Do Anime Adaptations Disrespect Manga?

[Steve]

When it comes to adaptations, studios and directors seem to take creative liberty. Some adaptations change endings, skip arcs, or even alter characters. Do you think creative freedom is good or is it betrayal of the source material? When does an adaptation go too far and when does it do justice? What an anime do you think improved the manga, and which one completely ruined it. What do you think should studios focus on, remaining true to the source of exercising creative liberty?

 

[Zack]

This is why I love, and loath the Internet, lol
Because I haven't watch much, so I can't say much.
But i would prefer to hear that the creator of any manga or anime has majority of say on what shoud be in, and what should'nt be.

 

[Heatman]

To be very honest with you, adaptations are never easy. It usually feels like translating a poem from one language to another which doesn't come out exactly the same way in the end. If I'm going to choose an anime that improved the manga, it's going to be Demon Slayer.

 

[Zack]

To be very honest with you, adaptations are never easy. It usually feels like translating a poem from one language to another which doesn't come out exactly the same way in the end. If I'm going to choose an anime that improved the manga, it's going to be Demon Slayer.

That’s a really good way to put it - adapting a manga into anime really is like translating a poem. Some things just don’t carry over the same way. I agree about Demon Slayer too - the animation, music, and fight choreography really elevated the original story. It’s one of those cases where the anime adds a whole new layer to the experience.

 

[Senkusha]

Here's an example of an anime that didn't exactly follow the manga: Negima!.
This story, about a ten-year old mage, is assigned as his "residency" (for lack of a better term), to be a middle school teacher in a junior-high in Japan. He's from Wales. The story follows the manga fairly closely for a good length of the anime, but then goes off the rails. Why? Because the series was so popular, and production was rushed to keep up with demand, the animation team ran out of source material and had to improvise. Many fans became upset by this, and deemed the anime as trash.

Another example is Excel Saga. The Mangaka explicitly demanded the anime to not follow the manga. In fact, he insisted the studio use its Creative Liberty into maximum overdrive. The result, was a spectacularly unhinged and humorous anime that's loved by weird people, like myself!

Sometimes the story must be altered because the receiving fan-base isn't prepared for it. Case in point: Sailor Moon. When Sailor Moon aired in the United States back in the 90s, most people considered any animated medium to be for children, despite some of the quite adult-natured themes present within the story of Sailor Moon. (I haven't had an opportunity to read the original Japanese manga, but based on word from others who have, it's quite risque at times.) In this case, I believe that initially the alterations did the original story a beneficial service, because without those changes, anime (at least Sailor Moon) would have been relegated to the depths of pornography and never would have been given the exposure needed for our love of the hobby we have today that we enjoy.

 

[Zack]

Here's an example of an anime that didn't exactly follow the manga: Negima!.
This story, about a ten-year old mage, is assigned as his "residency" (for lack of a better term), to be a middle school teacher in a junior-high in Japan. He's from Wales. The story follows the manga fairly closely for a good length of the anime, but then goes off the rails. Why? Because the series was so popular, and production was rushed to keep up with demand, the animation team ran out of source material and had to improvise. Many fans became upset by this, and deemed the anime as trash.

Another example is Excel Saga. The Mangaka explicitly demanded the anime to not follow the manga. In fact, he insisted the studio use its Creative Liberty into maximum overdrive. The result, was a spectacularly unhinged and humorous anime that's loved by weird people, like myself!

Sometimes the story must be altered because the receiving fan-base isn't prepared for it. Case in point: Sailor Moon. When Sailor Moon aired in the United States back in the 90s, most people considered any animated medium to be for children, despite some of the quite adult-natured themes present within the story of Sailor Moon. (I haven't had an opportunity to read the original Japanese manga, but based on word from others who have, it's quite risque at times.) In this case, I believe that initially the alterations did the original story a beneficial service, because without those changes, anime (at least Sailor Moon) would have been relegated to the depths of pornography and never would have been given the exposure needed for our love of the hobby we have today that we enjoy.

I guess it really depends on whether the changes feel respectful or just rushed. When the creator is involved, it feels safer. When it’s done purely for hype or deadlines, fans can tell.

I personally think adaptations should evolve the story, not replace it. If the anime erases the core message or rewrites characters beyond recognition, that’s when it crosses the line.

I guess, an adaptation succeeds when it captures the emotional core, even if the details differ.

 

[Korok]

I don't think anime is disrespectful to manga. Here are a few examples:

- Berserk (1990s I think?): this anime is almost exactly like the manga, note-for-note, beat-for-beat. They had to imply certain elements rather than show (likely for time or airing purposes), but it's almost exactly the same

- Several anime in the 90s and early 2000s were used to rope people into buying the manga. So, they'd make the anime, but stop after, say, 12 episodes where it'd be a "to be continued in the manga" type deal, encouraging people to buy the manga to continue the story

- Sometimes, they have to improv. Full Metal Alchemist and Blue Exorcist as well as Tokyo Ghoul comes to mind. TV shows do the same thing. If the anime has a strict deadline on when to release for whatever reason, they may need to make up endings and entire pathways because the source isn't completed and may not be for a long time. Sometimes, they'll redo an anime after the manga completes

Every so often, an anime production will be totally bad and do the manga no justice. I'm not sure why this happens when it happens, my guess is budget? But I've no clue. Water Magician comes to mind.

 

[Heatman]

That’s a really good way to put it - adapting a manga into anime really is like translating a poem. Some things just don’t carry over the same way. I agree about Demon Slayer too - the animation, music, and fight choreography really elevated the original story. It’s one of those cases where the anime adds a whole new layer to the experience.

Yeah, that's very correct. There's a reason why Demon Slayer is among my top 5 best anime because it was too good in every aspect more than I expected.

Which other one would you put in the same category as Demon Slayer?