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October 2009
Compared to this month's other column there is a lot less to talk about for what is a rather heated, though sometimes little so, argument over preference. One of the main things in listening to other manga fans talk is that often manga takes a real backseat to anime. I heard one anime renter talk about how much they liked Love Hina, but they would never read the manga. Or others say how they watch the anime first and sometimes read the manga. Now I've talked before about anime's origins in relation to manga, but what elements of anime and what elements of manga really lead toward the prevalence of anime being considered more "friendly" then manga?
Well these elements are pretty straight forward. Anime has a lot of advantages, but let's weigh those against manga's advantages . . . which are fewer. Cost is one of the first ones, manga are cheaper to buy then a DVD of anime. Two, manga is something that can be enjoyed by one's self for a nice moment of reading (Though how much of an advantage that is, I'm not sure but some prefer it). Three, manga often has the more condensed and pure version of the series giving readers, usually, the better story over anime. (Dragonball anyone?) Fourth, manga is the origin for most anime that have manga, with the manga version serving as the template for the anime version. All are good reasons, but anime has a lot more going for it.
First, and foremost, anime appeals to more senses, which face it, we as humans love. You get noise, you get visual, and you get color, a big draw back for manga. Two, anime is easier to obtain and can often be obtained for free. Though anime is more expensive to buy, to watch Naruto you can just get online (legally) or just watch TV. Three, anime can be longer and shorter. For some it is quicker to watch an episode then to read a book and for some consumers that is vital. In addition, some fans of shows love getting additional material so filler can be good in their opinion. Finally, the layout of manga and how it is printed doesn't work well for all American readers, unlike anime which looks just a normal TV program, not flipping or nothing to have it look normal on the TV.
For some though just because there are more reasons, doesn't mean anime is always someone's preferred way to get into a series. Often I find a fan's first exposure is the one they like best and stay with. Often times this ties to personal preference, but occasionally things like "that voice doesn't sound like the one in my head" keeps fans from liking the anime, or slow pacing can cause a fan to swear off the manga. It does come down to preference.
The preference is where most fans run into issues with everyone having their favorite version or favorite series and fans debating which is better which is worse. Anime can loose out to some series such as Berserk, Inu-Yasha, and Ranma ½ where so much happens after the conclusions of the anime that you have to read the manga to see how the story ends. Both art forms though have their place and fans but anime's strong stance gives it a head's up that allows potential fans to get into the series and hopefully stay in to later enjoy the original form. Examples that get interesting within the past 5 years are successful anime that changed the ending of the series to respect the creator and end up releasing new series based off the original manga anyway! (Fullmetal Alchemist Vs. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and Hellsing Vs. Ultimate Hellsing) In either instance just because their seems to be more life in one art form for fans over the art form doesn't mean fans don't go back and forth and figure what they like better, or just simply enjoying their manga or anime and being quiet. Well whichever you prefer enjoy them to the fullest extent and keep an eye out for the elements of manga!
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