D
Dr Kain
Guest
So I've been in a big Yu-Gi-Oh! mood as of late and have been rereading the manga while rewatching the anime over the last two weeks. As such, I forgot just how different the anime was from the manga. Yes, we all know about the first several manga volumes having nothing to do with Duel Monsters, hence why the anime skipped it, but what do you guys like that was done better in the anime compared to the manga? And vice-versa when it comes to the Duelist Kingdom arc?
First, I must admit, I prefer the way the duels are done in the manga. I just think the Duel Boxes are done in a much more realistic manner compared to the Dueling Rings. Of course, you are probably asking yourself why I would say that when we are talking about a series that revolves around demons, gods, and that card games are serious business. You are right, but at the same time, I feel that the Dueling Boxes make the evolution of the game into the Duel Disk format that much more amazing. With the Duel Ring, it is pretty much the same, just portable. With the Duel Boxes, it is a huge leap forward in technological wonders.
Story wise, yeah, the over all events are the same, as is the outcome, but I feel the characterization and some of the events are handled better in the manga. Mai is a prime example of this. In the manga she calls everyone her friends and treats them as such with respect and such. The anime is a little more vague in this manner. We know she wants to consider them friends, but it feels like the anime is still keeping her thoughts hidden away as she does not want to get too close to Yugi and friends. The duel between her and Anzu in the anime is an interesting one, but it just does not fit with her character nor Yugi's character. Yugi getting all depressed from his duel with Kaiba seemed a little too extreme in the anime compared to the manga.
Another thing I prefer in the manga character wise are the Ventriloquist and Dark Player Killer. They just seem far more demonic and threatening in the manga than in the anime, especially the Player Killer. In the manga he wanted to hang Yugi while in the anime he wants to burn him. The Ventriloquist appeared scary and unique as opposed to just some dude in disguise of being Kaiba.
Kaiba is another matter. He just seems to have super hero abilities in the anime with being able to jump out of windows and hack into computer systems to hijack duels. On the other hand, I feel him using a virus to destroy the second Blue Eyes during the Yugi vs Fake Kaiba duel made more sense than the card just destroying itself when the Ventriloquist tried to use it to beat Yugi.
Now the biggest item I am undecided about whether I like it better in the manga or the anime is the duel between Yugi and Jonouchi. Or rather, the lack of one in the manga. The duel is really well done in the anime and really brings out the friendship aspect of the two characters. On the other hand, I can sort of see what Takahashi was going for, in that there was no reason for those two to duel because they are great friends. And it does fit in line with the lack of seeing what happens between the duo after Battle City when they are going to duel. It keeps it a mystery as to how they would truly go against one another. Again though, the anime does a great job of making it a truly epic feeling battle between friends.
Finally, I have to say I prefer the manga's way of doing the events at Pegasus' castle (and did anyone ever tell Viz it is Pegasus' NOT Pegasus's???). I actually like Honda's journey to search for Mokuba better in the manga than the anime. Not to mention there is no climbing up some ridiculously tall tower shenanigans. The duel with Pegasus feels like it is padded out needlessly in the anime, which is a shame because the duel should feel epic but by the fourth episode it leaves you wanting the duel to be over with already. Again, I'm not sure if I prefer the manga's way of Yugi learning about Pegasus' past. It seems somewhat odd for him to explain it himself, and yet, we learn far more information about Kul Elna and the tablet from his verbal explanation over what Anzu reads in his journal.
Oh yeah, and the reunion between Seto and Mokuba felt more heart warming in the manga. Plus, the manga gave us a great scene of them leaving the island.
Now it may seem like I am harping way too much on changes the anime made against the manga, but that does not mean I do not like the anime. The anime did do a great job of showing us the cards and explaining some of the situations better than the manga. Plus, the writers were fantastic at being able to integrate Yugi putting together the puzzle, Yami Bakura's introduction, Kaiba's initial hatefulness, and Shadi's introduction all into the story line when they had all been introduced months prior to this arc in the manga. The duels do feel stretched out a tad, as I said previously with the Pegasus one, but for the most part, they seemed to be on par with the manga when it came to the most random card effects out there.
