Crunchyroll's recent adaptations of Tower of God and The God of High School are two completely different anime with one thing in commonーthey are both adaptations of manhwa, the South Korean term for comics. Even if they both have the "God" in their titles, they are very different in terms of content and writing.
While The God of High School is focused almost entirely on a tournament arc, Tower of God is more of a mystery/adventure anime telling the tale of a young boy trying to climb a tower to find his dear friend Rachel. Now that these two are the first popularized manhwa-to-anime adaptions, the question remainsーwhich did it better?
11 Tower Of God: The World
Tower of God has one of the most fantastical and lore-filled worlds in all of manhwa, and this is because of the author, S.I.U planning the story, plot points, and major events eight years in advance.
From their powers, to the inspiration from the power, and even the characters' motivesーTower of God trumps over the world of The God of High School for the best world, as it immediately immerses one in the atmosphere.
10 The God Of High School: The Fighting Styles
All of the fighting styles in The God of High School are inspired by real martial arts fighting styles in some way. Their fighting styles and movements were also recorded by actual people, as shown in the behind-the-scenes special episode.
From Jin Mori's renewal taekwondo, Yoo Mira's Moonlight Sword style, and Han Daewi's full contact karate, these were all extensively researched before being put into action by the author, Yongje Park.
9 Tower Of God: The Music
Kevin Penkin was in charge of composing the music of Tower of God. Kevin Penkin was in charge of composing music for other anime such as The Rising of the Shield Hero as well as Made in Abyss.
While the music fits just as well in The God of High School, the mysterious feel of the soundtrack was enough to get fans immersed within the anime's twists and turns.
8 The God Of High School: The Characters' Backstories
Because fans mostly follow Bam in Tower of God, there is not much room for other characters' backstories or motives in the series. While it is more well-developed in the manhwa and after the prologue, The God of High School kicks off with the backstories of Mori, Daewi, and Mira quite quickly.
From why Mira only uses the Moonlight Sword Style as to why Daewi wishes to win the tournament so badly, their backstories are quite interesting, even with a little information to show it.
7 Tower Of God: The Pacing
The pacing of both anime can be debatable. While manhwa readers thought the pacing of Tower of God was all over the place, fans believed fans the pacing of The God of High School is too fast.
While both hold true to each statement, the pacing is arguably better in Tower of God. This is because of the way the first season wrapped up without any loose ends.
6 The God Of High School: The Shounen Influences
The God of High School is influenced by a lot of shounen manga, such as Dragon Ball and Naruto. The influence comes from the character of Jin Mori, who enjoys what every shounen character lovesーeating, fighting, and sleeping.
The influence is also widely shown in the latter half of the manhwa, as well as some Jojo's Bizzare Adventure with the powers they use being compared to Stands in the anime.
5 Tower Of God: The Unique Characters
Both Tower of God and The God of High School have a colorful cast of characters, from the main character Jin Mori to everyone's favorite lizard girl Anak Zahard.
But while both are great in their own way, the cast of Tower of God is a bit more original than that of The God of High School. This may be because of certain tropes being used in the former, while the latter relies more on original aspects.
4 The God Of High School: The Great Animation
Tower of God utilizes S.I.U's original art of the manhwa while prioritizing style over animation. On the other hand, MAPPA uses the style of the manhwa as well as making every fight look smooth and exciting.
This one is a tough one, as both series does great in keeping true to the original manhwa, but The God of High School wins for the cutting edge way they worked on the animation.
3 Tower Of God: The Mystery
There is mystery in The God of High School, but it is often put on the backburner in turn of the hyped-up fights. On the other hand, fans must figure out what is going on, just like Bam who suddenly entered the tower to chase after Rachel.
From the mysterious Headon, the creatures that roam the tower, and each characters' backstoryーeverything is shrouded in mystery that is just waiting to be unraveled.
2 The God Of High School: The Well-Directed Fights
Above anything else, The God of High School and Tower of God are two different genres. However, the undeniable truth is that each one learned from the otherーand The God of High School was made with the genre in mind.
From the opening animation that displays the first few fights to one of the best fights that will go down in history with Mori against Daewi, The God of High School is reigns supreme to certain fans, with Tower of God doing the same to others.
1 Winner: The God Of High School
So, which anime adaption of the manhwa is better? Despite Tower of God having great lore and a mysterious atmosphere, the winner who takes the cake has to go to The God of High School. Though the series may not have quite finished its first season, it's already clear to see that it is the superior adaptation in both story and animation.
With the wonderful animation provided by MAPPA, interesting characters, and fantastic fight choreography, the winner is The God of High School.