Anime has fascinated fans for quite a while, and it garnered a lot of audience. Hollywood, on the other hand, has been producing movies since a long time. From time to time, both of these industries have taken inspiration from each other. May it be the storyline, personalities of the characters, or the world-building. The directors of these movies may not have intended for similarities; however, it’s a thrilling fact.
1. Inception – Paprika
The director of Inception, Christopher Nolan, was deeply influenced by the idea of Satoshi Kon’s Paprika. The premise of both the media was similar, which involves utilizing a machine to interfere with another person’s dream. Even certain scenes from Inception were directly taken from the anime Paprika, like the fight in the rotating hallway.
2. The Matrix – Ghost In The Shell
The Matrix is quite literally considered the epitome of pop culture. However, the directors of the movie were deeply inspired by the Japanese anime created by Mamoru Oshii, Ghost in the Shell. Several concepts from the anime were incorporated into the movie, like pinpointing particular users by the use of fast-paced green digitized typography or entering the Matrix using the cortical jacks.
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3. Guns Akimbo (2019) – Deadman Wonderland
Guns Akimbo is a rollercoaster ride from the beginning to the end of the movie. The entire narrative of the movie feels like an anime, as Daniel Radcliffe plays the role of the protagonist. Portrayed as an ordinary guy, he gets guns stuck to his hands. The movie has a futuristic dystopian world with stylized action and detailed characters, which make the movie feel more alive. Even though the director of the movie didn’t open up about being inspired by any anime, the resemblance can’t be denied.
4. Bullet Train (2022) – Hitman
Bullet Train has a ton of anime references in it. The movie was based on Kotaro Isaka’s novel trilogy, Hitman. What makes the movie feel more anime-like is the narrative and world-building. From the aesthetics of Japan to the intricate presentation of the bullet train, sprinkled with humorous dialogue and detailed personality for the supporting characters. The story only traces around a heist, revenge, and dark comedy set on a moving train.
5. The Saw Series (2004 – Ongoing) – Higurashi: When They Cry
The Saw has been one of the longest-running slasher franchises, with gore packed to the top of the box. Usually, movies don’t indulge in portraying gruesome moments, but this series by James Wan indeed attracted the attention of anime enthusiasts who are into spilled blood and guts. Even though Wan never directly addressed getting inspired by anime for this movie, he was a fan of Japanese animation.
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6. Pacific Rim (2013) – Gurren Lagann
The director of Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro, revealed in a Reddit AMA that the movie was heavily influenced by anime. The entire premise of the movie and some ideas like giant robots, monstrous beasts, and high stakes for humanity could be related to an anime. There were also subtle factors that resembled an anime-like narrative. For example, side characters had distinct personalities, which made the movie feel more alive. The world-building was done correctly, and it helped in providing an immersive experience to the audience.
7. Edge Of Tomorrow – All You Need Is Kill
Tom Cruise’s one of the most prominent characters he ever played, was William Cage in the movie Edge of Tomorrow. This movie was actually inspired by the light novel series created by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, All You Need is Kill. The character was taken after the protagonist of this light sci-fi novel, Keiji Kiriya. Even though the light novel never got an anime adaptation, it was adapted into a Manga by Ryōsuke Takeuchi, with illustrations done by Takeshi Obata.
