It’s exceedingly rare for any anime to completely surpass its source material in the minds of the majority, but these five shows manage to break through that barrier. Whether they rearrange a disjointed narrative into a cohesive whole, update an older work for a new generation, breathe life into the manga’s visuals in a spectacular fashion, or bring something else masterful to the table, it’s clear that these five anime are better than their manga originals. Let’s take a look at them now!

Manga fans love to lord it over anime watchers that they’ve experienced the definitive version of every story, without any unnecessary cuts or changes. They’re not always right, but sometimes there’s a glimmer of truth to their words. Today, we’re taking a closer look at five of the best/most interesting moments from manga that their anime adaptations left out. Maybe we’ll get to see them fully realized someday!

The source material for an anime is often considered sacred, unable to be surpassed no matter how well the adaptation is received. But sometimes, anime directors and scriptwriters add in extra material that expands on the original story in a way that makes it even better (or at least more interesting) than before. It might be an expanded scene based on something that was only mentioned in the manga, a new character that brings a fresh perspective to the table, or a complete rewrite of a part of the original that fell a bit flat when it first debuted. Let’s dive right into the most interesting anime moments that weren’t in the manga!