The anime is mostly in chronological order, but since moving mediums like anime and film have a set pace and a time limit, it's sometimes a better choice thematically to focus on one character for a scene or set of scenes even if you have to skip ahead of where the rest of the character's narratives are. For example, the 2nd OAV is all Motoko with a side of Kanami, and squeezing each little incident of hers in chronologically would feel very random in those otherwise Natsuno/Tohru/Megumi or Ozaki/Seishin/Sunako episodes, but if put together in one episode all to herself it illustrates her character arc and allows the narrative to get the most out of her part in the story. In a book you can just use a chapter break to call 'scene!' and there's no set amount of time you need to take at all.
Manga's a little more free than anime in that the reader goes at their own pace and to shift focus all you need to do is do a particularly large page panel to establish a new setting/focus character. But they still have to make each chapter feel like there was a point, development, or movement; it's harder to get away with a set of what seems like disjointed bunches of characters with no time or momentum in a scene to get into them unless you're doing a very specific type of story that's written like a Rube Goldberg blueprint. Shiki's a very big web of events that all tie up amazingly well, indeed like a village under siege, but it's also very emotionally driven and I'm happier with episodes whose themes and arcs are distinct enough to have meaningful breaks than I would be with a straight line by line attempt at interpretation. Much as I'd prefer the actual story stayed the same (more of the cut wakacombi scenes kept, more fleshing out the adults, less forcing Natsuno into constant prominence--all matters of preference in what characters I like) I think the anime and manga worked well in adapting to the strengths of their mediums. Remember when Toshio snapped at the Katous? That was an emotional scene, and while the novel is fantastic ultimately I don't think it can top the anime in how well it expressed what a snap, stress driven, unexpected but well lead up to reaction that was. We have Toshio talking in a 'present', non 'absent' but still disinterested voice, we have Katou's wife's audio muffled while only focusing on Ozaki's eye, as if he's not listening, but then it gets through and there's the rushing blood and the difference from his last line of dialogue, the wide angle shots that focus on the scene as a whole, Ritsuko's tone that's surprisingly understanding and not surprised even though she is, his own apology tone only returning to that same disinterested one rather than being apologetic; the rushing pounding lead up music that just STOPS when he snaps. A moving, auditory medium has a lot of strengths available to it to establish a change in a person's demeanor and emotional states. The anime did what the medium could do best; sustained a mood. With so many characters in so many emotional states, doing that while following the narrative is really impressive.
Maybe I'm too forgiving, though. I admit I'm just really fond of the anime's end result. I think the fact that it is so strong without the novel is a testament to something done well. I would not be translating the novel if the anime didn't hook me hard, and with all the good anime out there there are plenty of distractions I could have to stop thinking "NEED MORE SHIKI."
I'd love to see people go through the anime or manga with or after the novel and see what people find as strengths or weaknesses comparatively across mediums. I definitely won't say the manga and anime don't have weaknesses. As for the novel... I... can't think of any part I'd call a weakness yet. Some would say the length, but even as the translator, I'm really enjoying it. Even the infodumps which I find tedious I don't find "unnecessary." So I guess I can't discuss the novel too well yet if I can't find any particular things it's not good at.
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Manga's a little more free than anime in that the reader goes at their own pace and to shift focus all you need to do is do a particularly large page panel to establish a new setting/focus character. But they still have to make each chapter feel like there was a point, development, or movement; it's harder to get away with a set of what seems like disjointed bunches of characters with no time or momentum in a scene to get into them unless you're doing a very specific type of story that's written like a Rube Goldberg blueprint. Shiki's a very big web of events that all tie up amazingly well, indeed like a village under siege, but it's also very emotionally driven and I'm happier with episodes whose themes and arcs are distinct enough to have meaningful breaks than I would be with a straight line by line attempt at interpretation. Much as I'd prefer the actual story stayed the same (more of the cut wakacombi scenes kept, more fleshing out the adults, less forcing Natsuno into constant prominence--all matters of preference in what characters I like) I think the anime and manga worked well in adapting to the strengths of their mediums. Remember when Toshio snapped at the Katous? That was an emotional scene, and while the novel is fantastic ultimately I don't think it can top the anime in how well it expressed what a snap, stress driven, unexpected but well lead up to reaction that was. We have Toshio talking in a 'present', non 'absent' but still disinterested voice, we have Katou's wife's audio muffled while only focusing on Ozaki's eye, as if he's not listening, but then it gets through and there's the rushing blood and the difference from his last line of dialogue, the wide angle shots that focus on the scene as a whole, Ritsuko's tone that's surprisingly understanding and not surprised even though she is, his own apology tone only returning to that same disinterested one rather than being apologetic; the rushing pounding lead up music that just STOPS when he snaps. A moving, auditory medium has a lot of strengths available to it to establish a change in a person's demeanor and emotional states. The anime did what the medium could do best; sustained a mood. With so many characters in so many emotional states, doing that while following the narrative is really impressive.
Maybe I'm too forgiving, though. I admit I'm just really fond of the anime's end result. I think the fact that it is so strong without the novel is a testament to something done well. I would not be translating the novel if the anime didn't hook me hard, and with all the good anime out there there are plenty of distractions I could have to stop thinking "NEED MORE SHIKI."
I'd love to see people go through the anime or manga with or after the novel and see what people find as strengths or weaknesses comparatively across mediums. I definitely won't say the manga and anime don't have weaknesses. As for the novel... I... can't think of any part I'd call a weakness yet. Some would say the length, but even as the translator, I'm really enjoying it. Even the infodumps which I find tedious I don't find "unnecessary." So I guess I can't discuss the novel too well yet if I can't find any particular things it's not good at.