I was cruising through the manga aisle at a local bookstore chain, and found myself poring over a copy of Magic Knight Rayearth 2, which was, disappointingly, not a sequel, but a manga re-release. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with a second release of manga. For those classics which might be ignored for the not-so-well-written next big thing, it gives new life to series that should be read but never get a chance because books four, seven, and twelve may be the only ones left on the shelves of the local bookseller. But there is a part of the manga re-release that is more controversial, more intriguing, and that is the manga re-release that incorporates new artwork or text within the old storyline.

Much like the changes made to the original Star Wars trilogy or E.T., there are three basic sides to the manga re-release story. On one hand, many people are excited because they get to learn more about their favorite characters, more beautiful art, and perhaps even new facets to an already complex story line. A second opinion is that re-releasing any manga with more material is going to damage the plot and the characters forever, ruining what these fans already saw as the perfect series just the way it was. A third is from the point of view from the authors and artist of the original manga, who may have wanted to add a more convoluted story line or prettier art, and just did not have the time before.

But which of these opinions are right? Frankly, it is going to end up being based on what the reader personally likes. Just because I was disappointed to discover that Magic Knight Rayearth 2 was just an expanded version of Magic Knight Rayearth does not mean that the re-released manga is any worse than the originals. Of course, this does not mean it is any better either. In the long run, re-released manga may be the most important to the people who created it, giving them the window of opportunity they did not have when they were writing the original material, or when it was chopped up by editors.

Thinking of re-released manga as sort of the “director’s cut” of the manga makes a little more sense. There are scenes not originally seen by the audience, and whether it makes the series better or worse is certainly up to the people reading it. So the next time you are in the bookstore, keep an eye out for re-released manga. Whether you are a fan or not, you may be surprised at how well the new parts fit in, or just a little more thankful that you got the series before it was released again.