Where East Meets West in Animation

Written by Lawrence Folsom

East meets West is an intriguing and historically underutilized theme in animation but cultural exchange between Eastern and Western studios has always existed, particularly in the Japanese and American film industries. Each region has influenced the art and storytelling styles of the other, driving trends that end up making their way into animation from around the world.

The rise of this cross-cultural sub-genre stems from a hunger that the audience has to experience something new and see stories from a different culture in their favorite medium of animation. Modern iterations of this theme have since grown into a global phenomenon, spanning from Europe to South America and beyond. 

Nowadays, East meets West takes many different forms and goes beyond the borders of Japanese and American animation. This global fusion could be in animation styles, combination settings or even one culture taking on the source material of another. Some notable big hit examples that successfully blended eastern art styles and themes into western animation would be Avatar: The Last Airbender, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, and KPop Demon Hunters.

As an organization dedicated to advancing Asians in animation, we believe this cross-cultural exchange is essential for a more innovative and inclusive industry. We compiled some great examples of how various animation studios have taken on the theme of East meets West.

Castlevania: Western Source, Eastern Style

Castlevania (2017) is an excellent animated series on Netflix that has East meets West woven deep into its source material. It follows the adventures of vampire hunter Trevor Belmont and his band of misfit allies, as they face off against dark forces threatening 15th-century Eastern Europe.

The show is based on the classic video game series of the same name made by Japanese developer Konami, and features a European setting and cast of characters. The series was created by Frederator Studios and Powerhouse Animations, Western studios, utilizing a highly anime-inspired art style, bringing on talent from the anime industry to capture the signature fast-paced action.

The show pulls off a dark medieval aesthetic, full of monsters and violence, but manages to balance its tone with a great cast of characters, whose endearing wit and banter keep the show from becoming too grim and dark. The fight scenes are creative and awesome to watch and overall the pacing feels great so the show never feels like it's dragging. The team behind Castlevania shows that having a deep understanding of both Eastern and Western storytelling can help create something that’s both critically acclaimed and a commercial success, measured by its strong viewership.

You can watch all four seasons of Castlevania and its sequel series, Castlevania: Nocturne, on Netflix.

Blue Eye Samurai: Conflict in the DNA 

Blue Eye Samurai has East meets West written into its main conflict and is embodied in its main character. In this riveting action series, produced by French studio Blue Spirit, Mizu tries to hunt down her father, one of only a few Western men living in Edo-era Japan. 

Mizu's mixed heritage and in particular, her blue eyes make her an outcast during a time when Westerners are banned from Japan, over Shogunate fears of outside influence. Blue Eye Samurai does a great job mirroring the external and internal conflict in the show: Japan grapples with European influences as Mizu struggles with her own identity, a biracial person in a society that is intolerant of her very existence. 

Wish Dragon: Eastern Story, Western Look

Wish Dragon takes on a Western animation style to tell an Eastern story. The characters look like they stepped right out of a Pixar or DreamWorks movie, and the animators are able to capture the urban beauty of Shanghai in a bright and colorful 3D animated world. Wish Dragon follows Din, a teen who discovers a wish Dragon and instead of wishing for wealth or power, he tries to use his wishes to reconnect with his childhood friend. 

On first impression, the story of Wish Dragon bears a striking resemblance to the classic tale of Aladdin, with a poor protagonist trying to win over the heart of a rich love interest with the help of a supernatural being that grants wishes. These similarities are all by design as the showrunner wanted to retell the familiar story of Aladdin in the story's original setting of China, or in Wish Dragon's case, Shanghai. This retelling is a great example of East meets West, as the classic story is originally an Arabic tale of a Chinese character. 

Wish Dragon is the first movie Chris Appelhans directed, while his second is this year's phenomenon Kpop Demon Hunters. Both movies have vibrant character designs and bring Eastern stories and characters to a wider Western audience. Similar to the rise in popularity of Western anime, the counterpoint of Eastern stories told in a familiar 3D animated style exemplifies the hunger of a global audience that is open to a fusion of culture in their storytelling. 

You can watch Wish Dragon on Netflix.

Anne Shirley: The Global Classic in Anime

Anne Shirley is the third anime adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic novel Anne of Green Gables, a reboot of the 1979 series directed by co-founder of Studio Ghibli, Isao Takahata. The newest anime iteration of the beloved children's novel is a treat to watch. It follows the titular character Anne’s life from her youth to young adulthood in the fictional town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Though the adaptation of Western works is not unusual for the anime industry, Anne Shirley stands out as an excellent example of East meets West for its strong cultural impact in Japan. Anne of Green Gables was one of the first works of Western children's literature to be translated and distributed widely across Japan after WWII and thus holds a special place in Japanese culture. 

It may seem like an odd pairing at first, an old English children's story as an anime, but Anne Shirley perfectly captures the quiet yet resilient growth of its characters in the same way the novel has, which made it a beloved story around the world. The show follows Anne's growth from an awkward young girl with a big imagination into a young woman and aspiring writer. The anime perfectly displays how Eastern studios can adapt Western stories in a successful and authentic way.

You can watch Anne Shirley on Crunchyroll.

Big Hero 6: The Fusion Setting

Big Hero 6 is a part of Disney's underrated Sci-fi catalog that blends East and West in its setting of San Fransokyo. In Big Hero 6, young robotics prodigy Hiro searches for answers around his older brother's tragic death with the help of Baymax, his late brother's last project. 

Iconic San Francisco landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transamerica Pyramid are reimagined with Japan-inspired architectural flourishes. Giant wind turbines that resemble Japanese fish kites fly high above the city and large sections of the skyscrapers are covered with fluorescent screens to resemble the Shinjuku district in Tokyo. Even the design of Baymax leans into a Japanese robot aesthetic, with rounded white features that make him approachable and cute, perfect for a personal healthcare assistant.

However, despite all the world-building details, there is something effectively unassuming in the fusing of Eastern and Western setting elements in Big Hero 6. The movie is full of Japanese-inspired designs and details, like the Lucky Cat Cafe run by Hiro’s aunt and the extra compact cars driving around the city. These setting choices do not distract from the story, but do offer an interesting backdrop for the characters to inhabit. Big Hero 6’s San Fransokyo is the type of setting that gives just enough, making the viewer want to learn more while highlighting the movie's multicultural theme. It successfully blends Eastern and Western elements to enrich the entire film and demonstrates how East meets West in animation can help create a unique story.

You can watch Big Hero 6 on Disney+.

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