Anime Influence On Non-Anime Stories
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Anime is one of the most popular genres of content worldwide. Whether you are an otaku or have never seen a single episode, it seems like everyone on the planet can name at least one anime. Most of that is thanks to social media and celebrities like Megan Thee Stallion bringing something that was once incredibly niche to the forefront of pop culture. While anime is everywhere today, many fans may not know that anime has been influencing non-anime content for decades! The unique storytelling styles, intricately woven lore, dynamic characters, and stunning imagery have influenced everything from action movies to Disney blockbusters!
The Matrix is one of the most well-known sci-fi action films, and the creators of the film have openly discussed that they were influenced by the 1995 anime film, Ghost in the Shell. The creators discussed how they used the film to communicate their vision to Joel Silver, the producer of the film. The theme of questioning one's identity and reality was directly inspired by the anime, as was having the characters plug themselves into a virtual world. Another example is Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream, which was influenced by the 1997 anime film Perfect Blue. He discussed being in the middle of script writing and struggling to get into the head of his female character when he saw the anime. After seeing it, he decided to remake one of the shots from the anime and use it in his film.
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Image Source: CultureSlate
These are just two examples where the filmmakers discussed how they were influenced; however, there are countless other examples of films where audiences pointed out similarities between them and popular anime. A few examples are Rian Johnson’s Looper, which has been compared to Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim, which has been compared to Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Kaiju subgenre, and James Cameron’s Avatar, which has been compared to Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke.
Not all films that are believed to have been influenced by anime are without controversy, though. Disney’s 1994 blockbuster The Lion King was said to be the Studio’s first original film; however, 488 Japanese manga artists and animators disagree. These creatives joined together to sign a letter asking the studio to credit Kimba the White Lion as inspiration for the film. No legal action was ever taken, but many fans have voiced their frustration over the studio releasing a film that shares countless similarities with the 1965 Japanese tale, and yet no credit was ever given. Both films are coming-of-age tales focusing on a young lion cub who loses its father to murder within the first act of the film.
Both of the main villains are male lions with black manes. Scar (Disney) has a scar over his left eye, while Claw (Japan) has a scar in a different place instead of his left eye. Claw has two hyenas for henchmen, and Scar has three. Both lion cubs also have advisors that are birds, with Simba’s (Disney) being a hornbill named Zazu and Kimba’s (Japan) being a parrot named Pauly.
These are just a few of the many similarities between the two films. There are two notable differences, though that should be mentioned, and the first one is that the Japanese film has multiple human characters, while the Disney film is animals only. Second, the Disney film’s story is 100% focused on the animals, while the Japanese film focuses on the conflicts between “encroaching civilization and nature.” Anime has inspired non-anime content for decades, and with the boom in its popularity in 2025, it is safe to assume that it will continue to be an inspiration for decades to come.
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Source(s): Collider, Collider, Slash Film, The Hollywood Reporter
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