nkhrchy:

As enjoyable as the anime adaptation may be, I urge everyone to read the light novel itself!! The anime glossed over many, many important scenes which are plenty enjoyable, but one thing I feel the novel captures a lot better are Oda’s thoughts, which definitely help you understand his (slightly odd) way of thinking. Here’s just a few of the many scenes you’d have missed out on if you only watch the anime:

Prologue + Chapter 1

• How Dazai injured himself on tofu.
  
• Dazai’s cooking and his miraculous soups.
• Oda’s extremely detailed breakfast routine.
• Dazai’s interaction with Hirotsu.
• Dazai making an order for coffee and his highly sweet tooth.
• The shooter was around three meters away from Dazai, compared to the anime which was near point blank (even I could have shot Dazai at that distance without training, please.) Also, Odasaku’s thoughts about Dazai’s expression. In comparison, he’s a lot more vocal about asking Dazai to stop talking after having his hand forced.

Chapter 2

• The fight with the kids.
  
• Odasaku’s vacuum cleaner passage about Dazai. Well worth the read.
• Ango commenting that Dazai and Oda stink of rotten tsukudani.

Chapter 3

• At one point, Akutagawa had Gide tied up. Also, he punched him.
  
• Oda and Gide’s first meeting, in which Oda describes Gide as handsome.
  
• Gide has grey eyes.
• Dazai proposes to arrange Gide and Odasaku’s wedding.
• Odasaku’s inner thoughts when the Buraiha trio break up are also well worth a read.

Chapter 4

• The chase scene when Odasaku goes for the orphans. This was moved to episode 15, but keeping this would have been more dramatic imo.
  
• The utter resignation in Odasaku’s thoughts are much, much grimmer in the novel. Also, Odasaku picks up smoking again.
• His fight with the Mimic soldiers was cut short. Just a little, though.
• Odasaku smiles when he fights Gide.
• Their pose is described as miraculous.
• The singularity of abilities is better explained in the novel.
• Odasaku’s past is slightly less glossed over/implied.
• Gide tells Odasaku to say hello to the children for him.
• The cigarettes. Also, Odasaku’s last words were about his true love, curry rice.

Epilogue

• Only one scene was animated. Everything else is pretty important imo.