History AdaptationDisplacement / AnimeAndManga

* Fans of ''Anime/FutureRobotDaltanious'' will often be surprised to find out that the mecha anime is based on Creator/AlexandreDumas' ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'', of all things.

* ''Manga/{{Akira}}'', being close to the first anime that shocked viewers out of the AnimationAgeGhetto, became a popular movie and is certainly better-known than its expansive manga. Especially the case outside of Japan due to a multitude of reasons discussed on that work's page.
* During its heyday in the mid-2000s, the anime adaptation of ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' was much more well-known outside of Japan than the manga it was based on, despite both being translated at the same time. The localizers at Creator/ADVFilms seemed to anticipate this: not only did they promote the anime much more heavily, their translation of the manga was retitled ''[[TitleTheAdaptation Azumanga Daioh: The Manga]]''. Over time, the two have become more-or-less equally popular, both due to the manga boom and legal issues. When ADV went bankrupt in 2009, Creator/YenPress grabbed the manga rights to both ''Manga/{{Yotsuba}}'' and ''Azumanga Daioh'', putting out a new translation that year. The anime went until 2016 without a re-release (when Creator/SentaiFilmworks picked up the rights), making the manga the more accessible way to view the series for several years.
* Possibly as an attempt to avoid this, the first ''Literature/SpiceAndWolf'' novel was released in English around the same time as the first season of the anime.
* ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'' was originally a series of light novels which began in 1989; the anime came out in 1995, five years after the first couple of novels were published. Like most light novel-originated series, most foreign fans find the anime as the truest source of canon. It is rather unusual in this case because the first season of the anime was released in the states ''one year'' after it completed its run in Japan, and, as a dub released by Creator/CentralParkMedia, was one of the few '90s dubs that didn't suffer from any form of {{bowdlerisation}}, DubNameChange, or any other edits. Both the novels themselves and most of its manga adaptations weren't translated until the mid 2000s.
** This also happens with the ''characters'' as well; in the novels, Lina and [[IdiotHero Gourry]] are the only protagonists; the chimera [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Zelgadis]] and the princess [[GenkiGirl Amelia]] were their allies for the first eight novels, and they were replaced by treasure hunters [[HotBlooded Luke]] and [[MoralityChain Millina]] for the remaining seven. However, both Zelgadis and Amelia became extremely popular, and when newer anime seasons and manga were made, they were in them, quintessentially making the "Slayers" a four-man band instead of a duo. Very few fans outside of Japan know who Luke and Millina are, especially given that the AlternateContinuity manga ''The Hourglass of Falces'' has all six heroes together.
* ''Manga/BattleRoyale'' is originally a novel, but not everybody knows this. In fact, when ''Battle Royale'' was mentioned in the ''Manga/YuGiOh'' manga, the UsefulNotes/{{Swed|en}}ish translation included a footnote telling the readers that ''Battle Royale'' is a movie and a manga.

