I grew up in an interesting time for U.S. TV animation. The television shows of the early 2000s were my bread and butter, and among the many animated shows I watched during that period, anime was a big part of it. I watched my fair share of Ed, Edd, ‘n’ Eddy, Powerpuff Girls, Courage the Cowardly Dog, SpongeBob SquarePants, and countless other American cartoon shows from that era. But at the same time, I also watched a ton of anime, as that was when Toonami on Cartoon Network was at its prime.
It was during this time I was able to watch Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, Cardcaptors, Rurouni Kenshin, and several other classic animes. Anime was never as mainstream as it was back that, and I don’t think it ever will again. Anime is still very popular among large groups of fans of pop culture, yet I think the days of seeing an abundance of anime-based products in Target or Toys”R”Us are long gone. Outside the Pokémon anime, I don’t believe there will ever be happy meal toys of popular animes ever again either. I do long for those days; however, the current generation of American animation has been spectacular.
Since I grew up in an era of television that heavily promoted both American and Japanese animation, I want to show my appreciation for both kinds of animation. This 20 Cartoon Characters Reimagined As Jaw-Dropping Anime list is me showing my love for the two types of animations that I grew up with. There are many classic cartoon characters that look amazing as anime and would fit right at home with the stuff I watched in the early 2000s.
20 Where Are You?
There is something eternal about Scooby-Doo that has perplexed me for years now. The actual premise of Scooby-Doo, where a group of teens and their talking dog travel the country solving mysteries, was never that exciting or groundbreaking. Yet the franchise continues to go strong almost fifty years after the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
Don’t get the wrong impression; I love Scooby-Doo.
Having grown up with the straight-to-video movies of Scooby-Doo in the late 90s and early 2000s, as well as re-runs of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, has made the franchise a childhood favorite of mine. Have you watched Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island or Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost? Those movies are still amazing. I'm surprised there hasn’t been an anime adaptation of everyone’s favorite mystery-solving team.
Art by Dhutchison.
19 A Fairly Odd Anime
When I was growing up the two channels I would watch the most were Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. I primarily watched Nickelodeon for three shows – Rugrats, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Fairly OddParents. Even though I adored Rugrats and SpongeBob as a child, I often considered Fairly OddParents to be my show. Centering around a boy who needed a pair of magical beings to help deal with his evil babysitter, I loved the show for its imaginative premise and the wacky shenanigans that each episode brought to the table.
This anime portrayal of Cosmos and Wanda, the titular Fairly OddParents, comes across somewhat jarring at first glance. In the show they have big heads on small bodies, so seeing more proportionate versions of them comes across weird at first. However the more you look at it, you recognize that art is really well made.
Art by Sakimichan.
18 Just Let It Go Already
The impact of Frozen can never be understated. Frozen was a legit phenomenon, and is still a much-beloved movie among children to this day. People may despise the movie for how much it is overplayed, especially with the smash hit song “Let it Go." But the movie is truly fantastic, with great animation and a heartwarming story underneath it all.
Imagine “Let it Go” reimagined as a catchy J-Pop opening song – I think that would be cool.
From what I can gather, Frozen was a big hit in Japan as well. Maybe if Disney is feeling particularly brave one day, maybe that can work out a deal with anime studio and bring to life a Frozen anime. The cutesy art style of Moe anime really works with Frozen’s aesthetics, as this fan art proves.
17 Exploring Japan
Even though I am Mexican, for the life of me I couldn’t learn to speak Spanish as a kid. So Dora the Explorer was a great children’s show for me to get into, and learn the basics of Spanish. It was also the first show I remember watching that had a Hispanic lead, something I still don’t see often in today’s animation. Because of the strong American/Mexican influence the show has, I am surprised how well this anime fan art turned out. I get vibes of Cardcaptors, one of my all-time favorite anime as a kid, in this fan art, and it really works. It’s simple, cute, and I now wish there was an anime version of Dora the Explorer. I would take anime Dora over preteen Dora in Dora and Friends: Into the City!, which I am upset to learn is a real thing.
16 Yokaibusters
I watched reruns of The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters when I was a really little kid, and they were some of the earliest shows I remember loving. Both shows really prove that the Ghostbusters concept works really well in animated format, showing things that the movies weren’t capable doing at the time.
