Manga That Is Better Than Its Anime Counterpart?

[Matsu'o Tsurayaba]

A question more ment for those who have experience in both the fields of Anime and Manga,some Manga is actually made into a Anime.But for those kids of shows,where is the instant where the Manga was/is still better than the Anime version made from it?

Discuss your theories,and reasons here.Make note,you can like both,but which is better?It can be from any stand point.As for my own choice?I can only think of one,Trigun.

[Loopy]

99.9% of manga out there pwn the anime.

[Leader Desslock]

Appleseed. The manga was a dystopian socio-political work with interesting art and a decent balance of philosophy, action and humor. The 2004 movie was just a b-rate action flick with eye candy.

Ranma 1/2. The anime is a good adaptation, but the character development, the situational comedy and the evolution of Ranma & Akane's relationship are all better in the manga, in my opinion.

[HitokiriShadow]

When the anime is based on manga, the anime will almost always be superior to some degree or another for various reasons.

But when the anime is the original work and a manga adaptation is made later, the manga tends to be worse.


The problem with most anime adaptations of manga is that they either have to fit in a certain number of episodes or they catch up to the manga either have to deviate and make its own story or insert filler episodes to kill time until they can start animating more.

[GreatNekoKoneko]

...definitely Negima. the animation in the anime and the pacing of the story just isnt what i expected from someone like Akamatsu.

[Yukito Kunisaki]

Well, I hate reading, so I am being fair here. Furuba is awesome compared to the anime.I never stuck with any other manga as long as I did with Furuba...I honestly normally stop after one book but Furuba has got to 7...then my Library denied transferring books from other libraries =(

[Bezerker]

I gotta agree with Loopy, out of all the stuff i own that has both manga/anime counterparts, the mangas are always better.

The only exception i've experienced is Saikano, the anime seemed a whole lot more depressing than the manga, the ending was a lot better too.

[Yoshio]

as is the general consensus as far as i've heard, manga (unless the anime came first for some reason) are almost always better, it's actually harder to find an anime that is better than a manga, and when you do it's usually only because of wierd personal preferences that might not hold out for everyone, if i were to list which manga were better than their anime counterparts it would be like listing almost all of the manga i've ever read


anyways, i wholeheartedly agree greatnekokoneko on negima, that anime was god awful, so bad indeed that i feel it necessary to mention it even after saying what i just did

[Powatanner]

Naruto: Manga better
Sexy jitsu is awesome!

[Lemina]

Ayashi no Ceres immediately comes to mind. The original manga had everything that made it worthwhile, a great storyline, memorable characters, and some of the most beautiful drawings I have ever seen. On the other hand, the anime felt rushed as it felt crammed the entire story into 24 episodes. The characters here didn't develop as well as they did in the manga (especially Shuro), and some of the characters personalities just felt different too. On top of that, many scenes in the manga were not present in the anime as well, and that really made a huge difference overall. The original manga seemed to pull me into the story, but the anime just didn't feel the same. On a positive note, it was great to see this story get fully animated, and the music is absolutely memorable. Despite its flaws, the anime still managed to entertain me otherwise, but it could've been way better. If it was, Ceres might have matched or even surpassed Fushigi Yuugi's popularity.

[Joeshie]

Good general guideline:

If the anime is based upon a manga, the manga will be superior.
If the manga is based upon an anime, the anime will be superior.

That's what I tend to find anyway.

[Powatanner]

so what ur saying joeshie is that the original is best?
I totally agree

[Dinco]

as is the general consensus as far as i've heard, manga (unless the anime came first for some reason) are almost always better, it's actually harder to find an anime that is better than a manga, and when you do it's usually only because of wierd personal preferences that might not hold out for everyone, if i were to list which manga were better than their anime counterparts it would be like listing almost all of the manga i've ever read
The anime for Utena is widely said to be better than the manga. The manga came a year earlier, but I think the whole project may have been conceived together, instead of the anime just being inspired by the manga. Correct me if I'm wrong here. I'm sure there are other examples, but I can't think of them right now.

[Leader Desslock]

...it's actually harder to find an anime that is better than a manga, and when you do it's usually only because of wierd personal preferences...
I think the only one that's worse that I've seen would be Cowboy Bebop. One of my favorite anime, one of the worst manga I've seen.