* Downplayed with ''Anime/FZeroGPLegend'', as while ''VideoGame/FZero'' is still mostly considered a series of video games first and an anime second, ''GP Legend'' has overshadowed the games when it comes to the franchise's SignatureScene, Captain Falcon [[MegatonPunch Falcon Punching]] Black Shadow in the face, which most general members of the Internet public don't know never happened in the actual games and was created for the anime's GrandFinale.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Some mainstream articles on ''Pokémon'' [[CowboyBebopAtHisComputer refer to the Pokémon and human characters]] as anime characters (or simply cartoon characters), often completely ignorant of the franchise's video game origins; a few articles have even implied that the ''[[TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}} trading card game]]'' came first. This is largely because, depending on the region, the [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries the anime series]] was [[AdaptationFirst released weeks or even months before]] the video games outside Japan. Matters were further confused by ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' having the name of the anime's protagonist (Ash) as one of the predefined suggestions for the player character's name in all the Gen I games.[[note]]To be fair, this was the case in Japanese as well, with Satoshi even being the character's official name until it was {{retcon}}ned to Red, one of the other predefined suggestions, in Gen II.[[/note]] Then came the {{Recursive Adaptation}}s; the next mainline game, ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Pokémon Yellow]]'', was an UpdatedRerelease that incorporated elements from the anime into ''Red and Blue'''s plot (like having Pikachu as a starter), while ''[[VideoGame/PanelDePon Pokémon Puzzle League]]'' was a spin-off game that was outright based on the show and used artwork of those characters. This is all made most evident by asking anyone "What is ''Pokémon''[='=]s ThemeTune?" Even long-time fans of the games who haven't watched the anime since they were children are most likely to respond with the theme of anime's first season (or [[LongRunners whichever era of the show they grew up with]]), rather than the actual leitmotif of the games.
* ''Manga/YuGiOh'' wasn't even about a card game at first. Once [[Anime/YuGiOh the second anime]] got to the U.S., it took a few months for the card game to show up as well. It doesn't help that Creator/FourKidsEntertainment deliberately picked up the franchise because of the card game plot after how much money they'd made on ''Pokémon'' and its various components. The makers of the second anime did this too, so it's also not a surprise they sold it overseas based on this. Even elements of the storyline they adapted that had little card game elements in the manga had the Duel Monsters segments played up for the anime to sell the cards.
* ''Anime/LucyMayOfTheSouthernRainbow'' is so much more popular than the book it's based on, that merely googling it's title, ''Southern Rainbow'' will bring you results of the anime.
* A variation of this is the case of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', a SpinOff [[MorePopularSpinoff that greatly outpaced the original in terms of popularity]]. Reading through this wiki, you may get the impression that the ''Triangle Heart'' series only consists of [[VideoGame/TriangleHeart3SweetSongsForever the third game]], which spawned ''Nanoha''. This is also a straight example since ''Nanoha'' was originally a mini-scenario of the ''Triangle Heart 3'' game. People still mistake clips from the original as a video game adaptation of the anime instead of the other way around.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' has a case of a character being displaced, which is Tohji. He had never been too popular whether as a standalone character or the Fourth Child of the original series, but after the introduction of Mari in ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' as the new Fourth Child, she completely overshadowed him in fanart and promotional arts.
* There are two manga prequels of the original ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' manga: ''Manga/SaintSeiyaNextDimension'', illustrated by the original author Masami Kurumada, and ''Manga/SaintSeiyaTheLostCanvas'', illustrated by another author, Shiori Teshirogi. However, it would be hard to find people who knows of ''Next Dimension'', due to its severe continuity problems and the [[RecycledScript not-very-appealing]] plot, leading to it being unpopular. In contrast, ''Lost Canvas'' is pretty much accepted by most fans as the official prequel due to being much more well-written. The fact that Kurumada himself approves of ''Lost Canvas'' only helps.
* ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' was originally a JRPG series which, despite being a Genuine CashCowFranchise in Japan, was initially [[NoExportForYou never released elsewhere]]. In the West, it ended up being generally displaced by the anime (both [=OVA=] and [[Anime/SakuraWars2000 TV]]) adaptations that were released before 2000, though awareness of the original games has grown, thanks in part to several of their characters being featured in ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone''.
** Later, the two first games received an official release in UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} and UsefulNotes/{{China}}, of all places.
** ''VideoGame/SakuraWarsSoLongMyLove'' finally got a North American release in 2010, and the Creator/ADVFilms cases did all say "based on the hit game"... although ADV's translated TV series credits say "original manga by Ohji Hiroi" despite the fact that the manga version of ''Sakura Wars'' hadn't even started in Japan until 2003 (the first game was released back in 1996).
* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' is a highly popular MMO that was originally slated for release in the west in 2013, but the western release had descended into DevelopmentHell for several years and would not re-emerge until 2020. Meanwhile, Creator/SentaiFilmworks released the [[Anime/PhantasyStarOnline2 anime adaptation]] of the game in the west in 2016.
* ''Anime/WhenMarnieWasThere'' was a children's book by Joan G. Robinson before it became a film. Discussions of it are near exclusively about the film.
* ''Manga/LoveHina'' is one of those cases (in the United States) where people very often ''know'' that a book/manga series exists, yet haven't really read it, and far more often ''have'' seen the anime.
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' (whose mangaka, Creator/KenAkamatsu, also wrote ''Love Hina'') has several anime adaptations, and most fans know about the first one the most (and it's a rather mediocre adaptation). The manga was being translated by Del Rey's manga division (now by Kodansha USA due to the latter going under) since 2005.
* ''[[Anime/ElHazardTheMagnificentWorld El-Hazard]]: The Wanderers'' is a rare example of an AnimeFirst show which was displaced by a remake with a different story... [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff at least in Brazil]], where ''The Wanderers'' actually launched the franchise in the country and since no other anime from this series ever aired there, the show was simply launched as ''El-Hazard''. A manga adaptation of it has been released in the country, though.
* ''Anime/MonsterRancher'' is a non-VisualNovel example of a video game displaced by the anime adaptation. The anime is very different from the games, at that.
* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' was originally conceived and designed as the [[DistaffCounterpart Spear Counterpart]] of ''Toys/{{Tamagotchi}}''. [[Anime/DigimonAdventure Taichi]] had also been the main character of [[Manga/DigimonVTamer01 an earlier manga]] wherein he and his (different) Digimon partner traveled the Digital World ''alone'', although behind the scenes he had in fact been developed with his anime counterpart simultaneously.
** The character of Ryo from ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' was actually based off of a character from the ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' continuity. Specifically, he was the protagonist of Wonderswan games - which [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]], and his detailed backstory was [[AllThereInTheManual explained via these games]]. Unfortunately, a lot of people outside did not know this so [[AmericansHateTingle he had a rather negative reception]].
