One is on paper and ink, the other is digital.

One is still images, the other is animated.

Let’s wrap it up here folks, the difference is clear!…

Or is it?

As life has gotten busier, I’ve gotten into manga—Japanese comics/graphic novels— far more consistently than I have anime, their animated counterpart. To be honest, as an English teacher, I simply don’t have the time to spend 20 to 25 minutes to watch an entire episode—and so, I subsist on time-efficient, bingeable chapters of a manga.

And yet, sometimes, I find myself asking; “How did the anime do it?” “Is there a difference?” “Was this anime better than the source material?”

It made me curious; really, are the two comparable at all? After all, they are two entirely different mediums, right?

Well, let’s see.

I. Manga vs Anime

It seems rather obvious, the differences and similarities between anime and manga on the surface. In fact, to most, Anime can just be the animated counterpart of Manga—to the point where many people will ask, with popular manga, when the anime adaptation will come out. However, a closer examination reveals a few more intricacies, that make the mediums very, very distinct.

Characteristics of Anime

• Animation: A focus on fluid, well-animated movements

• Budget: Paradoxically, animation studios, a thriving industry, and the usage of many shortcuts, make anime slightly less expensive to produce than

• Music: With an animated show, also comes a need for a soundtrack to give it life.

• A Team: Between animators, voice actors, directors, CG artists, and far more, the teams behind our favorite anime are often wide and sprawling.

• Voice Acting: Oftentimes, voice actors are able to breathe their own life into a character.

Characteristics of Manga

• Art: A focus on beautiful still images versus fluid movement.

• Movement/Paneling: Movement is only given form through the effects, talents, and paneling that the mangaka/artists utilize.

• Budget: Oddly enough, manga tend to be more expensive on the whole to produce, due to the higher quality associated behind the work to the mangakas, the editors, and the costs of distribution.

• A Team: With mangakas, artists, and editors, the team for creating manga tends to be smaller, more focused around the particular mangaka.

II. The Resulting Differences in Storytelling

If you look at these characteristics individually, they may seem innocuous; however, these differences result in entirely different criteria for what makes a story told in that medium “good” or “bad.”

To see such differences, we can look at two example cases—first, being the sensation that many credit as being their first anime of all time, Attack on Titan, or Shingeki no Kyojin.

Attack on Titan: A Gorgeous Anime, A Decent Manga

This series has been among the most highly rated anime of all time. A particular run of its episodes is known for being among the top rated television episodes of all time on IMDB, and beyond that critical success, it is known for gorgeous, well-animated scenes, a killer soundtrack, and a consistent narrative that not many anime can boast to have.

However, the manga…doesn’t quite have that.

It’s been noted that mangaka Hajime Isayama did not quite have the artistic chops to match his storytelling—and although he did improve over the course of the series, to claim the manga was anywhere near the same experience of the anime would have been a huge stretch. It was clear, by most people’s standards, that the anime strictly outpaced and outperformed the manga—which makes sense, considering that many people would consider the movement, the music, the voice acting, FAR more engaging to most than a static image.

That isn’t the case for all series though; as can be seen with the anime and manga of recent hit series, Sakamoto Days.

Sakamoto Days: A Beautiful Manga With A Decent Anime Adaptation

I mean…just look at this.

Sakamoto Days has grown a dedicated fandom that has become enamored with the story of retired hitman Sakamoto Taro, his protege Shin, and the adventures that pit them against the Japanese Assassin’s Association. It’s a neat concept as a story, that is given life by the beautiful paneling and action scenes that the manga creates.

The individual skill of artist and mangaka Yuto Suzuki is on full display, in a way that cannot be understated. It is known for some of the best action in the business, with dynamic, flowing, and seamless shots that have amassed a huge fanbase, eager for the anime adaptation.

However, once it came out, the reception was…lukewarm, to say the least. The anime was not, and is not, bad by any means—in fact, as of the second season, it is universally acknowledged as having improved a lot. Despite this, many fans of the manga panned the anime at first, noting that it simply didn’t have the same weight and impact as the manga.

It’s simply different; but that’s okay. These differences, after all, are nothing new. In fact, they actually showcase that both these mediums, more so than simply having different traits, also have different criteria and measurements for what makes them “good” or “bad.”

III. The Criteria for A “Good” Story

If we break stories down on paper, there can usually be some inkling that the core concept and story is good. There are good characters, themes, a consistent plot—but stories aren’t just about how it all breaks down on paper.

