America is very good at stealing good entertainment ideas. Whether it’s game shows, singing contests or sitcoms, there is no concept that we won’t rebrand as distinctly American and claim as our own. When it comes to science fiction, no country has been ripped off more than Japan. For decades, Japanese sci-fi has been repackaged for American audiences. It’s been done so well that many Americans don’t realize that their favorite shows and characters actually originated in Japan.
6. Astro Boy
Japanese origin: The Japanese call Astro Boy, “Tetsuwan Atomu” or “The Mighty Atom.” He started as a Japanese manga graphic novel in 1952 and evolved into an anime series in 1963. In fact, many credit him with starting the anime craze. The stories of a robot boy fighting evil robots captured the hearts and imaginations of the technically-minded Japanese people. It didn’t take long for his popularity to spread overseas.
American icon: American producers renamed The Mighty Atom, Astro Boy when they brought him to American TV in 1963. Baby boomers got hooked on the unique stories. At the time, few Americans had ever seen anything like Japanese animation. Astro Boy promises to attract a new generation of American fans when the new movie featuring the character premiers on October 23, 2009.
5. Robotech
Japanese origin: What Americans know as Robotech was actually created from three distinctly different Japanese anime series from the early 1980s. Literally translated they are: Super Spacetime Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Armored Genesis Mospeada. All of them involved transformable mecha and outer space. The animated series also involved deep character development and evolving story lines. This was something unfamiliar to American audiences at the time.
American icon: American producers merged the three series into Robotech because they feared none of them could sustain a daily TV series on their own. Robotech hit American airwaves in 1985 and mesmerized after-school audiences five days a week. They were intrigued by the complex plot and character interactions never before seen in anime by an American audience. It spawned the Robotech movie in 1986 and numerous sequels and spinoffs. There is even talk of a live action Robotech movie.
4. Akira
Japanese origin: Akira started off as a Japanese manga graphic novel set in a cyberpunk post-apocalyptic Tokyo-like city. It appeared as a serial comic from 1982 through 1990 then was published in six volumes. The story revolves around Akira, a boy with dangerous psychic powers, as well as two rival gang members: Shotaro Kaneda and Tetsue Shima. Akira’s popularity skyrocketed in Japan with the 1988 release of an anime film.
American icon: Marvel Comics brought Akira to American audiences in 1988. It was the first time a Japanese manga was directly translated into English without major changes. It proved that Japanese story lines could captivate an American audience. The Akira movie was released in America in 1990, helping to push the anime craze in America.
3. Pokemon
Japanese origin: Pokemon originated as a Japanese video game for Game Boy called “Pocket Monsters.” Pokemon is a contraction of those words in Japanese. It was so popular, it led to an anime series in 1997. That was followed by card games, movies and world domination. Pokemon is by far the most pervasive Japanese entertainment export of all time.
American icon: In 1998, the Pokemon animated series was dubbed into English and exported around the world. That prompted more than a decade of kids nagging their parents to buy them Pokemon toys and cards. There are now thousands of Pokemon characters and hundreds of products. No one is sure why Pokemon have such powerful appeal. Conspiracy theorists suspect mind control. In 1997, flashing lights on an episode caused seizures in 700 viewers.
2. Battle of the Planets (G-Force)
Japanese origin: Battle of the Planets evolved from a 1972 Japanese anime series called Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. It followed five superhero ninjas who battled technologically advanced villains in an effort to save the environment. The heroes often dressed up like birds. The original Japanese series involved a lot of violence and androgynous characters.
American icon: Some of the themes of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman were considered too racy for 1970s American kids. The sex and violence were toned down considerably then repackaged as Battle of the Planets in America in 1978. It was then repackaged again as G-Force in 1986 and 1995. Though the series maintains a loyal American following, these latest versions bear little resemblance to the Japanese original.
1. Speed Racer
Japanese origin: Speed Racer was developed from a series called Mach Go Go Go. Originally it was a manga released in 1958 then became a Japanese anime in 1966. Mach Go Go Go was unique at the time. It showed Western looking characters in Western clothing acting distinctly Japanese. American audiences were often confused by the strange pauses in dialogue that resulted from dubbing from Japanese to English. They also wondered why the characters wore letters that did not correspond to their names. It was because the letters matched their Japanese names. Speed wore an M on his helmet for Mifune (his surname) and a G on his shirt for Go (his given name). Trixie wore an M for her Japanese name Michi.
American icon: Speed Racer was an instant hit when it was released in America in 1967, and survived in syndication for many years. It inspired sequels, spinoffs and a 2008 movie, but none of them matched the original’s success. Speed Racer is seen as a classic, sort of like Beatles music. You can’t really imitate it or copy its style without appearing like a wannabe. It remains unique among Japanese anime exports. There are no aliens, robots or superpowers in Speed Racer. It is just a boy and his really cool race car.
Great list!! I'm suprised Voltron didn't make the list. Especially since it became so popular that they had 20 additional episodes of Lion Force created just for the U.S.
When they started talking the movie G-Force I was thinking "FINALLY! It's about time somebody made one of my favorite TV cartoon adventures on the big screen. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be intelligent gadget-crazy rodent spies instead. Deeply disappointing. I wanna see the real G-Force get a try.
Hell yeah Voltron should have been on that list...also, what's that about Akira being released in the US in 1990? I'm pretty sure I remember seeing it on VHS during my grade school years, like around 1986 - 1988, somewhere in there.
Starblazers should also be on the list. The show was far superior to Battle of the Planets (although I loved that as a child too). Starblazers was the first cartoon in the US I know of to have a continuing storyline from one episode to the next, rather than just a bunch of stand alone episodes. They didn't have to butcher Space Battleship Yamato the way they did Gatchaman.
Akira was released in theatres in Japan in 1988, TK-421. The official release on home video was in 1991, but there were loads of bootleg copies floating around before that. No subtitles or dubbing on the bootlegs, of course.
Wow Battle of the Planets.... that brings me back. But I gotta agree with you guys on Voltron, how could they have left that one out . If Akira in there, what about Fist Of The North Star?
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Great list!! I'm suprised Voltron didn't make the list. Especially since it became so popular that they had 20 additional episodes of Lion Force created just for the U.S.