To be fair, both are good.
Summary:
- Some Made in Abyss fans believe the anime is better than the manga.
- It tones down graphic content while also adding gorgeous backgrounds.
- The anime isn’t that far behind the manga.
Despite the amount of objectionable content in Made in Abyss — there’s often way too much gore and generally painful to watch scenes in the series — the anime is still quite popular. Fans are eagerly awaiting the next season, as the story still isn’t over. Because of that, many went on to read the source material.
The surprising opinion from those who both watched and read Made in Abyss, however, is that the anime isn’t worse than the manga. In fact, it’s actually better for many — the manga isn’t bad, of course, but the anime is a better way to experience the series. This take may sound weird, yes, as manga is almost always better, but here, it actually isn’t that clear.
Less Gore Is a Good Thing
Normally, many anime tone down graphic content like violence or fanservice. And yes, the manga for Made in Abyss has more of that. A lot of the time, that’s seen as unnecessary censorship by anime fans — but not in this case.
The main appeal of Made in Abyss for otaku isn’t the violence — it’s the incredibly well-written and unique world. By toning down the amount of gore, the anime is actually a better experience — watching the character suffer is a part of the experience, but it doesn’t need to be as graphic as the manga.
The Anime Just Looks Better
It’s not just about focusing more on what fans like. The anime simply looks better — the manga art isn’t bad, but the anime improves on it. It’s famous for its amazing backgrounds, and adding color also makes the world feel much more alive.
In general, the adaptation is also consistently well-animated, which is very important for many fans. And, because of that, many prefer the anime: it’s just more fun to watch something animated rather than static pictures.
The Adaptation Has Almost Caught Up to the Manga
Still, isn’t the manga the more complete experience for Made in Abyss? Well, yes, but only very technically. The anime doesn’t skip any important content — the cuts are minor and don’t contribute much to the story.
More importantly, there’s actually not much of a story beyond where the anime stopped.
Currently, there are only 7 chapters past the stopping point of the anime. You can just watch the adaptation and read them. And, because of this (and an inconsistent release schedule for the manga), we’re probably not getting an anime sequel anytime soon — despite it already being announced.