Anime has been greatly influential on Hollywood over the years. Without it, we wouldn’t have movies like The Matrix or colorful, action-packed, and grandiose films that feel like they came straight out of a comic book page. Some movies are direct anime adaptations, like Edge of Tomorrow, which is straightforward enough. However, some others just have that anime look and feel that brings up a certain nostalgia.
Hollywood blockbusters that are basically an anime brought to life have a couple of things in common: a strong, admirable protagonist; beautiful colors and cinematography; great action sequences; and a story that’s as thrilling as it is moving. With both anime and film constantly developing into new territories, we’re left to see just how much these two mediums can affect each other. This list will discuss a few movies that feel like anime shows come to life, thanks to their narrative and visual approach. There won’t be any ranking; instead, the list seeks to celebrate these incredible movies.
8
‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (2021)
Directed by Adam Wingard
Kaiju movies are a Japanese staple, with 1954’s Godzilla being one of the first commercially and critically acknowledged monster movies that spawned an entire franchise. Godzilla has had ups and downs in terms of live-action adaptations, but the Monsterverse reached new heights with Godzilla vs. Kong. Sure, King Kong and Godzilla may not originally be from the same universe, but they’re both giant monsters, and let’s face it, Godzilla vs. Kong sounds badass. The movie feels a lot like the classic anime Gurren Lagann or even Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Godzilla vs. Kong is set in Hollow Earth, a place where ancient monsters known as Titans live. The Monarch organization takes Kong from Skull Island to Hollow Earth so he can face off against Godzilla, while Monarch’s people look for a weapon to stop Godzilla. The fights and brawls are epic and break the laws of physics; the monsters are like straight out of an anime, complete with neon-lit cityscapes that give off sci-fi anime vibes throughout.
7
‘Avatar’ (2009)
Directed by James Cameron
One of the biggest blockbusters of all time, Avatar, definitely vibes like an anime, perhaps one straight out of Studio Ghibli. James Cameron‘s depictions of spiritual bonds with nature in all the Avatar films mirror Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and even Princess Mononoke, two of the greatest Hayao Miyazaki films. Avatar is an epic environmental sci-fi that takes a hero on a journey, puts him in a world filled with blue people and flying creatures, and he quickly realizes that the world is precious and needs protection. The first Avatar is still the highest-grossing film of all time, with $2.9 billion in earnings worldwide.
Avatar is set in a distant future, the 22nd century; the Earth is lacking resources and is slowly dying. A group of scientists discovers that a habitable moon called Pandora has the resources Earth needs, but it’s populated by tall, blue humanoids called Na’vi. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) enters an avatar that looks like the Na’vi and begins infiltrating their world and culture until he realizes Pandora needs to be protected from exploitation. This story was meant to serve as an awakening to the practices of exploiting Earth; it’s something Miyazaki heavily covered in his manga-turned-anime Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, too.
6
‘John Wick’ (2014)
Directed by Chad Stahelski
Neon-clad brawls, incredible chase scenes, and stylized gun-fu choreography are just some of the many awesome parts of the John Wick universe. The lone, stoic killer who navigates a secret, mythic underworld is a story similarly featured in seinen manga, specifically created for young men and containing themes of action, adventure, war, and even romance. If there is an anime counterpart to John Wick, it would most likely be Black Lagoon or even Cowboy Bebop; the dark and mature topics in both reflect John Wick‘s dark and gritty atmosphere.
John Wick follows the eponymous former assassin, played by Keanu Reeves, whose wife passes away and leaves him a dog as her final gift. After encountering some men at a gas station, Wick’s life is turned upside down by their visit to his home; the men kill his dog, and Wick goes on a revenge spree, which unveils a secret killer society bound by strict codes. The fight choreography is perfect in John Wick; there’s a beautiful fluidity to the movie that makes it pass by quickly, and the cinematography is very much soaked in neon, blood, and badassery.
5
‘Chronicle’ (2012)
Directed by Josh Trank
An incredible directorial debut by Josh Trank, Chronicle was a massive surprise when it came out. It was critically acclaimed, audience-approved, and earned nearly ten times its filming budget during its theatrical run. Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan star as three teens who discover they have telekinetic powers, mirroring the greatest anime movie of all time, Akira. Funnily enough, in his most recent interview with Letterboxd, Jordan listed Akira among his four favorite films; it’s possible he saw shades of Akira in Chronicle, too.
