The relationship between manga (Japanese comics) and anime (Japanese animation) is long and rich and deserving of more in-depth discussion than possible here. However, interested readers can take a crash course in the subject by reading the English-language editions of two popular manga series, Sanctuary and Ghost in the Shell. Then one can view the animated adaptations, both released on video in the U.S. in 1996. The two films represent the best examples of the opposite poles of manga/anime adaptation: Sanctuary: The Movie is scrupulously faithful to the original's story and visual style, while Ghost in the Shell offers one filmmaker's highly personal interpretation of another artist's distinctly quirky source material.

From the animated film, Ghost in the Shell.

Sanctuary, a continuing series published by Viz Comics, written by Sho Fumimura and drawn by Ryoichi Ikegami (Crying Freeman), tells a story of two school buddies who enter parallel career tracks, one in politics and one in the Yakuza underworld. Their shared goal is to bring younger blood into the aging ruling establishments of their respective institutions. In a tale riddled with violence, political intrigue, deception, and often brutal sexual exploits, the creators take powerful swipes at the domination of Japanese institutions by elderly men who will not make room for the younger generations. The artist's sleek, finely detailed, black-and-white illustrations and realistic backgrounds offer an authentic update of classic crime novel imagery with a touch of film noir.

Sanctuary: The Movie.

The story line in Sanctuary: The Movie (Viz Video) comes from Volume 1 and the beginning of Volume 2 in Viz's series of bound volumes. Although their order is altered, most of the scenes in the film are taken directly from the comic book going so far as to repeat much of the same dialogue and many of the same compositions. The animation is somewhat limited but this enables more detailed artwork and realistic character design based closely on the designs in the comic.

The big difference between the two forms of Sanctuary is the animated version's use of color. The film eschews the black shadows, dark blue nighttime exteriors, and extreme camera angles normally associated with anime noir (e.g. Yoshiaki Kawajiri's Wicked City) and employs lots of sunny exteriors. Nighttime scenes are awash in brightly-lit neon while interiors are dominated by soft browns. Characters are dressed chiefly in light suits and pastel colors, recalling Miami Vice rather than The Untouchables.The color scheme, aided by a warm and infectious jazz score, transforms the dramatic imagery of Ikegami's original illustrations into something more realistic and representative of contemporary Japan than most crime-themed anime. The visual approach closely recalls that of an earlier faithfully-adapted anime version of an Ikegami-drawn manga, Crying Freeman, which also told a violent crime story amidst sunny outdoor settings and bright colors.