Why Anime and Manga Go Hand in Hand

Anime and Manga are two words that are synonymous with modern Japanese culture. Many people unfamiliar with this culture tend to believe that both genre are the same thing and that’s understandable. As fans of both genre, we know different but for the uninitiated here’s a brief description of what the two terms cover.

Manga is a very broad term that covers the full scope of Japanese comics and graphic novels. The artwork and layout is very distinctive and in general, the brightly coloured covers lead you into the colourless but astonishing artwork inside.

Anime though is again a broad term covering all types of Japanese animation. Usually however, the Anime is produced from the Manga or comic book source material but there are some stand-alone pieces that have been written directly for the screen.

So, Anime and Manga are different but they have an obvious and unbreakable connection both as an art form and as a vehicle for entertainment and storytelling.

There has been a long tradition of producing animated movies and TV shows from hand drawn or painted pictures and this is not just in the worlds of Anime and Manga. Cartoon animation is made from a succession of still images pieced together to create a moving sequence. Originally, and before the advent of computer generated animation, each picture would have been hand drawn and coloured in a painstaking operation that may have taken years. Thankfully for the animators and us as the viewer, this process is now much quicker meaning that there’s a lot more Anime being produced all the time.

So, why does Anime and Maga go hand in hand? Well, I’ve kind of already answered the question in the transition from graphic novel source material to animated adaptation. Manga artists will add “motion” to their drawings to help the reader imagine the action sequence or battle they are witnessing within the pages of the book. This is one of the most appealing aspects to fans of Manga, and indeed any comic book or graphic novel, but it somehow is still missing something a bit extra.

This is where Anime takes the reigns and brings to life the stories that you’ve read and imagined moving already. The added appeal of seeing a Manga publication turned into Anime is to see how it may differ from or indeed be similar to the images you had in your head while reading. This is the same the world over with movie and TV adaptations of well known novels. The story may not be exactly the same as you’d envisioned it while reading but then that’s part of the fascination and enjoyment of reading the book and then watching the film.

Jujutsu Kaisen Manga and Anime

Let’s then take this a bit further and look at something that’s been covered before on Geeky Inc. Have a look at the article “Jujutsu Kaisen Manga: Gojo Vs. Sukuna (LATEST CHAPTERS)” written by Devon and you’ll see the intensity of a single battle that’s been raging for several chapters in the popular Manga series.

If you’re unfamiliar with the series, Jujutsu Kaisen follows the story of Yuji Itadori, an ordinary boy who crosses paths with Jujutsu sorcerer Megumi Fushiguro. The sorcerer searching for a powerful Cursed Object known as Ryomen Sukuna's finger. Unintentionally, Yuji's friends unseal the Cursed Object, attracting dangerous curses to their location.

Yuji saves his friends but is put on trial for his offenses. He avoids execution but instead becomes a student of the strongest of all the sorcerers, Satoru Gojo. Under his teachings, Yuji learns all there is to know about the world of Curses and Sorcerers.

That’s just a very brief opening description of an epic tale that has now spanned over 200 chapters. As you will read in Devon’s piece, the story has progressed somewhat over the course of these chapters and has branched out into several different story arcs as we’ll see later on. The saga has now reached the stage where Gojo is facing off against the legendary Sukuna. The outcome is yet to be determined but the forthcoming chapters are eagerly awaited by fans.

That’s the Manga side of the story in brief but where does this marry with the Anime side of things? Well, if you’ve read the story from chapter one right up to the latest instalment you’ll undoubtedly want to read and see more. Fear not though as there has already been an Anime production of at least some of the Manga series.

As you’ll see from the table below there are, as is the case with many long running Manga and Anime series, several different story arcs. For those that don’t know, a story arc is part of the main story that has maybe taken a different route and follows characters and stories that may not necessarily involve the main characters.

Clearly defined story arcs are a fan favourite as they keep you guessing as to what may be happening to the main protagonists while focussing on different characters and maybe even introducing some new ones. Story arcs aren’t necessarily open and shut affairs and the story may revisit a particular arc as it progresses and if the story leads that way.

These are the episodes and story arcs from the Anime series of Jujutsu Kaisen along with their original air dates. As you’ll see, some of the episodes will air later this year.

If you’re a fan of this series then you’ll be familiar with the different story arcs and what the title of each refers to. As with most Anime adaptations of Manga, an episode can cover several chapters of the original source material so if you have read the Manga, watching the Anime may feel like the story is flying by. If you imagine though that 4 or 5 pages of action in Manga may only relate to 5-10 seconds of Anime in some cases then you can clearly see why.

So, if you’re waiting for the next Jujutsu Kaisen Manga chapters, you’ll be pleased to know that more are arriving soon. Anime fans will also be pleased to see that further episodes will be airing from now until the end of the year. Lots of action and adventure to look forward to and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

If you want to continue the Jujutsu Kaisen story, or even start from the beginning, then the Manga is hosted by Viz who are the English publishers. Other than that you can also read it on the Shonen Jump app and site as they are the original publishers of the Manga. There you’ll also find details of the Anime and links to places where you can buy the media.

Taking Manga and Anime to the Next Step

I’ve looked at how Anime and Manga go hand in hand when it comes to producing quality entertainment. I’ve also looked at how both media are a massive part of Japanese culture which doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

The particular story I’ve focussed on is the Jujutsu Kaisen Manga chapters and I showed you a bit of detail about the series and how stories like this can transition to Anime.

There are far more Manga and Anime collaborations out there to explore though and I urge you to indulge your passion and find something new among the bookshelves and streaming services.

With that in mind, transitioning Manga stories into Anime is one thing but is there room for further adaptations using different media? The answer is yes and there are a few examples of this that I want to share with you.

Studio Ghibli are a world renowned name in the genre of Anime with their distinctive colourful artwork and generally wholesome stories focussing both on Japanese tradition and the world of fantasy. Virtually all of Studio Ghibli’s work though doesn’t come from Manga as a source material but partly from novels and partly direct screenplays. The stories though are usually adapted to fit into the Japanese culture and characters are depicted in the same way.

You may wonder where I’m going with this but there have now been stage musicals of My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away is soon to make an appearance on stage as well. This shows that Anime can be taken further if the source material allows for the transition.

Let’s then go back to the Manga and Anime partnership and I’ll give you as an example the epic and vastly popular series, One Piece. This has been both a Manga series and Anime adaptation spanning a mind blowing 1082 episodes. You’d think that there’s not much else they could do with this but we now have the live action version of One Piece bursting onto our screens via Netflix’s new adaptation. I’ve watched the first few episodes and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Clearly, it's made an impressions on fans as well, since Netflix has already commissioned a 2nd season. The scenery, characterization and acting is exceptional and all I can hope is that this spurs studios such as Netflix to adapt further Anime and Manga series to live action shows.

In Conclusion...

Hopefully I’ve given you a broad idea of what Anime and Manga are and how they go hand in hand to provide entertainment in different media. I’ve also looked specifically at the Jujutsu Kaisen Manga chapters and how the Manga has progressed alongside the Anime adaptation.

That adaptation process has now also expanded with some Manga and Anime series being produced as both stage shows and live action series.

All of this can only be a good thing for the genre that we love and enjoy so much and long may it continue.