Manga, Light Novel, or Anime? Which Do You Prefer?
These are typical queries which come about at some point in almost any dialogue about an anime series. It's almost just like whenever a film comes out based off a novel, a customary question is,"Did you read this book?"
To be honest, this kind of bothers me. Why? Wellthere are a whole lot of light novel / manga readers out there that don't care if someone has done the same, but in the same time you will find quite a few that nearly take crime. These kinds of people usually answer any question or comment you make about a series with,"Well if your read the manga..."
It is quite annoying. I personally think that there is one large difference between a movie adaptation of a novel, and an anime adaptation of a light novel or manga. What is that? Volume. Films take a long time to produce. Anime do too, but they come air new displays four times a year (anime seasons). So, how do you compare a film, that's released once after a very long time, to anime which is published four times a year?
That is just food for thought. The real question, this guide is about, is exactly what if you choose? Or perhaps you should pick up some manga?
Let's go over a few pros and cons of all these.
Anime
Why? It's easy. You can literally sit in your desk, lie in bed, and watch the beauty of cartoon and listen to the dialogue. You are able to see a story unfold before your very eyes, without having to navigate through the words of a light novel or piecing together pictures of a manga.
The downside, generally, is insufficient depth. There's only so much that an anime can fit in the season, in addition to only so much they can show through the senses. You can easily miss out on some background things that got cut, or not fully comprehend a situation simply because you are unaware what condition the personality is in.
That being said, it is still my personal go to.
If I enjoy the anime, then I normally go searching into the light novel. Of course, I have to await a translation. A light novel is rather an investment, so as any publication is, so I look at it as me enjoying the story enough to it back. I don't read diagrams on the web, I always buy the book. One, because I love with the physical copy, and two, to encourage the writer.
The light novel, as with normally any book, typically goes into quite a good deal more detail than the anime adaptation. You get a more in-depth look at scenes. You can see what is going on in the background. The writer can tell you what a character is feeling instead of you trying to decipher it yourself. You also get to exercise your imagination, creating the different scenes on mind. Of course, illustrations help you with this as well.
What's the drawback of any publication? It is time consuming! That is why this is always my second option, to the anime. I want to understand I like the story before I go into more detail. I could love a story to death, but when the writer's style is too odd for me personally, I know I won't enjoy it.
Manga
Then we've got manga. I'll be honest, I rarely purchase manga, so my thoughts are probably a bit prejudice. But, manga are usually quicker to read than a light novel, as you are dealing with images. Rather than attempting to create moments in your mind which might not accurately portray the story how the writer intended, a manga puts the scene before you. You can literally watch it progress.
The drawback to a manga, at least for me, is that you need to go right . I understand that's a silly accusation, but it drives me nuts. The graphics may be welcome, however, like myself, I love producing scenes in my head with my own creativity, so a manga restricts that to some degree.
Total
So what's the best? Depends on your taste, obviously. Light novel and manga readers are always likely to look down upon people who don't spend the time they do into particular stories.
My thoughts are, if you discover a story interesting, go for the anime. Or, if you are somebody that loves a good story, catch the light novel. From that point, you can go to one or the other, and/or go for the manga. Usually I see manga as something that's visually appealing once I understand the characters.
My thoughts on this entire anime vs light novel vs manga situation. Obviously, everybody is going to have a different view, and you're welcome to disagree.
