TRC: Anime vs. Manga

[moezychan]

Ok, since I made this thread for the discussion on TRC. Which do you think is better, and why? I don't just want a comment like, "The manga is better!" and then leave. Please back up your reasons. Also, I'm hoping this will turn into a discussion thread, not merely a popularity thread. Please argue your opinions and back them up.

I'll start. I honestly prefer the manga over the anime because of the depth it goes into for the characters and sticks to the original plot. Meanwhile, the anime is full of filler episodes that completely stream away from the main plot and have nothing to do with the series. At moments it's a shoujo anime, such as Fai's date with Chii. And other moments it's more focused on one character instead of the real reason why they're traveling together.

[Konata Izumi]

I'd go with the manga, mainly because of the originality as well as there are very little or even no alterations to the original plot, unlike the anime wherein like moezy said, goes away from the main plot and instead focuses on minor details...

[Emiko]

Well, for me, I *much* prefer the manga.

For one, Clamp's art is so much more beautiful than the anime, which is quite often hit-or-miss in terms of quality. The elongated limbs style just doesn't translate too well into animation, and oftentimes the animation in Tsubasa Chronicles is rather lacklustre and static. The motion in all of the characters seems rigid and awkward. A lot of times the fight scenes in the manga flow better and are more exciting than the actual fight scenes in the anime.

Also, the characters are somewhat lifeless in the anime. There's not really any depth to Kuro or Fai, as the focus has been shifted from them except in times of comic relief, which is only one facet of their characters. Also, any blood or violence or alcohol has been clipped out, which almost trivializes the show and makes it seem rather kiddy-ish. Even if it IS aimed at kids, it doesn't appeal to me.

The pacing is also off in the anime. Bee Train likes to squeeze all the stories into as few episodes as possible, and race through the material. We aren't really given any time to really know the characters or experience their relationships because everything is compressed.

That being said, the anime does have some good points. The music is gorgeous and the VAs are all really good. Outo I think was handled well, and when the animation is good it can be lovely, especially when they experiment with colour. Bee Train CAN get it right, but it almost seems like they aren't trying very hard. The current epidemic of fillers could have been handled better as well. Instead of fluff fillers, why not have an episode that serves to deepen a character or relationship?

Anyway. I much prefer the manga. I think that if the anime took time to flesh things out, I wouldn't even really mind the animation. That being said, the Tsubasa anime comes off as very surface-y to me. There's not really anything underneath, as opposed to the manga, which is very detailed and has substance (enough for it's subject matter, anyway XD).

[Rekall]

The manga is way better even though it was the anime that first turned me onto TRC.

I didn't mind the first season of the anime, I thought it was really well done.  But the second season...I find to be very frustrating.

It's not the fact there's more filler eps for the 2nd season but moreso the type of filler eps they're doing.  I really don't think they should be messing around with the character's relationship with each other.  Take the Fye/Chii ep for example.  CLAMP has already basically told us that Chii really doesn't mean that much to Fye (ie, he created her, treats her as a pet and turned her into an alarm system) but then Bee Train comes along and tries to make Chii and Fye into a relationship which really got on my nervs.  I mean if Chii is a creation than she shouldn't have a soul that can exist in another world.  The fact that Bee Train turned Chii into a human really bugged me since she's never been one before and I really do think the reason why CLAMP picked her for the alarm system role was because she was never human in the first place.

Another thing that is bugging me about the 2nd season is that Bee Train seems to be rushing through the canon worlds.  Like for the 1st season the canon worlds got a fair bit of time, going multiple episodes and in 26 eps they really only visited 4 main worlds. But in the 2nd season it really seems as if they're rushing it; for example canonly the characters spend a long time in Piffle but in the anime it's only a few eps.  Likewise for the world with Ashura and Yasha, it only got a few eps.  Unless Bee Train plans on pulling a FMA and have the anime take a completely different route from the manga then I would think they would *want* to spend more time in the canon worlds, drawing them out as long as possible so that they could let CLAMP get further ahead in the manga  (which is what they were doing for season 1) but they don't seem to be doing that for season 2.

[Zettai daijoubu]

maybe because i started with the manga first that's why when i watched the anime nothing seems exciting anymore since i know what is going to happen. (The filler episodes though interesting, did not really help)

and yea, i have to agree that the characters in the manga is much much much more developed. Season 1 is really ok but season 2 seems to have too much filler episodes. Though the only filler episode i like so far is the Mokona Doodler one. The anime should focus more on the development on character and that's why i hoped they would have more episodes on Kurogane's past.

[Becster]

Manga. Without a doubt.

