I've been reading the manga, and the best part is that it's not a retread of the anime, or vice versa. My favorite example of this is in volume 2, where you get to see (or hear) why they're called Whispered. (Hmm, now that I'm leaving grad school, maybe I can work that into my abandoned story... um, did I say something?) Admittedly, it would be hard to portray that in the anime--the medium can have problems showing inner thoughts, esp. of that nature. Nice having the extra details.
What I miss in the American release is the covers...the Japanese editions have a pin-up on the reverse side of the girls. (And my one of Kyouko is signed by Monica Rial

) Sorry, just had to gloat a bit, I guess. And I'm a girl, so I don't like them
that way.
Samantha