Overall, I have to give the edge to the manga as it feels like it did a lot more to develop the characters while the anime sometimes felt like it was focusing on the cards a little too much. The anime did a great job of adapting the importance of the story while trying to expand on it even if it did falter on it a few times.
First, I must admit, I prefer the way the duels are done in the manga. I just think the Duel Boxes are done in a much more realistic manner compared to the Dueling Rings. Of course, you are probably asking yourself why I would say that when we are talking about a series that revolves around demons, gods, and that card games are serious business. You are right, but at the same time, I feel that the Dueling Boxes make the evolution of the game into the Duel Disk format that much more amazing. With the Duel Ring, it is pretty much the same, just portable. With the Duel Boxes, it is a huge leap forward in technological wonders.
Story wise, yeah, the over all events are the same, as is the outcome, but I feel the characterization and some of the events are handled better in the manga. Mai is a prime example of this. In the manga she calls everyone her friends and treats them as such with respect and such. The anime is a little more vague in this manner. We know she wants to consider them friends, but it feels like the anime is still keeping her thoughts hidden away as she does not want to get too close to Yugi and friends. The duel between her and Anzu in the anime is an interesting one, but it just does not fit with her character nor Yugi's character. Yugi getting all depressed from his duel with Kaiba seemed a little too extreme in the anime compared to the manga.
Another thing I prefer in the manga character wise are the Ventriloquist and Dark Player Killer. They just seem far more demonic and threatening in the manga than in the anime, especially the Player Killer. In the manga he wanted to hang Yugi while in the anime he wants to burn him. The Ventriloquist appeared scary and unique as opposed to just some dude in disguise of being Kaiba.
Kaiba is another matter. He just seems to have super hero abilities in the anime with being able to jump out of windows and hack into computer systems to hijack duels. On the other hand, I feel him using a virus to destroy the second Blue Eyes during the Yugi vs Fake Kaiba duel made more sense than the card just destroying itself when the Ventriloquist tried to use it to beat Yugi.
Now the biggest item I am undecided about whether I like it better in the manga or the anime is the duel between Yugi and Jonouchi. Or rather, the lack of one in the manga. The duel is really well done in the anime and really brings out the friendship aspect of the two characters. On the other hand, I can sort of see what Takahashi was going for, in that there was no reason for those two to duel because they are great friends. And it does fit in line with the lack of seeing what happens between the duo after Battle City when they are going to duel. It keeps it a mystery as to how they would truly go against one another. Again though, the anime does a great job of making it a truly epic feeling battle between friends.
Finally, I have to say I prefer the manga's way of doing the events at Pegasus' castle (and did anyone ever tell Viz it is Pegasus' NOT Pegasus's???). I actually like Honda's journey to search for Mokuba better in the manga than the anime. Not to mention there is no climbing up some ridiculously tall tower shenanigans. The duel with Pegasus feels like it is padded out needlessly in the anime, which is a shame because the duel should feel epic but by the fourth episode it leaves you wanting the duel to be over with already. Again, I'm not sure if I prefer the manga's way of Yugi learning about Pegasus' past. It seems somewhat odd for him to explain it himself, and yet, we learn far more information about Kul Elna and the tablet from his verbal explanation over what Anzu reads in his journal.
Oh yeah, and the reunion between Seto and Mokuba felt more heart warming in the manga. Plus, the manga gave us a great scene of them leaving the island.
Now it may seem like I am harping way too much on changes the anime made against the manga, but that does not mean I do not like the anime. The anime did do a great job of showing us the cards and explaining some of the situations better than the manga. Plus, the writers were fantastic at being able to integrate Yugi putting together the puzzle, Yami Bakura's introduction, Kaiba's initial hatefulness, and Shadi's introduction all into the story line when they had all been introduced months prior to this arc in the manga. The duels do feel stretched out a tad, as I said previously with the Pegasus one, but for the most part, they seemed to be on par with the manga when it came to the most random card effects out there.
Overall, I have to give the edge to the manga as it feels like it did a lot more to develop the characters while the anime sometimes felt like it was focusing on the cards a little too much. The anime did a great job of adapting the importance of the story while trying to expand on it even if it did falter on it a few times.
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