Ooh, what a fun thread!  As someone who watched the movie first, then read the manga concurrently with watching the tv series (though I finished the manga first), I can definetly list some differences spotted. I'll list some off the top of my head then come back later after I've given it more thought!
Manga:
The Black Rose Saga is completely eliminated, except for appearing as a quick short story at the end of the final volume of the manga.  There is no Anthy as Mamiya, no real involvement of Akio, and (if I remember correctly) there's very little of Tokiko. However, both versions end with Mikage being forgotten. (Dang, I definitely need to elaborate on this!)
Juri has a thing for Touga; Shiori is non-existent.  It's later revealed (once again, in a side story) that Juri had feelings for Ruka, and tried to distract herself after his departure (to the hospital) with Touga.
Kozue seems like less of a bitch, though she still is pretty obsessive over Miki.  I don't remember there being any mention of their father remarrying.
Miki has the hots for Utena, not Anthy
Akio's seduction of Utena happens more quickly, and she seems to fall more deeply for Akio; even at the end, when she is 'defeating him by merging with him/merge with Dios' she mentions that still she loves him.  Akio also seems to have less control, just as Anthy isn't as 'unreadable' as she is in the anime. 
We get to see Anthy and Utena kiss. No, seriously
Touga seems to care more for Utena, moving into the dorms with her and Anthy, as well as warning her of Akio because he cares for her.  When the revolution occurs and everyone's forgotten Utena, only he and Anthy remember her.
After the revolution occurs, Akio disappears from the world, just as Utena has (though Anthy leaves to go find her).
MAJOR DIFFERENCE: In the anime, we know the complicated back story (do I have to explain it? *cries*) of how Akio was born of Dios, a warped version of the prince "created" by Anthy (who is considered a witch). In the manga, Dios was a pure-hearted prince who was giving too much to the world, and his other side (think two sides of the same coin), Akio, wishes to let humanity rot on its own. What do they owe humanity?  Nothing.  However, Dios comes across a girl about to jump into a river (if I remember correctly) to commit suicide after her parents' death and saves her, bestowing his nobility unto her with the rose crest.  This Utena does not wish to become a prince to save Anthy from the swords of hate (which don't even exist in this universe), but rather out of admiration and love for Dios.  Akio 'kills' Dios to overtake his existance, and thus the 'fallen angel' Akio is granted entry into the world.  However, Anthy didn't want to see her beloved Dios vanish, and used her magic to keep him alive in the castle where eternity dwells, to await a victor that can restore him.  Thus the duels are born.

I'll be back to write more in a little while (must go dig out the manga from the murky pits of my closet!) and will correct some of what I've written. Till then!

Last edited by foxxybox (01-21-2012 05:39:53 PM)

foxxybox wrote:

Kozue seems like less of a bitch, though she still is pretty obsessive over Miki.  I don't remember there being any mention of their father remarrying.
Miki has the hots for Utena, not Anthy

It should also be noted that manga Kozue is open about her feelngs for him. She tells him she's loved nobody else since they were born, right?

I also liked manga Miki more than anime Miki. He seemed gutsier and his crush on Utena was really cute.

....oh god, you're right.

Utena does seem a lot less oblivious in the manga, but then everyone around her is a lot more transparent. It did always drive me (HARHAR) completely batty that Utena stares at Akio's car deep in thought for several seconds in episode 30, and still can't put together that she's been seeing it in the duel arena for like the last four duels she's been in. There isn't much investment in concealing Akio's identity in the manga, where I don't think it actually really sinks in for her until right before the end of the anime. I wonder why--I don't think it would have changed all that much for her. It's been a while since I read the manga, doesn't her interest in him not even wane a little when she learns who he is?

Giovanna wrote:

. It's been a while since I read the manga, doesn't her interest in him not even wane a little when she learns who he is?

It sure didn't!

Kozue's character changed almost COMPLETELY from manga to anime. She was this very cute, but very bratty, sister with a brother complex. She was way too protective of him. Not that she isn't in the anime, just less childish about it...WAY less.

I just have to say... Touga seems kind of scary in a few of the manga chapters. He seemed especially menacing when Miki and Utena found that hidden room containing a floor tiled with astrological symbols. Kind of like, 'hey, you guys are cute, so it would be a shame to waste you when I find you snooping around my stuff again. *wink*'

Related to that, the duels seemed to be on a kind of schedule in the manga, with a challenger every now and then. In the anime, the duels also seemed to happen based on Akio's will, but were a matter of natural course after a while.

Also... Utena is much more likely to lick someone's tears away in the manga, just saying.

In relation to her parents deaths and her resulting melancholy, the manga draws it out as an event that happened and was never explained to younger!Utena but Tenjou realized the impact some time later. Watching a little girl nearly plummet to her death because of being lost in her own sadness is some serious imagery. Of course, so is a child hiding herself in a coffin based on that same sadness>___>

The Adolescence of Utena manga made me sad. Because of it's story? Heck no! There was no plotline for JURI!!!!!!!!! or shiori of course, but mostly juri...

[[I'd like to add that I just discovered that little expansion option on text boxes, pretty cool]]