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

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Dec 11, 8:03 AM
#1
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Feb 2021
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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?
Dec 11, 8:17 AM
#2

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Apr 2010
422
If I'm not mistaken, Trigun the 1998 TV series is exactly that.
Dec 11, 8:50 AM
#3

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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
Dec 11, 9:04 AM
#4

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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.

Dec 11, 9:11 AM
#5

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Apr 2024
1556
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.
Dec 11, 9:50 AM
#6

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Dec 2025
23
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.
Dec 11, 10:03 AM
#7

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Feb 2016
15747
Unico
Metropolis
Howl's Moving Castle
Akazukin Chacha
Chrono Crusade
Black Butler
Bokurano
Terra e
その目だれの目?
Dec 11, 10:09 AM
#8

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Feb 2016
15747
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.
LucifrostDec 11, 10:34 AM
その目だれの目?
Dec 11, 10:12 AM
#9

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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

Dec 11, 10:16 AM
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Apr 2019
504
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.
Dec 11, 10:29 AM

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Jun 2013
1953
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.
ImpalaDec 11, 10:34 AM
Dec 11, 10:40 AM
Dec 11, 11:28 AM

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Dec 2025
23
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.
Dec 11, 11:51 AM

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Feb 2016
15747
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?
Dec 11, 12:19 PM

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Feb 2021
8143
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.
Dec 11, 1:23 PM

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Dec 2025
23
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.
Dec 11, 1:41 PM

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Feb 2016
15747
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?
Dec 11, 2:44 PM
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Feb 2024
993
Gakkou Gurashi strayed somewhat from the source material, a whole character that was a major player in the series despite being but a footnote in the manga and while the ending to the anime has the same basic conclusion as the first arc of the manga how they get there is entirely different. Despite the changes, the anime was still excellent overall.
Dec 11, 3:02 PM

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Jul 2013
12912
What wrong with deviating from the source material? I think the source material is always good.....
Dec 11, 3:07 PM

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Jul 2025
83
K-On added a ton of new material that was never in the manga. I was really surprised to learn that Ton-chan was completely anime original. I think the manga is underrated though, too many people ignore it in favor of only watching the anime.
Dec 11, 4:26 PM
BIKINI⚔️ARMOR

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May 2019
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the full metal alchemist 2003 anime.
Yesterday, 7:46 AM

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Oct 2017
3699
Besides FMA 2003, The original Shaman King adaptation is what comes to mind. After a certain point the adaptation becomes way more loose before fully diverging into an original ending. It is honestly a much better adaptation than the 2021 remake even if it is less accurate to the manga
This post is brought to you by your local transfem gamer goblin. Will not tolerate bigotry and will fight against "anti-woke" sentiment to make the anime community a safer place.

Yesterday, 7:58 AM

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Dec 2025
23
Reply to Lucifrost
@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.
@Lucifrost I see. Not really liking the remake artstyle but I will probably still try it. A remake I really want to play is the Kakyuusei Remake but there will probably never be an english patch for it and the remake kinda looks like ass compared to the early version,
Yesterday, 1:29 PM
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Feb 2021
36
Reply to MattyMcDuck
K-On added a ton of new material that was never in the manga. I was really surprised to learn that Ton-chan was completely anime original. I think the manga is underrated though, too many people ignore it in favor of only watching the anime.
@MattyMcDuck I suppose in case of band/music anime,the experience gets enhanced through anime.Its one thing to read a band performance in manga but its entirely different experience to watch it through anime when its enhanced with real music.And K-on anime has really good performances.
I suppose that leads to anime being preferred over manga for shows like K-on.
Yesterday, 1:38 PM

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Feb 2016
15747
Reply to Warlord53104
@MattyMcDuck I suppose in case of band/music anime,the experience gets enhanced through anime.Its one thing to read a band performance in manga but its entirely different experience to watch it through anime when its enhanced with real music.And K-on anime has really good performances.
I suppose that leads to anime being preferred over manga for shows like K-on.
@Warlord53104
This is the main reason I haven't read K-On. I don't believe the claims that the anime improves upon the story, but the music is reason enough to choose it over the manga.
その目だれの目?

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