 Before Departures premiered , a manga adaptation by Akira Sasō was serialized in twelve instalments in the bi @-@ weekly Big Comic Superior , from February to August 2008 . Sasō agreed to take on the adaptation as he was impressed by the script . He had the opportunity to view the film before beginning the adaptation , and came to feel that a too @-@ literal adaptation would not be appropriate . He made changes to the settings and physical appearances of the characters , and increased the focus on the role of music in the story . Later in 2008 the serial was compiled in a 280 @-@ page volume released by Shogakukan . 
