Respawn & Reload

When Books Become Screens: Why Some Adaptations Fail and Others Shine

Whether it’s a novel being turned into a movie or a game or manga adapted into anime, changes to the original work are almost inevitable. A perfectly faithful adaptation is extremely rare—and understandably so. After all, every medium has its own storytelling strengths.

Novels tend to focus on building atmosphere and exploring characters’ internal thoughts. For example, a fight scene in a novel may involve pages of emotional buildup, delving deep into the protagonist’s mindset. The action itself is often left to the reader’s imagination. In contrast, film and anime prioritize visual storytelling—action, choreography, and cinematic flair. You can’t exactly pause an anime fight to display a paragraph of inner monologue!

In that sense, novels, games, and anime can complement each other beautifully. That’s why most fans don’t mind adaptations—in fact, seeing beloved characters come to life on screen is often thrilling. But this brings us to the core issue: how faithful should an adaptation be?

Personally, I don’t believe fans are opposed to change itself. A well-done adaptation, even with differences, feels like discovering a whole new layer of the story. What we truly oppose are butchered adaptations—ones that gut the spirit of the original or rewrite it beyond recognition. These not only disappoint loyal fans but also confuse and alienate new audiences.

Take the anime adaptation of Rewrite, for example. It’s a textbook case of what can go wrong when an adaptation is both overly censored and radically altered.

The original Rewrite visual novel is often considered a masterpiece. In contrast, the anime feels like a messy jumble of disconnected scenes. New viewers are left bewildered, wondering what the plot even is, while fans of the game can’t help but scream in frustration: “How did you manage to remove all the good parts and keep only the worst?!”

The original game featured multiple distinct storylines—routes for characters like Kotori, Chihaya, and Akane. Each of them could’ve easily stood alone as its own anime. But instead of respecting that structure, the anime crammed everything into a single chaotic narrative. The result? Characters behave inconsistently, plot transitions feel forced, and the emotional beats fall flat. At times, you’re left wondering: whose side is Kotarou even on?

By comparison, look at how Fate/stay night handled things.

That series also began as a game with multiple routes. But the anime adaptations were done smartly: Fate/stay night focused solely on Saber’s storyline, giving her the spotlight she deserved. Rin’s story came later in Unlimited Blade Works, fleshing out her tsundere charm and the complex dynamic with Shirou. Finally, the Heaven’s Feel route was turned into a cinematic trilogy, delivering emotional depth and a fresh perspective. Each route got its own breathing room, yet the whole narrative remained interconnected and cohesive.

The Rewrite anime, on the other hand, was a missed opportunity. It never quite captured the heart of the original, and because of that, it never gained much traction. A gem of a story ended up buried under poor execution. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend playing the original game—it’s worth it, even if you follow a walkthrough.

To wrap things up, here’s my favorite girl from Rewrite, Kotori, to bring some healing vibes: