Adapting Old Manga for the Present Day

Stories can be timeless, but unfortunately, the worlds in which they take place are not. Technology moves forward, clothing styles change, and culture shifts over the years. So, when adapting a manga from decades ago, studios need to think carefully about what they need to change to make it appeal to its new modern audience.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at several anime adaptations of manga from the ‘70s through the ‘90s. What was updated for modern times? What stayed the same? And how successful was it overall? Join us as we investigate how to adapt old manga for the present day!

The Music of Devilman: Crybaby (Mary Lee Loves Devilman: Part 8)

The music style of an anime can be one of the most important factors in how enjoyable, impactful, and memorable a show is for its viewers. We all remember Cowboy Bebop and Hellsing’s use of jazz, how JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure integrated classic rock into every aspect of its world, and Initial D’s hilarious obsession with eurobeat that essentially turned the entire show into a meme. Expertly crafted soundtracks like the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OST are wonderful, but it’s even more impressive when bold music choices like these (which wouldn’t have been anyone’s first thought when scoring these shows) pay off in spectacular ways.

Masaaki Yuasa and the Animation of Devilman: Crybaby (Mary Lee Loves Devilman: Part 7)

When anime fans make fun of bad animation, they tend to point out frames where characters are drawn “off model” – meaning that they’re way off from the model sheets that dictate what each character should look like. It’s important for artists to stick to these guidelines so the show can keep a clean and consistent look. But what if the director doesn’t want the animation to look clean and consistent? What happens when the art style takes a turn... for the surreal?

Ryan Zanfei from Tasty Peach Studios (Matsuricon 2018)

If you’ve ever been to the dealer’s room at an American anime convention, you’ve likely perused the pretty pastel products of Tasty Peach Studios. Their boutique-style booth sells unbearably cute plushies, wigs, enamel pins, and other merchandise based on designs by artist and company founder Ryan Zanfei. Her creations often take the form of adorable animals with food motifs, such as mochi kittens called Meowchi, narwhals topped with ice cream called Nomwhals, and a trio of cake-themed foxes. She’s also well-known for utilizing modern crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Patreon to fund some of her projects.


Matsuricon 2018 Post-Show Field Report

When summer starts to wind down and kids are gearing up to go back to school, Midwestern anime fans know that there’s one last summer tradition to check off their list – have some geeky fun at Matsuricon! This family-friendly convention, despite its modest size of about 6000 paying attendees, has definitely earned its place in the Ohio anime scene. Its three-day schedule is chock-full of industry guest panels, samurai lessons, concerts, and even a charity auction attended (and occasionally conducted) by the visiting voice actors.


Top 10 Boys Love Anime

Boys love, also known as “shounen-ai” or “yaoi” or “sexy gay anime boys being sexy and gay” (okay, maybe not that last one), is a niche genre that’s seen a huge surge in popularity in recent years. The plots tend to focus on the growing love between two beautiful young men and cater towards a largely female audience. Boys love manga were too obscure and taboo to get more than a handful of anime adaptations in the old days, but now we’ve got plenty to choose from!