Manga Review: Can Ghost Slayers Ayashi Outshine Its Anime?

To the casual observer, anime and manga are often confused as one and the same. It probably doesn't help that many anime TV series and feature films are inspired by manga, and several manga were originally anime features before they were adapted into graphic novels.

Naruto, Bleach and Fruits Basket are examples of manga that were adapted into successful anime series. Meanwhile, the manga versions of Blood+, Neon Genesis Evangelion and now Ghost Slayers Ayashi are examples of the anime first, manga later phenomenon.

As a comic book by-product rather than the creative source of a story, anime-inspired graphic novels like Ghost Slayers Ayashi have a lot to live up to. Can these black and white comic stories meet or aspire to exceed the expectations of fans who have seen these same stories in full color with cinematic drama, music and all the whiz-bang special effects that anime can deliver so effortlessly? Should it stick closely to the original story, or offer more details and nuanced storytelling that couldn't be included in the anime?

Check out my review of Ghost Slayers Ayashi Volume 1 and see if this manga adaptation of the anime series from BONES and Sho Aikawa, with art by Yaeko Ninagawa from Bandai Entertainment is up to the challenge, or if it's strictly fun for fans who already love the anime.

Image credit: © Sho Aikawa, BONES / Mainichi Broadcasting, Aniplex, Dentsu; © Yaeko Ninagawa