With the likes of Chainsaw Man and Mob Psycho 100 season 3 thrilling audiences, it's clear to see that anime has become far more mainstream in the west in recent years, and it's also influenced western animation along the way.
Anime has a distinctive visual and stylistic flair to it that has its appeal, but even before that genre grew into the international juggernaut that it is now, massive western properties from even the likes of DC Comics were taking cues from its aesthetics. That source of inspiration is even more visible now, with major streaming services licensing anime series as well as creating their inspired versions, with Netflix's Castlevaniabeing a great example.
Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
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Batman: The Animated Series had several memorable stories, from all-time classics like "Heart of Ice" to underrated ones like "Growing Pains." To this day, the series is hailed by many fans as the best rendition of the Dark Knight in animation or otherwise, and some of its styles had taken a page from Japanese art direction. The now-defunct Animato Magazine includes quotes from series creatives on how some of the animation work was outsourced to Japanese artists.
The series was characterized by its masterful balance of the inherent whimsy of the comic book medium as well as its darker nuanced atmosphere and themes that made it timeless for all demographics. All of this was wrapped up in a tantalizing art deco art style that drew on Batman's crime-noir roots in the source material.
Batman Beyond (1999-2001)
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Naturally, with The Animated Series taking some creative direction from Japanese artists, Batman Beyond is another easy case study since that series takes the tone and style of its predecessor and elevates it. Specifically, Beyond takes all of the inspiration used to put together The Animated Series to give the Dark Knight's corner of the DC universe a neo-noir cyberpunk flavor.
Slash Film also noted how it had paid homage to the cult-classic anime movie Akira in depicting its tech-dystopian setting, as well as how it hired Hiroyuki Aoyama -- an animator on the movie -- to work on Beyond. The series was a compelling new take on the hero's world that no one knew they wanted at the time, and Batman Beyond has thoroughly earned the right to a TV revival.
Castlevania (2017-2021)
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Netflix's aforementioned original series Castlevania, adapted from Japanese publisher Konami's titular video game series, is one of the most recent and visually apparent examples. The animated show was one of the first successful video game adaptations on the critical front, with a sequel subtitled Nocturne on the way.
Castlevania's character designs take clear inspiration from anime conventions, with Powerhouse Animation Studio's action-heavy animation work proving to be visual spectacles as well. The dark fantasy show's animation directors even noted in a GameSpot interview how Kentaro Miura's manga/anime epic Berserk was among their specific influences.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)
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For a more modern classic, Avatar: The Last Airbender is often regarded as one of the greatest animated shows to come out of the new century. This, by extension, applies to the early cartoons from Nickelodeon as well. While certainly more lighthearted in terms of aesthetics and tone than something like Castlevania, the art direction in Avatar: The Last Airbender also alludes heavily to anime.
Likewise, the series was acclaimed for balancing an air of grandiose adventure with grounded themes of the perils of war, imperialism, and social oppression. In an interview with IGN, the series' co-creators outright cite the anime genre as one of its several initial sources of inspiration.
The Legend Of Korra (2012-2014)
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Like what Batman Beyond did after the original Animated Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender's sequel series The Legend of Korra serves as another clear-cut case of carrying forward its predecessor's creative influences. It doesn't quite reach the Herculean heights of its lauded original series either, but it received a strong critical reception nonetheless for being a more-than-worthy sequel.
Everything from its more dramatized voice acting, artistic style, and storytelling conventions are straight anime-like continuations of what made Avatar: The Last Airbender as revered as it was. And like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Korra was equally praised for its poignant explorations of social, political, and gender topics while being a sprawling fantasy tale.
Voltron: Legendary Defender (2016-2018)
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Perhaps the most obvious instance of a heavily anime-inspired western series is Netflix's Voltron: Legendary Defender. It follows the story of the Paladins of Voltron as they learn to work together, form the titular giant robot, and use it to defeat the conquesting Galra Empire.
Aside from the mecha subgenre being a staple in anime (e.g. Mobile Suit Gundam) and the anime-styled character designs, the Voltron property is owned by Toei Animation (Dragon Ball), with this Westernized story serving as a reboot of the classic Beast King GoLion anime. The series achieved acclaim for its character-driven writing and LBGT representative characters on top of its stunning visuals.
Teen Titans (2003-2006)
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DC's use of anime-inspired techniques didn't stop with Batman, as the beloved Teen Titans series that popularized the titular superhero team took some stylistic influence as well. Teen Titans arguably uses even more anime influence than the DC Animated Universe shows spearheaded by creators Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.
Series developer Glen Murakami noted in an interview with Animation World Network how he and his team used the more exaggerated character features of anime as a deliberate artistic change from the aforementioned universe. Teen Titans was well-received for its combination of serialized character development, and more mature thematic storytelling, all while weaving in tasteful comedic relief.
The Batman (2004-2005)
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It might not have been the most iconic TV show in the Caped Crusader's esteemed catalog of stories, but The Batman animated series from the mid-2000s is an admirable adaptation on its own terms. The show was generally well-received for its inventive interpretation of the established Batman canon, giving engaging new versions of characters like the Joker and Riddler.
At the same time, it introduced entirely original characters as well. Somewhat similar to the likes of Teen Titans, it's the unique art direction (this time by animator Jeff Matsuda) through The Batman's strikingly exaggerated character designs that make the anime influence apparent. This was also in conjunction with the show's elaborate, stylized, and extended fight sequences.
Blood Of Zeus (2020-)
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Even with the fluctuating cancelations and renewals of the company's original shows, Netflix has seemingly doubled down on the anime/animation front. From the same studio of Castlevania comes Blood of Zeus, a Greek mythology spin on the team's art style.
An original story within the Greek Pantheon, it revolves around Heron, one of Zeus' sons born into poverty who now finds himself on a quest to save both Olympus and Earth. Since Powerhouse Animation Studio is behind Blood of Zeus as well, the same visual inspirations taken from anime carry over from its ventures with Castlevania.
Samurai Jack (2001-2017)
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Creator Genndy Tartatovsky has a stylish and minimalist art style that's become unique to all of his animated works. Primal is his most recent series, with the ongoing show taking an ingenious anachronistic take on its prehistoric backdrop, and he's even had a history with Star Wars in the 2003 Clone Wars series. However, perhaps the most fitting showcase for his love of anime is Samurai Jack.
It's a creative cocktail of eastern fantasy and science fiction, seeing the titular samurai travel through time to defeat the demon lord Aku. Even with its standout art direction by any animation standard, Samurai Jack's art direction and action are reminiscent of anime. Tartatovsky stated in an interview with SyFy (via AVClub) that classic anime helped him form his distinctive style.
Source:gamerant.com