Fan of shows like Samurai Jack, Avatar: The Last Airbender, or Teen Titans? Also a fan of anime or Japanese culture?? You probably won’t be surprised when we tell you that anime has had a profound effect on not only these shows, but western media in general. Learn about other shows and pop culture phenomena that have been influenced by anime by reading below!

We’ll talk about:

• How your favorite shows (including but not limited to the ones mentioned above) have been influenced by anime

• Other forms of media (movies, video games, TV shows) that anime has changed

Let’s dive right in!

Your Favorite Animated Shows and Anime

Samurai Jack

Older fans will remember watching Samurai Jack on Cartoon Network often, while slightly younger fans might remember the reruns that occurred periodically on Cartoon Network’s Cartoon Planet. Nevertheless, the effect that Japanese culture has had on Samurai Jack is quite obvious, seeing that the artstyle is directly influenced by ukiyo-e, a historically Japanese style of artwork. Additionally, the personality and appearance of Aku, a main antagonist in the series, is inspired by tales of Japanese demons.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

A Nickelodeon classic created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the animation and storyboard team specifically drew inspiration from Studio Ghibli films like "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away," as well as "Cowboy Bebop" and "Samurai Champloo". The creators admired the balance of action, humor, and emotion in Studio Ghibli's work, particularly in "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away," and incorporated those elements into Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Teen Titans

Let’s mention the obvious here: the original Teen Titans’ theme song was written and performed by the Japanese performers Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura, as well as animated to a backdrop that was very reminiscent of the Cowboy Bebop introduction sequence. Both the English and Japanese version of the theme song were featured on alternating episodes of the original series, and the characters even travel to Japan in the TV film Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo. It’s no secret that anime has had a remarkable effect on the Teen Titans series up to this day with Teen Titans Go! as well, such as exaggerated expressions and exhibitors of emotion such as sweat lines and anger marks.

Anime Influences in Other Western Media

To keep it short, we’ll go from here:

• In Overwatch, characters such as McCree and Ashe can equip Cowboy Bebop (a reoccurring theme, we know) skins that mimic characters from the show such as Spike Spiegel and Faye Valentine, respectively.

• The art of the video game series Skullgirls is inspired by anime such as Kill la Kill and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

• Cyberpunk 2077’s sister animation series, Edgerunners, is an anime adaptation of events relating to the main video game. 

• Animations and trailers for the game Valorant feature over-the-top action with a focus on personal rivalries and triumphant victories.

Conclusion

As both huge anime/Japanese culture fans as well as die-hard video game and TV show fans, we worked pretty hard to compile the picks of what we thought were great mentions of how Japanese culture and anime have influenced Western media. Did we miss any? Let us know by reaching out to us on social media!