched/hugged by someone of the opposite gender. His animal? -- the rat.
Yuki is known as a kind "prince" at school, where the girls idolize and fawn over him, and even the guys respect him. But he's actually quite the opposite -- sharp-tongued and quick to kick his cousin, Kyo (the cat), through doors when angered. Even that is a front to hide his insecurities about being a Sohma. He wants to be accepted by normal people for who he is, but is afraid that people will shun him if they find out the truth.
So when Tohru Honda stumbles into his life, finds out his secret and still accepts him, he starts to open up to her and others.
That's about as much as I can say here without giving spoilers. Why do I like this guy? Yuki's a multi-faceted character, and the more you find out about him, the more you just wanna root for him as he tries his best to be strong.