[H3ll_Pyro]

Samurai Deeper Kyo should be an obvious one

[u_nick]

Okusama wa Joshi Kousei... yummm.... :D

[Shawaazu]

In my opinion, these titles are better than their anime counterparts:
Rurouni Kenshin
Chobits
Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne
Ultra Maniac
Yu-Gi-Oh
Earthian

[FURUBA4EVER]

Actually, many manga are better than their anime counterparts. One such example is Naruto whose anime was cast into the endless circle of filler episodes. Despite the anime's downfall with its quality, the manga is still a mainstay in the pages of Weekly Shounen Jump and keeps interesting readers even after over 300 chapters.

Other manga that surpass their anime versions:

-Ayashi no Ceres
-Chobits
-DearS
-Fruits Basket
-Loveless
-Negima!
-Rurouni Kenshin
-xxxHOLic

Yet, there are also some anime that end up reaching or surpassing the manga's quality status. There are even a few anime that actually end up better than the manga. ^_^

[DazzleKitty]

I feel that the manga of DearS was a lot better than the anime (even though I do like the anime quite a bit).

[Matsu'o Tsurayaba]

Dispite the fact that i do like the Trigun anime,some facts are left out or edited with it.Especially the Gun Go Guns,in the Manga everything is completely different.

Another,arugubally is Neon Genesis Evangelion.

[HitokiriShadow]

I think the only one that's worse that I've seen would be Cowboy Bebop. One of my favorite anime, one of the worst manga I've seen.

I don't think it could possibly be worse than the Gundam Wing manga (the one thats an adaption of the TV series). Gundam Wing is generally considered to be the worst Gundam series (usually its considered flat out bad, but sometimes it's called "all right anime, bad gundam" or somethin), but the manga makes the anime look like Shakespeare-level material.

Anyhow, I'm pretty sure that's a case of the manga being an adaptation of the anime, so it still follows the general rule of the original being better.

[Danju]

I'm more a fan of anime, since I get headaches when I read anything for too long.

I thought this one would be mentioned, but surprisingly it hasn't: Kare Kano. The Kare Kano anime was so very horrible...pretty nifty ending song, though.

[Chousho]

Manga certainly has less filler than anime. Plus its' cheaper.

Manga that is better than its anime? For the most part, a good chunk of all manga that came before the anime coutnerpart.

[Soulex]

From the manga that I've read, they definitely take the plot to the next level, making it ten times better than the anime. I think an example of this might be GTO and Fruits Basket.

[CanonRAP]

I think I'll just go with what earlier people posted, and say that a work is best on the format it came on.

When I first read Ouran, I found it somewhat interesting, but wasn't really into it, and just forgot about it. When the anime came out, it was pretty much the same thing. I finished it, but it didn't leave any long-lasting impression on me.

[Talon]

Gantz
Berserk
Hellsing
FMA
Samurai Deeper Kyo
GTO
Yu-Gi-Oh

[Ariel Tsuki]

I don't think it could possibly be worse than the Gundam Wing manga (the one thats an adaption of the TV series). Gundam Wing is generally considered to be the worst Gundam series (usually its considered flat out bad, but sometimes it's called "all right anime, bad gundam" or somethin), but the manga makes the anime look like Shakespeare-level material.

Anyhow, I'm pretty sure that's a case of the manga being an adaptation of the anime, so it still follows the general rule of the original being better.

I agree that the manga is bad. But Gundam SEED was much more worse. I think any manga that tries to squeeze any 50+ episodes of any anime in 5 volumes of manga tend to really, really suck.

I watched the orginial Gundam, Gundam 0080, Gundam 0083, Gundam 8th MS Team, Gundam Wing and Gundam SEED and still like Gundam Wing the best, although I concede that 8th MS Team is the best one I saw so far. Alot of Gundam Wing Haters hate on it because of the Gundams being near invincible, which I agree on, although they are supposed to be superior to most all mobile suits anyway and it was more politically and philosophically driven than the other Gundam series I've seen. Most Gundam fans hate on it because of the bishounen factor back then, but now there's suddenly no character development. Although Turn A Gundam, which I wanted to watch SO badly for years, looks like it has a good chance of unseating GW for my favorite Gundam series. But I disgress.

But the Episode Zero manga was pretty good. Blind Target was okay and I never got to read Battlefield of the Pacifist which I wanted to really, really badly because it has Quatre as a main character and he's my fave chara in GW.

