Since their inception, movies have proven time and time again to have a profound influence on multiple facets of modern society. The industry established itself as one of the preeminent forces of entertainment and a vessel for disseminating knowledge and expression. Cinema’s impact is even visible in the advancement of powerful technology, like smartphones, 3D printers, holograms, self-driving cars, and more.

Still, while there have been plenty of American films that had a lasting impact on cultures throughout the world, there have also been countless unsung foreign films that have endured the test of time. In fact, it can be argued that the anime medium has influenced live-action cinema considerably. Furthermore, these movies have inspired not just society at large but specifically American cinema.

Updated on April 10, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Anime has been extremely popular for a long time, churning out epic films in a wide range of genres. Some of them have gone on to inspire other movies, many of which became popular in their own right. As such, we’ve updated this article with some more relevant information.

15 Pacific Rim Is Heavily Focused On Mecha And Kaiju

Inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996)

Neon Genesis Evangelion takes place in a post-apocalyptic world torn by trans-dimensional demons. The series tracks Shinji, a young boy recruited by a government agency to pilot a giant mech suit and battle the demons to save the world. Pacific Rim tells the story of an aging mech pilot reluctantly dragged into saving the planet from giant monsters, called Kaiju, which emerged from the bottom of the sea.

Pacific Rim’s creator, Guillermo Del Toro, cited Neon Genesis Evangelion as one of the major inspirations for his movie. From the film’s concepts alone, it’s easy to see the resemblance. While the anime series focuses more on themes of existentialism, depression, and human psychology, Pacific Rim uses anime-inspired violence and excellently choreographed action sequences to drive home its apocalyptic narrative.

14 Transcendence Is Centered On A Man Who Figures Out Consciousness Upload

Inspired by Serial Experiments Lain (1998)

Transcendence — a movie about an AI scientist who figures out consciousness upload — could have never existed without Serial Experiments Lain. The only major difference is that the anime’s titular character was never a human in the first place, but rather a program with the ability to travel between as well as manipulate real and digital spaces.

Although Transcendence is unquestionably novel for Hollywood, reviewers complained about all the plot holes littered throughout the movie. This confused both audiences and critics because the movie and the anime have nearly exactly the same concepts and plotlines. Perhaps Transcendence was too early for its time, but then Serial Experiments Lain was created sixteen years before the movie.

13 Van Helsing Is Essentially Based On Dracula By Bram Stoker

Inspired by Vampire Hunter D (1985)

A novel series written by Hideyuki Kikuchi, Vampire Hunter D blends the classical vampire genre with multiple unrelated elements, including sci-fi, morbid horror, occultism, dark fantasy, and the Western. The story begins when the formerly tyrannical Vampire race is near the end of its power, allowing humans to seize the world for themselves.

The eponymous Vampire Hunter belongs to a group of vigilantes known for their specialized skillset. While Van Helsing is essentially based on Dracula by Bram Stoker, fans have noticed similarities between the outfits worn by each story’s protagonist. Both Van Helsing and Vampire Hunter D give off the same ominous vibe, suggesting that there must have been some relationship between the narrative materials.

12 Inception Has Become Somewhat Of A Modern Classic

Inspired by Paprika (2006)

Over the last decade, Inception has become somewhat of a modern mainstream classic, often considered one of the most original blockbusters ever made. It details the actions of a thief and his team, who specialize in entering and manipulating people’s dreams to steal their secrets. This thief, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is contracted to enter the dreams of a CEO to plant an idea in his subconscious rather than take one.

Paprika follows a lab scientist who uses a machine to enter the dreams of her psychiatric patients. She’s thrown into a dangerous mystery when someone steals this machine, and it falls into the wrong hands. Inception director Christopher Nolan has openly praised Paprika and mentioned it as an inspiration — fans of Inception who haven’t seen Paprika owe it to themselves to watch this R-rated and animated, creative influence.

11 HER Is The Story Of A Lonely Man Who Falls In Love With An AI

Inspired by Chobits (2002)

Chobits follows the tale of a boy who stumbles across a malfunctioning personal computer placed inside the mechanical frame of a human girl. After falling in love with this machine, he realizes it may be capable of free will. HER is the story of a lonely, sensitive writer who inadvertently falls into a romantic relationship with his female AI personal assistant.

