Anime characterizations; how different are they?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I'm vaguely familiar with the manga series, and more familiar with the anime series. Being wary of trusting my own impulses and instincts, I thought I'd ask; just how different are the characters in the two canons?

For example, I know that in the first book in the manga, Kasumi makes the oft-quoted remark "Akane's a sweet girl. She's just a violent maniac.", while in the anime she says "Akane's a sweet girl. She's just a little high-spirited.", but what other major differences are there?

[FriendlyEL]

Don't take anything I say as true, but I think that the main differences for the following charachters are as follows.

Ranma - In the anime is more prone to stupid comments and is generally more of a jerk.

Akane - She does calm down some, but for the most part she seems more consistantly irritable. However, she does not go to quite as many extremely bad moments as she does in the manga (Battle Doji, Bust Battle where she gleefully lets Nodoka try to kill the "pervert"). In the manga she slowly is more trusting of Ranma.

Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi in the anime are all significantly more sympathetic, simply because of how they don't go quite to the extremes they do in the manga. The only one in the anime, that I recall who has EVER tried to kill another fiancee, is Shampoo, and not nearly as commonly as in the manga.

Ryoga goes through much less growth, and is more of an antagonist. Given that he never meets Akari, he stays unhappy and depressed more. Also, his sence of direction is emphisized more in the anime for giggles. For example, he gets lost in a small group of trees in a plaza.

Happosai is much more emphisized as a problem in the anime. He just seems to be more of an annoyance. He also has been shown in the anime more often to find pawns to do his work (Kuno, that Heida guy that worshiped him).

Mousse may mellow occasionally, but he's more of a problem. He seems more evil and at times manipulative, at once allying with Ryoga against Ranma.

I think Kuno more or less seems to be about the same, but I haven't paid much attention to him.

I might think of more later.

[antimatterenergy]

There are a lot of differences between the anime and the manga.

Anime Ranma is doing much worse at school than his manga counterpart and requires Akane's help with homework where as the manga one doesn't.

Anime Ranma is far more gullible and easy to trick than his manga counterpart.

Neko-ken age 6 in anime age 10 in manga.

Ranma left his mom at age 6 in anime and before he could walk in the manga.

Manga Ranma is more manipulative than the anime one.

Manga charachters are many times more powerful than there anime versions (ex. girl form Ranma in anime can't lift a ton where as girl form ranma in manga stuffs a rock that weights around 70 tons - give or take - into the Orachi's mouth)

In general the manga charachters are much smarter and wittier than the anime ones.

Manga is darker i.e has more murder attempts, rape attempts, etc...

Anime Ranma learns at a much slower rate and is less adaptive than the manga one.

Nabiki runs betting pools in the anime doesn't do so in the manga.

Anime Ranma has a lot more foot in mouth.

[camk4evr]

Manga charachters are many times more powerful than there anime versions (ex. girl form Ranma in anime can't lift a ton where as girl form ranma in manga stuffs a rock that weights around 70 tons - give or take - into the Orachi's mouth)

This is done in the anime as well in one of the specials (don't remember the exact title but was on the VHS "An Akane to Remember")

[FriendlyEL]

I'm just wondering, which ones overall does everyone feel were nicer/meaner in the anime or manga? Alot of people I know say that everyone's just nicer in the anime, but then you have all those people who say things like "Akane's so much more of a bitch in the anime", "Ryoga's more of an antagonist", and "Mousse is more evil".

So, anyone else want to give their dime's worth of thought on that?

[antimatterenergy]

This is done in the anime as well in one of the specials (don't remember the exact title but was on the VHS "An Akane to Remember")

I must of forgotten that happening in the anime, Even not counting that the manga versions still are generally more powerful than the anime ones and have better tactics.

In the manga everyone has a much larger wardrobe.

[FriendlyEL]

I think alot of the reason (for Ranma at least) for being weaker is simply the fact that he doesn't get to experience the chances to improve that he does in the manga (fights with Herb, Ryu and Saffron for example).