In fact, each medium, depending on the type of story being told, can offer its own strengths, unique only to itself—and the manga or anime that excel at its medium’s respective strengths will often find themselves being lauded as great works.

Manga's Unique Strengths

• Its focus on high-quality, still images allows for a heavy focus on powerful, hard-hitting moments; whether they are action-packed or emotional.

• Due to its usage of text for all dialogue and description, it allows for a different, more seamless feel to its descriptions and inner monologues.

Examples of Strong Manga with these Criteria:

• Oyasumi Punpun (Known for a hard-hitting, emotional story with beautiful art, that many deem impossible to successfully transfer over to an anime adaptation.)

• Blue Lock (A manga series that has very distinctive depictions of action and visual metaphor, done exceptionally well, to the point where many people consider the manga more “action-packed” than its anime adaptation)

• Berserk (The story of Guts, the Black Swordsman, is renowned for Kenturo Miura’s stunning, detailed art style. Many will argue that the manga is an experience that is far superior to the anime.)

Anime’s Unique Strengths

• Anime offers an unmatched sense of frantic, action-packed motion through animation, to an extent where visual story-telling becomes massively important—both in the action scenes, and even in the small, emotional moments.

• It offers music; in and of itself, a beautiful way of conveying emotional meaning.

• The fact that it utilizes voice actors, allows for another human element that can draw one into a story.

Examples of Strong Anime with these Criteria:

• Cowboy Bebop (A classic, space-western anime that, with music, smooth animation, and amazing backgrounds, draws many into the dirty, futuristic world it depicts.)

• Mob Psycho 100 (Although its webcomic by mangaka ONE has similar emotional storytelling beats, the anime has become renowned for balancing emotional, sincere moments with stunning animated sequences.)

• Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Its original manga, although already a fantastic story in its own right, was elevated to a new level via its emotional music, its wonderful animation, as well as the voice acing.)

In Conclusion…

It was obvious from the get-go; manga and anime have their own strengths, their own weaknesses, and numerous differences as mediums for storytelling.

However, just because something is obvious, doesn’t make it any less nuanced, any less interesting, any less of something to appreciate. These differences allow for drastically different types of stories to be appreciated—or in some cases, entirely different ways to appreciate the same story.

I love both of these mediums, and sometime in the future, I’m sure I’ll have the opportunity to talk more about specific stories from each medium, as well as different types of mediums I love overall.

For now, though, I think I can be happy in remembering and shedding light on a little something I love and find interesting; and I hope it was interesting for you too.

It’s a familiar scene.

Just another day, walking to your desk at work, getting a cup of coffee, or even just lazing around at home, when you see a headline on your phone that causes your eyes to widen, your jaw to drop, and your mind to reel.

Another man, another school, another shooting.
Genocide, denial, hate thrown in every which way.
Swarms of people commenting on the state of the world; all disagreeing with someone, yet all united in the idea that something is wrong.

Everywhere we go online, someone, somewhere, is vying for our attention—whether they’re trying to profit off of it, or to simply express their opinion and share their thoughts, there’s always someone trying to tell you, or sell you, their story.

And to be honest, it can be a huge problem. Here’s why.

Socials and Storytelling

The headlines that flow down your social media of choice are unavoidable. People with years of experience in the art of creating the most gripping, eye-catching hooks, are able to share in 60 second clips, 5 minute reads, and 10 word titles, stories that capture every range of emotion, for every kind of occasion.

Stories are characterized and defined by their conflicts—whether it’s Moby Dick, the whale escaping a sailor’s revenge, or a very real conflict, the fear surrounding 9/11 in America; “A second plane hit the second tower.” And whenever a conflict happens in a story, it is often to educate, to share a lesson, to entertain in a format that is divorced enough from reality to be fun, rather than scary.

In real life, however, conflicts aren’t manufactured to teach lessons.

Conflicts in the real world are myriad—but not all conflicts are guaranteed to have a happy ending. And such conflicts, lacking a satisfactory end, can easily become the fuel that people feed off of, justifications for emotions, vitriol, fear, and personal views of all kinds, to run wild.

So, in what ways can we be aware of “storytelling” even in our own news feeds?

I. Events and News

Whenever major events happen, it becomes near impossible to escape their reach.

Killings and political events are everywhere—the latest local and international tragedies make the rounds—and barring complete isolation and refusal to interact, one’s feed inevitably become inundated with the latest happenings.

