Anime vs. Manga

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

Hi all,

Last weekend I stopped by the local Virgin Megastore (OK, no the best place to buy anime/manga related stuff, but I had nothing to do and it is close to where I live) and was browsing the manga section. There was Ai Yori Aoshi, Chobits, MKR, Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo, Inuyasha, CCS, just to name a few. And… Found they had only one copy of To Heart manga. You don’t have to guess what happened next. I wasn’t expecting anything in particular since (1) I haven’t played the game, (2) I have only seen the anime (as well as some screen captures of the game) and (3) I don’t know which one was first (that is, the anime or the manga), but I am glad I got it.

The manga itself is not slow paced as the anime and it has even a lot of great moments (when Akari wakes Hiro, when Multi asks Akari if she is Hiro’s girlfrind, when Hiro calls Multi but then hides, making Multi believe she is imagining things, when Serika pats Sebastian, Ayako and Akari’s head, etc). The character design is different from the anime (even from the game), although, if you have seen the anime or played the game, you know who is who. How different? Well, they look like SD version of their respective characters. (C’mon, how much cuter can a Chibi-Multi can be???)

Now, the real question: Storywise, it is a bit different from the anime, and since most of us are more familiar with anime than manga, one might wonder when you should get the anime and when you should get the manga (or which offers more bang for the buck)? As I mentioned above, there were manga like Ai Yori Aoshi (in my case, I haven’t seen either) and Chobits, which has both versions (anime and manga). Obviously, if I had the $$$, I would get both, however, that’s not the case, specially not if what’s in the manga is (almost) the same as the anime. Notice that anime/manga like MKR does offer you something different, so in that case, I might get both. So, what do you thinkg? Do you know if the anime/manga is/are the same (like Ai Yori Aoshi) is the same? If they were the same, which one would you get? In the case they are not, which one would you get or would you get both?

On a side note: since ADV Films got the rights for the manga, is there any chance they will get the rights of the anime???

[This message has been edited by fxho (edited 05-17-2004).]

#2

The manga is almost always better than the anime.

#3
quote:
Originally posted by Benoit:
The manga is almost always better than the anime.

This truism is usually true because the manga is generally the original version. Things are done in most works that are any good, that are hard to translate to other mediums. I would imagine the games behind most b-anime are better than the anime themselves; I would also expect this to be true of any such b-game manga. Again, generally.

#4

As I mentioned, there are manga and anime releases that have such different plots to the point the anime stands out on it’s own. My example was Magic Knight Rayearth 2. However, if you have seen lately, there are manga like NGE which looks basically an anime to manga conversion (ditto from what I browsed from Ai Yori Aoshi manga).

[This message has been edited by fxho (edited 05-17-2004).]

#5
quote:
Originally posted by fxho:
As I mentioned, there are manga and anime releases that has such a different plot to the point the anime stands out on it's own.

Like Steel Angel Kurumi. God that manga is so different from the anime...

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精神 の 神

#6

I know what you mean about trying to get the most bang for your buck. I try to do the same thing, so I buy Region 1 DVDs and Japanese manga. The japanese manga usually has better print quality and it’s about half the price of the translated manga. And the Region 1 DVDs have about twice as many episodes as the Japanese Region 2 discs, and they’re half the price. As for bishoujo games, I buy both. Even though the US versions are cheaper, the selection is kind of like how anime was 12 years ago! Maybe 12 years from now we’ll have as many US version bishoujo games as we do R1 anime DVDs. (somehow I doubt it, though)

#7

Oh yeah, I want to add that I’m another person who is keeping his fingers crossed for To Heart (anime and game) to make an official release here in the US. I love Leaf in general. Comic Party, To Heart, Utawareru Mono… so much from one company. I fill out my G-collections reply cards asking for Leaf Games! I doubt they listen, though.

#8

Although many anime are based on manga, a lot of them are better than their manga counterparts.
For example,
Excel Saga, Azumanga Daioh

#9

I think it does depend on who is doing the transfer over from manga to anime or anime to manga.

There is Love Hina which I think, and many others seem to agree, is a superior manga and a so-so anime in comparison to the manga format.

