Anime With Multiple Adaptations (& Which One Is The Best)

Summary

• One Piece is set for a reboot called The One Piece to avoid filler arcs.
• Digimon Adventure (1999) is favored over the 2020 reboot for its comedy.
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is lauded for being a faithful manga adaptation.

Adapting manga (or any other medium) into anime can be tricky. For manga, creators may want to capitalize on the popularity of the series and turn it into motion with the help of anime. The problem is that many anime start far too early, meaning that they will inevitably catch up to the manga and then have to start including filler arcs. That’s why a lot of manga get multiple anime adaptations.

One Piece’s anime is beloved worldwide, but it has had its share of filler arcs. That’s why Netflix is planning to produce a second adaptation that will restart from the beginning, called The One Piece. That will come out eventually, but let’s look at other anime adaptations with multiple versions and decide which one is better. None of these adaptations is bad, as they all offer fans something different.

Digimon Adventure (1999 Version Wins)

Digimon Are The Champions

Digimon started as a franchise selling digital pets, like Tamagotchi, in 1997. The first anime season, Digimon Adventure, was released in 1999 and ran until 2000, and was a big hit internationally when it reached North America.

Many may not even know this, but it was rebooted in 2020, ran until 2021, and received more episodes than the original. Both versions follow a group of kids who get sucked into a digital world wherein they befriend digital monsters called Digimon. The 1999 version is better simply because it’s more focused on comedy, whereas the reboot is a bit more dramatic with some of its action sequences.

Diverges Very Quickly

Fullmetal Alchemist began serialization as a manga in 2001 and continued until 2010. It was adapted into an anime in 2003, which ran until 2004. Although it had a substantial amount to work with already, the anime diverged from the alchemist-heavy manga into original territory quickly.

It wasn’t surprising, given its popularity, that it would receive a second adaptation, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which aired between 2009 and 2010 and was a more faithful adaptation of the manga. Not only that, the story of the manga was just superior by comparison, as the 2003 original took some very odd turns with characters that are laughable in hindsight.

Hellsing (2001 Version Wins)

No One Is Cooler Than Alucard

• Directors: Umanosuke Iida, Yasunori Urata
• Studio: Gonzo
• Released: October 11, 2001 (Japan)
• Episodes: 13

Hellsing had a long run as a manga, between 1997 and 2008, despite the vampire-hunting series only consisting of ten volumes. It was adapted into an OVA in 2001, ran until 2002, and quickly became a hit, despite being mostly an original adaptation.

Starting in 2006, a series of movie-like OVAs began releasing as Hellsing Ultimate, a more faithful adaptation of the manga. The thing is, the manga’s storyline was not as fun as the original concept from the 2001 OVA, which is why many still prefer it.

The Heroic Legend Of Arslan (2015 Version Wins)

An Adaptation That Has Never Been Finished

• Director: Mamoru Hamatsu
• Studios: Animate Film, I.G. Tatsunoko
• Released: August 17, 1991 (Japan)
• Runtime: 60 Minutes (Film)

The Heroic Legend of Arslan is a legendary series of novels produced between 1986 and 2017. Many adaptations were created over the years, with the first animated project kicking off in 1991 with a film series. Between these films and an OVA that continued after, the whole thing lasted until 1995 and covered the first few arcs of Prince Arslan starting his rebellion to take back his kingdom. In 2013, the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa, started a manga adaptation that is still ongoing.

That was then adapted into an anime between 2015 and 2016, which fell short of completing the novel’s story in any meaningful way. Both are partial adaptations, but the 2015 version is preferable because it shares that unique Fullmetal Alchemist art style, and because the pacing is better with some fun added to the heavy-handed drama.

Hunter X Hunter (1999 Version Wins)

Finish The Fight Togashi-san

Hunter X Hunter is a series steeped in drama because of its creator, Yoshihiro Togashi. Togashi started the manga in 1998, and it had a good run until 2006. This is when the first series of hiatuses started, which are still plaguing the manga today, but it is still technically ongoing. Because of this, the anime adaptations were affected.

The first adaptation began in 1999 and ran until 2004, encompassing three OVA sequel seasons that continued the story, produced by the same team. The next Hunter X Hunter adaptation began in 2011 and ended in 2014. Many prefer the original’s darker tone and animation style compared to the more playful sequel series, even though the 1999 version does have more filler.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (2012 Version Wins)

Perfect For Anime Adaptations

• Director: Hiroyuki Kitakubo
• Studio: A.P.P.P.
• Released: November 19, 1993 (Japan)
• Episodes: 6 (First OVA Season)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is very hard to describe, as it chronicles generations of characters, some of whom have very little connection with each other. That’s what has made the series so compelling since it began in 1987, and it remains ongoing. The first animated attempt bizarrely chose to adapt the third arc, Stardust Crusaders, as a series of OVAs between 1993 and 1994. It is a popular arc, to be sure, as this is where Stands came into the series.

The OVA started in the middle of the arc, which was then rectified when a sequel OVA went back to the beginning as a prequel, which ran between 2000 and 2002. Finally, after decades of fans waiting, a proper anime adaptation began airing in 2012 and is still ongoing, but with big breaks between each story arc. Needless to say, the reboot series is better, since it started telling the story in order with the seventh major arc, Steel Ball Run, getting an adaptation very soon.

Ranma 1/2 (1989 Version Wins)

A Gender-Bending Martial Arts Epic

Ranma 1/2’s story is unique as a martial artist, Ranma, was cursed to become a girl whenever he was splashed with water, which is something other characters suffer also. The manga began in 1987 and lasted until 1996, while the first anime series started in 1989. Between some breaks, the whole thing lasted until 1996, which included a continuation of OVAs, too.

Most of the manga’s story was adapted, but in 2024, the legendary MAPPA studio began their Ranma 1/2 project, which is still ongoing. There haven’t been many episodes as of this writing, with the series set to return in October 2025. The reboot animation is very good, but the original balanced its comedy and action better, plus it gets rather risqué with Ranma’s transformations.

Sailor Moon (1992 Version Wins)

In The Name Of The Moon, I’ll Punish You

Sailor Moon is the quintessential anime aimed at girls, which first began as a manga in 1991 and ran until 1997. The anime adaptation didn’t take long to get off the ground, as it was released between 1992 and 1997. Sailor Moon Crystal was a reboot, drawing inspiration from the manga, which began in 1992 and continued until 1997.

There were continuations in movies too, the last of which was released in 2023, so support for the series was somewhat scattered, which is telling. There’s quite a bit of filler in the original Sailor Moon series, but most prefer its comedy, animation style, and truly gruesome villains, which were toned down in the 2014 reboot seasons.