The choice between the manga and anime of A Certain Magical Index is tricky. The manga offers more detailed panels and the reader's imagination takes over. The anime brings the story to life with motion and sound, but might have some adaptations. It really comes down to what you value more in your entertainment.
Well, the anime and the light novel of 'A Certain Magical Index' have some differences. The light novel can offer a more comprehensive view of the world - building. It has more room to develop the various factions, such as the Magic Side and the Science Side. In the anime, some plotlines might be simplified for the sake of time. But the anime does a great job in character design. The unique appearance of characters like Accelerator is very well - presented in the anime. Also, the voice acting in the anime adds another layer of charm to the characters that the light novel lacks.
It depends on your preferences. The anime offers a visual and auditory experience, but the light novel might have more detailed descriptions and inner thoughts of the characters.
Overall, the 'A Certain Magical Index' anime follows the manga to a certain extent. However, the manga might offer more depth and nuances in the story and character development.
For me, the light novel is better. It has so much more detail. You can really get into the minds of the characters through their internal monologues which are sometimes not fully captured in the anime. The light novel also has the advantage of not being restricted by time limits, so it can explore the story's concepts and plotlines more thoroughly. But the anime does have the perk of bringing the story to life in a different way with its great visuals and action scenes.
The light novel and anime have some similarities and differences. The anime usually visualizes the key events and characters from the novel but might simplify or omit some details.
It follows to a considerable extent. The anime tries to remain true to the main plot and characters of the light novel, but there are some inevitable adaptations and changes.