The Matrix and 4 Other Cult Movies that Borrowed Ideas from Popular Anime

Hollywood directors often borrow ideas from Japanese anime - some admit it, some don't. But eagle-eyed fans will always notice references to their favorite titles.

1. Black Swan (2010) – Perfect Blue (1997)

Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan and Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue are similar not only in terms of plot, but also in details: the similar names of the main characters (Mima in the anime and Nina in the film), and the split of personality. Moreover, in both projects, the main character's loss of sanity is directly related to the awakening of her sexuality.

Darren Aronofsky denies that Black Swan was influenced by Perfect Blue. However, while working on 2000's Requiem for a Dream, Aronofsky bought the rights to Perfect Blue in order to legally borrow the scene where Mima plunges into the bathtub.

2. Pacific Rim (2013) – Gigantor (1964)

After the release of Pacific Rim, some viewers felt that Guillermo del Toro had borrowed the plot and looks of the robots from the cult series Evangelion. However, del Toro himself said that he was inspired by the 1960s animated series Gigantor, which in turn was an adaptation of the Japanese manga Iron Man No. 28.

Thus, Pacific Rim can be seen as an homage to several popular Japanese genres: mecha, kaiju, and tokusatsu.

3. Inception ( 2010) – Paprika (2006)

The script for Paprika was based on the novel of the same name by Japanese author Yasutaka Tsutsui. Immediately after the release of Christopher Nolan 's film, anime fans noticed its similarity to Satoshi Kon's Paprika. Several scenes in Inception are direct visual quotes from the anime – for example, the scene where Ariadne touches the mirror wall.

According to Nolan himself, he worked on the script for Inception for more than ten years and cannot say exactly where he got the main idea. Among the possible sources of Nolan's inspiration, journalists mentioned the novel Paprika by Tsutsui, the 1984 movie Dreamscape, and even the 2004 comic book about Scrooge McDuck, in which the Beagle Boys tried to get the code from Scrooge's safe by infiltrating his dream.

4. Man of Steel (2013) – Birdy the Mighty (1996)

According to Zack Snyder, the finale of Man of Steel is loosely based on the fight scenes from Birdy the Mighty. This anime follows the adventures of super-powered police officer Birdy, who shares a body with local teenager Tsutomu. During their exploits, Birdy/Tsutomu engage in large-scale battles that destroy buildings.

The fight scenes and strong emotional moments from the anime were clearly reflected in the final showdown between Superman and General Zod. So, while many might expect influences from other cinematic works, Man of Steel is actually inspired by anime, which adds to its originality.

5. The Matrix ( 1999) – Ghost in the Shell (1995)

The iconic cyberpunk movie The Matrix was inspired by the equally iconic cyberpunk anime Ghost in the Shell by Mamoru Oshii. Both stories explore the difference between virtual and physical reality, and whether that difference even matters.

In addition to general topics that the Wachowskis borrowed, several specific concepts were taken directly from Oshii's film. The opening credits of Ghost in the Shell served as the model for the digital rain effect that is now widely credited to The Matrix. Another idea borrowed straight from the anime is the way the protagonists use ports on the back of their necks to connect to the Matrix.