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Anime that deviated from their source material and still ended up being good

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6 hours ago
#1
Offline
Feb 2021
35
Anime that strayed from their source material at one point,due to not enough material or deliberate decision and still ended up being a solid show.

Major example would be Full Metal Alchemist,which deviated from its source material after it caught up to it and actually ended up making a good show with a different story than the original manga.

Are there any more examples of this?
6 hours ago
#2

Offline
Apr 2010
410
If I'm not mistaken, Trigun the 1998 TV series is exactly that.
5 hours ago
#3

Offline
Sep 2018
54
One piece..The original manga is like really good the anime had arcs which were longer and went on more than it should have but it's still a great anime
5 hours ago
#4

Offline
Aug 2017
217
The director of the Bokurano anime allegedly hated the manga's ending and diverted heavily.

While the manga ending is superior (in my opinion), both versions are really good and have their own merits.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/670/Bokurano

https://myanimelist.net/anime/1690/Bokura_no
If I had a nickel for every anime that began airing on October 9th 2022 that started with a B and ended in "ock", I would have two nickels.
That's not a lot, but it's funny that it happened twice.

5 hours ago
#5

Offline
Apr 2024
1554
Youjo Senki (2017) deliberately shuffles things around and omits a few parts. It's a lot better than the LN and let's not even talk about the silly manga.

Ghost in the Shell (1995) has basically zero resemblance to the source other than character design and names and it's a lot better.
4 hours ago
#6

Offline
Dec 2025
10
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien anime is better than the visual novel. Visual novel anime tend to be a bit “better” than the actual visual novel with the alterations they usually do.
People are gonna disagree with me on that though.
4 hours ago
#7

Online
Feb 2016
15733
Unico
Metropolis
Howl's Moving Castle
Akazukin Chacha
Chrono Crusade
Black Butler
Bokurano
Terra e
その目だれの目?
4 hours ago
#8

Online
Feb 2016
15733
Reply to Azulmagia88
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien anime is better than the visual novel. Visual novel anime tend to be a bit “better” than the actual visual novel with the alterations they usually do.
People are gonna disagree with me on that though.
@Azulmagia88
I have yet to play that particular game, but I agree with the general assertion. Most of the visuals novels made into anime do not take advantage of the video game medium. Fate/Stay Night is a linear story with bland music and minimal graphics, for example, so nothing of value is lost in the adaptation process.
Adaptations are only bad when they're rushed, a practice that is unfortunately all too common.
Lucifrost3 hours ago
その目だれの目?
4 hours ago
#9

Offline
Jul 2014
7398
The 1995 Ghost in the Shell film is actually a very loose adaptation of Shirow's original manga, but I'd argue that it surpasses it in every conceivable way.
Take care of yourself

4 hours ago
Offline
Apr 2019
501
I estimate that more than 40% of «Violet Evergarden» is original anime content that not found in the source novel.

- episodes from #01 to #05 of TV series
- The full 2020 movie
- Iris and Erica (Violet's coworkers)
- Gilbert's destiny
etc.
3 hours ago

Offline
Jun 2013
1948
Most KyoAni works end with me not even bothering to check the source. And the times I do, it just confirms the anime deviated in all the right ways and ended up doing all the heavy lifting anyway.
Impala3 hours ago
3 hours ago

Offline
Dec 2025
10
Reply to Lucifrost
@Azulmagia88
I have yet to play that particular game, but I agree with the general assertion. Most of the visuals novels made into anime do not take advantage of the video game medium. Fate/Stay Night is a linear story with bland music and minimal graphics, for example, so nothing of value is lost in the adaptation process.
Adaptations are only bad when they're rushed, a practice that is unfortunately all too common.
@Lucifrost Kiminozo visual novel can take almost 100 hours if you do all the routes and the problem is after a while you will get sick of Haruka with all the alternate routes. The anime solves that problem and mixes the other routes nicely and is able to keep the drama and emotions strong throughout without getting the urge to punch Haruka. Also the D.C.: Da Capo anime does some interesting mixing of routes compared to the visual novel.
The newest Grisaia: Phantom Trigger anime fails hard with that with its rushed pacing and skipping so much it sucks compared to the visual novel.
So I agree with your point about adaptations are only bad when they're rushed.
2 hours ago

Online
Feb 2016
15733
Reply to Azulmagia88
@Lucifrost Kiminozo visual novel can take almost 100 hours if you do all the routes and the problem is after a while you will get sick of Haruka with all the alternate routes. The anime solves that problem and mixes the other routes nicely and is able to keep the drama and emotions strong throughout without getting the urge to punch Haruka. Also the D.C.: Da Capo anime does some interesting mixing of routes compared to the visual novel.
The newest Grisaia: Phantom Trigger anime fails hard with that with its rushed pacing and skipping so much it sucks compared to the visual novel.
So I agree with your point about adaptations are only bad when they're rushed.
Azulmagia88 said:
Kiminozo visual novel can take almost 100 hours if you do all the routes and the problem is after a while you will get sick of Haruka with all the alternate routes.

I am unlikely to play through all the routes when I get around to that game.

Azulmagia88 said:
Also the D.C.: Da Capo anime does some interesting mixing of routes compared to the visual novel.

Possibly, but I don't think it's fair to judge DC when the definitive edition still has no English translation. That's among the first visual novels I'd like to play in Japanese after improving my language fluency. Naru Nanao's characters are adorable.

その目だれの目?
2 hours ago

Offline
Feb 2021
8139
Reply to iThink
If I'm not mistaken, Trigun the 1998 TV series is exactly that.
@iThink, and it is very good despite that because that times creators put their all into animes.
35 minutes ago

Offline
Dec 2025
10
Reply to Lucifrost
Azulmagia88 said:
Kiminozo visual novel can take almost 100 hours if you do all the routes and the problem is after a while you will get sick of Haruka with all the alternate routes.

I am unlikely to play through all the routes when I get around to that game.

Azulmagia88 said:
Also the D.C.: Da Capo anime does some interesting mixing of routes compared to the visual novel.

Possibly, but I don't think it's fair to judge DC when the definitive edition still has no English translation. That's among the first visual novels I'd like to play in Japanese after improving my language fluency. Naru Nanao's characters are adorable.

Lucifrost said:
Possibly, but I don't think it's fair to judge DC when the definitive edition still has no English translation. That's among the first visual novels I'd like to play in Japanese after improving my language fluency. Naru Nanao's characters are adorable.

What is the definitive edition? The version on manga gamer is still pretty good on its own.
17 minutes ago

Online
Feb 2016
15733
Reply to Azulmagia88
Lucifrost said:
Possibly, but I don't think it's fair to judge DC when the definitive edition still has no English translation. That's among the first visual novels I'd like to play in Japanese after improving my language fluency. Naru Nanao's characters are adorable.

What is the definitive edition? The version on manga gamer is still pretty good on its own.
@Azulmagia88
It was called DC "Plus Situation" on Playstation and DC "Plus Communication" for Windows. It came out before Mangagamer's DC and features an additional 5 heroines. None of them are in this year's remake, by the way.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3287600/DC_Retune
Kotori Love EXP has the full DCPC common route in English, but with none of the heroine routes except Kotori's.
その目だれの目?

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