* When Creator/NaokoTakeuchi's ''Manga/SailorMoon'' manga received its AnimatedAdaptation within months of its publishing, the eventual 200+ episode [[Anime/SailorMoon anime]] (including specials and three {{Non Serial Movie}}s) thoroughly eclipsed its source via AdaptationExpansion for the better part of a decade, being the version that most of TheMerch and all but one LicensedGame was based on. Internationally, this was aided by a lack of or latecoming manga licensing in comparison to multilanguage dubs as anime grew in popularity during TheNineties. (In North America, it took three years after the Creator/{{DiC|Entertainment}} dub's premiere for the manga to be acquired and translated by [[Creator/{{Tokyopop}} Mixx]].) A 2003 UpdatedRerelease of the manga (to tie in to an ironically lesser known [[Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon tokusatsu version]]) revitalized the property and regularly topped bestseller lists when eventually released stateside in 2011. The newfound exposure eventually resulted in Creator/{{Toei|Animation}} allowing international relicensing of the out-of-print anime during TheNewTens, and beginning development on ''Anime/SailorMoonCrystal'', a new adaptation that is explicitly TruerToTheText of the once-displaced manga.
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': For a long time, it was not widely known in English-speaking countries that ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' was a [[NewSeasonNewName mid-story rebrand]] of ''Manga/DragonBall'', or that it was based on a Japanese manga (without the ''Z'' in the title). Even when the ''Dragon Ball'' anime finally stuck for good in North America in 2001 (after two previous attempts in the '80s and '90s before Z), many believed it was merely a {{prequel}} to ''DBZ'', a [[SpinoffBabies Babyfication]] of ''DBZ'''s characters (which later became HilariousInHindsight upon the announcement of ''Anime/DragonBallDaima''), a spinoff of ''DBZ'' for a younger audience, or something ''other'' than a pre-existing adaptation of the first part of the story whose later arcs were adapted into ''DBZ''. This despite the fact that ''DBZ'' occasionally flashes back to ''DB''. While the manga was met with some success in North America, there are those who think it's an adaptation of the anime, and those who doesn't know it exists at all. There are also a few people who don't even know ''Dragon Ball Z'' is Japanese.
** In the English translation of the manga, the volumes that were adapted by ''Dragon Ball Z'' had the Z added to the original "Dragon Ball" name for marketing reasons.
* It's easy to assume that ''Toys/BBSenshiSangokuden'' is a ''SD Gundam'' take on ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'', even though the story itself is set within the existing ''BB Senshi'' continuity - region names that aren't the same anymore are still referenced i.e. the Nanban region to the south corresponds to Albion. Even character names are sometimes inherited: Moukaku Gundam carries the title of Ashurao from an actual Gundam Ashurao from earlier in the toyline.
* It's hard to guess that ''VideoGame/{{Gungrave}}'', a 2003 crime drama with some sci-fi mixed in for good measure, originated as an adaptation of a lukewarmly received [=PS2=] shooter. It's even harder to believe it after you find out about it, just because of how the action sequences in the show took a definite backseat to characterization and drama, and its overall heavy, depressing feel.
* ''Manga/GetterRobo'' has the ''Armageddon'' OVA series, which is by far the most popular section of the franchise, particularly internationally. Chances are, if ''Getter'' is in a ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' game post-2003, it'll be based on ''Armageddon''. This is evident in the fact that ''Armageddon'' broadly isn't a close adaptation of any story from the manga (being something of a mashup of all manner of characters and concepts from across the franchise and even Creator/KenIshikawa's other works), and has some divergent takes that have ended up becoming iconic. For instance, if you look up Ryoma Nagare, you'll almost invariably find pictures and artwork of his ''Armageddon'' design, with the tan overcoat, red scarf, and bandaged hands, before finding him in the sea-green pilot suit, karate ''gi'', or casual clothes that he wears in every other part of the franchise. This is particularly noteworthy, because prior to ''Armageddon'', he'd never worn such an outfit; it originally hails from the manga ''Majuu Sensen'', another Ishikawa work, making ''Armageddon'' Ryoma something of a CompositeCharacter.
* In the West, it used to be that if you mentioned ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', people would think of [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003 the iconic 2003 anime version]], which diverged significantly from the original's story. Nowadays though, a lot more people are aware of the original manga, thanks to it getting a TruerToTheText adaptation in ''Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood''.

