Anyone notice that there are some anime that not only are different from their manga counterparts but just seem like totally different series?

One example would be Excel Saga, the premise and characters are the same but my gosh the manga has so much more to it than the anime. I wasn't disappointed in the anime, or the differences; I was just shocked that the producers would change the series so much when adapting it.

Another example is Shugo Chara, at least from what I've seen of the manga, there seem to be changes in character development and an added love interest in the manga than the anime.

Does this sort of thing bother you or does it make you more likely to read and watch both the anime and manga? Do you want subtle changes made or do you want things exactly the same from one version to another?

Hi nike *waves* I like subtle changes, but i prefer no changes at all. Like in the anime Death note, it is very similar to the manga and it stays true. Of course there are some changes like the dialogue, but pretty much everything is the same.

I did hear that the ending of Death Note was changed though (haven't gotten that far in the manga yet). Were the endings really different? Which do you like better?

Generally, I'm with you. I don't like a lot of changes to the series but sometimes the changes that are done really keep me intrigued. I guess the best example of drastic changes to a series was Sailor Moon, I really like the manga, the anime is so-so, but the Live Action turned out awesome! I honestly think its my favorite of the 3 because they added so much character development beyond Usagi.

I have only began reading Death Note, and i have watched the first episodes of the anime and they are pretty much the same.

p.s. I have to go (grocery shopping) ill talk to you later nike.

Ahh, I finished watchingthe anime before I started the manga ^^ The first book really is like the anime, haven't gotten around to book 2 yet though.

Anyone else have thoughts?

PS~I've gotta go to work so I'll be back online tonight.

I would say the biggest changes i have seen when a Manga goes to an anime would have to be in Marmalade Boy.

An 8 manga series (maybe 9... but I think 8) turned into a marketing campaign the likes of which I find disturbing (sooo much stuff you could just see being taken straight from TV screen and made into purchasable items) and spanned about 70 some episodes. Entire plot lines were changed, characters added, and more drama then any one person can stand in one sitting was crammed into the show. I haven't seen much beyond Yuu going to America (Oh noes! a spoiler!) But there is no way that the ending of the anime is as good as the manga was.

Other then things like that, where a perfectly good Manga is hacked and slashed and expanded to suit a TV adaptation in the worst way possible, I must admit that I don't mind the changes. After all in most cases they are of the good.

There's a Shugo Chara anime!? Zomg :0

The Death Note live action movie ending was a lot
different from the manga.

I also hear Elfen Lied is different, but I don't know
if that's true or not because I havne't read it all yet.

@shoga
Glad that's one shoujo I didn't get into. I tend to find shoujo are just cut short a lot of times so I stay away from the anime and just go for the manga.

@'clockwork
Yup, Shugo Chara just started this fall in Japan, its up to episode 6 (as far as subbed, this week should show episode 7).

lol, I'm glad I read this thread. :]
I just watched all 6 episodes.

If you take the first crack at Hellsing the Anime(I want to say 1991 was when it was made) versus the manga. The series fitted on to four disks and they completely went off the manga ship and brought up a character that never existed in the manga at all. However they are correcting this with OVA, yay more accurate to the manga.

@'clockwork
Glad to be of help to another Shugo Chara fan ^_^ How does the anime compare to the manga? I only got a peak at the manga so I'm really curious, which do you find better?

@Akstar
Adding characters tends to annoy me cause they never really seem to have any real purpose other than to sell action figures or put in a filler episode arc, the last half of Rurouni Kenshin was like that. I wanted to see Enishi but they came up with this alt bad guy that seemed very...cheesy.

Hmm, I don't remember too much about the manga,
I read it a few months ago. But I think I like both
of them! They're both so adorable. ^-^

Yeah, the series is just so cute that it seems whatever was changed around won't hurt the anime (well, almost all changes...)

Fullmetal Alchemist.

It splits up into two COMPLETELY different things when the Rush Valley arc starts in the manga. In the anime, there's one episode in Rush Valley...and then, BOOM. Goes somewhere else.

To be honest, I like the anime a LOT more. D:

The anime has finished at 51 episodes + 1 movie. Sadly, the last episode and the movie were a little rushed...but I loved it anyway. Just the story, and...bfgsgjk D: THE ENDING was just...it messes with your head. D:

The manga is still going, currently at 77 chapters...and we had a nasty little scare with that one one chapter back. I was stressing over it for a month. XD;; But judging by the differences of the anime world vs. the manga world...I don't think I'm gonna like the manga ending as much as I did the anime. And I didn't really LIKE the anime ending...it was just so bittersweet...I loved and hated it at the same time. D:

So to answer the question of "Do I like it like this?" Well, yeah. The anime is and probably always will be my favorite, while the manga...is GOOD, but not my favorite. The manga came first. If the anime had followed it exactly...it would be loaded with fillers by now, and would pretty much just be another Naruto. NO THANK YOU.

Although, I have to say that it WOULD be interesting to see the original manga version animated...

It's really common for some Anime to stray away from the Manga story/plot/whatever. I don't know if this is really that drastic but, Tsubasa RC, I haven't really watched the anime, but I've been told/heard that they do leave quite a bit out, like the current manga chapters. (Though, they are making new episodes to cover it now.) And, the anime has numerous fillers too. n_n;;

@Fullmetal Phantom
I didn't even think about the problem of fillers being added if an anime was to keep up with the manga. I remember Inuyasha adding a ton of fillers because they were waiting for more manga chapters and it was so annoying.

@naruu
I remember watching the first few Tsubasa, those followed the manga very well. A little too well for my liking though cause I didn't feel like I was getting anything more from the anime than I did from the manga but then things changed and worlds were left out (probably due to what Fullmetal Phantom was talking about). I wasn't sure if I was happy about it or not though.

@nike13
Yep, and I hope to god I don't ever see that happen ever again on me.

Definitely agree, I just remembered in Card Captor Sakura, they added a fiance to Syaoran for who knows what reason >< She wasn't a horrible character, she just seemed so pointless since she isn't involved in any of the major plot events.

I swear, sometimes I think the anime team just makes a part for a voice actor/actress they like for the fun of it.