[Neko-]

Didn't Ryu crop up in the abduction episode... On water mountain? Oh wait... That was Taro... Nope... Ryu, Herb and Saffron seem to be confined to manga only.

Anyways... Manga and Anime (although basically the same story) are a bit hard to compare. There are differences, which kinda give each their charm. But to accuratly put changes between the two, that's also partially in the eye of the beholder.

The manga does have certain stories the anime doesn't have. Also goes the other way around, stories in the anime that the manga doesn't have.

I looked at the anime cause I enjoyed it. I read the manga cause I enjoyed it. I never actually stopped and thought: How do these two compare. I guess if I wanted to do that, I should rewatch and re-read the whole thing again... And honestly speaking.... I lack the time for that

[whatever]

Ranma: Well he is more intelligent, stronger, manipulative, arrogant and more of a jerk in the manga if you ask me. At some point in the anime Ranma start acting nicer to Akane that his manga counterpart ever does. His feelings for Akane are more emphasized and he seems to show them more.

Akane: She is nicer that her manga counterpart, she trust Ranma a little more, she still abusive but she doesn’t go to extremes as in the Battle Dougi.

Kodachi, Shampoo, Ukyo are significantly nicer that her manga counterparts especially Ukyo who most of her ugliest actions in the manga were remove from the anime, Shampoo isn’t that mean to Mousse and Kodachi isn’t that homicidal. Another point is that the rivalries with each other is a little stronger since they don’t work together that much like they do in the manga.

Kuno: He is more of an idiot in the anime.

Ryoga: Like friendlyEl said he is more of an antagonist and doesn’t go through much growth but like the others character he doesn’t go as far as he does in the manga.

I will post others later.

[antimatterenergy]

more of a jerk in the manga

My viewing is the other way around. Ranma is less of a jerk in the manga. Less prone to insulting Akane, is more likely to attempt diplomacy, and more likely to apologize for things (of course he is also more likely to manipulate you for his own ends or amusement as well which is pretty jerky).

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that just about every character is smarter in the manga except for Akane. Akane it seems to me is smarter in the Anime than her manga counterpart.

[whatever]

more of a jerk in the manga

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that just about every character is smarter in the manga except for Akane. Akane it seems to me is smarter in the Anime than her manga counterpart.

Yes I'm agree. I think that the main purpose why Akane was made a bit smarter in the anime and bit better in school that Ranma was for him to not overshadow her that badly like he usually does in the manga.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I personally find anime-Ranma a bit more realistic than manga-one. I mean, the guy spent about 14 years wandering around in the wilderness with no company but his father and doing little but learning how to fight & survive. Which is more natural? For him to be a whiz-kid at school or to occasionally need a little help? (I remember him needing to do some homework in The Tendo Dragon Story, getting some math tutoring from Akane in Ryoga's "Tendo Dojo Houseguest" Diary and asking her for help in A Leotard is a Girl's Burden and that's all) Is it more logical for him to be (relatively) courteous and considerate, or to be insultingly blunt, prone to sticking his foot in his mouth and often slow to apologise? For him to favor manipulation or for him to be more comfortable with combat?

Heck, I find pretty much all the anime-characters to be more realistic. Akane is better at school and more diplomatic than the other characters? She's lived in a civilised setting her whole life and interacted with other people (even if some interactions, like Kuno & the hentai horde, were less then pleasant) on a regular basis. Ukyo is much the same. The others are more naive and less socially adept? They're fighters who've been trained to fight foremost and have very little experience with modern society. Ranma was kept to the backroads on his training trip, Ryoga is almost never in the same place twice and Mousse & Shampoo are from a rustic village in China.

[Necavit]

The anime Ryoga annoyed me.

Its like some kinda 13 year old Ryoga, hes even drawn more kid like.

I place much blame on the anime for the demonization of characters. Like Ryogas supposed catch phrase "Ranma this is all your fault!" ie some random thing happens to him and he blames Ranma.

Most things are overblown in the anime, and most of the characters seem dumbed down, and than you take one of their bad qualaties and highlight it.