* The 1985 series ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' is a {{frankenslation}} of ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'', ''Anime/SuperDimensionCavalrySouthernCross'', and ''Anime/GenesisClimberMospeada''. Despite modern anime fans bashing the redundant narration and clumsy translation, ''Robotech'' continues to surpass the popularity of even ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' in the USA, which was the only ''popular'' anime of the three in Japan; ''Southern Cross'' was a total flop, and ''Mospeada'' is largely forgotten. Even ADV's attempt to market the original ''SDF Macross'' series on DVD (including a non-''Robotech'' dub) failed due to lack of interest, probably because unlike ''Robotech'', it was never shown on American TV, and the animation is too old for younger audiences. However, the original ''Macross'' continuity is still going strong with its various prequels and sequels; ''Anime/MacrossPlus'' has become a classic in its own right, and ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'' was one of the most successful anime series of the late [=2000s=].
* Downplayed with ''Anime/TheTowerOfDruaga''. While it has become more popular than [[VideoGame/TheTowerOfDruaga the game that it was based on]], the original game remains well-known in gaming communities (it had been released internationally on Namco Museum Volume 3 over a decade before the anime was created), and in Japan the game remains popular.
* Even though ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'' is a fairly well known series among anime fans, more people will be familiar with ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' than they will be with the Creator/MamoruOshii films or [[Manga/GhostInTheShell the original manga]]. Since all three media formats (and ''Anime/GhostInTheShellArise'') are each their own AlternateContinuity, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the general familiarity of the works for most people is Anime > Movies > Manga.
* Unless you're French (where they made sure to avert it through ''DubNameChange''), you probably know the name "Lupin" as ''Franchise/LupinIII'' better than the ''Literature/ArseneLupin'' stories that inspired it.
** Worldwide, more people are far more familiar with the LighterAndSofter anime adaptation known as ''Anime/LupinIIIPartII'' (Or ''New Lupin III'') than the original DarkerAndEdgier manga.
** The American ''Franchise/LupinIII'' fanbase grew with the Creator/AdultSwim airing of ''Anime/LupinIIIPartII'', but most of the more casual viewers aren't aware of the earlier series, ''Anime/LupinIIIPart1'', or the manga volumes that preceded both: ''Manga/LupinIII''. These early episodes had GagDub humour, upsetting the established fans who had enjoyed the earlier localizations of ''Anime/TheMysteryOfMamo'' and ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'' because ''their'' Lupin was getting displaced in public perception with this goofy ButtMonkey.
** Because of the adaptation displacement of the manga, ''Anime/LupinIIITheWomanCalledFujikoMine'' (which was closer in tone to the manga) was controversial largely because many people (who were used to ''Red Jacket'' or ''Cagliostro'') weren't expecting that level of violence or sexual content in a ''Lupin'' cartoon.

