On one of Reddit ’s most popular
discussion forums , a new question has caught the attention of thousands
of users: “ We’ve all heard the phrase ‘Read the manga,’ but for
what series would you say ‘Watch the anime’? ” This discussion
quickly became a trending topic, attracting endless comments and suggestions
from the community. The initial question specifies one crucial rule:
the source material must be a manga, not a light novel , and original
anime series that later received manga adaptations, such as Code Geass or
Cowboy Bebop, must not be included.
The debate sparked by this question is not something
new for anime fans. The phrase “ Read the manga, the anime is
poorly adapted ” is commonly used by those who feel that anime
adaptations often fail to capture the essence or quality of the source
material. These criticisms arise when an anime leaves out important
parts of the story, changes narrative elements, or simply fails to capture the
atmosphere that made the original manga so popular. As a result, many
fans suggest that others skip the anime version and focus on the manga for a
more authentic experience.
However, the question posed on Reddit takes the
discussion in the opposite direction: which manga-based series have anime
adaptations that surpass the source material? This approach
has opened up a space for fans to not only discuss successful adaptations, but
also how animation, soundtrack, and other visual and auditory elements can
enrich a story that, in its original form, might not have shined as brightly.
- " Bocchi
the Rock!, Kakushigoto, and Asobi Asobase ."
- « Your
Lie in April: The music is much better in the anime because it's real
music ».
- « Chihayafuru:
As good as the manga is, the anime elevates it in every way »
- « K-On!:
The manga is okay, not bad, but the anime is better in every way, and the
second season is like 75% original content, which makes the show better ».
- « Any
musical anime: I think they are better than the manga ».
- « Initial
D and MF Ghost: Racing without eurobeat just doesn't feel right »
- « Demon
Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen: Two that instantly come to mind, both greatly
improved by the adaptation . »
- « Shingeki
no Kyojin: Arguably it is in the same group where I would recommend the
anime over the manga, but in that case the quality is more similar ».
- « Gintama:
The voices are great, and some things just don't come across as well in
stills as they do in animation, whether it's jokes or interactions between
characters . »
- « Call
of the Night: The visuals with different color schemes and the music used
in the anime add a lot to the story that takes place more or less only at
night . »
- « Usagi Drop ».
- « Takagi-san ».
- « Sousou
no Frieren: It’s definitely my choice. The thing is, I actually started
with the manga, but it didn’t grab me as much as I expected. Then I
watched the first episode of the anime and was hooked right away. I’m also
in a phase where I don’t watch much anime because I’m using that time for
manga, so I was really impressed by it . »
- « Possibly
heresy but Sailor Moon: I watched and loved the anime in the 90s, but when
I finally read the manga, I was surprised how much of what I liked about
it was original to the anime .»
- « JoJo's
Bizarre Adventure: The manga is great, but the dubbing and music make it
even better »
- " The
Disastrous Life of Saiki K. "
- « Land
of the Lustrous: I mean it adds an extra layer through the unique sound
effects, but… The problem is that the anime adaptation isn’t the full
story, and probably never will be . »
- « Girls
Last Tour : Watch the anime (then read the last 2 volumes
because they will never be adapted) »
- « Dororo: Without a doubt ».
- « Demon
Slayer: The anime carries the success of the manga ».
- " Nichijou
and Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei ."
- « Kaguya-sama:
Definitely. It makes use of the medium much more intelligently than just
an adaptation . »
- « The
2003 adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist: Despite being nothing like the
manga, it's still a good story. So are most of the Gundam shows, since,
with the exception of side stories and spin-offs, most manga are
adaptations of anime . »
- « I
really think the Frieren anime is better than the manga ».
- « Controversial
opinion, I know, but Death Note: The Story is infinitely improved by
trading in dark monologues for being brought to an audiovisual medium. I
don't have a high opinion of the author of Death Note »
- « Well,
they’re all mainstream for a reason, but Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and
Oshi no Ko: The first two for the reason that the drawings in the manga
are pretty bad, while the anime adaptation gives more “justice” to the
work. For Oshi no Ko, the manga is really well done and great to read, but
the anime adaptation with music conveys more feelings and emphasizes
certain scenes better; this reason can be applied to most musical anime, I
think . »
- « Revolutionary
Girl Utena: Damn, the manga is bad. The Made in Abyss anime is
exponentially better than the manga. The Frieren manga is good, but the
anime is excellent »
- « Ouran
High School Host Club: I always pick up where the anime left off (before
the ending), but I've always preferred the overall atmosphere and art
style of the anime over the manga . »
- « Sailor
Moon: I grew up on 90s anime, so maybe I'm biased, but I just enjoyed the
overall atmosphere, comedy, and characterization more . »
- « Gintama:
I haven't actually read this one, to be fair, but I always hear that the
anime is the way you should experience it since the joke delivery works so
well with the dub, and the anime-exclusive episodes are good . »
- « World
Trigger: Better translated to anime ».
- « Vinland
Saga: The manga is very good, but the anime is a masterpiece, all things
considered. They even added a few extra scenes here and there to the anime
to improve the pacing of the story, and it worked great, in my opinion .
»
- « Made
in Abyss: I'm pretty sure the manga is fine too, but the anime is amazing,
thanks in large part to Kevin Perkin's soundtrack . »
- « Akame
ga Kill: The anime has a better ending ».
- « Onimai:
I'm Now Your Sister! (Oniichan wa Oshimai!) - The anime is a significant
visual upgrade (the manga's art is simple, but consistent), especially in
the background department. The pastel palette works really well for the
nighttime scenes and the two-tone hair helps the characters stand out
more. The animation is also top-notch with some material being expanded,
other parts being tweaked, and some being omitted (some redundant, others
would have needed a different art style). There was some slight retooling
of the source material to make for a more impactful ending . »
Source: Reddit
