It is common that very successful works end up influencing countless authors, whether in the world of series, movies or anime. Often certain animations are so successful that even an entire genre is highlighted thanks to it, thus causing countless works with the same theme to appear.
The problem is that sometimes this inspiration goes a little too far and ceases to be a work similar or with inspirations, to become a totally blatant copy made to build on the success of a great work. Check below 10 anime that are simply a total copy:
Index
10. Dueling Masters
Surely you know Yu-Gi-Oh!, after all the anime was a rage in Brazil and around the world, with new seasons still releasing today. Over the years, several anime about card games have appeared, many of them with their own originality and identity, but that is not the case with Duel Masters.
The anime tells the story of Shobu Kirifuda, a young man trying to become a master of the card game Kaijudo. However, the series can’t escape the inevitable comparisons to Yu-Gi-Oh!. Both share the theme of card duels as a central element, bringing creatures from other dimensions to Earth.
Unfortunately, Duel Masters fails to offer an original approach or significant innovations over its predecessor. It lacks striking differentiation, character depth, and storytelling originality. While casually entertaining, Duel Masters cannot escape the shadow of Yu-Gi-Oh! as a lower copy. Despite this, the anime has a total of 78 episodes, as well as a video game portion.
9. Monsuno: Master of the World
Pokémon is probably one of the most copied works in history. Either for the multitude of games that have tried to reproduce its success, or for the sheer amount of anime inspired by Satoshi Taijiri’s franchise. Several works got their highlight as Digimon, Beyblade or Bakugan, but that was not the case with Monsuno, which is an anime that revolves around a team of young heroes who fight against threats using creatures with animal DNA, called Monsunos.
Unfortunately, the series can’t escape Pokemon comparisons and sticks to just that. Both feature the premise of trainers catching creatures and using them in battles, as well as the entire episode structure. Monsuno tries to replicate the success of Pokémon, but fails to offer the same depth of the world, character charisma and variety of creatures. It’s a blatant copycat, making viewers feel like they’re watching a lesser, less original version of the Pokémon phenomenon.
8. Guilty crown
Some of the people who worked on the Code Geass anime also worked on Guilty Crown, so it wouldn’t be fair to label it a blatant copy, however, that doesn’t change the fact that the two anime are extremely similar in many ways. .
Both tell the story of an intelligent teenager who gains mysterious power after becoming involved with a beautiful magical girl. Both protagonists use this new ability, together with a group of warriors, to help liberate Japan from colonial rule.
Unlike the previous examples, Guilty Crown is really good despite the obvious similarities to Code Geass, it has its own personality and a way of telling the story that makes it worth watching, even if you probably think you’ve seen it elsewhere.
7. No Game No Life
The work of Brazilian mangaka Yuu Kamiya is the first manga to be successful in Japan, and despite having a unique art and even a certain personality, it is incredibly similar to another work. Brilliant people who find their lives unfulfilling and stifling are suddenly transported into a fantastical game-like world where they can reach their full potential.
In this beautiful new world, they must use their wits to regain the stolen honor of their new home, surrounded by very attractive girls with animal ears. Sounded pretty specific, didn’t it? But this description serves to talk about both No Game No Life and Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou desu yo?, by the mangaka Tarou Tatsunoko. The works are separated by 4 years apart, so it is very likely that the anime No Game No Life was inspired by another work.
6. Iron Fortress Kabaneri
This is a clear case of one anime trying to ride the wave of success of another specific anime. Shingeki no Kyojin, or The Attack of the Giants, is an original manga by Hajime Isayama that has had a resounding success all over the world, even becoming one of the most popular anime in the world. In turn, Wit Studio, which produced the anime of the titans, tried to replicate the same success with Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, an original anime absolutely similar to Isayama’s work.
Both Attack on Titan and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress tell the story of humans trying to survive in a heavily fortified community against terrifying man-eating beasts that may have been human in the past. Eventually, the protagonists enter into a perilous struggle to defeat the enemy and protect their communities from harm. Despite clearly being a copycat and not even close to the success or quality of its inspiration, Kabaneri has its good points and is well worth the experience.
