Every country has its own industry for comics and cartoons, and people all over the world enjoy them. Manga is a comic or graphic novel and Anime contains all the animated works, whether it be a movie or a series. Manga and Anime both are from Japan and they both are quite famous not only in Japan but all over the world.
Mangas are comics or graphic novels, their origin is from Japan. People of all ages all over the world love manga and enjoy reading them. Manga comes in many genres, some of them are, fantasy, horror, comedy, action, drama, and mystery.
As manga is from Japan, so the language is Japanese, but most mangas are translated into many different languages. Manga has increased in value and become a major part of the Japanese publishing industry.
Animated works from Japan are called Anime. All anime are cartoons, however, not all cartoons are anime. People sometimes think that Anime is another word for cartoons, but it isn’t true. Anime is all animated work that is inspired or made in Japan.
Anime is quite popular, and there are many movies and series of anime, the longest series contains over 7500 episodes. It might come as a shock to you that Anime is banned in China, well some of it. Anime that contains scenes that are against China’s public morality as those scenes can promote social ideologies that are unacceptable.
Manga canon takes place in anime and manga, but anime canon only occurs in anime, although it is still part of the storyline. Manga is considered the actual story and Anime, Movies, or Games are believed to be an adaptation of the Story, but different in various ways.
Manga canon is what happens in a series and it is the actual and original story, whereas Anime canon changes itself or adds stories to it.
Keep reading to know more.
Is manga more canon than anime?
Neither Anime nor Manga is more canon than the other. However, anime includes content that isn’t in the plotline.
The plotline itself is canon. Anime and Manga both have their own different interpretations of the plotline which are adapted in various mediums.
Here is a video that shows the differences in the scenes of the popular anime series One Piece.
The version of Universe 6 in the manga isn’t any less or more canon than the version of Universe 6 in the Anime.
Manga is written mostly before the anime is made so in that case, manga can’t be canon to anime.
Anime, on the other hand, can be canon, because it is based on a manga and sometimes makers like to add extra content that was not in the manga but of course is approved by the author.
Are anime canons just fillers?
Content that isn’t following the manga plotline is considered filler. Sometimes when there’s an addition of content that isn’t in the source material is said to be filler content.
Here are the differences between canon and fillers.
| Canon | Fillers |
| The material that isn’t in the original series but is approved by the author | It is the material that isn’t the original series and neither is approved by the author |
| Anime can be canon if the makers want to add more material | Anime can have fillers to make the storyline more interesting |
In some cases, anime are fillers, because they have content that isn’t in the manga nor approved by the original author himself.
Anime canon can’t be fillers, because fillers are the content that isn’t in the manga and also isn’t approved by the author, but canon is something that is either present in the manga or wasn’t present but is approved by the original author.
What does canon mean exactly?
Canon is the content that is accepted as an official part of the storyline. This term was first used as an analogy in fiction to refer to the most famous detective series called Sherlock Holmes stories and novels, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as contrasted with many Holmes adventures which were added afterward by other writers.
In anime, canon is the material that isn’t in the manga which is supposed to be the original storyline, but the material is approved by the author.
Sometimes the makers of anime add content that isn’t actually in the storyline to add spice to the material. This doesn’t change anything about the storylines or the ending. Some people don’t like anime canon, but some find them even better than the original story.
Should I read manga before watching an anime?
If there is already an anime based on manga, you should read the manga first. As manga is the original story and anime can be canon or can have fillers.
As you must know, manga and anime both are huge industries, and anime has created some outstanding work based on manga, but not all animes are based on manga.
Not everything that happens in the manga is adapted into the anime, so it is best for you to read the manga as we don’t know if there is going to be an anime based on a specific part of the manga.
Every person has their own preference, some like to watch anime before reading manga, anime can be just fillers or canon. But some people like to read manga before watching anime because the manga is the original story and there is a possibility of anime having fillers.
To Conclude
Manga canon is in anime as well as in the manga, but anime canon is only in anime. Manga is supposed to be the actual story and Anime, Movies, or Games are basically an adaptation of The Story.
There are many countries that make comics, the biggest manufacturer in Japan whose manga and anime are loved by innumerable people. Mangas are comics or graphic novels, the origin of manga is from Japan. People all over the world read manga, it has a lot of genres, some of them are:
- Fantasy
- Horror
- Comedy
- Action
- Drama
- Mystery
Manga is from Japan that’s why the language used in the manga is Japanese, however, most mangas are translated into many other languages so that people who don’t speak Japanese can also enjoy them.
There is a huge value for mangas, its value has increased quite a lot and also has become a major part of the Japanese publishing industry.
Animated work which is from or inspired by Japan is called Anime. All Anime are cartoons, but not all cartoons are anime. People do become confused when it comes to anime, they think that Anime is another word for cartoons. However, Anime is all the animated work that is inspired or made in Japan only.
The longest series contains over 7500 episodes of anime. Anime is banned in China because some of the anime contains scenes that are against China’s public morality and can promote social ideologies that are unacceptable in China.
Manga is written before anime is made; therefore manga can’t be canon. Anime can be canon, as it is mostly based on the manga and sometimes makers like to add some extra content that wasn’t in the manga but of course, is approved by the author.
More than often, the makers of anime add material that isn’t in the story, but this doesn’t change the story or the ending, it is merely to make the content more interesting. Some people don’t like the anime canon, but some find them even better than the original story.
Every person has a preference, there are people who would first watch anime before reading manga and there are people who would first like to read the manga before watching anime. Do whatever you prefer, there’s no right to wrong way.