However, I'm greatly interested in reading Gundam SEED Destiny: THE EDGE, which I heard changes the events of SEED Destiny from the anime and it's entirely in Athrun's POV (and much, much better art. The SEED manga . If it's any good, then I'll be willing to pick it up since Athrun is one of my favorite charas in the SEED saga. Did anyone read any of it yet?

I think I'll just go with what earlier people posted, and say that a work is best on the format it came on.

When I first read Ouran, I found it somewhat interesting, but wasn't really into it, and just forgot about it. When the anime came out, it was pretty much the same thing. I finished it, but it didn't leave any long-lasting impression on me.

I think the manga Ouran is better, although the anime is a close second to it though. Although the anime made the effort to show the events in the manga in chronological order unlike the manga where they seemly repeat the same year over.

[Undrave]

Samurai Deeper Kyo, HunterXHunter and Hoshin Engi(Soul Hunter) are SO much better as mangas!

[Gibb]

Ikki Tousen. Even tho TokyoPop tried harder than they ever have to make it suck, the "Battle Vixens" manga is still infinitely better than the crappy TV series. The series doesnt even have a story really, it just throws a bunch of fan serviced fights together and ends without any resolution. The manga seems to have an awesome story, tho it's hard to see behind the crappy TokyoPop adaptation.

Negima and Love Hina are definately big ones. I actually saw the Love Hina TV series first, then couldnt believe my eyes when I finally read the manga. The series sucks now IMHO compared to the manga. I havent given the Negima TV series much of a chance, but from the first episode it seemed awful compared to the manga.

[Sendo Takeshi]

Hajime no Ippo manga > Hajime no Ippo anime


ALTHOUGH, Hajime no Ippo as an anime is great though.


Oiginally Posted by Ariel Tsuki:
I watched the orginial Gundam, Gundam 0080, Gundam 0083, Gundam 8th MS Team, Gundam Wing and Gundam SEED and still like Gundam Wing the best, although I concede that 8th MS Team is the best one I saw so far. Alot of Gundam Wing Haters hate on it because of the Gundams being near invincible, which I agree on, although they are supposed to be superior to most all mobile suits anyway and it was more politically and philosophically driven than the other Gundam series I've seen. Most Gundam fans hate on it because of the bishounen factor back then, but now there's suddenly no character development. Although Turn A Gundam, which I wanted to watch SO badly for years, looks like it has a good chance of unseating GW for my favorite Gundam series. But I disgress.


Wing being more politically driven? You lost all credibility in that sentence. Apparently you didn't watch Zeta Gundam or the Original Gundam(which you claimed to have watched) at all. Good job there. Winger.

[Mikadzuki Tatsu]

About 90% of the time, the original version is better. So, if the manga came first, then nine times out of ten, the manga is going to be better. If the anime came first, then nine times out of ten, the anime is going to be better. That tends to be the general rule. (There are cases, of course, where the adaptation is just as good as the original.)

[Ariel Tsuki]

Wing being more politically driven? You lost all credibility in that sentence. Apparently you didn't watch Zeta Gundam or the Original Gundam(which you claimed to have watched) at all. Good job there. Winger.

I never claimed to watch Zeta FYI. And I saw pretty much all of the original Gundam (I stopped around episode 30-31) and it bored me to hell. I love vintage anime but I don't see anything special about the original Gundam. Granted it had some good spots here and there but it was BORING for the most part. I'm not afraid to say that.

None of the characters except Char appealed to me, hell, Char was the SOLE reason I watched the show but it became way too boring to continue with the rest. I should've followed my lil sis and stopped around episode 10. You don't even know how many chances I gave that show, and I usually stick to the end of any anime despite how boring it is. Maybe I would felt different if I saw it before any other mecha series I've seen (and FYI Gundam Wing is far, far from the first mecha series I've seen and isn't the best one IMO).

Just because I don't think the original Gundam is the ZOMG-be-all-end-all of Gundam series doesn't make my opinion any less valid than yours. Not every mecha fan has to like it, or any Gundam fans either.

And FYI, even though I said Gundam Wing is my personal favorite, I said Gundam 08th MS Team was superior to it, but it didn't leave a lasting impression on me than Gundam Wing.

