"Japanese anime are not cartoons!" is the most used phrase fans always say to educate the uncultured. But nowadays, there are cartoons that are inspired by anime, and there are also anime inspired by cartoons! With that said, here are some of them!
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Powerpuff Girls Z
Just reading the anime's title will give you the idea that it is based on the popular cartoon, Powerpuff Girls. The only difference is that the anime version has the letter "Z" at the end of the title.
Set in Tokyo City, Powerpuff Girls Z revolves around three ordinary 14-year-old girls: Momoko Akatsutsumi, Miyako Gotokuji, and Kaoru Matsubara.
But after Professor Utonium had an incident while working on a powerful chemical substance called Chemical X, the three girls suddenly transformed.
Each of these girls gains powers, and collectively, they become known as the Powerpuff Girls Z!
They also began working with Professor Utonium, his son Ken, and his talking dog, Peach, to fight evil monsters who want to take over the city.
Rick and Morty the Anime
Yes, the wildly popular cartoon series is getting an anime spin-off! While no official release date has been set, we are confident that Rick and Morty the Anime will transport us to various realms, dimensions, and worlds!
Rick and Morty the Anime will follow the same idea, focusing on the Smith family: Jerry and Beth, their children Summer and Morty, and, of course, Beth's father, Rick Sanchez, who is both a mad scientist and a samurai.
Thus, Rick and Morty's adventures begin in different worlds, planets, dimensions, and so on, via portals and Rick's flying saucer!
Suicide Squad Isekai
The isekai anime genre expands to the DC Universe and takes the Suicide Squad, particularly Harley Queen and Joker, to the fantasy world! We’re just hoping that they will not be hit by a truck prior to getting isekai’d!
There’s no release date yet, but we are assuming that the Suicide Squad members will wreak havoc in the fantasy world. Perhaps, they will be summoned to the other world to defeat the Demon King?
As of writing, there’s little to no information online about the premise of Suicide Squad Isekai.
They gave us a trailer, but it only shows Harley and Joker in anime form, while they are doing their usual villainous acts.
Witchblade
Witchblade sounds familiar, doesn't it? It is, after all, partially based on the same-named American comic book, except that the anime includes a new protagonist set in the same continuity as the comic book.
It follows Masane Amaha, a single mother who has little recollection of her life before the Great Quake. She amazingly escaped the disaster, along with the infant discovered in her arms.
Six years later, Masane returns to Tokyo with the child, now named Rihoko, in the hopes of starting a new life.
Masane, on the other hand, becomes caught in a struggle between a huge firm and a government body. Furthermore, the NSFW's Child Welfare Division is following her!
What Masane didn’t know is that she is the current holder of the legendary Witchblade. And when it activates, Masane gains superior abilities while donning a revealing black armor with katana blades and claws!
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Scheduled for release on November 17, 2023, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an upcoming action-adventure romantic comedy anime based on the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels.
The anime adaptation will also feature the voices of the previous Scott Pilgrim vs. The World cast, making the wait even more exciting!
The story centers on Scott Pilgrim, a 23-year-old slacker who also plays bass in the band Sex Bob-Omb.
He falls in love with Ramona Flowers, a delivery girl working for Amazon. He became obsessed with Ramona after dreaming about her.
But before Scott can have a happy ending with Ramona, he has to defeat seven of her evil ex-boyfriends in a video-game-style duel!
Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt
This anime inspired by Western cartoons is as vibrant as the colors of the rainbow!
Panty & Stocking screams fun, as shown through its adult humor and dirty jokes. So, if you’re not into these kinds of inappropriate jokes, then you’ll have to pass on the show.
But note that you’ll miss out on Panty and Stocking’s epic shenanigans from one episode to the next.
Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt revolves around the Anarchy Sisters, who wound up in Daten City after they were kicked out of heaven due to bad behavior.
In order to climb their way back to Heaven, Panty and Stocking earn Heaven Coins by destroying malicious ghosts that are terrorizing the city.
Will the Anarchy Sisters be able to return to Heaven?
Little Witch Academia
Little Witch Academia is a lovely and joyful anime that wonderfully captures the appearance and feel of a Disney-animated cartoon. It has an intriguing plot and likable characters, and it will quickly become one of your favorites.
What’s more, this anime is also full of societal commentary and relevant messages that will make a lasting impression.
Little Witch Academia follows Atsuko Kagari, an aspiring witch who enrolls in the Luna Nova Magical Academy in the hopes of being able to practice magic despite her non-magic background.
Fortunately, Atsuko discovers the Shiny Rod, a powerful magical relic left behind by an established witch named Shiny Chariot.
Supernatural: The Animation
This anime adaptation of the renowned Supernatural TV series may be a hit or miss. It’s best to go watch the anime blind instead of watching the series first.
Of course, the anime is a bit rushed, and the pacing is off, contrary to the live-action series, which has an hour of runtime. Even so, Supernatural: The Animation is visually realistic, like most adult Western cartoons.
Supernatural: The Animation is a blend of action, supernatural, and horror genres that follows the Winchester brothers—Sam and Dean—as they fight and destroy anything supernatural after losing their mother to a demon.
In this anime, expect to see a lot of werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and even demons!
The Big O
Said to be a tribute to Batman, The Big O is a 26-episode anime series set in Paradigm City, a city of amnesia and a place of belonging, 40 years after an incident called "The Event" occurred.
This event wiped the memories of the citizens, which explains why Paradigm is called the City of Amnesia.