5. Sword Art Online
This is a case where one copy ended up spawning countless other copies. Works like Isekai, in which a character is removed from his world and placed in a completely different world, have flooded the industry and it is possible to mention countless works such as Overlord, Log Horizon and so on, but it all started with Sword Art Online . Or isn’t it? .hack//Sign, tells the story of an MMORPG player named Tsukasa, who is unable to log out of the game.
While SAO has taken this concept and extended it to their entire player base, it is impossible to deny the similarity between the works and it is highly likely that .hack greatly inspired the Sword Art Online anime, mainly due to the fact that it was released in 2002 and after having had a sequel of games and other products on the story.
4. Buso Renkin
Buso Renkin is a work by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the same author of Samurai X and tells the story of a young teenager who uses alchemy to face the homunculi. I guess if you watch anime with any regularity, you must have heard a similar synopsis somewhere. No wonder it is very similar to the story of Fullmetal Alchemist in its main theme.
Hiromu Arakawa’s work started to be published in 2001 by Shonen Gangan in Japan, while Buso Renkin started to be published by Shonen Jump only in 2003. While Fullmetal Alchemist was in the ascendancy, alchemy theme was also and Jump bet in history by Watsuki as a way to hook some readers. The point is that Buso Renkin never came close to the quality and fame of the work that inspired him and today he is remembered much more precisely for being a type of copy than for his own merits.
3. Samurai Champion
Shinchiro Watanabe is widely known for being one of the best anime directors of all time. His resume includes works like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, which in turn are considered two of the best anime ever.
The point is, both are remarkably similar at root: both anime use music as a motif, both follow a group of two men and a woman on a journey with remarkably similar personalities, and both feature a combination of episodes that can be watched . independent and a storyline in development.
This is the kind of work that is not limited to being just a copy, as it is uniquely distinguished by its strengths and we can even say that it is not even a copy, but that Watanabe has reused characteristic elements of his works in Samurai Champloo. The point is, both Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo are highly recommended for any animation fan.
2. Shurato
Knights of the Zodiac is a work of Masami Kurumada and is simply one of the most popular anime of all time in Brazil. But another anime involving knights in shining armor fighting on behalf of gods and entities that was also quite successful in Brazil was Shurato, by Takao Koyama. While Knights of the Zodiac premiered in 1985 on Shonen Jump and won an anime in 1986, Shurato only debuted in 1989 on TV Tokyo with the original anime.
The animation tells the story of Shurato Hidaka who one day, together with his best friend, is sent to the Celestial World, where he discovers that he is the reincarnation of an ancient king. The storyline unfolds to the point where the two obtain the armor and become able to fight the gods of Asura.
While Knights of the Zodiac mainly uses Greek mythology and astrology as inspiration, in Shurato Buddhist and Hindu mythologies were the main sources of reference according to the authors. When watching the anime, it is very clear that the work builds on the success of Knights of the Zodiac, adding its points of originality in some moments.
1. Super baby
And to top it off, we have one of the most absurdly cheeky copies in anime history. Super Kid is a South Korean film produced by UM Productions, released in 1994, which copied the story, characters and even the drawing style of Dragon Ball, by mangaka Akira Toriyama. The problem is that the copy, in addition to being totally discounted, is still completely badly made and is remembered today for the completely confused plot, the continuity errors in the story and for not even getting to the feet of Dragon Ball.
Interestingly, Super Kid takes place in the year 2023 and features the character Gokdari, a super-powered warrior child from another planet, but who inhabits the Earth and has a mission to protect human beings from all possible dangers. While the work and Toriyama is inspired by the Chinese tale Journey to the West and is considered the most popular anime of all time, Super Kid was also unsuccessful upon release and turned out to be a complete fiasco.
The post 10 Anime That Are Shameless Copies Of Greatest Hits first appeared on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