But this is off-topic and I rather stick to the OPs request than argue over Gundam, which I did many, many times before. And there's a forum for that.

[Sendo Takeshi]

I never claimed to watch Zeta FYI. And I saw pretty much all of the original Gundam (I stopped around episode 30-31) and it bored me to hell. I love vintage anime but I don't see anything special about the original Gundam. Granted it had some good spots here and there but it was BORING for the most part. I'm not afraid to say that.

Notice the parenthesis around MSG and NOT Zeta? Oh and I didn't say that you didn't see anything special in it. I mentioned the fact that you denied the fact that there was no politics involved in it.


Just because I don't think the original Gundam is the ZOMG-be-all-end-all of Gundam series doesn't make my opinion any less valid than yours. Not every mecha fan has to like it, or any Gundam fans either.


Any Gundam fan will tell you that U.C. > every other A.U. excluding Turn A and G Gundam. And MAYBE Gundam X.

And you did drag this into an Offtopic discussion because Gundam doesn't really have any manga for the original stuff. Just the adaptations and that's about it. MSG was a novel. And last I checked this was about comparing manga versions to the anime versions.

[CapnTylor]

One Year War (0079-0080) > all

[Lady Lyra]

Actually, many manga are better than their anime counterparts. One such example is Naruto whose anime was cast into the endless circle of filler episodes.


I couldn't agree with you more.

When reading the manga, you don't have to put up with those horrible dub voices. :$%&#!:

[CapnTylor]

I couldn't agree with you more.

When reading the manga, you don't have to put up with those horrible dub voices. :$%&#!:

What a wap.

[Mikadzuki Tatsu]

When reading the manga, you don't have to put up with those horrible dub voices. :$%&#!:Compared to the problem of what happens when you're stuck with a poor English translation of a manga and you can't read enough Japanese to understand the original, the problem of bad dubbing is easily solved: just start watching anime subtitled, and the bad dub voices go away. :P

[Matsu'o Tsurayaba]

What about the Gundam Seed Manga?I also heard that it was better than the anime.One thing i might question is the fact that its been voted that the Blackjack manga is better than the anime,i enjoyed the dubbed version.So this would be a hard feat to do,but some manga are hard to obtain.

[CanonRAP]

Alot of Gundam Wing Haters hate on it because of the Gundams being near invincible, which I agree on, although they are supposed to be superior to most all mobile suits anyway and it was more politically and philosophically driven than the other Gundam series I've seen.

I have to say that I just really don't like Wing because it was so...weird.

I can't explain it. I just seem to have a dislike for anything not set during U.C.

One Year War (0079-0080) > all

[Raziel_MGS]

any anime that ends halfway in the series of events of the manga will always leave something to be desired, so Fruits Basket, GTO, Love hina, while I all love the series, the manga is that so much better...

[jvgklan]

Good general guideline:

If the anime is based upon a manga, the manga will be superior.
If the manga is based upon an anime, the anime will be superior.

That's what I tend to find anyway.


That is so true....

In addition the GTO manga was so much better than the anime. The anime was a toned down version of the manga and the anime ended half way of the manga.

[ryushe]

Another,arugubally is Neon Genesis Evangelion.
I personlly perfered the EVA Manga way more than the Anime.

[GodofdeatH]

yo im a newb so wats the best manga out right now

[Undrave]

yo im a newb so wats the best manga out right now

You could always start a thread to ask.

Most people will probably tell you to check out Death Note. Or Berserk...or Bleach... or Fruits Basket... or Ouran Host Club...depends what you're looking for.

[icebeast]

Good general guideline:

If the anime is based upon a manga, the manga will be superior.
If the manga is based upon an anime, the anime will be superior.

That's what I tend to find anyway.

I totally agree, I just recently got more into manga and anime but of my favorite three thus far: GTO, Chobits, and Love Hina I can say that the manga is a whole heck of a lot better then the anime. Not to say the anime is terrible, but it just leaves so much out and doesn't cover everything.

That being said I'm not surprised that anime to manga conversions usually meet with similar problems of missing stuff or changing it to try to make it seem new but screwing up the story in the process.

When I was last looking at manga I saw a Spawn manga done by a Japanese artist and while I can't attest to the story contained within it I will say that the style just looked so wrong in contrast with McFarlane's original Spawn comics I put it right back where it came from in disgust.

