My Kickstarter campaign to fund My Little Po-Mo volume 2 here!
And as long as you have your wallets out, two more worthy causes to which you can give: You can help Viga pay for art school (and earn some custom art in the process), or you can help the family of Michael Morones, the bullied Brony boy who attempted suicide.
It doesn't take much squinting to see heavy influences from specific anime in several of Joss Whedon's shows: Buffy pretty much is Sailor Moon, Firefly has similar cast dynamics, a half-Chinese half-country-of-show's-origin space setting, and a mysterious girl in a box, just like Outlaw Star, and Dollhouse owes a significant debt to Ghost in the Shell.
Which, of course, leads to the logical question: what about Angel. And to be honest, I have no idea; I can't come up with a single specific anime which it heavily references or draws on. Any suggestions?
It's not an anime, but Batman seems to have been a strong influence.
ReplyDeleteI think Cowboy Bebop had a stronger influence on Firefly than Outlaw Star did. Firefly's universe isn't filled with magic, space ships that fight with mechanical arms, nor god-level technology like Outlaw Star was. Even the tone of Outlaw Star is different, being closer to Dragon Ball than Firefly.
ReplyDeleteAlso, until you mentioned it I never realized how many of Outlaw Star's characters are Chinese. Any ideas why?
They're not nearly as on point as your other examples, but Rurouni Kenshin and Trigun come to mind. They have a strong thematic resemblance - brooding male antiheroes with quirky, silly sides, who seek atonement for their mysterious, violent pasts by protecting the innocent, and who surround themselves with a crew of mostly normal folks with whom they develop strong bonds. They also generally fit the correct era and level of Western notoriety to be potential influences.
ReplyDelete