I felt the anime to be much superior to the manga, the manga is weighed down by stifling shonen staples and poor to non-existent characterisation whereas the more well rounded and "realistic" (i.e. they arent able to withstand a fusillade of handgun fire) characters presented in the anime version were a refreshing break from shonen cliches.

The manga just feels like a failed attempt to re-tell the anime/novel, which is ironic as it predates the anime. The story presented in the manga feels poorly constructed and (at the risk of repitition) hamstrung by genre tropes. The entire Kouhin story arc is quite poorly done in the manga, boiling down to an entirely unnuanced us vs them confrontation. Also on a personal level I found Tetwusan, the giant metal armed bodyguard, to be a poor joke compared to Lin.

Generally I prefer the manga to the anime as it tends to present the superior version of the story. But unfortunately this isnt the case here and so I'd urge you to sample the anime before giving this a try.

The story is great, and the story is much more interesting then the anime. Also the manga was started first before the anime. I was confused as hell when the anime first came out after reading chapters of the anime, because I did not know it was a prequel.

The art is great. The plot seems good so far (chap 14) and is somewhat original, and the characters are enjoyable too. It's kind of retarded seeing the lead character taking bullets like he was superman but I can overlook that. The only real flaw here is the loli. I hate loli or any short of pedophille and I seriously hope that the lead don't start a romantic relationship with the 7 years old kid. She's 7 years old, goddamnit! But, if it does not go that way, it will probably be a very good series.

The manga takes place some time after the events in the anime. The 12 epsiode anime is very enjoyable to watch although it is slightly rushed towards the end. There are some minor inconsistencies between the manga and anime. At the moment the manga has a 'slice of life' feel to it as there doesn't appear to be any plot progression.

Edit: Starting from chapter 7 the plot of the manga covers the main plot of the anime. I have not read the original light novel, so I do not know how the original author executed the plot, but it is worth reading the manga's interpretation. The male lead is a bit more diverse in the manga.

... Last updated on January 25th, 2009, 6:26am

I found out about the series after watching 10 out of 12 episodes of the anime. While I feel the anime has a good story, the manga I feel is better all around. The story, art, plot ( not much of one yet ), and the relationships with the characters, and character design all give off a better feel then the anime. If you have watched the anime and have yet to read the manga, Read it! you wont regret it. The manga unlike the anime shows off Shinkuro's darker side more and after 7 chapters has had more action then the anime. Also the mystery behind Murasaki in this manga while keep you reading, since unlike the anime the relationship between Shinkuro and Murasaki isnt as straight forward as they made it in the anime and there is more mystery laced into it.

Edit: After watching all 12 episodes of the Kurenai anime it seems the anime is a prequel to the manga, or the manga author choose to start the story where the anime left off.

... Last updated on July 5th, 2008, 1:31am

This series tries to show things by dropping in a small scene instead of saying it or showing it directly. It does this well, other than that I fail to see how five chapters of mostly unrelated stories introducing part of the cast is interesting.

I really think that Shinkurou should end up with the little girl Murasaki but that's just me. She's cute and insightful and doesn't seem to be a burden.

The art is good. And the characters are quite numerous...

Still.

The first 5 chapters are a bit strange in translation. I dont think it's the ability of translator (it's quite possible, of course) but the original manga lines are strange themselves.

All in all it worth paying attention too.

In my opinon this manga is going to be one of the best of this year. Its got almost everything i wanted a manga to have . Anyway the characters are all interesting, especially the little girl. So innocent asking about 3P and lolicon. Can't wait to find out how they got engaged.

well just reading the first four it was really good, and interesting, i think it has good amount of serious and comedy moments... im gonna love the anime when it comes out already.... i love the little girl always with him only being 7 but still she is cute when with the due... Yunna seems like the older version of the little girl...anyways cant wait till next month for next chapter to see the mystery behind the dog..