Basically I agree entirly with you Joeshie, whichever version came first usually seems to be the better of the two.

PeaceOut->
icebeast

[Old Ape Face]

^there are some cases where that's not always true, (FMA for example.) the storys are completely different between the manga and the anime, and both are considerably good.

[whatsherface]

I think Battle Royale manga was better than the live movie. But since it's a live movie, they couldn't add all the manga to it. But still, I liked the manga better!

[HitokiriShadow]

I think Battle Royale manga was better than the live movie. But since it's a live movie, they couldn't add all the manga to it. But still, I liked the manga better!

To be more precise, they couldn't fit all of the novel into it as both the movie and the manga are based off of the novel.

[whatsherface]

I never did read the novel. I guess I should.

[Olive Olive]

D Gray Man. OH IS IT EVER.

[LinaLoN]

Chrono Crusade is sooo much better in the manga version ESPECIALLY with the ending. The ending of the anime was so off from the manga's version that I'm surprised Morimoto allowed it to happen. The ending for the manga version was much more believable and satisfying for fans. I also wish that the anime hadn't mixed up events that took place in the manga... they also left out so potential really good scenes.

I totally agree with everyone who says that the Fruits Basket anime sucks in comparison to the manga. I am totally ticked off about how many good scenes from the manga between tohru and Kyo was not mentioned in the anime and the fact that the teacher is not a woman but a guy. There are so many greats scenes in the mangas that are my favs I wish was in the anime version. Like on valentines day when Kagure demands a double-date with her/Kyo and Tohru/Yuki then right after Shigure hits Kyo with an ego blow that puts him in a pit of despair until Tohru gently goes and talks to him. There is also a great scene when after Tohru visits her mother at her mother's death's anniversary. One, you start to see a little of Kyo's past and Hana catches onto his morbid vibes. Two, after the visit when Tohru falls asleep Kyo crouches over her and put his hand on her cheek. There are many more examples.

Maybe the anime producers wanted there to be more question on who is better for Tohru; Kyo or Yuki so they purposely kept those scenes out but it adds to the loss of effectiveness the anime version has compared to the manga. Also, they definately have a certain "veiw" on Akito as being evil... but you know what they say; he(?) is just misunderstood... and BOY is he misunderstood.

Not to mention the ending was so off from the manga but they did that to put a final end on the anime version with no hope of a continuation... sorry FUNIMATION. There is so much more now with the manga version that is too questionable for even Tokyopop to deal with let alone the anime if it was to continue along with the manga's storylines. So it would suck even MORE. I do however, love the Japanese Seiyus of the anime version and when I read the mangas I have their voices in my head. So I have to give them credit for that.

Slayers and Sailor Moon are one of the very few where I prefer the anime versions over the manga ones.

[bluewolf]

i think the manga is better 99% of the time, mainly because it doesn't go as fast and you can see more character development. the art is also usually different and you miss out on a lot of the side stories that take place

[LinaLoN]

i think the manga is better 99% of the time, mainly because it doesn't go as fast and you can see more character development. the art is also usually different and you miss out on a lot of the side stories that take place

That's what happened with Saiyuki Reload and me. I can't STAND the anime Reload and Gunlock versions because 1) They are separated 2) They have stupid fillers where Sanzo gets in trouble and has to be rescued 3) It moves way too fast so you don't have enough time to catch the comedic timing and just think of it as useless crap trying to get a cheap laugh.

I love the manga version much more because I can sit, read it at a slower pace and have time to soak in the comedic puns and jabs. Not to mention I can put Greg Ayres's and Matt M's voices with the characters in my head so it comes out much better.

[eXdriver]

i think the manga is better 99% of the time, mainly because it doesn't go as fast and you can see more character development. the art is also usually different and you miss out on a lot of the side stories that take place

Agreed, to me manga is always better than the anime.
The anime counterpart normally leaves out information or scenes, and sometimes even full arcs or the whole storyline is changed (for the worse). There are a few exceptions to this im sure, but for the most part the only reason i would prefer the anime over the manga is because im too lazy to read.

[Hara!]

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Thread over.

[Matsu'o Tsurayaba]

I read once that most anime`s are made from a manga version of it that has been around for a decent amount of time.Example-Bleach,One Piece,Inuyasha.But even then,after the anime has come out,the manga can still be better.Why is that?Do the writers who write the manga,also write the anime?Or is a different staff chosen to work on the anime seperate from the manga?

