Anime and manga are typically associated with Eastern countries — primarily Japan. Anime is a style of animation and manga is a style of a comic book. Unlike the Western world versions of animation and comic books, anime and manga have a target audience that includes adults. Featuring a broad array of topics, a viewer or reader is guaranteed to find something they find interesting and want to engage with.
The presence of anime and manga has been in America for decades, from the growing availability of streaming services, collaborations between American and Japanese production studios, and features on social media. More and more people are taking notice of anime and manga than ever before, and even Hollywood is starting to take notice and take notes.
10 "Artists Who Have Truly Mastered Their Craft" — Rebecca Sugar
Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe, gave a special introduction during the 2019 Ghibli Fest for what she calls her "absolute favorite movie," Whisper Of The Heart. During the introduction, she has many praises for Whisper Of The Heart and its creators in its depth of visuality.
Sugar compliments the artistry and the artists by saying, "What you're watching is the result of artists that have truly mastered their craft. I hope you'll keep an eye out for the incredible feats of animation in this film because some of them are so subtle."
9 "So Many Uniquely Compelling Elements" — Ron Howard
Ron Howard has worked as an actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He's currently the co-chair for Imagine Entertainment. During a press conference in 2015, it was announced that Imagine Entertainment would be partnering with Namco Bandai and ANEW to produce a live-action adaptation of the Tiger And Bunny anime.
During the press conference, Howard said, "When ANEW brought us this project, we fell in love with it immediately. It was fresh, a huge success in Japan, and we have never seen a great buddy story bring together so many uniquely compelling elements."
8 "Admire The Uniqueness Of The Artwork" — Mark Crilley
Mark Crilley gained notoriety from his work on Akiko, Miki Falls, and Brody's Ghost. During an interview with comicbook.com, he said, "I would flip through the weekly anthologies and admire the uniqueness of the artwork. The page layouts, the characters, the sense of humor: it all seemed very fresh and expansive compared to the superheroes-only comics I grew up with."
Crilley went on to say that he's seen "the positive influence manga has had on Western comics...I think manga has helped bring fun and humor back into American comics."
7 "I've Always Loved How Colorful And Expressive Anime Is" — Domee Shi
Domee Shi, one of the creators of Turning Red, has been very candid about how much she loves anime. She was even president of her high school's Anime Club. She's said several times how she loved watching Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket, and Pokémon.
During an interview with Los Angeles Times, Shi said, "I've always loved how colorful and expressive anime is. How they really exaggerate facial features and character reactions, and you really feel what the characters are feeling at any given moment."
6 "There's A Lot Of Dedication" — Chuck Dixon
Chuck Dixon is a comic book writer who's worked for both Marvel and DC Comics. He is known for his work in the 1990s and early 2000s on The Punisher, Batman, Nightwing, and Robin. In 2021, Chuck Dixon started a YouTube channel called Ask Chuck Dixon.
In Dixon's 65th video, he's asked, "What is your theory/thoughts on why manga is wiping the floor with American comics?" In his answer, Dixon gives a very detailed and complimentary answer, "There's a lot of dedication, passion, and craft in manga. So, there's a lot of reasons to like manga."
5 "Beautiful Destiny To The World" — Nick Filippi
Nick Filippi has worked on several cartoon animations for Disney. In an interview with Animation Scoop, he discusses Big Hero 6: The Series and Baymax Returns. He's asked why they chose hand-drawn characters rather than CGI. In his response, Filippi said they wanted something fresh yet warm and appealing.
Filippi mentions a Japanese anime film called Tekkakin Crete, which he describes as "having this beautiful destiny to the world. It was a world where you look at the background, and it feels like there are people there even if you don't see characters there."
4 "Long Way To Catch Up To The Animated Works Being Done In Other Countries" — Bryan Konietzko
Many viewers who watch Avatar: The Last Airbender cannot help but be reminded of Japanese anime. Its co-creator, Bryan Konietzko, has been clear that the love he has for anime helped inspire the creation of Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender.
During an interview with IGN, Konietzko said, "Our love for Japanese anime, Hong Kong action, and Kung Fu cinema, yoga, and Eastern philosophies led us to the initial inspiration for Avatar." He continued, "I'll just say that America — us included — has a long way to go to catch up to animated works being done in a handful of other countries, namely Japan."
3 "I Love The Films Of Hayao Miyazaki" — Michael Dante DiMartino
Michael Dante DiMartino, the other co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender, has also expressed his love for anime. During the same interview with IGN, Michael also gives credit to anime, giving praise and credit to three specific works they found inspiration.
"Bryan and I love the films of Hayao Miyazaki. The stories and emotional depth of Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke were big inspirations for us when we began creating Avatar. Also, the character design and animation of Fooly Cooly from Studio Gainex was a big inspiration for us as well."
2 "Toy Story Owes A Huge Debt Of Gratitude To The Films Of Mr. Miyazaki" — John Lasseter
John Lasseter, director of Toy Story, has never been shy of crediting and paying homage to friend and inspiration Hayao Miyazaki. Madman Entertainment published an article paying tribute to Miyazaki and looked to Lasseter for a quote.
Lasseter said, "Miyazaki is one of the greatest filmmakers of our time. At Pixar, when we have a problem, and we can't seem to solve it, we often take one of Miyazaki's films and look at a scene in our screening room for a shot of inspiration. And it always works. We come away amazed and inspired. Toy Story owes a huge debt of gratitude to the films of Mr. Miyazaki."
1 "Backgrounds Are Beautifully Painted" — Butch Hartman
Butch Hartman is known for animations on Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom. He also created his own YouTube channel, which has included several reviews of different anime. In one of these videos, he reviewed the first episode of My Hero Academia and was full of praise. Hartman said, "I love the designs of these heroes and the concepts of these heroes. Really cool."
Harman continued, "I really like the setup, I like the way it looks, the premise it sets up...It's very hard for me to find something wrong with the animation in an anime show; I just think it all looks fantastic. There's so many great choices they make. Artistically, looks amazing. Moves well action-wise. Backgrounds are beautifully painted."