The anime follows a negotiator and agent known as Roger Smith in his mission to protect the people of Paradigm City from crime and peril, all the while being plagued by his mysterious past.
Roger is joined by his loyal and widely skilled butler Norman, his human-like android Dorothy, and a giant robot called The Big O.
The Big O is not an adrenaline-pumping anime, but it still has enough action to keep the audience going.
It also includes a lot of social commentaries and important talk that tackles real-life issues like politics, corruption, and so on.
FLCL
FLCL is not a show for everyone. It has a bizarre plot, and it takes guts to finish this one-of-a-kind anime that will make you realize what a masterpiece it is. That is if you get past its weird plot advancements.
Also known as Fooly Cooly or Furi-Kuri, FLCL follows a Japanese kid named Naota who has a lot on his plate.
His brother, along with his much older girlfriend Mamimi, are latching on to him for support, and worse, an eccentric and crazy girl named Haruko suddenly came into his life.
Haruko is not an ordinary girl, for she is on a mission to kill all the monsters that grow on Naota’s head by means of using her trusty electric-blue bass guitar!
What is truly going on, and why are monsters coming off of Naota’s head?
My Hero Academia
This list will not be complete without a superhero anime, obviously inspired by superhero Western cartoons such as Justice League, Marvel’s Avengers, Fantastic Four, and so on!
This shounen anime needs no introduction, for My Hero Academia has been one of the biggest anime to date, with a massive fanbase.
My Hero Academia revolves around a quirkless young boy named Izuku Midoriya, who aspires to be a great hero like his idol, All Might.
Despite being quirkless, Izuku refused to give up on his dreams and decided to enter UA Academy, the school for aspiring heroes.
Thanks to an incident that involves All Might, Izuku finally gets a chance to prove himself!
He became All Might’s successor, and soon after, he finds himself undergoing training provided by All Might himself!
Batman Ninja
Yes, Batman Ninja is literally an anime version of Batman set in feudal Japan, hence the term "ninja".
It is an action-packed anime with well-executed action scenes, as expected from the live actors who filmed the fight scenes.
It also has a unique art style, solid characters, and a musical score that will make for a good and entertaining anime watch.
Batman Ninja takes the Dark Knight and his allies to feudal Japan after they were transported by Gorilla Grodd’s time displacement machine.
But it’s not only Batman who travels through time; the same thing happened to his iconic enemies like the Joker, who decides to step up and take the lead after they take the form of feudal lords.
Will the Dark Knight be able to return to present-day Gotham City despite exhausting his high-tech weaponry in feudal Japan?
Astro Boy
One of the most popular anime that is inspired by Western cartoons, Astro Boy, is the brainchild of renowned Japanese manga artist Osamu Tezuka.
Astro Boy is heavily influenced by Mickey Mouse and Mighty Mouse, which are in turn based on Superman.
Frederik Schodt, an American translator, writer, and interpreter, even said that Tezuka Osamu created Astro Boy to be the 21st-century reverse Pinocchio, as he works hard to become more human and emotive to serve as an interface between man and machine.
The anime follows a robotic child called Astro Boy with powers like super strength, X-ray vision, the ability to fly, fingers that can fire lasers, and so on, much like Super Man.
He was created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma in order to replace his son, who was killed in a traffic accident.
Set in the futuristic metropolis of Metro City, Astro Boy explores the world to find acceptance, while using his powers to save the people he loves from a looming threat.
Iron Man
If you love Marvel, then you’ll also find Iron Man’s anime adaptation to be an entertaining watch.
It is one of those Marvel Anime segments produced to branch out more stories recommended for all Iron Man fans. Like the other anime on this list, Iron Man’s animation also looks realistic.
In this anime, Tony Stark (we all know who he is) comes out of retirement to return to action in order to fend off the Zodiac cartel that is terrorizing his branch company in Japan.
He was supposed to be busy expanding his multinational organization, Stark Industries, but chose to wear his beloved battle suit once more to defeat his enemies!
Cannon Busters
Cannon Busters is the brainchild of American storyboard artist LeSean Thomas, who also worked on iconic Western Cartoons such as Adult Swim’s Black Dynamite, The Legend of Korra, and The Boondocks!
As expected of its creator, Cannon Busters did justice to LeSean Thomas’ reputation thanks to its fantastic storyline, well-executed action scenes, and the diversity of its characters.
Cannon Busters takes us to the fantastic land of Gearbolt, where a group of travelers is going on an adventure of a lifetime to reunite S.A.M., a friendship robot, with her best friend Kelby, who is also the missing heir of the Botica Kingdom.
Joining the adventure is a monkey repair robot named Casey Turnbuckle, a wanted and immortal fugitive named Philly the Kid, the greatest swordsman named 9ine, and a sentient giant robot that can turn into an oversized Cadillac Eldorado.
The Fairly OddParents Anime
Five years ago, Butch Hartman chose to wake up to create one of the greatest things ever to happen in anime, and that is The Fairly OddParents Anime.
If you’re a fan of the iconic Nickelodeon cartoon, then you’ll surely love the anime version, although it’s a bit short, running only for almost three minutes.
As a result, we are more than determined to see The Fairly OddParents Anime in full series.
The adaptation only saw Timmy, along with Wanda and Cosmo, fighting Mr. Crocker in what seems to be a Dragon Ball-ish fighting style.
It has a unique art style, and it’s really cool that a mainstream creator like Butch Hartman would go above and beyond to create a short anime!
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