Perhaps it’s just in our blood, that negativity and conflict piques interest. However, by the very act of engaging and clicking on such news articles, we inadvertently share that we are interested and curious about such happenings.

News and drama stops being about just connection and information—but rather, it becomes entertainment, emotion, and division. We become desensitized to tragedy, treating even death as a means of expressing our own opinion, over showing concern and curiosity to our fellow man.

Stories on the web involve real people too. Which brings us to…

II. People; Testimonials and Articles

Surely you’ve seen many people sharing out into the void their opinion, their stories, their situations. We see near-daily the struggles that individuals face, and the opinions people put out online.

However, just as many people will put out solid think-pieces on the “Tips and Tricks” to get a blog started, well thought out opinions on the nuances that pervade an issue, many people will also simply convey explicitly opinionated, biased, and narrow stories that are more for personal expression, than anything truly helpful.

There’s a reason why we clamor for the opinions of experts, from people who know what to do, who have done this before, who have done that—and there’s a reason why we enjoy stories of people that are sincere, aiming for connection and relation as well! These stories are ones that benefit many; they include the testimonials of those who have overcome great adversities, the learnings of passionate entrepreneurs who are sharing advice, and looks into the lives of people who we could have never known otherwise.

However, by the same token, just because people’s stories are shared, does not mean we can mindlessly consume without critical thought; otherwise, we run the risk of listening to the echo chamber of public opinion. After all, in a world where people weaponize and utilize their own stories to communicate and persuade, we have to be doubly sure of what we are consuming, lest we lose sight of our own reasoning.

And that caution, can especially be seen with…

III. Business/Organizations

The art of storytelling is also ever-present in the world of business.

Cheesy advertisements and celebrity testimonials are obvious, but they’re only the tip of the iceberg. Anyone who’s ever had a cursory thought of entering the business world knows the importance of knowing storytelling, and being able to integrate such techniques into our pursuit of success.

Stories are known to engage people who may have been apathetic to a product, connect people who felt disconnected, and inspire action in the hearts of those who may have known something, but never felt the desire to act on it. So, when we see the story of the athlete who has struggled through hardship, the sickness that pervades one person’s life, and the woman who had to overcome all sorts of hardship on her path towards building her business; of COURSE we are inspired to do more for ourselves, and that’s not a bad thing!

The interesting thing to me, however, is when we start to see such similar narratives everywhere. Multi-Level-Marketing organizations, religious, political, and social groups that all share similar stories, to inspire some sort of action. The story of the down-trodden, the oppressed, the poor and weak, weaponized to spur emotional, immediate action.

Because who wouldn’t want to be financially free for less work? Who wouldn’t want to be part of something bigger? Who wouldn’t want to be part of the winning side?

Oftentimes, the grander picture is bigger than that. Not black or white, but gray; and all too often, people wish for the simpler answer, the bad guy, the trial to overcome.

Honestly, such usages of storytelling are everywhere. But the question remains, do we recognize it for what it is?

Why Does It All Matter?

To be honest, am I going to be the expert to tell anyone what ought to be done about such an issue? Am I the first one to lament the hold that these stories have on our collective consciousness?

No.

All I can say, is that these stories matter, and have power to influence our mindsets. Full stop, 100%.

However, if stories hold such power over us, it is up to us as readers and consumers to recognize what such stories could do to us. The things we consume, especially in a world of algorithms, AI, and social media, will inextricably change our perception of the world around us—and whether it is for the better, or the worse, depends on the person.

Thus, the problem with storytelling in our socials is not necessarily that it is everywhere; but that its prevalence has cheapened the value of stories as a tool, often used to divide and serve self-interest, more so than connect with one another.

To be honest, to simplify the experiences of hundreds, thousands, millions of peoples into headlines and stories does not do justice to them—nor to you, the reader. We may condense our experiences, and describe them in the stories that we do, but online, everything is tailored for a reason, and a purpose.

So when stories are told today, what can we do, as those who know their power? At least for myself…

1. Recognize the stories for what they are; opinions and perspectives of many people on very real conflicts.

2. Take away what is helpful to us in our respective situations, and not treat them as all-encompassing truths.

3. Not spread hate; but rather, engage with people online with respect, understanding, and intention.

I hope that we, as those who can recognize the stories we see for what they are, can treat one another with respect and decency; not trying to find the conflicts for the sake of interest and intrigue.