Which is a major shame, because the anime has the potential to be amazing. But, like Emiko said, they're just skimming the surface of the storyline. The VAs and music are amazing - Daisuke Namikawa is exactly how I imagined Fai to sound, and it sounds to me like they put a lot of effort into the voices. But the artwork seems sloppy and awkward - as has been mentioned, the style doesn't translate very well into moving form from the original manga.

Another thing is also the fillers and relationships. The only fillers I found worth watching were episode 16 (which just made me laugh like a drain...'Hyu~!' 'GET BACK HERE!!!') and the Mokona doodle episode because...well...Bee Train were obviously smoking something very good for that episode.

But what annoys me the most is how Bee Train have completely disregarded Kurogane and Fai's relationship. I know I am a KuroFai fangirl, but I can see it from a non-bias POV, and even if I didn't like that pairing I'd still be drawn to their unique relationship, and character qualities. The anime has made them into pure comic relief, which they were in the manga, but there weren't only the comic relief. The focus in the anime is almost completely on Syaoran and Sakura who, don't get me wrong I do love them, are so boring compared to Kurogane and Fai. Even their relationship seems monotonous compared to Kurogane and Fai's. But Bee Train have taken away their relationship - be it seen in a romantic sense, or purely friendship (...*does prefer the former* XD) - in order to focus on Syaoran and Sakura's 'cutesy' relationship.

Tsubasa isn't really a kids manga. So why are they turning it into a kids anime? I mean, one of the funniest scenes in all of Tsubasa in my opinion is when Syaoran, Sakura, Mokona and Fai all get drunk in Outo. And that got taken out of the anime. I will confess though, the first season wasn't so bad. I quite enjoyed it. But the second season is so rushed, like Bee Train feel they should be catching up with Clamp...or maybe that 'if they rush it they can put in more fillers.

Which brings me on to my final point. I hate the fact they did a FaiXChi episode. I say this so many times it should be my catchphrase: Does nobody remember Hideki?!  Hideki, not Fai, is and will always be Chi's canon pairing. And, as Rekall said, Chi is a constructed life form. That's probably why she hasn't been seen in other worlds yet. She was a constructed life form in Chobits, and in Tsubasa. So going and making her human is...well...raping the canon. Badly. I wish Bee Train would stop assuming and pushing for other relationships, ignoring the fact that Chi hasn't shown up since the beginning of Tsubasa and Tomoyo seemed far more taken with Sakura in Piffle.

...Sorry if that's pretty long. But you may've guessed I'm not an anime fan by now. Ohoho...

[Ashlee]

Manga, do I even have to say why

[Emiko]

Manga, do I even have to say why

Yes, I think the anime's taken quite a lot of abuse XD

[amyanimefan]

the manga of courseeeeeee, cos of a lots of things , the charater's drawing , the funny scences are much better , the ACTION BLOOD  scences and many other things.
the anime is okay but the best thing in it is the backgriund music , i have noticed that they avoid in anime any bloody scenes ( didn't watch kurogan's past yet) and the characters stare at each other a very long time
that is my opinion

[Cherry tiger]

Manga, of course. For me, the fillers of the anime never bothered me much (I mean, CCS and xxxHolic have them) but for some reason, Tsubasa's fillers are the worst and they stick out so badly that you just KNOW this world isn't part of the story and meant to be taken seriously. At least in CCS and xxxHolic, it tends to give more depth to the story and characters. These ones are just plain for fun and you can tell.

The drawings... I think a lot of people will agree about how bad the animation is. I remember thinking Syaoran's ears were too big, and there were too many stills with only the eyes and mouth moving that it bugged me.

No doubt Bee Train did well in certain arcs like Outo especially, but compare that to other worlds where it seems rushed and overly done, that's what bothers me.

And though I love Sakura and Syaoran to bits, their over emphasis on their relationship bothers me. I don't mind fluff, but this is just too much fluff. I like this relationship because I know there's more to it than that.

And I agree with Becster... Fye and Kurogane's relationship just seems like humour there. No doubt, I'm not a big fan of the pairing, but just like S+S, I want there to be more depth.

Bleh... I think that's enough bashing for me.

[Moon]

I've always been someone that likes both of anime/manga and I can't say that I like one over the other. Unless it's a manga that doesn't have the anime counter-part (such as Kare First Love, Invu, Girl Got Game...mangas that I've read and they don't have animes..far as I know). I personally like the anime, despite the whole filler thing. Especially the recent one where they're all in chibi form.

It was entertaining but I could understand full heartedly that it was completely going side-track from the plot (usually most of the time) where as the manga stays in-plot period and makes the general audience like it better because of it. Lots of animes have fillers, and I had hoped that this anime would be good. I was excited about it and everything. I personally enjoy watching Syaoran animated then non-animated. I'm like that with CCS as well, however there are some parts in the manga I like better.