[Stafal-chan]

:unsure: i think there is some anime out there that was made before the manga though...like Samurai Champloo ^_^ i think the anime was first.....:D

[Hara!]

Look 3 posts up. I already ended this thread.

[Matsu'o Tsurayaba]

Just that?Some may not think so,as i don't really think that could fit the bill.It is easy to think that Manga is better than Anime,since in some cases..the manga inspiried the anime series.

[germanturkey]

i think it depends on the the manga-ka and the animator/creator/director of the series.

an anime, if really well done, will better than its manga counterpart and the same vise versa.

it also depends which one comes first, because in most cases, the original will be better than the reproduction. take gundam seed. anime was respectable, manga was hashed out and sloppily done IMO. now, Love hina. Manga kicked ridiculous butt, anime blew.

but sometimes we get lucky with good anime and manga, see: Ah! my goddess

[wrathborne]

I think the only one that's worse that I've seen would be Cowboy Bebop. One of my favorite anime, one of the worst manga I've seen.

Got to agree with you. I think the saiyuki manga is better than the series, but thats about the only other one I could think of. In general I love both.

[lunarvesperia]

The first that comes in mind after Naruto that was reffered,is Fushigi Yuugi..the anime was a lot worse,even though was an old one.And i agree with the other peeps that said that 90% of 'em are better as manga. Some others have too beautiful voice actors and soundtrack to ignore them:)

[TheAmzie]

i think the manga is better 99% of the time, mainly because it doesn't go as fast and you can see more character development. the art is also usually different and you miss out on a lot of the side stories that take place

I agree. The Fruits basket manga is better than the anime, the anime missed a few things out and the manga is longer.

[Telgar]

I thought this one would be mentioned, but surprisingly it hasn't: Kare Kano. The Kare Kano anime was so very horrible...pretty nifty ending song, though.

Actually, I really enjoyed this anime, but since it's ending left me, well, unfulfilled, I picked up the manga. It was my first. And the manga totally blew me away in comparison. Since then, I've done the same with other series including Fruits Basket, Hellsing, Ai Yori Aoshi, and a few others.

In general though I agree with Joeshie: If the anime is based upon a manga, the manga will be superior. If the manga is based upon an anime, the anime will be superior.

[mdauben]

A question more ment for those who have experience in both the fields of Anime and Manga,some Manga is actually made into a Anime.
I would say that usually when anime is adapted from manga, there is something lost in the transition. It may be just content on long series or it may be actual quality. Just looking at the specific manga/anime combinations that I have actually read and viewed:

Ah! My Goddess - To me, the main advantage of the manga is that it actually has so much more content (it's up to, what, 34 volumes now?). There are some ways that I think the anime actually is superior, though. The artwork is one example (especially compared to the earlier manga volumes) and in some ways I found the characterizations are supperior in the anime.

Ai Yori Aoshi - I found this to be probably one of the better anime adaptations I can comment on, first hand, particlulary the first season. There were some bits in the manga that got left out, but nothing significant and the characters and central storyline remained intact. The first season finale actually improved I thought on the similar events as portrayed in the manga. The second season was a bit disappointing, though. It took material from the manga, but presented it in a less faithful manner, and had a much less satisfactory season finale which did not reflect the actual ending of the manga.

Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō - Also known as Kare Kano or His and Her Circumstances. This was a promising anime adaptation that went horribly wrong about half way through. Probably one of the worst endings in the history of anime, even ignoring the fact that it had nothing to do with the orginal manga storyline. The characters and storyline in the manga were far, far supperior to the anime and I would recomend just skipping the anime entirly and reading the manga.

Love Hina - This is often held up as a classic example of a poorly adapted anime and I can't disagree. There were definelty a lot of flaws in it, and the characters and story were not as well done as in the manga, and the ending, while similar to the manga, was so rushed and incomplete as to be a huge dissapointment to fans of the original work.

Negima! - I actually think the first anime adaptation was a worse job than Love Hina. The characters and humor just were not nearly as good, and the ending they tacked onto the anime was just attrocious. I won't even comment on the second anime, as it strayed so far from the manga that it is hard to make a useful comparison (other than to say that I did think the manga was better).

