This document is a continuation for a blog entry [link].
The comparison begs to be made, so here's how I see it.
The first thing to stand out is, the original had far better character designs. They were warmer, cuter, livelier. Not everyone was damaged equally. In fact, I think that Taro looked better in the remake. Konoe, Ikuyo, and Grace did not suffer much. However, triplets were shortchanged badly. They had such wonderful facial distortions originally:
In the remake, the best was this:
Of course, the animation in the remake is far sharper.
The story is absent from the original, but the worst of all was how the 3 additional episodes did absolutely nothing to advance it.
Original does not have Yashima, the unnecessary raging lesbian. I don't care if she were in the manga, it was a poorly thought out addition. Since she was in the show, she was used for a bit of inspiration for Konoe, and as an object to which Konoe could narrate her feelings and thus made them known to the viewer. I only see poor directing in it.
To balance the stupid addition of Yashima, the remake dropped the stupid allergy, and lo and behold, the story were told without it just fine. It was just as unnecessary.
On the whole, I have to give the upper hand to the original, but it's a very even match: remake's animation balances original's designs, and remake's Yashima balances original's allergy.
Original features a V-22. It's a crime that they did not make it to transition into airplane mode. A crime!
In the remake, it was made very plain that Ryuuka harbors feelings for Taro. She mainly expresses them in mutterings and odd, childish behaviours. That asshole Taro is perfectly comfortable keeping her as an "asset" (using SDB's words). He does the same to Konoe, but she is at least bound to him by the duty, and there is not much for him do (short of setting her up with someone). But in Ryuuka's case, I would certainly go to the Jingoh clan's head and ask him to remove the marriage condition.
BTW, Ryuuka is shown firing FN FAL one-handed in ep.11. Hurray for superhuman strength and down with realism! Actually, I'm half serious here. It was decent excercise of poetic license.
The funniest part is, ANN entry has got it wrong (they use English order and list Yashima as "Sanae Yashima", at least at the time this article is being written). Her Japanese name is "早苗八嶋".
Konoe is spelled "コノヱ", with archaic katakana for "we". So, she may as well be spelled "Konowe" and pronounced "Ko-no-ue". Listen carefuly.
Kanji (太郎) calls for a long 'o' in "Tarou", but just about everyone shortens it... except Konoe. Maybe she simpathizes, given her own name?
I am having trouble believing the story. Sure, explosives can do it, but a rock...?
Konoe looks parodying Gendo to me when she says "やはり、やしまはダメか" ("I knew that Yashima was no use"), even though she has no reflecting eyeglasses.
mYOji - last name
あやとり - cat's craddle