Anime or Manga: Which is Better? (Monster Musume)

Hello there, fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome to the first of my “Anime or Manga: Which is Better?” series!

Even though it’s just a day after Valentine’s Day, love is still in the air. We’re still close to our sweethearts, and many of us are probably going through a sugar high with all the chocolate & sugary sweets we’ve devoured. The sap factor is probably rather high still, so what better way to continue this that with a look at monster girls. Yes ladies & gentlemen, once again we’re taking a look at the surprise hit that is Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls. Coming out of nowhere, the manga has been a smash with fans, and succeeded on getting to the New York Times top 10 manga list numerous times. What wonder & joy I experienced when fans found out last year that Monster Musume would be getting a series! Despite being only 12 episodes long, I enjoyed every minute of it (As well as my friend Amanda). So I only found it fitting that this new series was targeted by me, and without further adieu, an examination to see which is better: Monster Musume the anime, or Monster Musume the manga. Let’s begin!

Story
The story of both series is essentially the same: 3 years ago the existence of Liminals (Lamias, Harpies,  Centaurs, etc) was exposed to the world by the Japanese government. After the signing of the Interspecies Cultural Exchange Act, these girls began to transition to human society, despite the resistance from some individuals. Enter Kimihito Kurusu: despite not signing up for the program, he reluctantly becomes a host to a Lamia named Miia. Although he became a host by accident, he decided to take on the role so she wouldn’t have to go elsewhere. Over the course of time, other monster girls came into the fold. Some were brought to him, others found him, and so on. It’s a wild ride, as the girls all want Kurusu (Later called “Darling” by Miia), but he does the best he can to keep his hands off these lovely ladies.

The anime follows the manga pretty accurately. Perhaps, a little too accurately. I didn’t talk about this in my review for the series for a reason: the show.....is rather predictable. If you’ve just watched the show, then it won’t be a problem. However, if you’ve read the manga before watching the show, you’ll be able to predict what’s coming from a mile away. On top of that, the series seems to exclude all of the side stories.....to a point. The anime covers up to chapter 25, which is in the early part of volume 6, and that’s actually rather impressive! Despite this accolade, the show excludes many of the shorter stories, including the story about what Kurusu’s favorite kink is (It’s legs, by the way). Only one specific chapter is actually excluded from the show, but they still managed to give the character from that chapter some cameos. Apart from that, the early appearance of Rachnera (The Arachne) & the slight shift of certain events I could complain about, but these are rather minor in the grand scheme of things.

Setting
Both the anime & manga take place within the same Japanese city. It’s never named where he & the girls live, but if I had to guess, it’s either Tokyo or Kyoto. That said, you’ll recognize many of the locations right away. From Kurusu’s house to the love hotel that he & Miia hid in, you won’t get lost as the show goes on.

Characters
Much like the story, the anime incarnation of the girls hasn’t changed much. Miia’s still clingy, Centorea’s still noble, etc. As I said above when I was talking about the story, the characters are predictable. Unlike the story, everybody is the same when it comes to their moods & actions, so that’s a great plus! My only gripe comes with the tone of the characters, as everybody seems to be a tiny bit more lighthearted when compared to their manga counterparts. Considering how much story they covered in the anime, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the reason for the character difference, but maybe it’s just me.

Mood & Atmosphere
The one thing that definitely hasn’t changed between the manga and the anime is the mood & atmosphere. Okayado did something interesting with the manga: he created a series that’s goofy, silly, and full of fan-service, but at the same time managed to fit in some serious & surprisingly touching moments. This actually translates over quite well to the anime: the happier elements are there, but the serious moments haven’t gone away either (Unlike like other shows I know of). Again, the mood & atmosphere is predictable if you’ve read the manga, but I’m not going to complain about it this time.

So Which Is Better
This is a pretty tough one. I absolutely love the manga, but the anime is subperb as well. They’re so similar, it’s honestly hard to compare the two! I was going to pick something that would be a little easier to talk about, but considering what was yesterday was, I found this to be more appropriate. In short, you can’t go wrong with either of these.

Monster Musume: the anime & manga are equal!

So this concludes my first Anime or Manga: Which is Better entry. I enjoyed writing this up, and I hope to get a few more in later this year. I’ll be taking a break for the next few weeks, as Genericon is coming up, and I need to get my selected panel touched up on & other things situated as well. I’ll have my review for the con put up shortly after. Seen you in March!





***
If you’d like a look at my review for the anime, then check out the link below. If you like to check out the manga in the meantime, check out the link after.

Anime Review - Monster Musume

Monster Musume Manga