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Last edited by Chiyo on Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:43 am; edited 1 time in total

I came to watch the whole series a few weeks ago and only one or two days later I read the last three volumes of the manga, too. I was really surprised how much of the plot the anime producers have changed from the manga. Especially past episode 65, that is. There are some really cool 'fillers' like episode 28 to 37, others though (the whole story about that Take-guy for instance) were really annoying and didn't fit at all into the story. Up to episode 42 or so I really liked the anime much better than the manga. But then with Fuuka and the new school the story was totally messed up in the anime.spoiler[ Sana-chan becomes a little suicidal] (although she was before in the anime, referring to the story about Take again...), Akito is a total jerk all of a sudden and Fuuka is just... grr... she's even worse than in the manga! Oh, and Tsuyoshi and Aya become kind of annoying, too with their always oh so sweet romance. I got kind of depressed when I saw the development of the anime, especially Akito and Fuuka spoiler[actually going out and doing things like holding hands etc. (while in the manga, it's obvious Akito just dates her so he will get over Sana) and that huge part about Sana going to America and above all Hayama's changed attitude towards Sana.] There are several scenes in the manga that keeps the readers know he still misses Sana and his condition gets worse with the time they don't see each other. In the anime though he starts to become a normal teenager (well, more or less) and enjoys his new life. Only when Sana spoiler[comes back from New York or from the shoot in the mountains he starts to act weird. ]That's like his love for her vanishes as soon as she's not there. So what kind of love IS this anyway? And if this wasn't enough, he even seems to seriously dislike her in the latter episodes. spoiler[Even after they made up and Fuuka breaks up with him (also VERY disappointing that the anime-Akito apparently wouldn't have broken up with her while the manga-Akito was planning on doing so if she hadn't had been faster)] he is still very cold towards her. There is a scene in the manga when Hayama tells Sana he could have become the same as his teacher if it wasn't for her. They tried to use that line for the anime, too in the story about Nakao. But strangely enough it doesn't sound nice at all when he says it there. I dunno, is it because Hayama is getting more self-confident and in a way more independent and less gloomy that makes their relation change that much? Or is it because Sana is less hyper, funny, cool and independend later on? At the beginning she's like the perfect idol, everyone admires and likes her and everything she does is sure to be good (and fun!). Later though she's kind of pathetic and I can't help but feel sorry for the poor dumped girl without work and loyal friends. Furthermore she always runs after Hayama although he ignores her and agh! I'm losing it. Pooh... Sorry... Anyways, I like the first 40 to 43 episodes really a lot and actually much better than the manga. I even love each of the fillers so far. But up from that point on I cannot even say that I still LIKE the anime. It was kind of frustrating while the manga gets cuter and cuter and Obana-sensei really improved her drawing skills, too!

So, what do you think? (PLEASE WRITE!! PLEASE?)

This kind of thing happens all the time in anime. Sometimes you'll have a series that sticks ridiculously close to the manga, but a lot of times they diverge, either because the manga's not complete, or they just felt like taking a different direction.

I like the Kodocha manga and anime equally, but I keep them separate in my mind. Once you get to the later episodes, like you said, the two really start to diverge. The manga takes on a bit more of a bittersweet feeling, while the anime sinks more into despair. Still, they're both good properties, and since I don't really prefer one over the other, I try and take both of them and view them by themselves. It's a lot easier enjoying an anime series when you're not constantly comparing it to the manga.

(Warning, this post includes some spoilers again!)

Yup, of course you're right. Anime and Manga cannot be the same. And I think it would be kind of boring, too to watch an anime that is meticulously close to the manga story. But still... As I said fillers like the episode dealing with 'mini-Hayama' or the boys' and girls' fight in the classroom are okay (I actually even liked them a lot) but such things as the whole thing about Take are really annoying because they changed Sana's character completely. First thing, in the manga she notices she does feel SOMETHING for Hayama and she kind of changes her attitude towards him and even asks him if he likes her. In the anime though she does not cope with the kiss at all and falls back into what she was before (with Rei). That's when I thought: 'How stupid is she anyway?' Moreover she's even getting pretty miserable when she runs off into the mountains to live with Take just because she doesn't have the guts to tell Mami the reason why she wasn't mentioned in the book. She had to go through way harder things before. And on top of it all she eventually wants to die and even sends Hayama away although he came to her rescue.
I'm totally fine with episodes they made up in order to make the series longer or to make things more interesting. But here they changed very important characteristics of the show (from comedy to drama) and the characters (in Sana's case from always optimistic and hyper to a whining suicidal and in Hayama's case from a lone wolf with a good heart to a popular guy at school who is actually a selfish jerk that wants to date 2 girls at the same time. I mean, come on, he's still jealous of Naozomi although he decided for Fuuka a while ago! And in the last episode when he kisses Sana I (for the first time too) felt he didn't do it because of love but just because he's a 'kisu baka'. xD There were just no romantic feelings whatsoever coming up when I watched that scene).
So at the end the story is nothing from what it is in the manga... except for the characters' names. -_- And in my opinion it should at least stay similar. (It worked with Ranma ½, too, for instance.) I mean, up to episode 38 it was like a whole build up... for nothing! Eventually... Past episode 42 or so they are not even close friends anymore, really. And I seriously wondered what they were thinking changing the WHOLE story like that so it's like there are two completely different series.

Hm, last but not least I want to clarify that I watched the anime before I came to read the whole manga series. So I disliked the development of the anime before I even knew that most of the really annoying parts were only made up fillers. ^_~

Thanks for responding to my post, btw. This is my very first Kodocha-discussion. (Just to explain why I'm a little bit heated. Well I hope this IS an explanation at all... lol)

Hello, folks. I am new here and today, after marathoning on and off for a few months now, I finally finished the Kodocha anime series! A pretty big accomplishment, on my part.

After finishing it, now I see why a lot has made petitions to make Season 3 (saw it somewhere on YouTube). I take it the petition never takes off until today? Please correct me if I am wrong.

After seeing the anime, I hope the manga will have the story continuation of the final episode. Will we see that at all at any point in the manga? If yes, from which chapter?

I noticed you all talked about how the story in the manga and anime are different. So I guess it is time for read the manga for better story and character development, then?