Onegai Teacher - In this case, the manga was terrible, and the anime was far superior. This was a case, though, or the anime coming first and the manga being adapted from it. The manga actually left out some material from the anime, and also made some significant changes to the story and characters that added nothing to the end product, and actually worked less well than the anime.

Video Girl Ai - This was another good adaptation, the only flaw of which was that it only covered a fraction of the whole manga storyline. It covered a very good fraction, and ended with a very good point in the story which worked well as a finale.

So, while I think you can usually say that original manga are going to be better than anime adaptation, some anime are very good adaptation. I think its always worthwhile to check out the original manga version of an anime that you enjoyed, as it may contain additional material or deeper storylines or characters which you may enjoy even more.

[Sora N]

Sailor Moon- the Manga was wonderful however the Anime was completely different then it’s original Manga counterpart…especially the Sailor Stars season (however; I still enjoy watching the Anime adaptation.)

[Kakashi21]

Imo, almost all manga is better than it's anime adaptation. Why? It feels more authentic. With manga, you are actually holding the mangaka's creation. There are exceptions though, which are mangas that have alot of action, in which the anime counterpart in usually on par with the manga.

[TanukiBaka]

Most manga are better than the anime that I can think of, but it is nice to experience the story animated, with voices and music and such. I actually liked the Rurouni Kenshin anime more than the manga, perhaps because of my love for Kenshin's filler episodes. This based on from watching all the series, and reading only up to volume 7 of the manga. I'm sure that after that stories break away from each other, that the manga is better though.

A manga in particular that I find better than the anime, is Tsubasa. The manga was more simple, while the anime added in all sorts of "strange, ethereal" parts that the story didn't really seem to benefit from.

[lunarvesperia]

i really liked Kare Kano anime.I was a bit dissapointed with Tsubasa Chronicles anime and XXXHolic anime too,cause the manga is just so much more beautiful:) Nice music though^^

[taily]

Tsubasa, the anime is ok, but the manga rocks

[Ejinathan]

Claymore: in the beginning the anime pwned till episode 21-22 because it changed to much from the manga storyline itself.

After that incident the manga is so much better now.

[taily]

Also:

naruto the anme just seemed so repetetative, whereas I enjoy the manga

Negima I have never got round to watching this properly yet, as everytime I try, I hear the dubbed voices, and that ruins it for me

Yugioh I don't really like the manga anymore, either, and I'm sick of ranting about the anime

[Seth1563]

I perfer manga more then anime.

[Gibb]

I haven't seen the Suzuka anime, but I hear it's horrible compared to the manga. I'm collecting and enjoying the manga quite a bit.

[dsbp]

F by Noboru Rokuda. It's simply awesome.

[Waga]

Naruto: You'll understand when you start watching Shippuden.

[Yozuki]

I don't know if the Tales of Phantasia Comic Anthology and Tales of Phantasia OVA count as seperate or not, but they are based on the same story (the game) and skew it, especially the anime. I prefered the manga in this case, better art styles and more dialog.

I haven't seen the Suzuka anime, but I hear it's horrible compared to the manga. I'm collecting and enjoying the manga quite a bit.
I can vouch for this, the manga has more characterization and more personality. You can literally feel it in the first few frames.

[goddessofanime]

Ayashi no Ceres.


The anime succcckkkkkked.

[JA386]

Death Note Manga > Death Note Anime

[Key Quest]

Here's one of the most obvious ones which has probably already been mentioned, Dragonball and Dragonball Z...

[/B/eatles]

99.9% of manga out there pwn the anime.

this is a fact with me also. i don't know if its true but in my reading to watching experience, it usually seems as though the anime's are censored more than the mangas? are they actually censored more? if so, why? and, because i'm willing to bet its probably there, if anyone knows of a thread on this topic, please post the link before posting an answer. save some space and keep the thread relevant.

[Keroberos]

I have to definitely say that about 90% of manga is better than its Anime counter part. There is just more time to develop story lines and subplots in manga which can be difficult to do in anime. I guess my view can be a little biased because I am much more into manga than anime.

I would definitely have to say though, Magic Knight Reayearth, the anime is much better than the manga. The manga is short and doesn't develop a lot of subplots which could use to develop the series better. The anime for some reason in this instance is definitely better than its manga counterpart.