Is anime always...

[sakura_blossom]

I've been wondering about this, and I just can't figure out the answer. It's a question between anime and manga. Most anime, from what I know, start off as a manga beforehand and then later can be turned into an animation form. Then there are anime that originate from games, not just manga.

My question is two things actually. Can an anime 'be' an anime without a manga/game/etc. counterpart, is an anime made with no basestory to follow on? And my second question is that, Can anime be an anime first, and then later turned into a manga form?

I've been thinking about it, and I just don't know the answer. If the mods find this to be a pointless thread, do feel free to close it. I just thought this would be an interesting topic, because do the other people here at Anime Academy know the answer?

[soundchazer]

Anime first, Manga Second:

Evangelion
Speed Grapher
Fullmetal Alchemist
Eureka 7
RahXephon
Onegai Teacher
Nausicaa

"Just Anime" Anime:

Fantastic Children
Secret of Blue water (VERY loosely based on 20,000 leagues under the sea)
Any Makoto Shinkai movie
Green Green
Gunbuster
Princess Nine
Haibane Renmei
Serial Experiments Lain
Texhnolyze
Last Exile

Just to name a few. There are plenty of them around.

[Roark]

Haibane was based on a couple of doujinshi that aBe wrote, notably "the haibane of old home." Not a full, shounen jump-published epic, but written form nonetheless.

But, yes, there's definately original, nonmanga anime.

[KiraraKim]

Fullmetal Alchemist was definitely not an anime first. The manga started in 2001 and I believe the anime started in 2003.

But another example of a series that was an anime first is Escaflowne.

[soundchazer]

Actually it was 2002 for the manga and 2003 for the anime, but you are right. For some reason I remember an article saying that Square Enix was launching a full campaign covering manga, anime and lots of merchandising to make this an event (a la Evangelion), but I was under the impression that they started it with the anime. My mistake.

[Emeraldas]

Serial Experiments Lain

Lain did have a written version, actually. It was very short and a little more "horror"y than the anime, but ABe did write a comic for it (this seems to be his work process, to write a short strip then develop the idea further). I used to have it uploaded on my Lain web-site, but that's long gone now.

[soundchazer]

If you are talking abut the mini manga "the nightmare of fabrication" at the end of a hardbound book, that was published after the series, and I would not really consider it a full blown manga to begin with.

[KiraraKim]

Actually it was 2002 for the manga and 2003 for the anime, but you are right. For some reason I remember an article saying that Square Enix was launching a full campaign covering manga, anime and lots of merchandising to make this an event (a la Evangelion), but I was under the impression that they started it with the anime. My mistake.

I think the first chapter came out in Shonen Gangan in July or August of 2001. The first tank was published in early 2002. :)

FMA is a weird case where there were barely any chapters of the manga out when the anime was being produced. I know Arakawa shared story ideas, visual concepts, and character designs with the anime team but she did ask that the anime end differently from her manga. Thus the second half of the anime diverges completely from the manga.

[silan]

Wasn't Cowboy Bebop also originally just an anime? From what I understand, the manga didn't come about until afterwards.

[Emeraldas]

If you are talking abut the mini manga "the nightmare of fabrication" at the end of a hardbound book, that was published after the series, and I would not really consider it a full blown manga to begin with.

Could be, I have no idea. It's been years since I've seen it. It involves, I think, her teddy bear coming to life.

[Moe]

FOOLY COOLY!!!- i believe it was an anime first then a manga... if not correct me.

[isolatedotaku]

Moe, you are right, but you lose major points for bring up the horrific manga.

To answer the questions, yes and yes. Anime does not require additional content outside of itself to be concidered an anime. Also, anime can have manga works adapted after them. Books and movies have been doing it for years (and vise versa sometimes).

[sakura_blossom]

Oh wow, I knew there were probably anime out there like I had described in my first post, but I didn't realize it that many series, plus more. I thought Nausicca was a manga first, as well as Evangelion. I also thought Green Green had a manga adaption as well, oh well I learned more than I thought.

[soundchazer]

Oh wow, I knew there were probably anime out there like I had described in my first post, but I didn't realize it that many series, plus more. I thought Nausicca was a manga first, as well as Evangelion. I also thought Green Green had a manga adaption as well, oh well I learned more than I thought.

Nausicaa is a strange case... you could say that manga and anime came hand in hand. While it is true that the manga was published first (1982), the movie was being done concurrently, but due to the long process it took, was not released until 2 years afterwards. Usually, anime versions of manga are done AFTER the manga became successful. This is one of those cases where that was not exactly the case. In fact, it took Miyazaki another 11 years to finish the manga.

[Zelkiiro]

"Just Anime" Anime:

Princess Nine
Ah, damn. I was hoping for a manga version, particularly covering what happens after the show. :(

[Ninja Realist]

Nausicaa is a strange case... you could say that manga and anime came hand in hand. While it is true that the manga was published first (1982), the movie was being done concurrently, but due to the long process it took, was not released until 2 years afterwards. Usually, anime versions of manga are done AFTER the manga became successful. This is one of those cases where that was not exactly the case. In fact, it took Miyazaki another 11 years to finish the manga.

