Adapting to Adaptations

Many anime fans are discouraged upon the idea of adaptations. What most forget is that our favorite anime series’ themselves are adaptations. They are, more often than not, lifted from an original source material that has already been pre-written or already existing and supported by a fan base.

The common source materials are mangas, or the Japanese comics. However, mangas are not the only materials that an anime may be based upon. Other sources may include books and novels, a very common pattern for classical animes. Another source may be light novels which have been written for youngsters. One of the most popular animes that has been released just some time ago is lifted from a light novel. What might that anime be? Well, it’s none other than The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. Webcomics may also be used as a basis for an anime, a very recent sample is the wildly popular anime Axis Powers Hetalia - a series which parodies different world affairs by personifying nations and developing their characters through different stereotypes. Other media that may be used to base animes on are video games, a trend that has been rising to popularity these past few years. And the less conventional sources are radio dramas and mobile shorts. One anime that has been spawned from radio dramas is the series Weiss Kreuz which tells the story of four young men caught in a world of assassins. Mobile shorts on the other hand are short stories sent to mobile phones via subscription. These are often adapted into romance themed series’.

If the anime series is not adapted from anything, then an anime-exclusive script must have been written especially for it. In this form, an anime is able to express and explore its possibilities freely, contrary to those that have been lifted from a source material where several limitations are already set. However, the beauty of being adapted is that an existing fan base is already around to support the material.

Still, the dangers in adaptations are ever present. May it be from the original source to an anime or perhaps an anime to a live action series or movie. First, of course, are the adjustments that have to be made. There are a lot of things to consider before turning a material into an anime. Whether or not it is appropriate for animation is one thing, the question of whether it’ll sell as one is another. Sometimes, things are omitted so that the anime adaptation may run smoothly; it may either be a story arc, a character or something else entirely. The ‘players’ in the adaptation also plays a major role. Who will produce the anime, who will direct it and who will play the parts of the well loved characters are also subject to much debate. Some anime production studios specialize on something, others are well rounded and may adapt to anything. Getting an appropriate source material fit nicely with the animator is one subject that takes much emphasis.

An original source is studied and scrutinized closely before it is finally processed. The adaptations we enjoy today have been through so much before it was produced. If one has to think about and consider what it had been through and all that jazz, well, it doesn’t seem that discouraging now, is it?