For anyone who's read the Full Metal Alchemist manga or seen the anime, it is quickly realized that the two are far from coinciding. Some things are just anime filler, like the Psyren episode. Some, such as changing who the Homunculi are and why they do what they do, are not. Which do you think makes for a better story, the manga or the anime? Please give some reasons.

For me, I like the manga. First off, it's the original. Secondly, it's ongoing. It seems like the chapters mesh a bit better, since the anime was done with only a loose hold on the original plot. You can easily get lost if you don't know what point in time the brothers are. It does seem to skip around a bit.

I've only read a few volumes in the manga, and I've never seen the anime, but from my experiences with other anime and manga that I've actually seen/read, I would say that the manga is usually better. If the original author made the manga first, then the original story in the manga will most likely be better.

I'm sorry I'm being so vague, but like I said, I haven't read much of it yet, but as far as I can tell the story is good, and even though the anime is really popular, I tend to lean towards the original version of the story. >>

I'd say the manga, the anime suffers from the same fate as Naruto, the best reason to watch it being the fights and charectors reactions to their envirement. which are fantasticly portrayed [specially with scars fights].

The manga is more indept into charector development and why each is doing as they are. I think the anime messed with Lust quite a bit. Her charector and eventual fate in the anime and manga are vastly different. Still the both of them are one of my favourite female evils.

Also you notice that archives of Fullmetal Alchemist list the manga characters and their anime counterparts seperately....because their so damn different most of the time.

But i presonally like seeing an animated Winry gain Elrics attention with a well aimed spanner. [or was ita wrench?]

Ed: They better not be calling me short...

Al: No, they're not. Let's just go...

Anyways, there always is a huge difference between the anime and the manga. It all depends on who gets it, as well. 4Kids got their hands on a few anime, and butchered them so that they don't even match the manga. It's sad.

It was a wrench Winry hits Ed in the head with. Freakin' hilarious.

Be mindful of what you say Starfox. While it is true that 4Kids does, as people say, "butcher" and anime from its original content. This is so they can market it to their target audience. KIDS!! It's just the way things work out sometimes.

Now as for the differences between Manga and Anime, in their original formats, not edited and translated. Yes there does tend to be a difference at times. In fact many shows differ from the manga, like:

Berserk
Inuyasha
FMA
Trigun
Hellsing
Fruits Basket
Ruruoni Kenshin
Excel Saga

And many more.

The reason for this varies. Sometimes they want to market the series before it is completed. Other times the shows writers are given some freedom to stretch out the story or add in their own thing. For instance, In Excel Saga the Director, Shinichi Watanabe, has his own character, Nabeshin, as well as adding in Pedro and his family. To add to this, the series final episodes where not from the manga, but written just for the show.

My suggestion would be to check out both the anime and the manga and make your own judgement as to what is the better rendition.

Seems the general movement is that the manga is usually better than the anime. And I'm no different. The anime does have some sparkles within it but most of it contradicts the manga. But this is what you get when you make the anime after only a few of the manga novels are out. They made the same mistake in Negima by making it just before the end of the Kyoto battle and as a result the rest of the episodes ofter that went way off the book, and they even killed off one of the main characters who isn't dead in the manga.

Plus usually the manga shows the true ending to the series since the anime finishes first (though I believe the Naruto anime is still going for some reason and a new anime division bought the rights to the Negima anime). Also, as pointed out before, characters don't develop as well as in the manga. They're either rushed, which makes the character lose all of his or her full potential, or they're not used correctly, whether that be lack of usage or a messing up on their personality. Anime has a better run when it doesn't follow a manga, but even then you can't avoid the fillers.

(On a side note, Excel Saga was just wierd. The anime was messed up in many dimensions.)

You're right about my criticism, but 4Kids did butcher a few choice anime. They ripped up a few anime, including both Yu-Gi-Oh series. It seems that the GX version did better. In the English versions, there's a LOT cut out. There was more talking and strategy in the Japanese versions, as well as choice scenes cut out, but in the English version, it seems to be all about the duel. Barely any story, just duel duel duel duel.

If I could do Anime Editing, I'd do it right. 4Kids has one thing going for them: Awesome voice actors. The editing, yes, I know they edit it for the children, but it would make an otaku cry to see some of the changes made. Dear God don't let them get Tenchi Muyo or Excel Saga.

Okay, first Excel Saga and Tenchi Muyo have already been dubbed and I believe are still owned by their respective companies. I just don't remember them right now.

Anyway, the manga seems to always be better. Try picking up a Trigun manga and read a couple volumes. There's all kinds of different things that are included in the manga than the anime to make it that much better.

And yes, Tenjen. It was a wrench.

Correct me if I'm wrong but, I don't think the Yu-Gi-Oh manga even used the card game at all. The anime was made purely for marketing purposes. So yes 4Kids did butcher it, but it was butchered from the manga first... I don't know if that makes it better or worse.