Manga ou Anime : De quel côté du combat êtes-vous ?

In our large community of otakus and weaboos, there is a wide spectrum of popular mediums to entertain us. Anime, manga, video games, and light novels are just a few of the ways that we consume our “addiction.” But, with any fandom, some fans congregate in certain areas that appeal to them more. Fans, of all types, have always been a passionate bunch, full-heartedly supporting and promoting what they love. However, this is where some members clash. Those that are in the anime/manga community are familiar with this conflict; manga or anime?

I’m not going to attempt to prove which one I think is better; I’m not interested in starting a war.

Mais je veux revenir sur quelques points importants qui ont découlé de cette rivalité. Aussi une note, je ne parlerai que des mangas et des animes qui en ont été adaptés et vice versa. Il existe de nombreux animes et mangas originaux qui n'ont jamais été animés. Ce ne sont pas les habituels jetés dans le combat.

Les redoutables épisodes de remplissage

Often the manga or anime and it’s resulting adaptation are bound to vary in content. In the case of an animated manga, the anime is often much longer and potentially more drawn out. Some scenes that were a few chapters in the books could result in a few 20 minute episodes. 

The manga’s development is a key reason why the anime may be slow to release episodes. Depending on the author it could be due to actually drawing and chapter creation. An example of this that is very personal to me is Berserk by Kentaro Miura. His art style is like a work of art, extremely detailed and full of texture. This could be a reason why he has slowed down increasingly, since Berserk was first published in October of 1989.

And that’s where the cursed word, “épisodes de remplissage” come in. More prevalent in some animes compared to others, filler episodes are exactly what they sound like. Episodes used to “fill” in the space between “main plot” episodes. For example, a filler episode could be thrown between a “fight scene.” This prolongs the time between the start of the battle to the end. The episode could start where the battle left off, but instead of seeing the fight end in 15-20 minutes, the viewers could be thrown into a flashback sequence. Another alternative would be an episode that isn’t even related to the battle at hand. 

Les remplissages peuvent aussi être divertissants…

Some filler episodes are entertaining, as they can give fans more information. Also they can be fun as well, with specials or holiday episodes, fans are able to see their characters outside of the normal canon. I personally really enjoyed the Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc in Bleach, a whole “non-canon” arc about the spirits of swords physically manifesting as real people. But I have also had friends encounter “bad arcs.”

One Piece has 20 seasons and sits close to 1000 episodes. One of my friends watched One Piece religiously. However, after reaching the upper 500’s, he told me that the fillers made it unbearable to continue.

Changements de style et d'histoire

Most anime studios can replicate the original manga artist’s style easily. With the ideas already laid out, most of the time all that is needed is animation. In fact sometimes these adaptations can be a positive improvement on the series.

But sometimes stylistic choices or changes in script can contribute to negative audience reviews. 

Quelques exemples notables de styles d'anime qui n'étaient pas populaires auprès des fans étaient la suite de l'anime Berserk en 2016 et l'adaptation animée d'Aku no Hana en 2013. Je suis un grand fan de Berserk et j'étais amoureux du magnifique art de l'anime de 1997.

Mais en 2016, lorsque l'anime s'est poursuivi, de nombreux fans ont réagi négativement au nouveau choix d'animation.

Bien que l'histoire soit restée cohérente, la décision de choisir un style d'animation 3D par rapport au cel shading d'origine a dissuadé de nombreux fans. Depuis l'anime 2016, les nouveaux épisodes semblent désormais utiliser un meilleur mélange d'animation assistée 3D et de dessin 2D.

Préférence de support

The simplest reason in the argument; some people just prefer reading while others prefer watching. I personally started reading manga first. It was more accessible, and with school and other extracurriculars, I found that anime took too much time to watch. 

Other friends of mine prefer anime over manga because they like seeing the “pictures move.” They often put anime in the background while doing chores or homework. This is much more doable than trying to read manga and write an essay at the same time. 

Les résultats

Unfortunately, you’re always going to have the die-hards. The ones that are “purists” who won’t deviate from the originals. There’s isn’t a problem with that, only when that decision starts encroaching on others. 

There isn’t a right or wrong answer to which is better. At the end of the day it’s what you’re watching and enjoying. As someone who was a “manga-only” consumer for a long time, I would only ask readers of this article to take away one thing. 

Keep your mind open and if you really like a series, then try out its manga or anime adaptation. Studios and artists work hard, and if something is worth promoting then we as fans should support them. 

Do you like watching anime or reading manga? What do you think about the “purists”? Are there some series that you will only watch? Which will you only read? Leave a comment below, I’m always looking for new suggestions. 

Le coin de l'auteur

“Mathilda Lam is an aspiring writer and long time otaku. If you’d like to get in touch or enjoyed what you read, check out her blog at peachslug.wordpress.com.”