One large difference between both stories is the stone Tsubasa is now wearing around his neck, the stone Evergreen. In Zoku Cutlass there is no mention of any such important stone, yet in the newest version it is extremely part of the central story. It serves as a gate through the world of the sea and the world of the humans, and was worn by his mother. It is coveted by both Shroud and Dead Eye.

We adore what happened to Tsubasa. Looking much prettier now, he now wears his hair a bit longer and now dresses a lot more spunky. At one time, he wears a rabbit-like hat. He must've re-done his entire closet, since now he wears more hip-clothes, such as scrunchy shirts and hats, and lost his school, white shirt. Must be buried some place in his dirty clothes' hamper. The shape of his face is much sweeter and prettier, enhanced by the hairstyle he now wears; he resembles a young girl even more now. We're glad for this. Along with new clothes comes new attitude. He is more temperamental and fights, even if it in a lame way.

Tokimaru, however, changed for the worst. We preferred the original style he sported, the biker - punk look. He cut his long hair, which used to be styled in a thin pony tail. We miss this the most. He now wears a plain old shirt and jeans. He also lost a bit of his reserved personality, since he now seems to think very little before fighting. He's no longer scared to pick up a sword. He still very much loves Tsubasa, though, and is extremely devoted to him.

One of our happiest moments was when we saw the changes surrounding the nemesis. He changed his name to Dead Eye. Personally, we liked his original name, even if we knew it to be nothing but a tittle, and not a real name. To our relief, Dead Eye transformed his looks. Very little is left from the original version. Gone are the tied bits of hair and the tattoo on his face, and the incandescent resemblance to Seimaden's Rauresu. Instead, he now sports flashy robes much like the ones Teteiyusu wears in volumes 9 and 10 of Seimaden. His hair is now cascading over his face and he now employs heavy lipstick. We prefer him as he is now, with a look all of his own.

His personality and motives also changed. No longer is he trying to kill or hold Tsubasa's mother captive. Tsubasa's mother, as a mater of fact, is now dead. He now holds a different person inside the tank -- a youthful man, Gunji. Gunji is the newest addition to the story line. He is faithful to the Dead Eye, and is Ledania's nemesis. He is able to summon Tsubasa, and his power is extremely great, second only to Acashia. He's also a beautifully dark skinned character, which is always a plus, and his character design is refreshingly original.

Ledania, Shroud's loyal companion, is now doted with magical powers, whereas in the original manga, he owned no talents other than being a convincible woman. He is able to produce light from his hands and can sense when Gunji, Dead Eye's servant, is at work. Gunji and him, you see, are set rivals. His devotion for Shroud, however, remains intact, even if his sensual attractions are now more quiet.

 
Boleas is no longer part of Shroud's crew. He went solo and got himself a band of followers, and lizard mounts, to join him. A  thief, he lives the exciting life lead by the romanticized wild, free people who live in sandy, hot lands. Sort of like that thief character in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the one who steals the comb. Boleas, however, is still the same funny, spunky childish punk who hates and wishes to beat up Tokimaru. Still brash, outspoken and quick to curse.

Shroud, to our happiness, remains basically the same. Still believing he's the last Coke in the desert, he commands his ruffian pirates. Actually, anyone who knows about pirates knows the red flag they're flying is actually a buccaneer flag, not a pirate flag. But we'll leave that as it may.

Shroud no longer seems to fancy Tokimaru in any sexual way. In this version, his love for Acashia is even more noted. This romance and devotion is very sweet and makes him likeable. 
 
 

Shroud's first mate, Tange, remained by his side, even if he lost Freddy, who hasn't shown up in the manga. Most importantly, even if it is a very silly name, we've confirmed that his name is Shroud (previously Shiyurado), as stated by the manga artist.

Frau, the little fish servant, seems to be completely gone. He is either dead or erased as a character. Even though he was pretty and childishly comical, we're not sorry to see him go. He was too silly, and often ate up a lot of the manga. Also, his fantasy magical shape changing abilities turned us off. Poor Frau, he seems to be hanging out wherever half of Shroud's crew, specially Freddy, are hanging out nowadays. Nowhere lala-land.