I'd say Nausicaa much like FMA is a series that has both a manga and an anime iteration that are only similar in setting and character but bear only passing similarities in plot and character.

[7Raven7]

That's a good point as far as true anime based on a manga. There are a lot of series connected to a manga seemingly in name only.

The best examples I can think of are Berserk, Elfen Lied and Record of Lodoss as far as a series that follows the manga story closely.

[Zelkiiro]

The best examples I can think of are Berserk, Elfen Lied and Record of Lodoss as far as a series that follows the manga story closely.
Skull Knight. Enough said.

[NausicaaBoy]

sure can - Green Green and Nausicaa no more 2 say

[Mana]

The best examples I can think of are Berserk, Elfen Lied and Record of Lodoss as far as a series that follows the manga story closely.

The entire end of the Elfen Lied anime is completely different from the manga. The manga also goes on for a while afterwards, and explains things in a lot better way. The beginning episodes follow the manga pretty quickly, though.

[Tremolo]

sure can - Green Green and Nausicaa no more 2 say

Yeah, but soundchazer used those as examples first. No more to say. >_>

Wolf's Rain, Blue Gender, Ergo Proxy and Heat Guy J were anime first, too. As for "just anime", Argento Soma, Noein, Now and Then, Here and There, Desert Punk and in fact quite a bit of Gonzo come to mind.

One of the main anime I've seen that follows the manga almost page for page is Monster - the other anime to manga adaptations I've watched usually tend to change things, to varying degrees.

[7Raven7]

The entire end of the Elfen Lied anime is completely different from the manga. The manga also goes on for a while afterwards, and explains things in a lot better way. The beginning episodes follow the manga pretty quickly, though.

If I'm not mistaken, isn't that mostly due to the anime being finished before the manga and they had to, in a sense, make up an ending? Of course the anime ending is very open ended so anything could still happen in the story line.
*chants "Sequel! Sequel! Sequel!"

[Mana]

If I'm not mistaken, isn't that mostly due to the anime being finished before the manga and they had to, in a sense, make up an ending? Of course the anime ending is very open ended so anything could still happen in the story line.
*chants "Sequel! Sequel! Sequel!"Yeah, that's exactly it. And then people were excited with the OAV, only for it to be a filler episode, albeit one that answers some questions.

[gdavall2003]

Haven't Miyazaki movies always been without manga first?

[soundchazer]

Haven't Miyazaki movies always been without manga first?

Whisper of the heart is based on the manga mimi wo sumaseba
Kiki's Delivery Service is based on the book by Eiko Kadono
The cat returns is based on the manga Baron: The Cat Returns
Howl's Moving Castle is based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones
Grave of the Fireflies is based on the novel by Akiyuki Nosaka
My neighbors the Yamadas is based on the characters created by Hisaichi Ishii
Pom Poko is based on the story "Futago no Hoshi Sakusen" by Kenji Miyazawa
Only Yesterday is based on the manga created by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuuko Tone
Ocean Waves is based on the novel by Saeko Himuro.
Gedo Senki is based on the novels by Ursula K. Le Guin

My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Porco Rosso, Princes Mononoke and Spirited away are originals.

You were partially right. All the original stories were Miyazaki movies, with him writing the screenplay.

[Akuryou]

I absolutly agree. I mean there are so many types of anime and how they can calssify it as a manga and/or animation is just stupid. My brother says its just a cartoon, but its more like something alot of people watch because it somehow relates to someone.

[animanic_critic]

One of the main anime I've seen that follows the manga almost page for page is Monster - the other anime to manga adaptations I've watched usually tend to change things, to varying degrees.
Agree with you, hands down. Plus, the series turned out to be just as successful as its manga counterpart.

[soundchazer]

Agree with you, hands down. Plus, the series turned out to be just as successful as its manga counterpart.

Maison Ikkoku for the most part followed the manga pretty well. They only had a couple of filler episodes and took the Nikaido character out of the equation (not a bad thing since he was for the most part a useless character). The only significant difference was obvious:

Since the anime was intended to a larger audience, they took the 2 sex scenes between Kyoko and Godai off

While very very touching and important, they did not change the nature of the story.

[Johanen]

Anime is an abbreviation of the English word "animation". Outside Japan, the term most popularly refers to the medium of animation originating in Japan, with distinctive character and background aesthetics that visually set it apart from other forms of animation (e.g. Walt Disney films, Warner Bros. short cartoons). Within Japan, the term anime is used to refer to all forms of animation from around the world. While some anime is entirely hand-drawn, computer assisted animation techniques are, in recent years, quite common. Storylines are typically fictional; examples of anime representing most major genres of fiction exist. Anime is broadcast on television, distributed on media such as DVD and VHS, or included in computer and video games. Anime is often influenced by Japanese comics known as manga. Some anime storylines have been adapted into live action films and television series.

This is directly form wikipedia, but from the looks of it any animation is anime to Japanese people.

[Ghostmaster]

Obviously some directors of animes change things up from them manga, but I think most anime is based off manga.