LN vs Manga Suggestions

elaniel

elaniel

Vampire Ninja
I'm trying to reduce down my wish list and want to see which of each version is preferred. Either light novel or manga.
Any suggestions?

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall
Devil Is A Part Timer
A Certain Magical Index
Sword Art Online

Also, which is your preference? (I'm nosy) Do you prefer to read manga or light novels? If so, why do you prefer that format?
I'm thinking to stick with the original format (IE: Magical Index novels over manga). However if the manga is fantastic, and stays extremely faithful, I would probably go for that over the novels.
 
The only one here I can help you with is the Index manga which skips 2 story arcs, Deep Blood and Angel Fall which are Light Novels 2 and 4.

I will personally be buying the manga version, I simply have no interest in novels.

the manga skipping the arcs sucks but as I've seen them in the anime it doesn't bother as much as it would have had there been no anime.
 
Light novels are my preference as they are the original. I feel with Index the light novels will be the way to go especially...

Although the Railgun manga to go with that is also a must *smile*
 
The only one I've read of these is the SAO light novel - it was ok, fleshed out the concept a little more than the anime perhaps but missed out on a lot of the tension, certainly not as good as the better light novels I've read: Slum Online, Haruhi, All You Need Is Kill.
 
I've actually got the All You Need Is Kill manga. Haven't gotten around to reading that yet, but I should have done some research and found the LN to have been translated. I may have to pick that up if I enjoy the manga.
 
To be fair, the manga is pretty good too. It's one of those rare cases where the LN, manga and English movie are actually all decent in their own ways - probably because they each tackle it in quite a different manner.

Speaking of SAO - if you want a laugh, Google the deleted chapter 16.5 sex scene that was originally in the book when it was just a web novel back in the days before it was properly published. No end of LOLs there.
 
I've got a lot of experience of Manga adaptions of Anime, and they never seem to be as good.

Novel to Manga is a bit newer for me, from the few volumes of the Spice & Wolf Manga I've read it's very nice to see a visual representation of the story.

In general when unsure which to go for I'd always say the original.
 
In general I prefer to go with the original format, unless the adaptation is notably better which does sometimes happen. Out of the ones you mention I've only read the 1st Index light novel, which is pretty good, so I can't really comment on the others.
 
Decided then. :) I shall go with the Light Novels. If I end up not enjoying them that much, I can always pick up the manga instead.

I have a feeling a reason I appreciate anime / manga stories is because the artwork adds so much to it. So I shall see how I am with just the text. :)
I am a big novel reader (and studied literature in university) so hopefully I do not get too critical of the writing.
 
Quality is quality however it is written to my mind. I enjoy a good light novel just as much as a Steven Erikson or Robert Jordan novel.

Its all about how the content is.
I do however concede that sometimes it resonates more when one has images though...
 
True. It's why I was very selective on what light novels I wanted to try. I read a blog post that said the SAO and Magical Index light novels were some of the better light novels.

When I read a novel, I like to learn about the characters and world without being told outright what's going on. I like to experience it for myself as I'm reading.

Nice taste with Erikson and Jordan too! :)
I think it'll be interesting to see what finishes first. Ice and Fire or Index in English.
 
Another Erikson fan here! *raises hand*

See, I think kind of differently re. Light novels - I think they're a very specific kind of literature, the closest English fit is probably Young Adult/Teen stuff, but it's not quite the same in terms of tone . I think it's hard to find really well written ones, and in most cases too they very much read as if they have been written with an audience in mind. They usually are genre fiction after all. And that's not to say that's a bad thing, just that I think they have a very distinct style.
 
Elaniel said:
I think it'll be interesting to see what finishes first. Ice and Fire or Index in English.
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Given I'm reading Ice and Fire and my favourite authors seem to like to die on me I expect it'll be Index (assuming they don't both go unfinished/incomplete)
 
The Index LNs actually communicate a sense of scale and detail that is missing from either the manga or anime versions.

A similar but slightly different benefit to the SAO LNs specifically is they deal with the feeling of the passage of time a lot better than any other version.

If you have the time, I would absolutely read them over the manga, and over watching the anime, by a lot.
 
ilmaestro said:
The Index LNs actually communicate a sense of scale and detail that is missing from either the manga or anime versions.

A similar but slightly different benefit to the SAO LNs specifically is they deal with the feeling of the passage of time a lot better than any other version.

If you have the time, I would absolutely read them over the manga, and over watching the anime, by a lot.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendations. I've got the first novel of each ordered and looking forward to reading them both.
 
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