I previously said that, as a comics person, I don’t see anime as being inherently superior to manga, but that adaptations sometimes can add new elements or highlight existing ones such that the adaptation is as good as (in a different way) or even better than the original.
I also said that YagaKimi, since it uses the elements of static visual/verbal sequential storytelling (i.e., manga/comics) so extremely well, did not seem to be a series that would obviously be improved by an anime version. Though the anime is fine so far, at this point I still think that.
It’s inevitable that some plot points that were developed subtly and in a nuanced way in the manga are more blunt and on-the-nose in the streamlined plot of an anime, so that aspect is not really a problem.
But my reactions (and I emphasize that these are my reactions—if other people think these things are great, well, great):
The voice actresses themselves seem very good, as far as I can tell without understanding Japanese, but the timbre for both of the leads seems too high for the characters as I imagined them (and as compared to female voices in some other anime) and also too similar-sounding—the voices don’t reflect the height/affect difference between Touko and Yuu that’s so visually evident in the manga.
The color palette for many of the daily scenes isn’t very appealing to me—the colors often seem light and tending towards undersaturated pastels, so I keep wanting to increase the contrast on my screen. Conversely, at other times, as in the “ambush kiss” at the train crossing, dramatic lighting effects like the sunset/approaching darkness are distracting from what’s happening in the scenes and basically unnecessary, since, for example, the train itself made that original scene tense and dramatic.
The music, which in itself is fine, inherently pumps up the romance-y atmosphere, so passages where the thematic point is that Yuu doesn’t feel like she’s in a romance manga or anime are depicted as—Yuu in a romance anime.
So overall, while I think I’d say that it’s a pretty well-made anime, the original manga is notable for establishing a cool and even visual tone and atmosphere as a background for subtle emotional action and development, so that the scenes that are visually heightened (Touko’s memories of her younger self before her sister’s death, for example) really stand out as exceptional.
Again, it’s a good-enough anime. I’m glad it got made. And I’ve only seen the two episodes. But I still like the manga much better.
Alright, I wasn't especially addressing you, but having a conversation about this can't harm.
In my opinion, as long as the exact same basic requirements are fulfilled (same story, same artstyle, same pacing), the anime will (almost) always be better by default, due to the advantages of the medium. That is if the additional factors that come with anime are not dragging it down. Prime example: My Hero Academia. I honestly can't find any fault with the anime. It's the manga, but at its best at all times.
This doesn't even account for the things you mentioned like changes that improve the original or making an adaptation very different to find a new appeal.
I don't think there is a single manga that wouldn't be improved by color, sound, music and voice acting (if those things are done right), no matter how static or perfectly apt in using the medium it is. YagaKimi is no exception.
I haven't seen any of the streamlining you speak of yet in this anime at least, so I won't accept that as an argument until it happens, even if you actually had seen it as a negative.
Well to be frank, I think Yuu is the only one lacking (not for her seiyuu's lack of talent of course) as she just sounds too soft and meek. A deeper voice really would have helped there. But that is not really a fair assessment. The voices we used in our heads are probably completely different from each other as well. It's impossible to find a voice that pleases everyone. I don't think there is an issue inherently with it and size difference means absolutely nothing in context of voices (in anime). I completely disagree that Touko and Yuu sound similar either, so that point confuses me more than anything. If anybody told me that Yuuki Takada and Minako Kotobuki sounded similar I'd have laughed at them.
Their differences are still visually evident in the anime too btw, so you have that regardless of voice acting.
I'm no coloring specialist, but I have not felt much of what you describe at all. I thought the train scene was handled quite brilliantly. Maybe they held the shot of the kiss a tad too long, but that's about it. What you liked about it in the manga is still here, just with additional factors that make it "prettier". If you get distracted so easily that is probably not the directions fault, sorry.
The music has been rather subtle throughout the first two episodes, except for the scenes that were emotionally heavy. The scene where Yuu felt betrayed or unable to comprehend why she doesn't feel anything from kissing or the like sounded far from romantic. This difference in perception is seriously odd to me. Not everything with strings or a whistful piano is inherently romantic.
If you truly appreciated the more calm and modest part of the artstyle the most, then I suppose it being fancier on screen is counter-productive to you. But subtle actions, reactions and emotions are still there as they were in the manga. I know people who can't deal with the transition from static to animated well, because of many factors, like them not being able to hold a shot as long as they want (if they usually stared at something for quite a while), or them imagining a rather different line of action etc. I'm not surprised to see someone react that way for that reason.
But c'mon. All these subtle motions that the manga could merely imply, all the eye-shifting and transitions, those are things that only enhanced what was already there. I wish I was one of those fancy analysing Youtubers who made breakdowns of scenes, but sadly I lack that acuteness. All I can do is refer to the conversation between Touko and Sayaka during the volleyball match. I think it exemplifies where the subtlety and motions of the anime excell.
Phew... this sure sounds like I'm being contrarian, but your opinion isn't inherently wrong to me either. Percpetion may vary greatly and we don't all focus on the same things. No hard feelings, alright?
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