AnimeSuki Forum - View Single Post - [Violinist of Hamelin] best manga ever, and worst anime ever....

Elanor Pam · 2004-12-01, 20:31

*revives this thread!!*

As someone who has watched the TV series, movies and has detailed sources for the manga till vol. 23, I feel forced to step in and clarify stuff.

First: my feelings about the anime are ambiguous. I love romance, drama and tragedy, but still I had to force myself to watch the series, feeling like I was walking in really cold water. The plot was good, but it was too much angst for me to swallow at once. My fault, not the series'. Still, I hated the main's characterization, principally Flute, who is such a great character in the manga, but some other characters did remain faithful to the source. The artwork is wonderful. No comments on the animation. Music = superb.

I personally find the manga better.

For the love of all that you find sacred, DO NOT judge the manga by the first 6 volumes at abildsoe.com. That's barely the tip of the 37 volumes long iceberg. I've read a few people say they don't like Manga-Hamel because he's so funny he's not funny at all. You see, Hamel does try too hard to be an absolute ass and keep everyone away from him.

Spoiler for volumes 13, 14 and 15:

And despite having taken much more shit than Anime-Hamel, Manga-Hamel is a lot more active than the former, who's way too passive in front of the "destiny" dumped on him. (Note: I don't believe in destiny. I think that's another reason why I like the manga better: Hamel didn't give shit to what the Mazoku wanted from him, he just hated their guts.)

The manga only starts kicking major butt by vol. 9, but on the other side there's a lot of stuff in the first volumes that is necessary for later understanding of the characters. I think Watanabe Michiaki had a great sense of comic timing and pace - he could break a very serious scene with a joke and then go back to it, giving us a break without actually losing the tension. (...am I making sense?)

The Sizer plot is also infinitely better in the manga (I think it was too melodramatic in the anime, and Sizer wasn't as tortured as in the manga), without mentioning Lute's plot--- oh GOD, Lute. Read the manga from chapter 100 onwards and you'll scoff, snort and laugh at anime chapter 2.

Spoiler for Lutestuff (how he dies, etc):

Most people also seem to dislike Flute in the anime. I do too. It's like the animators/screenwriters thought she wasn't a good female lead for being too boyish and braver and emotionally stronger and more mature than the hero. And for facing much stronger enemies to defend her beliefs. Screenwriters, just because Flute doesn't take crap from people doesn't mean she's not a sweet girl. I use the Flute Method to help my sister when she has a depression-induced sob attack.

Raiel is really weird in the anime, but I think he kind of forgave Hamel way too quickly in the manga. On the other side, I wish he was less of a psycho in the series. Oh well. :/

Trom doesn't play much in the anime, compared to the manga, where he really is one of the Five hopes.

And the Five Hopes stuff... well, it makes much more sense in the manga.

Spoiler for 5 HOPES:

Uff... now I'm getting kinda tired of writing, so I'm going to stop here. I'd like to know what you think of this analysis. And pardon any grammar/spelling mistakes, english is my second language and I'm sleepy.

And anime-Pandora sucks. Period.

2004-12-01, 20:31	Link #43
Elanor Pam Lurker Extraordinaire Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Brazil Age: 38	revives this thread!! As someone who has watched the TV series, movies and has detailed sources for the manga till vol. 23, I feel forced to step in and clarify stuff. First: my feelings about the anime are ambiguous. I love romance, drama and tragedy, but still I had to force myself to watch the series, feeling like I was walking in really cold water. The plot was good, but it was too much angst for me to swallow at once. My fault, not the series'. Still, I hated the main's characterization, principally Flute, who is such a great character in the manga, but some other characters did remain faithful to the source. The artwork is wonderful. No comments on the animation. Music = superb. I personally find the manga better. For the love of all that you find sacred, DO NOT judge the manga by the first 6 volumes at abildsoe.com. That's barely the tip of the 37 volumes long iceberg. I've read a few people say they don't like Manga-Hamel because he's so funny he's not funny at all. You see, Hamel does try too hard to be an absolute ass and keep everyone away from him. Spoiler for volumes 13, 14 and 15: He saw his own mother being constantly stoned and lynched by humans, and she kept telling him "Please don't hate the humans". And you know the stuff that happened in Anthem, before Hamel lost his memory? Well, he remembers everything in the manga. Including gutting Raiel's parents while berserk. Raiel also knew that stuff from the get-go. And there's nothing in the anime quite like Hamel being attacked by the animated corpses of the people he killed on that day, and nothing quite so moving as the moment he recognizes Flute even in his berserk rage. Actually, Manga-Hamel kind of thought anyone who got too close to him would end up being his victim. His mother was locked in a crystal, his only friend saw his parents die... I think he's a much deeper character than Anime-Hamel could ever hope to be. He's also a bit touched in the head, which is perfectly understandable, given the circumstances. And despite having taken much more shit than Anime-Hamel, Manga-Hamel is a lot more active than the former, who's way too passive in front of the "destiny" dumped on him. (Note: I don't believe in destiny. I think that's another reason why I like the manga better: Hamel didn't give shit to what the Mazoku wanted from him, he just hated their guts.) The manga only starts kicking major butt by vol. 9, but on the other side there's a lot of stuff in the first volumes that is necessary for later understanding of the characters. I think Watanabe Michiaki had a great sense of comic timing and pace - he could break a very serious scene with a joke and then go back to it, giving us a break without actually losing the tension. (...am I making sense?) The Sizer plot is also infinitely better in the manga (I think it was too melodramatic in the anime, and Sizer wasn't as tortured as in the manga), without mentioning Lute's plot--- oh GOD, Lute. Read the manga from chapter 100 onwards and you'll scoff, snort and laugh at anime chapter 2. Spoiler for Lutestuff (how he dies, etc): If you're curious to know how he dies in the manga, let's just say he's blinded, has his throat cut, both arms broken, is run through by several lances and still manages to explode Bass's body, all to save baby Flute. He's impaled in front of the castle after dead, and as a final touch, they take his soul out and put a fake soul in its place, turning him into Head!Bass's slave/marionette. Most people also seem to dislike Flute in the anime. I do too. It's like the animators/screenwriters thought she wasn't a good female lead for being too boyish and braver and emotionally stronger and more mature than the hero. And for facing much stronger enemies to defend her beliefs. Screenwriters, just because Flute doesn't take crap from people doesn't mean she's not a sweet girl. I use the Flute Method to help my sister when she has a depression-induced sob attack. Raiel is really weird in the anime, but I think he kind of forgave Hamel way too quickly in the manga. On the other side, I wish he was less of a psycho in the series. Oh well. :/ Trom doesn't play much in the anime, compared to the manga, where he really is one of the Five hopes. And the Five Hopes stuff... well, it makes much more sense in the manga. Spoiler for 5 HOPES: They're Hamel, Flute, Raiel, Trom and Sizer, 4 of them being people she had seen as babies (Hamel and Sizer because Pandora was seeking sanctuary in Sfz, Trom because, hell, he knew Horn since he was little(r), and Flute's obvious.). She immediately recognized them when she saw the second war through the mirror of truth. I think she kind of expected that, but I'm still missing some of the manga. Uff... now I'm getting kinda tired of writing, so I'm going to stop here. I'd like to know what you think of this analysis. And pardon any grammar/spelling mistakes, english is my second language and I'm sleepy. And anime-Pandora sucks. Period.