* The ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' [[TheMovie Movie]] and the memes the franchise spawned are better-known Stateside than either the anime or manga and is usually what the average anime fan would think of when he hears the name.
* ''Anime/YumeNoCrayonOukoku'' was based off a series of Japanese children's novels which still are being written to this day, beginning back in the mid-80's. Most people who live in other countries remember it as only a show and not a book, [[NoExportForYou especially since the books weren't translated outside of Japan.]]

* ''Anime/NightWizard'' was based on a tabletop role-playing game by Far Eastern Amusement Research, which in turn was based on an eroge by Alice Soft. The eroge and tabletop game have spawned other spinoffs of their own, but the anime is easily the best known of them.
* ''VideoGame/{{Medabots}}'': Most westerners will only know about the franchise's anime adaption, since the original Game Boy games [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]]. While three of the series's games did eventually make it to the west, this was only after the anime had become popular.
* ''Anime/VariableGeo'' is a loose OVA adaptation of the ''[[VideoGame/AdvancedVariableGeo Advanced V.G.]]'' fighting game series. Not that most [[CultClassic outside its fandom]] are aware of that, since the games it was based on [[NoExportForYou were never released outside of Japan.]]
* On This Very Wiki, on pages for manga, light novels, visual novels, etc. that have an anime adaption, most of the tropes will refer to the anime because the anime is often more readily available in the English-speaking world than the source material. References to the source material are usually written as if the source continued where the anime left off. For light novels and visual novels, this also has a side effect of source-only tropes getting documented in the "Anime and Manga" sections of pages.
* The ''Manga/WanderingSon'' anime manages to displace the manga despite the manga being released in English while the anime [[NoExportForYou has not in physical format]]. It probably doesn't help the manga is an expensive hardcover release while the anime is available for free on Platform/{{Crunchyroll}}.
* ''Manga/BunnyDrop'''s anime is by far more popular than the manga. Any discussion of the manga will inevitably devolve into [[OvershadowedByControversy complaints]] about the infamous timeskip [[spoiler:where Rin is a teenager and [[WifeHusbandry ends up with her adopted father Daikichi]]]].
* ''Literature/SoundEuphonium'': The books are pretty much only mentioned due to ShipToShipCombat against [[LesYay Kumiko/Reina]], as in the novel [[spoiler:Kumiko ultimately has a ChildhoodFriendRomance with Shuuichi]]. In turn, many Western fans are not aware that ''Anime/LizAndTheBlueBird'' is actually a SpinOff of ''Sound! Euphonium''. In fact, many sites do not categorize it under that franchise, but as its own movie. The original main characters [[ContinuityCameo barely appear]] in this one, so the connection is easy to miss. This was at least partially intentional by the filmmakers, who noted that the story is designed to work without requiring prior knowledge of the franchise.
* ''Anime/SaberMarionetteJ'' is a CultClassic [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff especially in Latin America]], ''Saber Marionette R'' is somewhat remembered [[note]] both are on Hulu [[/note]], and fans at least saw the OVA and second season, but few people know of anything else, especially the LightNovels.
* While ''Manga/PopTeamEpic'' as a manga isn't any less memorable to its fans, many remember it for the {{Art Shift}}ing, genre spoofing, mile-a-minute gag powerhouse its anime was.
* Thanks to the popularity of ''Anime/WorldMasterpieceTheater'''s book adaptations, many Japanese people better know anime like ''Anime/HeidiGirlOfTheAlps'' or ''Anime/RascalTheRaccoon'' over their sources ''Literature/{{Heidi}}'' or ''Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era''. This is especially prominent with ''Literature/ADogOfFlanders'', whose parodies often take elements from the anime over the book.
** This also applies to ''World Masterpiece Theater'' anime abroad -- Overseas fans decried the 2018 release of the French live-action film ''Rémi Sans Famille'', dismissing it as a bad foreign live-action adaptation of the beloved anime ''Anime/IeNakiKoRemi'' even during previews. The film was in reality a straight adaptation of ''Literature/SansFamille'', a classic French novel by Hector Malot that was published in 1878 that served as ''Ie Naki Ko Remi'''s source, and had nothing to do with the anime whatsoever.
** ''Anime/ThreeThousandLeaguesInSearchOfMother'' was quite a cult hit in some countries; few are aware that not only is it adapted from the novel ''Heart'' (Cuore) by Italian author Edmondo De Amicis, it was only based on ''one chapter'' in that book. The book is a collection of short stories with a framing device of a schoolkid being told stories about various children; the source material for the anime is just one of these stories.
* Many don't realize that ''Anime/SpiderRiders'' was actually based on a trilogy of English-language novels. But the anime being somewhat obscure itself, the books reach an even deeper level of obscurity.
* ''Anime/DeltoraQuest'' started out as a series of Australian children's fantasy books. If one sees any mention of it now, they're probably talking about the 2007 anime (especially in the US, where it premiered nearly 3 years later).
* Many American fans seem unaware that ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'' was originally a light novel series due to NoExportForYou. Eventually, they were licensed by Yen Press and translated into English. However, the subsequent sequel and spin-off light novels have not been made available in English.
* For ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'', most people would be more familiar with the anime than the manga, and there are certainly less people familiar with the webcomic than the former. Doesn't help that the visuals from the webcomic is [[StylisticSuck crudely drawn]], turning off people from reading the original one.
* The anime of ''Manga/MadeInAbyss'' is far more popular than the manga, partly because of its widely-praised directing and music, but also because the manga is rather infamous [[ValuesDissonance (particularly among Americans)]] for sexual humor and artwork involving underage characters. In the anime, most of the controversial material got glossed over, or left out entirely.
* The 1960s ''Manga/{{Batman}}'' manga did this to many of the stories it adapted, but especially ''Batman #180'', which introduced the villain Death Man. It's considered a very average 60s Batman story and was largely forgotten for decades, but it was adapted into the first three chapters of the manga, which heavily expanded on the story and made the villain far more threatening. When the manga saw an English release in the 2000s (which also renamed him "Lord Death Man", as a translation of the name Shinigami Man), it completely eclipsed the original story in popularity. Tellingly, his next appearance in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'' was primarily based on his manga incarnation, down to being called Lord Death Man. It was completely solidified when the story was adapted in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold,'' and was based incredibly closely on the manga version.

