I read this when first getting into manga as a kid and hated it, so it amazed me that an anime had been made off of it. Then, the anime surprised me. Watch it before you ever read this.
As much as I love this manga for being the first yuri I ever read, it wasn't near as good as the anime for me. I think it may have been because of the aesthetics of the anime. The music was so gentle and the voice actors were on point. Seeing it brought to life set it apart, and for that, I must add it to this list.
This isn't somethin a crazy amount of people say, but it has to be said; the anime was better. Subbed obviously. Let's not let this turn into a rant about the terrible English dub. Comedy usually is better when adapted to an animated form, at least as far as manga/anime go, so it's a given it'd be quite a bit better. Idk if others will agree, but this is a big one for me.
People will debate this one until the cows come home, but the fact is that the music hits differently, the animation is gorgeous and the Japanese voice actors are phenomenal. Totally transcends the manga.
While I definitely feel the anime was better, I'd still say the manga is worth the read. These kinda manga don't come often and it's a nice read, I just prefer the anime after viewing both multiple times.
Don't get me wrong, I love this manga! It's seriously awesome, but the anime was like the manga on crack lol you just can't look away. It also brought out more emotions with me and is always so much fun to watch again and again. Still, if you liked the anime, read the manga and spin-offs. It's a nice little dose of entertainment.
Mai-hime