These two films are nearly identical in terms of their concepts and themes, as both revolve around love, relationships, emotional and sexual desires, social norms, and the pursuit of romantic relationships with artificial intelligence. Despite these many similarities, both movies vary drastically in their presentation and aesthetic. Still, overall, it’s quite evident the influence Chobits had on HER‘s ideas and plot.

10 Chronicle Revolves Around Three Teenagers Who Gain Telekinetic Powers

Inspired by Akira (1988)

Akira remains a staple among anime fans and movie buffs alike for its stylized violence, breathtaking animation, and colorful cyberpunk backdrop. The movie portrays the life of the leader of an underground biker gang, whose childhood friend gets abducted by the government after he develops telekinetic powers on a mission to rescue his best friend from his fate.

Chronicle is the story of three teenage boys who gain telekinetic powers after finding a strange crystal buried underground. At multiple points, the movie feels like an homage to Akira, and the director, Josh Trank, even explicitly mentions the anime’s influence on his project. Moreover, both films exist as a character study of the darker side of power and how it can transform and manipulate its host based on trauma, insecurities, or even anger or depression.

9 The Lion King Is Loosely Based On Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Inspired by Kimba the White Lion (1966)

Kimba the White Lion follows the titular white lion cub who, through a series of misadventures, grows up to become king. Similarly, The Lion King tracks Simba, a lion cub who, after being blamed for his father’s death by his uncle, returns after a multiyear sojourn to reclaim his rightful place as king of Pride Rock.

The similarities between these two movies are so significant that The Lion King’s release stirred controversy among Kimba fans. Subsequently, Disney faced intense scrutiny for appropriating many of its stories, and Disney eventually publicly denounced the idea, maintaining their original projects weren’t based on any previous materials. Still, these two entities share many plot points, pacing, characters, themes, and even cinematography.

8 The Matrix Is One Of The Most Influential Movies Of All Time

Inspired by Ghost In The Shell (1995)

Ghost in The Shell tells the story of Motoko Kusanagi, a member of a counter-cyberterrorism organization, and her partner as they hunt down an elusive and powerful hacker. The Matrix revolves around Neo, a skilled computer hacker who becomes entrenched in a war between humanity and its mechanical overlords after learning about the truth of reality from a group of underground rebels.

Both films rely heavily on ideas surrounding consciousness and personal awakening to convey their beliefs and characters’ identities in their complex cyberpunk worlds. They also share many themes like life vs. death, nature vs. nurture, technological dependency, fate vs. free will, etc. So, for fans of The Matrix, Ghost in the Shell is a must-watch film whether they love sci-fi anime from the ’90s or not.

7 Black Swan Tells The Story Of A Passionate And Obsessive Ballerina

Inspired by Perfect Blue (1997)

Perfect Blue follows a famous Japanese pop idol, Mima Iwao, who quits her profession to start an acting career. Unbeknownst to her, this change in professions triggers a descent into inner turmoil and chaos. Black Swan tells the story of a passionate and obsessive ballerina who finally gets her chance at a leading role in a production of Swan Lake. As competition for the part brews, she slowly becomes consumed by her inner darkness.

A lot is linking these two films, especially because Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky purchased the film rights to Perfect Blue before he released his movie. Some scenes in Black Swan even play out as mirrored images of ones in Perfect Blue. The overarching themes also resonate flawlessly between the two films, and they both heavily focus on one’s fall into darkness in an ultra-competitive professional field.

6 Clash Of The Titans Details The Battle For Olympus And Earth

Inspired by Saint Seiya (1986-1989)

The remake of Clash of the Titans details the adventures of Perseus, a demigod, and son of Zeus, who goes to war with Hades and his hordes of minions as they attempt to conquer both Olympus and Earth. Saint Seiya, or Seinto Seiya, tracks a group of warriors, Saints, as they protect the reincarnation of Athena and help her safeguard Earth.