* ''VideoGame/SerialExperimentsLain'' was probably planned before its anime counterpart, but nowadays people mostly know the anime rather than the game. The fact that it got released later than the anime didn't help either.

* Unless you're from UsefulNotes/{{Finland}}, you've probably never heard of the 1937 Finnish novel ''Paimen, piika ja emäntä'' by Auni Nuolivaraa. However, it's anime adaptation, ''Anime/KatriGirlOfTheMeadows'' was broadcast in many European countries during the 1980s, and most kids who watched it had no idea it was based on a book.
* ''Anime/TheBushBaby'': While the original novel by William Stevenson was also adapted into a 1965 film, both failed to receive the level of success the anime did. Most people don't even know this based on a book, and both that and the movie remain in obscurity.

* The ''Manga/WanderingSon'' anime manages to displace the manga despite the manga being released in English while the anime [[NoExportForYou has not in physical format]]. It probably doesn't help the manga is an expensive hardcover release while the anime is available for free on Website/{{Crunchyroll}}.

* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': For a long time, it was not widely known in English-speaking countries that ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' was a [[NewSeasonNewName mid-story rebrand]] of ''Manga/DragonBall'', or that it was based on a Japanese manga (without the ''Z'' in the title). Even when the ''Dragon Ball'' anime finally stuck for good in North America in 2001 (after two previous attempts in the '80s and '90s before Z), many believed it was merely a {{prequel}} to ''DBZ'', a [[SpinoffBabies Babyfication]] of ''DBZ'''s characters, a spinoff of ''DBZ'' for a younger audience, or something ''other'' than a pre-existing adaptation of the first part of the story whose later arcs were adapted into ''DBZ''. This despite the fact that ''DBZ'' occasionally flashes back to ''DB''. While the manga was met with some success in North America, there are those who think it's an adaptation of the anime, and those who doesn't know it exists at all. There are also a few people who don't even know ''Dragon Ball Z'' is Japanese.

* A lot of anime that was based on written novels or stories, especially Japanese {{light novels}}, is often mistakenly thought of by the Western world as being original stories or based on a manga. This is mainly because said adaptations are often the first, and sometimes only, versions of the work to be officially translated and exported to the West, as manga and anime are easier to translate--since you're mostly just dealing with dialog, there's far less text to work through--though light-novel translations have gradually become more common as the subculture's population grows. Even on Website/ThisVeryWiki, examples from light/web novels will often be placed in the Anime and Manga section when they are supposed to be in Literature. There's also the factor of the Main/AnimationAgeGhetto applying to illustrated novels, but not [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Comic Books]].\\

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' is a highly popular MMO that was originally slated for release in the west in 2013, but the western release has since descended into DevelopmentHell. Meanwhile, Creator/SentaiFilmworks released the [[Anime/PhantasyStarOnline2 anime adaptation]] of the series in the west in 2016.

* ''Anime/TheBushBaby'': While the original novel by William Stevenson was also adapted into a 1965 film, both failed to receive the level of success the anime did. Most people don't even know this based on a book, and both that and the movie remain in obscurity.
* Many people know that ''Anime/IdolDensetsuEriko'' was launched to promote RealLife J-Pop artist [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriko_Tamura Eriko Tamura]]. But what they don't know is that there was a manga first - most people know her through the anime and never considered there was a manga.

* ''Anime/TheBushBaby'': While the original novel was also adapted into a 1965 film, both failed to receive the level of success the anime did. Most people don't even know this based on a book, and both that and the movie remain in obscurity.

* The ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' [[TheMovie Movie]] is better-known Stateside than either the anime or manga and is usually what the average anime fan would think of when he hears the name.

* Unless you're from UsefulNotes/{{Finland}}, you've probably never heard of the 1937 Finnish novel ''Paimen, piika ja emäntä'' by Auni Nuolivaraa. However, it's anime adaptation, ''Anime/KatriGirlOfTheMeadows'' was broadcast in many European countries during the 1980s, and most kids who watched it had no idea it was based on a book.

* Unless you're from UsefulNotes/{{Finland}}, you've probably never heard of the 1937 Finnish novel ''Paimen, piika ja emäntä'' by Auni Nuolivaraa. However, The80s children grew up with it's anime adaptation, ''Anime/KatriGirlOfTheMeadows''.

* Unless you're from UsefulNotes/{{Finland}}, you've probably never heard of the 1937 Finnish novel ''Paimen, piika ja emäntä'' by Auni Nuolivaraa. You have, howeber, probably heard of it's anime adaptation, ''Anime/KatriGirlOfTheMeadows''.

* ''Anime/PersiaTheMagicFairy'': The original manga, ''Persia Ga Suki'' by Takako Aonuma, is so obscure it doesn't even have a Japanese Wikipedia page. Add in the large amounts of AdaptationDeviation the anime adds, and the manga has practically been forgotten by time.

