The Love Live! anime gained a loyal fanbase very quickly thanks to its relatable and quirky characters, catchy and memorable songs, and interesting storyline. Fans accompanied µ's as they went from an amateur idol group to competing in Love Live. Character struggles such as Umi's stage fright, Hanayo's lack of confidence, and Maki's fear of opening up to people gave them depth, and µ's many triumphs had fans cheering. The anime launched multiple spin-offs, such as Love Live! Sunshine! and Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. Both Sunshine and Nijigasaki presented new dilemmas, characters, and many cute new idol outfits.

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Other media, such as School Idol Diaries, video shorts, and character albums exist for fans to dive more deeply into the original series. Among these is the Love Live! manga. Many of the characters, scenarios, and outcomes change between the anime and manga, some, quite drastically.

10 The Kendo Club Plot Line Is Changed

In the manga version of Love Live!, Umi and Honoka are both members of the school's Kendo Club. When Honoka finds out the school may be closing, she decides that winning tournaments in Kendo is the best way to save the school. By building up the club's reputation, people will be more inclined to enroll.

However, this plan falls through very quickly when their club wins the competition, and the school issues a notice shortly after saying it will close. When Honoka hears this, she ultimately quits the Kendo Club to pursue becoming an idol.

9 Nico Is Far More Careful With Her Words In The Manga

Nico Doing Her Nico Nico Nii Signature Move Love Live Anime

When fans think of Nico, they think of the energetic, spunky, idol-obsessed Nico Nico Nii. However, in the manga version of Love Live!, Nico is introduced as a very different character. Nico wears her hair in two low ponytails, similar to Nozomi, and her personality is far from the same. While the anime Nico is blunt, the Nico in the manga is far more careful in what she says and does. Nico downplays her cuteness and appeal as an idol when talking with people, insisting to Honoka that the other, prettier girls would make a better center in their songs than she would, and dons a maid outfit to work in a Maid Café in her pursuit of the cutest work uniform.

As the manga progresses, Nico sports her signature hairstyle more often and becomes more like her anime counterpart. However, this initial shift in personality is quite jarring to anyone familiar with the anime.

8 Honoka Discovers Idols In The Manga

Nico Tells Honoka About A-Rise and Idols In Love Live Anime

In the anime version, Honoka discovers UTX through her sister, Yukiho. She goes to the school where she meets an incognito Nico, who tells her about A-Rise, UTX's idol group whose popularity has soared since forming. Honoka watches their performance on a TV outside of the school and is inspired to create her own idol group to save her school.

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In the manga version, Honoka stumbles across UTX while wandering the Akihabara area. She meets up with Momoko, a young girl she knows, outside of UTX. Momoko fills Honoka in on A-Rise's performance and popularity, and Honoka buys a ticket for their show.

7 Eli Is Almost A Different Person Between The Two Versions

One of the biggest differences between the Love Live! anime and manga is Eli's character. Like Nico, Eli becomes more like her anime counterpart as the series evolves. In the anime, Eli is presented as serious and uses her power as Student Council President to constantly oppose Honoka and µ's. Ultimately, she becomes the last member to join. In the manga, Eli is Honoka's childhood friend and a huge support for them in forming their group.

She personally recruits Nozomi and supports them in any way she can, even going so far as to get them a teacher for their club. Ultimately, Eli ends up joining the club as the final member, but unlike the anime where she secretly wants to join, this version of Eli declines multiple times, later admitting that she was afraid that being the last member would lead to extra chores and that her singing and dancing would be too far behind the others.

6 The Anime Changed How Rin and Hanayo Join

In the anime version of Love Live!, Hanayo is a huge idol fan and makes a point of stopping by UTX to see A-Rise perform before going to school. She is a huge supporter of µ's, attending their first concert and cheering them on. Rin, however, is self-conscious and wants to join a sports club instead. In the manga, Rin and Hanayo are Honoka's friends long before they enter Otonokizaka, and the moment Honoka announces her decision to form an idol group, Rin enthusiastically joins.

Hanayo, on the other hand, is dragged kicking and screaming into the club, where she ultimately joins because Kotori takes care of her scratched knee.

5 Maki Is More Committed Beforehand

maki nishikino love live tsundere best girl

While Maki in the anime is hot and cold, and rarely honest with herself, the Maki of the Love Live! manga believes she would make a great idol and initially wants to join UTX so that she will be able to debut. When Maki considers joining µ's, she is disheartened by how difficult dancing is, and this shakes her confidence.

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Maki in the manga also expresses outward discontent with her family, referring to them as greedy and money-obsessed. While she does still compose music, Maki is not seen frequenting the Music Room as often as she does in the anime. Like the other characters, Maki evolves to be more like the anime version fans love over time.

4 Nico and Maki Want To Change Schools

Nico and Maki in the anime are quite happy attending Otonokizaka, and while Nico is very dissatisfied by her inability to debut due to her idol group members all quitting, she never expresses a desire to jump ship and switch schools. Nico in the manga attempts to apply to UTX on a scholarship, looking into any possibility to get into the school. There, she meets Maki, who is looking into switching schools due to being dissatisfied with Otonokizaka and the school demographic.

Both girls ultimately decide to join µ's, as the idol group who wins Love Live! will have the opportunity to get a free scholarship to UTX.

3 Nozomi Is Anything But Calm And Collected In The Manga

While the Nozomi in the anime tends to work behind the scenes and feels very mature, the Nozomi in the manga is introduced as the opposite. She is not directly involved with µ's in any way until she is eventually recruited by Eli. Nozomi is the only member of the Supernatural Phenomenon Research Club, and while she is still interested in the occult and tarot readings, she is also interested in aliens and uses a crystal ball.

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Personalitywise, Nozomi is bubbly, eccentric, and impulsive in the manga, contrasting her calm and collected anime counterpart. Nozomi also does not know Eli, nor does she have any relationship with the student council.

2 The First Song Is Changed

In the anime, Honoka, Kotori, and Umi's first original song is START: DASH!!, written by Umi and composed by Maki. This song inspires the trio to keep pursuing their dreams, and brings Maki one step closer to joining the group. The girls perform the song as their first real show at the school's cultural festival.

In the manga, Umi still writes the lyrics, and Maki still composes the song. However, their first song is Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE instead, and they create a PV to go with it, rather than doing a live performance.

1 The Group's Name Has A New Origin Story

An image of girls from Love Live.

In the anime version, the group is named µ's after an anonymous suggestion Nozomi gave them. In the manga version, the group receives the same name, but the way it comes about is different. Honoka names the group, remembering a time when Umi taught her about the 9 Greek muses. The chapter culminates in the girls singing by the piano, reminiscent of the ending song from the anime.

The anime version feels like a good tie in with Nozomi's spiritual side and the fact that she had been guiding the girls all along. The manga version on the other hand solidifies Honoka's leadership position with her thinking of the name.

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