Despite both involving Greek mythology, what Clash of the Titans borrowed from Saint Seiya is far more specific. Louis Leterrier, the Clash of Titans director, confirmed that the armor the Gods wear in his movie is a direct tribute to Saint Seiya. Additionally, Warner Bros asked Saint Seiya creator Masami Kurumada to help them with poster art for the Japanese release of Clash of Titans.

5 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Draws From Both Anime And Video Games

Inspired by Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad (2004-2005)/Afro Samurai (2007)/Samurai Jack (2001)

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is an action comedy that draws heavily from both video games and anime. The movie portrays a magical alternate reality in which Scott, a young man in Toronto, must defeat his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes who control her love life.

The comic book filmmakers adapted for Scott Pilgrim was influenced by manga, with writer Bryan Lee O’Malley specifically citing Beck as an inspiration. Additionally, director Edgar Wright and concept designer Oscar Wright both named Afro Samurai and Samurai Jack as references for the action and look of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

4 Requiem For A Dream Is One Of The Toughest Movies To Watch

Inspired by Perfect Blue (1997)

Before Perfect Blue inspired Darren Aronofsky on the set of Black Swan, it directly influenced his movie Requiem for a Dream. The movie portrays the lives of four Coney Island residents, all dependent on different drugs. Like Perfect Blue, the characters in Requiem for a Dream all experience a fraught personal journey throughout the film.

Additionally, each features unreliable narrators, either because of drugs or mental anguish. Because of this unreliability, the viewer is never quite sure if what they see on screen is happening or if it’s in the character’s head. The similarities between Perfect Blue and Requiem for a Dream are even more direct, with Aronofsky completely recreating some frames from the anime for his film.

3 Man Of Steel Is A Conventional Retelling Of Superman’s Origins

Inspired by Birdy The Mighty (1996)

Man of Steel was DC’s recent cinematic reboot of the Superman franchise. The movie, directed by Zack Snyder, is a relatively conventional retelling of Clark Kent’s origins and struggle to connect to humanity. While many fans assumed Dragon Ball Z’s one-on-one fights between superpowered beings influenced the film’s climactic battle, Snyder actually claimed another anime as inspiration.

According to Snyder, in an interview with Anime Anime, Man of Steel’s ending draws heavily upon fight scenes from Birdy the Mighty. This four-part anime details the adventures of a superpowered intergalactic policewoman, Birdy Altera, who shares a body with a local teen, Tsutomu. During their exploits, Birdy/Tsutomu engage in many large-scale, building-destroying battles. Many frames of Man of Steel’s final fight are taken almost directly from Birdy the Mighty.

2 Avatar And Its Sequel Changed The CGI Game Forever

Inspired by Princess Mononoke (1997)/ Castle In The Sky (1986)

James Cameron’s Avatar broke box office records by transporting audiences to a new world brimming with color, magic, unique flora and fauna, and the indigenous Na’vi. This top-notch world-building, along with the movie’s highly relevant themes surrounding the importance of environmentalism, helped propel Avatar and its eventual sequel to gross more than $5 billion worldwide.

Princess Mononoke also centers on an ancient forest inhabited by various magical forces; like Avatar, the movie’s themes center mainly on environmentalism and the dangers of depleting natural resources. So, it’s no surprise that James Cameron has admitted Princess Mononoke and the floating islands in Castle in the Sky significantly influenced Avatar’s jungle planet, Pandora, and the movie’s overarching themes.

1 Creed III Is The Latest Installment Of The Rocky Spinoff

Inspired by Dragon Ball Z (1989-1996)/ Naruto (2002-2007)

Creed III, the latest installment of the Rocky spinoff, marks a distinct evolution in the franchise’s filmmaking. The movie, which stars Michael B. Jordan in his directorial debut, is a significant departure from the style of typical boxing movies. So, it wasn’t too surprising when Jordan referenced anime series like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto as two primary influences on Creed III.

It isn’t just the filmmaking that these anime series impacted. According to Jordan, DBZ and Naruto heavily inspired costume choices, thematic focuses, and even specific shots. In an interview with IndieWire, Jordan recently said, “I love the themes of anime, culturally, what they say about the bonds of friendships, betrayal, revenge, and promises.”