When most people think of anime, they think of some production, whatever it may be, that has its origin in Japan. Several popular anime of today, however, do not have completely Japanese creative teams at all. This is part of what makes them officially "anime" and not just anime-inspired, like shows such as Teen Titans, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Boondocks. Here's a list of anime that took the world by storm and surpassed expectations, even if they didn't come solely from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Dr. Stone (South Korea)
Perhaps the most surprising entry on this list is the popular series Dr. Stone. This series sees a young genius named Senku attempt to revitalize the human race after a strange phenomenon petrifies humanity for centuries while society crumbles. The author of the manga is Riichiro Inagaki, but the artist is a man named Mujik Park, who works under the pen name of Boichi. Though Boichi lives in Japan, he is actually South Korean and had worked on several manhwa (Korean manga) one-shots before Dr. Stone. The series, namely its anime adaptation, has gone on to become a huge hit and stands out as something different than the typical action shonen series.
Castlevania (United States)
Inspired by the Japanese video game franchise of the same name, the Castlevania anime is based on the storyline from Castlevania III, Dracula's Curse. outcast vampire hunter Trevor Belmont and allies Sypha Belnades and Dracula's own dhampir son Alucard, on their quest to protect the people of Wallachia from the outrage of Count Vlad Dracula Tepes. Featuring recognizable voice talent like Richard Armitage, James Callis, Jason Isaacs and Graham McTavish as Count Dracula, the adaptation was written by British author Warren Ellis and animated by Powerhouse Animation Studios Inc., an American studio based in Austin, Texas.
Radiant (France)
Despite its protagonist's resemblance to Naruto and Luffy, Radiant started as a French Manfra, a French comic made to imitate manga and anime art styles. The story is about a boy named Seth, whose world has been ravaged by monsters that fall from the sky. Those who survive the monsters' attack are shunned by society, but also gain immense powers. Seth seeks to find the Radiant, where the monsters hail from and defeat them to restore order to his world.
The series is written and drawn by Tony Valente, and published by French company called Ankama. Though its status as a French manga imitation might edge it close to its progenitors, it received official anime status when it was adapted to a TV series by Lerche, a branch of the Japanese animation company Studio Hibari.
Cannon Busters (United States)
Cannon Busters started as an American comic book series by LeSean Thomas, which was eventually published through Udon. This company, which also publishes comics for Capcom video game properties such as Street Fighter and Darkstalkers, is known for employing manga-esque art styles in their books. The series was eventually transitioned to focusing on a potential animation project, which came to fruition in 2019. Distributed by British company Manga Entertainment, the series would be animated by Satelight and Yumeta Company, two Japanese animation studios. It was also directed by Takahiro Natori, covering all bases to ensure that the work was officially an anime.
RWBY (United States)
Rooster Teeth's successful RWBY is possibly the most well-known example of a Western/not entirely Japanese anime. The web series stars a group of girls who attend a rigorous academy in order to hone their skills in defending the world of Remnant against the evil monsters known as Grimm. The character designs and action sequences were obviously inspired by anime, and one of its primary creators, Monty Oum, also had Japanese ancestry. Probably the biggest way in which it officially became an anime, however, was by having multiple manga adaptations released in Shonen Jump. These would serve to expand the backstories and motivations of the protagonists, telling all-new storylines for the characters after initially adapting the plot from the first production trailers. On top of that, the series is broadcast on Crunchyroll and has even been dubbed into Japanese. Needless to say, it now blends in pretty easily with all of the other anime.
Rooster Teeth has continued producing the series, even after Oum's tragic death in 2015. This has seen it grow into a multimedia powerhouse, with the franchise appearing in toys, video games, and even recent films such as Doctor Sleep. DC Comics has also begun publishing a comic book adaptation of RWBY, along with fellow anime-inspired Rooster Teeth show Gen:Lock.
Trese (Singapore)
When Trese debuted on Netflix in 2021, it was in the top ten TV shows across multiple countries. Created by the Filipino writing and illustration team of Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo, the anime was produced by Base Entertainment out of Singapore. Following the adventures of warrior-healer Alexandra Trese in a world where supernatural entities live side by side with humanity, she finds herself striving to live up to her father's legacy as a paranormal investigator. Despite that epic legacy, in time Alexandra uncovers a dark secret her father kept from her and the world, a secret so vile it brooked a civil war.
Based on its reception and popularity, fans have been waiting for an announcement from Netflix regarding a second season. There has been no confirmation of an official date at this time.
Hitori no Shita: The Outcast (China)
Based on the Chinese webcomic written by Dong Man Tang and illustrated by Mi Er, the Hitori no Shita: The Outcast anime is the perfect Chinese/Japanese collaboration. Following the misadventures of a powerful martial artist named Chou Soran, he finds himself targeted by zombies while visiting his grandfather's grave site. Saved by the intervention of a mysterious girl named Fu Hoho, Chou's life takes a strange turn once he learns that the martial arts technique taught to him by his grandfather makes him a target. It seems his talent has drawn the attention of numerous dark martial arts factions that would use him for their own nefarious purpose.
Lookism (South Korea)
Originally a webtoon by South Korean writer and illustrator Park Tae-joon, Lookism was adapted into an anime that aired its first season on Netflix in December 2022. Featuring a young student who faces bullies and abuse because of his appearance, Park Hyung Seok. He takes his anger and hurt out on his mother at home, and just as he transfers to a new school in Seoul, he finds his life split between two different bodies. Nothing has changed about his original body, but the new one is athletic, slender and attractive, and as he begins interacting with people he finds that this change in appearance is almost everything he's ever wanted. Girls notice him, the guys are jealous of him and it isn't long before being the center of attention is as much a curse as it is a blessing. It seems bullies are just as likely to target attractive new kids out of jealousy, which leads to him getting into plenty of fights.