Osamu Tezuka is one of the most influential mangaka in the history of the medium, penning juggernaut hits like Mighty Atom (Astro Boy) and essentially launching manga and anime into the mainstream. But his 1967 historical manga Dororo never caught much traction until 2019, when Tezuka Productions and MAPPA adapted it into the serious drama anime that we’ve grown to love over these past two seasons.

So why is this version of Dororo so highly acclaimed, while the original languishes in forgotten old-school manga purgatory? Well, that’s because the 2019 anime completely overhauls the story to give it proper character arcs, suspense, drama, and a real conclusion. It’s astounding how many of the best parts have no basis in the lackluster source material—Hyakkimaru’s struggle to regain his senses and become human, the doctor’s backstory, pretty much everything about Tahomaru, and countless other integral aspects of this version were invented from scratch. This makes it the rare anime adaptation that clearly surpasses the original, so let’s check out 5 moments from the 2019 Dororo anime that make it better than the manga!

This article was written for Honey’s Anime, so please read it on their site.