Then there is Chobits which both seemed excellent, as some stories in the anime did not take place in the manga and vice versa. Also Gate Keepers though only 2 of the predicted 8 or so manga books are out the anime is vastly different then the first two manga books.

I am torn on Ai Yori Aoshi but the manga seems to have more depth at times and less at others to some of the characters then the anime.

Lastly I can think of Nadesico though I have only glanced at the manga a few others, one being just the other day, have told me the anime, which I have seen, is far better then the manga.

So not sure if that truism of the manga always being better always holds. Yes it is generally the original version, but sometimes ‘improvements’ can be made and rough spots improved in the next incarnation, be it anime to manga or manga to anime, but I do tend to agree the manga often allows for more depth of the characters through development the anime tries to accomplish through visuals which does not always work as well as text.

[This message has been edited by SCDawg (edited 05-17-2004).]

#10

ISTR there are somewhat confused circumstances around the manga and anime of Utena… but most people prefer the anime, no?

#11
quote:
Originally posted by tenchi2000:
I agree with Seishin. Steel Angel Kurumi is so different. Thats why I'm waiting for the sequel to arrive.

There's a sequel to the manga or the anime? Because I know of Kurumi Ni-shiki and Kurumi Zero, and Kurumi...Pure... Dear god... Kurumi Pure... Anyway, what sequel are you referring to? A new anime sequel coming out in Japan that I'm not aware of? Or what? I feel so confused... Waah! :sniffle:

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精神 の 神

#12

Sadly enough, ADV has licenced Kurumi Pure. They have not said anything about releasing it yet, but I’m already scared. I’d watch it if someone else bought it but man…

#13
quote:
Originally posted by bishounen_blue:
Sadly enough, ADV has licenced Kurumi Pure. They have not said anything about releasing it yet, but I'm already scared. I'd watch it if someone else bought it but man...

Do you know if they licensed Kurumi Zero too? I'm hoping that gets released over here, as well. Well, not "as well," more like, "instead." [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

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精神 の 神

#14

Speaking of Steal Angel Kurumi it seems very soon there will be a complete collection edition released, that is both the first one, the follow-up and the second series.

#15

The collection has already been released. You can get all seven DVDs at anime one stop for under $40. It’s a great deal. It’s one of those ugly multi page DVD cases but the price is right. It won’t help me since I already have everything that ADV has released. According to the anime news network, it has been encoded by M.O.F.C. and will be broadcased on the Anime Network. ADV owns the anime network so they will probably release this OVA on DVD as well as show it on TV. I’m not really interested in the Anime Network because they only play dubs. I’m glad that more people will know about anime because of the Anime Network but I won’t get any use out of it. Oh well.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1853

#16

I thought the collection comes out next week, June 1st?

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精神 の 神

#17

That is what I thought from what TRSI is saying it is not out until June 1st. Also it mentions the price closer to 55 or 60 dollars, which is still a deal since two of the DVD’s alone would be about 60 dollars. Though the pictures I have seen are hard to make out it also did not look like a tri-fold, multi-fold way of holding the DVD’s to me. Are you sure the one you saw was legit?

All of that is also what I thought the offical website for the company said, unless I am missing something somewhere and that was older news from them.

[This message has been edited by SCDawg (edited 05-26-2004).]

#18

Oh, he said animeonestop. That’s Digital Eyes’ anime store. Yeah, that place is legit. They sell DVDs cheap there. Them and Deep Discount DVD. I always shop Digital Eyes because of their reward points system.

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精神 の 神

#19

Is it the import then? I have gotten things early before, but even the place I got stuff early from before kept their site as reading ‘pre-order’ rather then shipping now.

#20

I usually just shop at TSRI, you can’t beat their studio sales, plus you get 10% off if you join there club. Course I always end up with clumps of HUGE purchases because of that. Plus they keep track of items you already bought so you don’t buy duplicate items by mistake, which i was prone to do when I was shoping at mulitple retailers Though I do use digital eyes for my non anime buying and occasionally Buyrite when they get huge shipments of overstock stuff.