There are so many films that would work better with really gorgeous, original animation, and yet it seems like there's less and less of that kind of animation as every year passes.

, because it's not like I didn't have fun watching the adaptation we got, but there was so much it missed.

Agreed. There were some things that were so fun to see! But there was soooooooooooo much that it missed!

but the more I think about it the more I'm convinced that the series only works as the precisely done writing it is, because it's such a subtle thing in so many ways. Maybe it could work as a comic, but I don't think a TV or movie can really manage.

Interesting! I don't have a strong connection to the books so I haven't really been able to judge them as adaptations.