Personally, I prefer the anime version of 21O.


I admit that the anime cut moments of her that I would have liked to see adapted, such as when 21O informs 9S that the council decided to increase the number of scanner units due to 9S's outstanding performance, and he starts complimenting her and appreciating her support, stating that he wouldn't have been able to do it without her. But 21O cuts him off, saying that this conversation is unnecessary.


However, it was the second season of the anime that made me prefer her version of 21O.


They show us (however briefly) what she was like in her time as a Battle Unit before being infected and how badass she can be.


It also makes me laugh a little how, besides fighting a group of machines, she congratulates 9S on his good work and (clumsily) pampers him like a child, but also tells him what not to do so he doesn't get hurt (like those moms who, in addition to working, help their children with their homework at the same time, which I found adorable).

I much prefer that they show her genuinely caring about 9S's well-being (not just saying it like the game did), since before going to the battlefield she made a video call with 9S to make sure he was okay.


And lastly, I liked her death much more than in the game (although fighting her was sad) because here it's shown again that she genuinely loves 9S (in a maternal way, I dare say), since she put his life before her own and wanted 9S to see her face without the face veil before dying (which I found very moving), encouraging him not to give up and comforting him one last time, behaving like a mother.


I like that in this version they show how 21O's death severely affected 9S (I dare say that her death is the second event that hurt and corrupted him the most, the first being, of course, 2B's death).

But that's just my opinion, what's your preference?

Game vs Anime: 21O Which do you prefer?