* ''Anime/LucyMayOfTheSouthernRainbow'' is so much more popular than the book it's based on that merely googling "Southern Rainbow" will bring you results of the anime.

* ''VideoGame/SerialExperimentsLain'' was probably planned before its anime counterpsrt, but nowadays people mostly know the anime rather than the game. The fact that it got released later than the anime didn't help either.

* A lot of anime that was based on written novels or stories, especially Japanese {{light novels}}, is often mistakenly thought of by the Western world as being original stories or based on a manga. This is mainly because said adaptations are often the first, and sometimes only, versions of the work to be officially translated and exported to the West, as manga and anime are easier to translate--since you're mostly just dealing with dialog, there's far less text to work through--though light-novel translations have gradually become more common as the subculture's population grows. Even on Website/ThisVeryWiki, examples from light/web novels will often be placed in the Anime and Manga section when they are supposed to be in Literature or Web Original, respectively. There's also the factor of the Main/AnimationAgeGhetto applying to illustrated novels, but not [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Comic Books]].\\

* ''VideoGame/SerialExperimentalLain'' was probably planned before its anime counterpsrt, but nowadays people mostly know the anime rather than the game. The fact that it got released later than the anime didn't help either.

* ''Toys/{{Jewelpet}}'' originated as a toyline rather than anime.

* Another example is the ''Franchise/WhenTheyCry'' series, consisting of ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' and ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry''. With ''Umineko'' it's managed to be averted, though, since a fan translation of the visual novel began before the anime first aired and the anime got a less-than-enthusiastic reception from fans and first-time viewers alike.

* Generally, any anime that is based on a VisualNovel has the tendency to be this, stateside or outside of UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}. Good examples would be ''VisualNovel/ToHeart'', ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', the three [[FanNickname Key Ani]] adaptations (''VisualNovel/{{Air}}'', ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'', and ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}''), ''VisualNovel/RumblingHearts'' and the three 5pb adaptations (''VisualNovel/ChaosHead'', ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate'', and ''VisualNovel/RoboticsNotes''); few know these came from visual novels. Furthermore, the visual novel medium (a kind of non-linear, interactive, digital graphic novel, like a cross between a VideoGame and a {{novel}}), is itself largely unknown in the Western world, though it's garnered cult status thanks to games like ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'' and ''VisualNovel/MyGirlfriendIsThePresident'' and the success of anime based on [=VNs=].
* A lot of anime that was based on written novels or stories, especially Japanese {{light novels}}, is often mistakenly thought of by the Western world as being original stories or based on a manga. This is mainly because manga and anime are easier to translate--since you're mostly just dealing with dialog, there's far less text to work through--though light-novel translations have gradually become more common as the subculture's population grows. Even on Website/ThisVeryWiki, examples from light/web novels will often be placed in the Anime and Manga section when they are supposed to be in Literature or Web Original, respectively. There's also the factor of the Main/AnimationAgeGhetto applying to illustrated novels, but not [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Comic Books]].\\

* A lot of anime that was based on written novels or stories, especially Japanese {{light novels}}, is often mistakenly thought of by the Western world as being original stories or based on a manga. This is mainly because manga and anime are easier to translate--since you're mostly just dealing with dialog, there's far less text to work through--though light-novel translations have gradually become more common as the subculture's population grows. Even on ThisVeryWiki, examples from light/web novels will often be placed in the Anime and Manga section when they are supposed to be in Literature or Web Original, respectively. There's also the factor of the Main/AnimationAgeGhetto applying to illustrated novels, but not [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Comic Books]].\\

* A lot of anime that was based on written novels or stories, especially Japanese {{light novels}}, is often mistakenly thought of by the Western world as being original stories or based on a manga. This is mainly because manga and anime are easier to translate--since you're mostly just dealing with dialog, there's far less text to work through--though light-novel translations have gradually become more common as the subculture's population grows. There's also the factor of the Main/AnimationAgeGhetto applying to illustrated novels, but not [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Comic Books]].\\