Rather, through our stories and hopes, I hope and pray we can find connection—connection that, in the divided world we live in today, is sorely needed.

I. 📖The Origin of Storytelling 📖

Stories have been told since the beginning of human civilization; oral tradition first, passed down from elder to elder, gradually being codified into written word as the world began to develop. From Homer’s Odyssey, and the legends of the Greek Gods, to even the modern stories seen in media today, fiction has been used as a means to unite, to share in life, to carry culture, to share messages, to convey lessons and so much more.

The first historically recorded story is the Epic of Gilgamesh, a long story following the king, Gilgamesh, on his quest for eternal life. Traced all the way to potential 2100 BCE, 4,000+ years ago, the story of Gilgamesh is one of a king and his friend who brave challenges from the gods with the hope of finding immortality; a story so timeless, that we can already call to mind tropes and trends that such a story may entail. Testifying to the universality of the human experience, of friendship, of death, of challenges to overcome, the Epic of Gilgamesh showcases culture, unites peoples across history, shares messages that are enduring, and teaches lessons on life that have not been forgotten even thousands of years later.

The stories told through history are the means by which humanity connects with one another—no wonder, whether stories told around the campfire or by one’s own grandparents, or even through the new-age mediums of the modern day, stories have always had, and will always have, a place in the world.

II. 📱Storytelling in the Modern Day 📱

Today, stories are conveyed anywhere, and everywhere we go.

Whether they’re in new-age digestible formats such as Youtube and Tiktok shorts, or in webnovels, serialized comics, countless piles of literature, journal articles, news reports and more, the stories we share are in more varied formats than ever before; and thus, characterize and affect our world in just as many ways.

Even the word, “story” may call to mind the classics of literature—Gift of the Magi, 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird—but it may just as easily call to mind the modern Millennial series, like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or The Hunger Games. Even so, if you wished to be true to the definition of what a “story” is, you could expand the scope to include mediums that only emerged in the past century, like movies, comics, anime— what about Dragon Ball Z? What about the recent classics, like K-Pop Demon Hunters, or the stories surrounding heroes like Superman? And that’s not even getting into the world of business, where grinders and hustlers tell young rising professionals to get comfortable with “telling their story.”

The purposes they serve are myriad. Some stories have certainly been told as warnings and allegories, thinly veiled metaphors in an effort to make a change, or perhaps just to express discontent. Far more often nowadays, they serve as entertainment, and identity. Through the stories people love, people find relation and commonality, people express their desires; or perhaps for some, simply find a way to relax, amongst the craziness that life throws their way.

Because don’t we all need some respite sometimes?

III. 🌎Why Stories Matter in A Divided World 🌎

Jokes abound on the internet about how pointless it can feel to live our own lives when there are so many crazy happenings in the world right now.

War, death, human rights injustices, famine, totalitarian governments, racism, religious conflict, division, fighting, everywhere—it’s almost too much to fathom. In a world like this, with such negativity, how could we possibly just be okay with enjoying our little corner of the world, books and movies and stories that barely have sway on the world at large?

Humans are interesting creatures—and universally, I believe that what almost every person on the earth could agree upon is this—the desire for peace. And yet, there are other desires too—desires to be known, to be loved, to be cared for. There is shame, guilt, pain, pleasure, and so many other universal experiences; but across languages and times and mediums, how, in today’s modern society are these things communicated?

Of course; through stories.

After all, I believe there’s got to be a reason why K-Pop Demon Hunters has received a translation in 24 major languages—there’s got to be a reason why Crime and Punishment, despite being a Russian work, is among the most esteemed books of all time—there’s got to be a reason why The Odyssey, and The Epic of Gilgamesh, remain relevant, and for many, relatable, after all these years.

In all these stories, there is something sincere and honest. A human experience, that nothing, and no one, could ever dispute. It’s the natural order of things, as simple as breathing and drinking and eating; and so of course, stories matter. Of course, reading between the lines, finding the deeper meaning of things, matters.

That’s why I love stories. That’s why I, in spite of the craziness of life, will be there for the release of the next big thing, the next game-changing story or movie, and even into the past. I’m going to continue to dive into the depths of the history-making anime, comics, indie games, literature, movies and more, because in these stories, I find the human heart, that indisputable experience that reminds me and gives me hope that, despite everything, maybe our fellow man, our brothers and sisters across the world, aren’t so different after all—and honestly, I can’t help but think that’s a beautiful thing.

What about you?

Leave a comment