Anime is not only influential itself but draws from a variety of influences, too. There have been manga and anime adaptations of classic literature and works inspired by Hollywood movies. American sitcoms, Italian cinema, and British plays can inspire a mangaka to make a new story. Even global celebrities can inspire Japanese media. The late 1970s anime Temple the Balloonist was essentially an anime series inspired by child actress Shirley Temple.
Over the years, Western influence can be found in various classic manga series, some of which even revolutionized the genre. Even classic characters from Western comics have shown up in Japanese manga with localized versions of their stories.
10 Sally The Witch
In the 1960s, the American sitcom Bewitched was popular with Japanese audiences and even inspired a few manga and anime. One such example was Sally The Witch, a series in which a young witch princess from the kingdom of Astoria travels to the human world in hopes of making friends her own age. She decides to stay on Earth indefinitely but has to keep her powers a secret from regular humans.
The series is notable for being one of the first magical girl manga or anime and likely helped create the genre.
9 Princess Knight
Set in a fairy-tale kingdom, this manga revolves around a princess named Sapphire, who must pretend to be a male prince to inherit the throne. Aided by an angel-in-training named Tink, she faces villains to steal her claim to the throne and even her soul.
The manga and anime series has many Western influences, seen in both its plot or design, including from Disney films to the British film, The Tales of Hoffmann. In particular, Tink was said to be based on Puck from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. That said, the concept of the disguised princess seems to have its origins in Takarazuka Revue.
8 The Poe Clan
Fans of Sailor Moon might remember a storyline in which the Senshi recognize Chibiusa's classmate as a vampire because of her habit of eating flowers. It's suspected to reference this manga series, named after the famed American horror writer.
The hero, Edgar, abandoned by his stepmother, is adopted into a family of vampire-like creatures, the titular Poe Clan, who plan to mutate him into one of their own upon reaching adulthood. One interesting trait in the series is that vampires can sustain themselves by feeding off the flowers' energy. While not receiving an anime adaptation, the series has inspired a radio drama, drama CDs, a theater show, and a television drama.
7 The Monster Kid
Kaibutsu, the titular Monster Kid, and the prince of Monster Land go on various adventures with monsters from his world in the human realm. Most of his companions are based on characters from classic Hollywood horror films: Dracula, Wolfman, and Franken, based on Frankenstein's monster.
Originally a manga, the series has been adapted into multiple anime series and live-action media.
6 Lupin The Third
The star of this series, Arsène Lupin III, is the grandson of Maurice Leblanc's famous gentleman thief character, something of a French counterpart to Sherlock Holmes.
Lupin isn't the only character referencing Western media: Fujiko Mine was created as a counterpart to a "Bond girl," and James Coburn's role inspired Jigen in The Magnificent Seven.
5 Hulk: The Manga
Even Western superheroes sometimes got the manga treatment. Instead of Bruce Banner, Hulk's alter-ego is Dr. Araki, a Hiroshima survivor that lost his parents in the blast. While living in Nevada, he rescued a teenager named Ricky Tenda from a Gamma bomb test, transforming him into a raging monster. Compared to his Western counterpart, the manga Hulk is more of a tragic figure, often breaking down and crying, even when laying waste.
The Hulk manga was relatively short-lived and hasn't been reprinted since its original publication, nor are there many known translations.
4 Spider-Man: The Manga
In this manga take on the Marvel character, teenage outcast Yu Komori obtains powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. After accidentally killing someone, he swears to use his powers for good.
Another manga take on the story would come out in 2004 called Spider-Man J, in which a boy named Sho Amano fights villains in the year 200X. In addition to his spider powers, he has three animals friends: a cat, a dog, and a bird. The English translation often conflated the series with its American counterpart, making the hero Peter Parker.
3 Detective Conan
In this manga and anime, Shinichi Kudo is a teenage detective who works with the police to solve crimes. A crime syndicate forces him a poison meant to kill him, only for him to turn into a young child. Going by the name "Conan Edogawa," he secretly continues to solve crimes while keeping his involvement and identity a secret.
Inspired by tales of Arsène Lupin and Sherlock Holmes, Conan's alter-ego is even a shout-out to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as Ranpo Edogawa. Ironically, copyright concerns caused the English release of the series to be called Case Closed.
2 Powerpuff Girls Z
The Powerpuff Girls was popular enough in Japan that it got its own anime adaptation, complete with a manga spin-off. In this incarnation, the girls are no longer sisters, but three normal girls who obtained powers after being exposed to Chemical Z, allowing them to transform into superheroines closer to Japanese magical girls.
The manga featured a pair of androids as the main villains and even added a love interest for Momoko, Blossom's alter-ego.
1 Umineko When They Cry
Loosely meaning "When the Seagulls Cry," this franchise started with a game, eventually spinning off into manga, anime, and novels. A murder mystery, this story revolves around the Ushiromiya family who've gathered together to discuss arrangements for an inheritance, only to be trapped together by a typhoon. All the while, the family finds a letter from a mysterious figure called the "Golden Witch."
The series is believed to take inspiration from the Italian witch-themed horror film, Suspiria, which inspired two sequels, Inferno and Monther of Tears, in addition to a remake.