Anime is animated programming made in Japan. That is the very basic idea behind it. There are Western shows that use anime-style visuals and storytelling techniques. One of the biggest early examples isAvatar: The Last Airbender. That show broke a lot of boundaries and now there are tons of other examples.
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There aren’t many Japanese animated shows that borrow from Western styles though.FLCLis the only onethat comes to mind but just for one scene. There also aren’t a lot of anime that are even set in Western areas like the United States. Still, there are some fun examples out there that fans may not even realize. Some are real cities while some are a bit more exaggerated.
7Appare-Ranman!
Appare-Ranman!is like a modern-day version ofSpeed Racer. It begins in Japan but then heads off to America wherein a Japanese inventor and his reluctant friend decide to compete in a race around the frontier. It is the steampunk era of the world. This means there are plenty of realistic inventions around the more wild anime ones.
Even whenAppare-Ranman!goes full anime, the ideas are at least coming from a logical place in time. It’s only thirteen episodes so it’s a fast watch. Interestingly enough, a manga version began alongside it which is not how things usually go in Japan.
6Eden Of The East
Eden of the Easthas a bizarre beginning. Saki is a visiting student from Japan who wanted to go see the White House. Outside she sees a naked man, Akira, running away. She decides to forgo her dream and help him out. Why was he naked? It turns out he is some sort of secret agent but has amnesia. There is a lot more to it than that but the two try and solve this thrill ride together. The original is another short anime that is only 11 episodes long.
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There are sequels too. Between the original and thesequels films and books, the series goes back and forth between Japan and the U.S.Eden of the East, as a series, at least begins in America and returns there frequently enough to make it count.
5Great Pretender
Great Pretenderis separated into multiple cases and each takes place in anew region of the world. The first begins in LA and has one of the main characters, Makoto, get looped into another con artist’s plans. This rival, Laurent, convinces Makoto to sell some candy to a businessman which is a cover for drugs unbeknownst to him.
The plot gets more elaborate from there. The point of each case is to bring down “evil” con artists. They’re conning the cons. They’re out for the money too. They are con artists after all but through the wacky hijinks in this anime, there is a lot of heart as well.
4Heroman
Heromanwas a collaboration between the legendary comic guru, Stan Lee, and the anime studio Bones. Most might know Bones from their work onFullmetal Alchemist. Does this anime reach those same heights? The story doesn’t but the animation is still top-notch.
It takes place on the West Coast of the U.S. in a fictionalized version of LA called Center City. The main character, Joey, buys a defective toy. It gets brought to life one night after being zapped by lightning. Now it’s up to the two of them to fight off evil. It’s a cliche setup fora superhero animebut a fun watch regardless.
3Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Oceanis the latest season inthis epic series. It’s the first to take place almost fully in the U.S., particularly in Florida. Jolyne Kujo, Jotaro’s daughter, is imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. Jotaro comes to break her out after gifting her Stand powers.
Unfortunately, the big bad of this season wipes Jotaro’s memories. This forces Jolyne to stay in prison to fight back against this oppressor for her father’s powers. If she fails he will die. The season is far from over as only part has aired so far. If it’s anything like the manga, fans won’t want to miss out on the action.
Think of the most over-the-top anime that you have watched. Now, times that by ten and that’s whatMad Bull 34is. It’s ashort action-packed OVAthat briefly covers some of the crazier arcs in the manga. The comic lasted from 1985 to 1991 so it is a beefy series.
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It takes place in New York City and focuses on a police unit that goes all out for every mission. This is not something for kids. It’s as adult as an anime can get without being labeled as one of those tentacle titles. It’s just something that needs to be seen to be believed. It’s hard to explain why someone would strap grenades to their privates as just one wild example.
Read or Dieis another OVAbased on manga. This one was divided into three parts. It saw success so it got turned into a full season eventually. The OVA begins as most great American tales with a villainous takeover of the White House. Other parts of the U.S. get explored as well like New York City.
The series stars Yomiko who has the power to weaponize paper. Most villains in the series, including the OVA, are based on fictionalized versions of historical figures. Are they coming back to life from books? If so who is doing this? It’s up to Yomiko and her agency to find out.
