Western Influences on Anime Characters

Anime has obviously spread far beyond Japan, where it originated. These days, it is mainstream enough to the point where streaming services like Netflix will release their own adaptations in an attempt to court its audience. But as far-reaching as the influence of anime is, so too are the influences on anime itself.

A lot of the conventions, tropes, and inspirations that viewers understand from anime originated in Japanese culture, and are vital to understanding the context behind it. However, certain influences came from far beyond Japan, and that can be reflected through various aspects of anime and manga. From character designs, to narrative inspiration, and more, here are some examples of the many "western" influences on anime.

5 One Piece

Sanji's Design

A now-famous (perhaps infamous) example of a Western influence on character design is "Black Leg" Sanji from One Piece. A fan identified as Noel in SBS Volume 68 noted the character's resemblance to Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. They asked if the Straw Hat cook was modeled on anyone.

Oda responded that DiCaprio was in fact a commonly speculated model for the design, but that the fan was incorrect. However, the actual inspiration for the character design turned out to be another American actor, Steve Buscemi, who Oda praised as "really super cool." Specifically, Buscemi's breakout role as Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs was the inspiration behind Sanji's character.

Oda claimed he didn't want "an obvious physical resemblance," preferring to instead communicate a shared attitude and mannerisms. He also stated the only person to ever correctly guess this fact (circa the time of his writing SBS Volume 68) was "an employee at Bandai, years ago."

4 Dragon Ball

Terminator Influence

The greater Dragon Ball series has a lot of obvious Eastern and Western influences. Whether it's Journey to the West, Drunken Master, or something more speculative like Superman, there are points where several similarities and homages are drawn. One that is less frequently discussed, however, is the 1984 action thriller The Terminator. This is first shown in Dragon Ball, where Goku fights Major Metallitron, an Android with more than a resemblance to the titular robot.

Fans have also speculated that the Cell Saga in Dragon Ball Z, as well as the broader plot point with the Androids, is influenced by the movie. While there has been little explicitly said by Toriyama, fans have picked up on aspects they believe connect the two. One example is the design of Future Trunks, noted to resemble John Connor in Terminator 2. Additionally, in Trunks' timeline, the Androids kill the Z Fighters on May 12th, the same date Skynet and John Connor send back a T-800 and Kyle Reese to determine the future's outcome, respectively. This all overlays the general plot point of a man from a dystopian future traveling back in time to prevent robots from ruining the present. Granted, more specific details in each narrative are different enough that this can be seen as an homage rather than a ripoff.

3 Naruto

Gaara's Post-Timeskip Design

One of Masashi Kishimoto's favorite films was stated to be The Matrix. The futuristic film is known for its social commentary and incredible action shots, as well as the futuristic fashion of its characters. While it's obviously a very different story from the one told in the Naruto series, Kishimoto stated that the fashion of the film was an influence in determining the post-timeskip designs of certain characters.

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By  Kenneth Rasmussen

One of the said characters was Gaara, a former enemy of Naruto. His initial design included a cloth as well as a leather band over his standard ninja outfit. The post-timeskip instead simplified the design to a trench coat with armor. Seeing how trench coats are commonly worn in The Matrix, it only makes sense a fan of the series would add one to a character of his own.

2 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Band Names = Stand Names

A detail that doesn't escape notice for many JoJo fans is how many music references are present in the series. These are reflected commonly in Stand names, but also in the characters in the story themselves. A good example of a stand and user with such influences is Jolyne Cujoh, and her stand, Stone Free in Stone Ocean.

Jolyne's name is derived from "Jolene," the hit Dolly Parton song, which has had enduring enough popularity to even be graced with a Beyoncé cover this year. The character's stand, Stone Free, shares its name with a song recorded by Jimi Hendrix. It is about a seemingly nomadic person who travels from place to place and hates the attempts of society to make him conform and settle.

These are just a few of the many western musicians and songs referenced throughout the series. There are references to other performers such as Tom Petty, Dire Straits, and Led Zeppelin going as far back as Phantom Blood. That said, there are also Stand names in the series from more eastern bands, as well, such as one that shares a name with Perfume's song "Chocolate Disco."

1 Fist of the North Star

Futuristic Setting

Fist of the North Star is an undeniably influential series. However, like every other anime, it was not made in a vacuum. It originated as a one-shot created by Tetsuo Hara that was very well-received by fans. Buronson, the writer for the manga in its serialized form, insisted that the modern day setting Hara put forth would not work.

Hara, instead, went for a dystopian futuristic setting. This setting took inspiration from Japanese works such as Akira and Violence Jack, among others. However, certain western works were also included in the mix of influences, namely Mad Max and Blade Runner. There has been further speculation by fans that Mad Max was similarly influenced by Violence Jack.

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The influence of Mad Max goes beyond the setting, as characters such as Jagi, based on Lord Humungus of Mad Max 2 fame, is noted. More recently, Tetsuo Hara created an illustration of Furiosa as as a cover for the Japanese film magazine, Eiga Hiho. George Miller, co-creator of the Mad Max film series, was presented with a signed copy.

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