Anyhow, I've only read a few volumes of the manga and then looked at the scans provided here. Can't say I've read it since I don't know my japanese well enough but what I've seen thus far is interesting. I do enjoy the manga like everyone else but I'm not on the ball with looking over the next chapter because I'm not a huge fan. Maybe thats why I prefer both. I can enjoy them equally without being an hardcore fan.

[moezychan]

On account of Moon-chan's post, I edited the poll to 4 options now. Also, you're able to change your vote if you want. We now have the options of anime, manga, both, or neither o_O

[mela]

The manga. The thing about the anime is that they've watered down the story so completely in order to make it appropriate or something, that I think it has lost all of the feeling the manga has. I was a fan who started watching with the anime, but I never really cared about the characters or anything until I read the manga and then I saw them in a completely different light.

The manga has no really unnessecary worlds or situations, everything that happens is for a reason and everything is tied together. In the anime, they throw in way too many filler episodes that have nothing to do with anything, just wasting time. Then they cut out and make weird changes that give different interactions between characters so relationships are vastly changed for no logical reason in the anime.

Also, the artwork for the manga is a lot nicer, while the character design is okay at best and the animation is atrocious for the most part. The quality control basically is non-existant in the anime. While I understand it is easier to make the manga look better since it is only a few pages a week, there is no excuse for the disgusting animation quality in some of the episodes.

All in all, I feel that the anime does a very bad job at adapting a good story. I like to say that the anime gives you a very, very loose feel for the story, but if you want to feel any real emotion for the characters or see the arcs happen in ways that make sense and aren't diluted for an audience of elementary schoolers, then read the manga.

[Emiko]

The animation fluctuates so wildly! Sometimes it's lovely and other time it's just terrible. During the first season there were a whole bunch of episodes where Fai's eyes were so ridiculously far apart. And Kurogane's hair looks pretty wooden sometimes. However, one thing I DO like about the anime is the way they use colour. The red moon behind Ashura in Shura is one example, or the lighting they use in certain scenes to make it look like it's sunset or something. At the end of the doodle episode, for example. So I like that. Sometimes.

But Fai looks skeleton-thin. He was *so* skinny in the first season. It's gotten better, bit still! Sakura's had her pencil-thin moments too. I mean, I know they get a lot of physical exercise, but come on! We've seen them eating. It's a well-rounded cycle.

[babypigggy]

I like both, though the anime is probably not CLAMP's best work.

I think TRC is one of those anime taht are pretty much exactly the same as the manga.. unlike CCS. XD

[moezychan]

I like both, though the anime is probably not CLAMP's best work.

I think TRC is one of those anime taht are pretty much exactly the same as the manga.. unlike CCS. XD

That's because the anime isn't CLAMP's work. It's Bee Trains. CLAMP has almost little to no influence on the anime, but has complete control over the manga, and for that reason the manga will always be better for me.

[envyofthestage]

Definetly the manga.

Aside from all of the terrible plot/filler problems, the animation is just so bad. Seriously, the second episode of the first season, every time I look at Fai I just want to slap CLAMP about (but they don't do th anime do they?) . And Kurogane looks so puny most of the time, where's all that muscle...and muscle...and...? Mmmm. Anyway!
And there's the countless highly irratating Tomoyo/Kuro hints.

Th eonly good bit of animation I've seen so far was in Oto world when Kurogane confronted Fai about taking his life for granted. The animation there is just gorgeous and Kuro and Fai look perfect.

Most of the time, I don't think they've put ANY effort in at all.

[Rekall]

That's because the anime isn't CLAMP's work. It's Bee Trains. CLAMP has almost little to no influence on the anime, but has complete control over the manga, and for that reason the manga will always be better for me.

Exactly the anime is only an adaption of CLAMP's work so naturally the character designs, etc are not going to look as good.  As far as I know, CLAMP has nothing to do with the anime.

[quimmy]

I've only seen about five eps of the first season, and I liked the voices, that's all. xD The music was so twee, you'd hear it in an elevator. Fye was horribly unpretty, Kuro looked like a monkey (it's when I noticed that I decided to stop watching it xP ) It was just very slow moving, and had none of the original fun parts.

The manga is beautiful, the characters are interesting, it's faster moving, it can be a bit wobbly at times, and the cliffhangers are evil, but Kuro looks like a man and that's all I need. xD

[Jeannette]

XD Is there any reason to ask? Does ANYONE prefer the anime? Seriously, though. I almost never prefer the anime over the manga, but I feel this way far more towards Tsubasa and HOLiC. (About the only series where I prefer the anime is Revolutionary Girl Utena... the manga s*cks badly.) As beautiful as the music and VAs are, the animation and adapation are usually awful. I'll continue to watch and even buy it unless it goes even more downhill, just for the very well done parts, but I will always prefer the manga.