Adventures of samurai, hunters of evil spirits and Greek gods.
Japanese animation has conquered the world. In the past, Japanese animators were inspired by Western works and created their own unique style.
Now, Western counterparts are creating animated series that imitate their favorite Japanese anime. There is even a term for this kind of animated series – animesque.
1. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, 2022
Night City is a futuristic metropolis where technological development and social inequality have reached unprecedented heights. David, a young man from a poor neighborhood, is trying to survive in a cruel world.
After his mother dies, David finds a strange implant and decides to install it in his body. He joins a group of Edgerunners – mercenaries who perform dangerous tasks for criminal clients to make a living. The more David enhances his body, the more he loses touch with his human side.
The plot is based on the video game Cyberpunk 2077, but the idea of the series is similar to the best Japanese philosophical titles. It raises questions about how technology changes personality and where the line between man and machine lies.
2. Blue Eye Samurai, 2023-...
The blue-eyed samurai, a girl named Mizu, sets out to find her father. But this is no touching tale of family reunion. The warrior wants to avenge her birth and her mother's fate – to kill her father.
Along the way, Mizu meets the armless cook Ringo, who becomes her student. She also meets the talented but arrogant samurai Taigen and his beloved Akemi, the lord's wayward heiress.
Blue Eye Samurai was created by husband-and-wife team Amber Noizumi and Michael Green. Despite the female character at the center of the plot, the story turned out to be gruesome and bloody.
3. Samurai Jack, 2001-2017
In the distant past, the powerful evil demon Aku took over the world and killed the strongest warrior. The son of the deceased, a nameless samurai, trained for a long time to become worthy of his father's sword.
When the young man grew up, he decided to fight Aku, but Aku sent him into the future. The samurai found himself in a post-apocalyptic dystopian world ruled by an evil demon.
Samurai Jack was released on Cartoon Network in the early 2000s and immediately gained popularity around the world. Its creator is Genndy Tartakovsky. The director was inspired by the films of Akira Kurosawa and the comics of Frank Miller.
4. Blood of Zeus, 2020-...
The anime tells the story of the demigod Heron. He lives with his mother and works in a fishing village. One day he learns that he is the son of Zeus. Because of his kinship, he is drawn into the confrontation between the gods and the Titans.
The main characters are the gods of Olympus – here they are not the all-powerful creatures, but down-to-earth characters with their own vices and desires. Each of them strives to achieve their goals, and ordinary people suffer as a result.
The creators of the series are two brothers of Greek origin, Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, big fans of anime culture. Charley wrote the script for the movie based on the cult Death Note and the mythological epic about Theseus Immortals.
5. Castlevania, 2017-2021
Dracula, condemned to eternal loneliness, lives in a castle closed to humans. One day, a woman named Lisa arrives – she is a doctor and wants to use the centuries-old knowledge of the vampire for the benefit of humanity.
Soon the two outcasts fall in love, but the villagers burn Lisa at the stake, accusing her of witchcraft. Disappointed in humanity, Dracula curses all living things. The eternal night comes to the world, vampires begin to hunt the inhabitants of the town.
The fate of humanity is in the hands of a drunkard, Trevor Belmont, the last representative of the greatest line of vampire hunters. He is assisted by the scientist and magician Sypha and the son of Dracula himself – the vampire Adrian.