Strike Witches Anime Vs Manga
It’s not well known but Strike Witches has it’s own manga 「ストライクウィッチーズ天空の乙女たち」 too. There are many differences between the manga and the anime and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing today; highlighting some obvious difference between the two. The original concept is still there, girls are recruited and trained to battle Neuroi. The protagonist is still Miyafuji Yoshika but the plot deviates from the anime greatly and readers are introduced to many other characters that are not found in the anime.
Anime Vs Manga
Difference #1 Plot
Yoshika was seen trying to save her BBF, Micchan, in the anime. This did happen but not at the start of the manga. Instead, Yoshika saves a Strike Witch who had a rough landing. Events also run totally different from the anime.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a Strike Witch!
Difference #2 Yoshika is a pro healer in the manga
In the anime, Yoshika is bad with healing others at the start of the show.
But she’s very skilled in the manga.
Yoshika even helped the team doctor to heal the recruits.
Yoshika heals the injured during the landslide crisis.
Difference #3 Strike Witches doing community work
In the manga, there’s actually a scene where there’s a landslide because of the loose soil. It’s raining heavily and Micchan and her friends are caught in it. We do know that Strike Witches do help or save others from the brief conversation of the witches in the anime but we don’t see them actually doing the saving. That, we’re able to see in the manga.
Difference #4 Characters
The witches in the anime hasn’t come into contact with Yoshika yet. Though they do briefly appear (a few pages only), Yoshika is mainly in touch with other witches instead. I first thought Officer Takei was Major Sakamoto but I was wrong. They look a little alike due to their uniform but I later learn that they’re different characters. There’s once when I suspect that the character Takei might have taken the place of Major Sakamoto since she’s the one who discovered Yoshika’s potential. However, I’m put to rest when I briefly see her communicating with a Sakamoto over the phone.
Characters from the anime
Above; Pilot Officer Takei and Tomoko
The anime crew do appear but only in the middle of a page!
I actually prefer the anime to the manga. There are too many characters in the manga and most of them do not play a big part in plot. We see Yoshika briefly acquainting with one of the Strike Witch but she’s out of the picture soon enough. The manga gives a more macro view to things; the overall picture. I learn more of the organization, the trainings, their healing sessions and what Strike Witches do in general as a group. The anime, however, zooms into Yoshika and team, giving each of them emphasis. The focus is more on what Yoshika and gang does instead of what Strike Witches do in general. There’s the light novel for Strike Witches but it features another protagonist instead of our heroine Yoshika, haven’t read it though. Has anyone read it?
It has it’s own light novel getting fan translated. =xAnd those are some VAST differences. This is just another case of creative liberties? lol?
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I’m not surprised to hear they’re taking liberties – after all, the core of the SW concept, and the thing the fans want, is mecha musume rather than a particular set of characters or a particular plot. Plus disloyalty is often the best path to a good adaption.Sankaku Complex had an article which said that there was actually another SW manga a while back, which was cancelled for being too risque (and from the images posted in the article, it was pretty damn risque).
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I’m translating the light novel (and the manga as well I suppose). IMHO the novel is much better than either the anime or the two manga series. It has completely different characters, and is set at the beginning of the war in 1939, not 1944 like the anime and manga.
http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Strike_Witches
I don’t care as long as there are well-animated flying, magical battles; I’m not exactly into the show for the plot, though it does have its merits.
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Anime superior to manga? Now that’s a change. Also, I really much rather have the one featured at Sankaku Complex.
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@C.I.
Though the concept remains, I wonder what’s the role of that squirrel that is on the cover page of the manga? Does it represents Yoshika’s powers and will we be seeing that squirrel in the anime?
@IKnight
I read the other Strike Witches manga and it was bad. The anime could easily surpass that issue anytime.
@selkirk
Perhaps the light novel might be better than the manga or the anime. Also, thank you and your team for translating the light novel. (:
@Omisyth
I give more credit to the anime for highlighting and making guns look so awesome; the animation helps in hyping everything up too. (:
@Shin
It’s not difficult to surpass the manga for Strike Witches since I find it a little boring.
I think that Manga are most of the time superior to the Anime.Havent seen/read Strike Witches yet but from what ive seen so far this rule cant be applied to Action Orientated Mangas.They tend to be less dynamic and you often lose the overview.I prefer for example the Black Lagoon Anime over the Manga.It works much better with moving pictures than static ones.Just my two cents^^
For Black Lagoon, I also prefer the anime to the manga. I think action flicks that require special effects are better portrayed in the anime instead of the manga, especially those that involve weapons like guns or lasers; animation would make the whole viewing experience many times better with CG effects and sound.
I also find the manga’s art a bit flat and undynamic…more a “Hey, hired artist, make this product to support a franchise!” than a work of art that stands on it’s own.And all the characters are Japanese…the international cast is one of the things I love about the anime.
Goes them to have in Spain?