Anime-Manga Differences

The D.Gray-man anime first aired on October 3, 2006 and ran until September 30, 2008 and produced 103 episodes. The anime was produced by TMS Entertainment and directed by Osamu Nabeshima.

The anime adaptation of the manga is fairly faithful to the source material, occasionally rearranging events for pacing reasons. It is divided into two "stages"; the first stage is episodes 1-51 and the second stage consists of episodes 52-103. In America, these stages are further divided into two seasons each. Because of its dedication to its source material, it does not have a definite end, instead ending at around chapter 157 of the manga. There have been no plans to continue the anime.

Episodes
The anime consists of a total of 103 episodes. There are four opening themes and eight closing themes.

Production
The episodes of the D.Gray-man anime are directed by Osamu Nabeshima and produced by Dentsu, TMS Entertainment, Aniplex and TV Tokyo. TMS Entertainment produced the animation and Aniplex was responsible for the music production. The episodes began airing on October 3, 2006 in Japan on TV Tokyo.

As of February 2009, twenty-six DVD compilations have been released by Aniplex between the first on February 7, 2007 and the latest on March 4, 2009. The first thirteen compilations contain episodes of the first season, and all successive compilations have episodes of the second season. The first thirteen episodes of the anime were released in the US, dubbed, on DVD on March 31, 2009 and also Blu-ray on January 5, 2010. The remaining 52 episodes (seasons 3 and 4) have yet to be dubbed, and are currently on hiatus.

The series made its North American television debut when it started airing on the FUNimation Channel on September 6, 2010.

TV Animation D.Gray-man Official Visual Collection: Clown Art was released on September 4, 2008 and is an official artbook for the anime.

Manga to Anime Differences
Additionally, the anime added a few small elements, including:
 * Episodes 14-18, 28-32, and 45 are original stories that do not center around the main plot.


 * There is more emphasis on the attachments Lavi has come to develop.
 * Lavi's relationship with Chomesuke is played up, hinting that he may have developed an attachment to her. This is most obvious when Chomesuke tells Bookman that she will self-destruct when her bloodlust becomes too strong. In the manga Bookman suspects that Allen would be upset by this, but the anime implies that he thinks Lavi would be as well.
 * The relationship between Bookman and Lavi is also emphasized. The suggestion of a familial attachment between the two of them is highlighted when Lavi, after being presumed dead, returns from the Ark. While Bookman only makes a comment that he had been worried in the manga, in the anime Bookman walks away in an attempt to hide his tears of happiness. There is also a hint of strain in their relationship as Bookman becomes worried that Lavi is developing attachments and he asks Lavi if the decisions he is making are as an exorcist or as the heir to Bookman.


 * Two staff members in the Asian Branch vocalize their dissatisfaction with Allen's presence, but after his battle with the level 3, they change their mind and become supportive of him.