Chronicle follows the bullied and abused high school student Andrew (DeHaan), who carries a video recorder everywhere to document his life. His only friend is his cousin Matt (Russell), and Matt’s friend, Steve (Jordan), invites Andrew to film a large hole he and Matt found in the woods. In the hole is a glowing object, which, just days later, gives the three boys telekinetic powers. As they uncover their potential with their new powers, the movie graduates from a coming-of-age story into a tragedy full of destruction. Chronicle is one of the best found-footage films out there, and though it was popular, it remains underrated to this day.
4
‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019)
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo
Avengers was based on the comic book series by Marvel. Anime are often adaptations of manga, the Western-style comic book’s counterpart. In that sense, Avengers: Endgame is basically an anime that’s come to life, if you observe it broadly and squint. Jokes aside, Endgame embodies a lot of anime tropes, from twisted timelines (think Steins;Gate) to epic and heroic fights (think One-Punch Man, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, etc.). The world-building in Endgame completes the MCU’s narrative up to that point, opening the door for other, new heroes to come along.
Avengers: Endgame takes place five years after Thanos snaps his fingers while wearing all the infinity stones, resulting in him erasing half of the world’s population. The remaining Avengers team up with Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), aka Ant-Man, with the theory that the Quantum Realm can help them time-travel back to the snap and stop Thanos. The massive stakes, emotional monologues, and confrontations in the final moments of Endgame are very much like an anime come to life, but it is a rightful homage to the comics it was based on.
3
‘Inception’ (2010)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
There are plenty of claims out there that Inception was actually based on an anime called Paprika, written and directed by one of Japan’s greatest anime directors, the late Satoshi Kon. However, Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, who wrote the script, never acknowledged Paprika as an inspiration, despite fans finding obvious parallels between them. Both films are brilliant, but while Paprika is a cult classic, Inception is one of the biggest and most beloved blockbusters of all time, arguably Nolan’s best work.
Inception follows a professional thief, Dom (Leonardo DiCaprio), and his team, who steal corporate secrets for the highest bidder. They use a dream-infiltrating technology where they can manifest themselves in a person’s subconscious and plant ideas. Dom has a troubled subconscious of his own, so he gets sabotaged during the process by demons and complications with the target. The movie often takes a serious, philosophical approach that’s very common in any classic anime. Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, Akira, and Grave of the Fireflies are just some of the anime films that belong in that category. High-concept mind games are presented in both Paprika and Inception, though Nolan, admittedly, fleshes them out a bit more clearly in his film.
2
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is literally a comic that’s come to life; it has an explosive art style, rule-breaking visuals, and a touching and thrilling coming-of-age protagonist arc. It’s multiverse storytelling with a pure anime spirit; shows that feel like Into the Spider-Verse include Mob Psycho 100, Space Dandy, and even One-Punch Man. These anime shows mix various visual styles and approaches, like Into the Spider-Verse does.
Into the Spider-Verse follows teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), who gets stung by a radioactive spider and becomes Spider-Man. Soon, he realizes he’s not the only Spider-Man, as there are others across the multiverse just like him. The multiverse becomes shaky when the ultimate enemy, Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), decides to enter the multiverse and take the versions of his wife and son who aren’t dead. Into the Spider-Verse can be easily considered the best Spider-Man movie made so far, and its anime feel just contributes to its glory and originality.
1
‘Pacific Rim’ (2013)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
The ultimate anime-style blockbuster has got to be Pacific Rim. By some standards, it wasn’t really a blockbuster domestically, though it absolutely killed the box office abroad (especially in China), but it should still count. Guillermo del Toro‘s Pacific Rim is an incredible feat in cinema: packed with amazing CGI, choreography, and action scenes, it also offers a story of heroes destined to save Earth from the Kaiju while operating giant mecha robots called Jaegers, which has Neon Genesis Evangelion written all over it. And considering Evangelion is one of the best anime series of all time, that’s a big compliment.
Pacific Rim follows Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), who retires after his brother dies in a fight with a kaiju monster. Five years later, the mecha piloting program is dead and defenses are directed elsewhere; however, Raleigh is summoned by Marshal Pentecost (Idris Elba) to return and revive the program with him, an invitation he reluctantly accepts. The themes of survival, perseverance, heroism, and teamwork are highlighted in numerous anime movies and shows beyond Evangelion; they’re pretty classic anime tropes and look beautiful when revived and depicted in a movie like Pacific Rim.