An anime Ghostbusters would probably be more warmly accepted by fans than the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot.
The image above is taken from a fan-made YouTube video that reimagines The Real Ghostbusters as an 80s anime. The YouTube channel is called The STATION by MAKER, and retitles the show as Tokyo Ghostbusters. I absolutely adore 80s anime aesthetics, so I am all in for this anime parody of the Ghostbusters.
15 Something's Fishy Here
Picking a favorite classic Pixar movie is almost like picking your favorite child. You love them all, so it is difficult to decide which one deserves to be your favorite. While my opinion has changed since then, as a kid, Finding Nemo was my favorite of all the Pixar films. It came out the right time for me; I was at the right age to understand the deeper meanings of the film, yet still young enough to love the family-friendly humor.
I still think it is one of the best animated films out there, and this anime interpretation of the movie is a treat for the eyes. Not only does it showcase the cast of the film as anime characters, it also makes everyone human. We get to see what everyone would like as a human, and everyone looks spot on.
14 A Romance Transcending Animation Styles
I am not really a fan of romantic movies. WALL-E is really an exception to the rule, even though it is more than just a romantic movie. It is also a space sci-fi, with a heavy dose of social commentary laid thick throughout the narrative. However, it is the love story between robots WALL-E and EVE that truly makes the movie shine. It’s never too cheesy, and the chemistry between the bots is adorable as heck.
The anime interpretation of the couple is kind of cool, as it reimagines EVE as more of an action heroine, with WALL-E as her damsel-in-distress.
That dynamic did exist within the original narrative of the film, with EVE having to save WALL-E several times in the movie. The style presented in the fan art makes it more vibrant and exciting, showing a possible exhilarating action-anime hiding within WALL-E.
13 Wowzers!
I remember when I used to watch Inspector Gadget as a young child that I thought Inspector Gadget was the coolest character ever. He was a detective that was a cyborg, and he had an arch rival that was just a claw! That was awesome for three-year-old me. In hindsight, I realize that Inspector Gadget himself was kind of lame. It was Peggy, his niece, that did all the work. Gadget was useless, which is kind of upsetting to find out years later.
Even though American Inspector Gadget is kind of a lame character, Japanese Inspector Gadget looks ten-times more awesome.
Not only is the artwork more dynamic and cool-looking, Gadget has a gun for a hand. When was the last time you saw Gadget in the American version of the show having a gun hand?
12 A Classic Reimagined
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has a very strong influence on the world; not only in the western hemisphere but in the east as well. Walt Disney would establish a company that would endure for nearly a century (to put it lightly), and establish animation as a viable filmmaking technique. Disney’s art style would be strongly influential for many artists in Japan, with many taking strong inspirations from Disney’s early work, including Snow White. This is why anime often has characters with large eyes – it’s a multi-generational influence on Disney’s style.
This anime version of Snow White not only looks fantastic, it is also the influence coming right back around. Disney inspired early Japanese artists, who would then inspire the next generation. The following generations would lead to this particular artist to be inspired to create an anime version of Snow White. Everything comes full circle.
Art by Mari945.
11 A Whole New Universe
I apologize to my readers, but I am not up-to-date with recent popular American animation outside a few exceptions. While I am aware of Steven Universe’s existence, I honestly don’t know what it is about. All I have is what is said on the Wikipedia page.
There are hints of melancholy in the art, with Lapis’ real face being covered by the cracked mirror.
I have come across some character designs for several of the cast members from the show, with the character Lapis Lazuli being my favorite aesthetically. From what I can gather about the character, she seems like a really interesting and tragic character. This fan art shows a more joyful side of the character, with the mirror being a nice reference to the character’s first appearance. It is a beautiful piece of art that is not only lovely to look at, yet also doesn’t shy away from the character’s tragic backstory.
Art by Dav-19.
10 I Have The Power!
The original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was before my time, so I never watched an episode of the original toy commercial… I mean TV show. With that said, I did watch the 2002 toy commercials… er, I mean television show of the Masters of the Universe. I remember it was a cool show, with some pretty good fight scenes.
I always felt He-Man kind of seemed like an anime character already.
He is undoubtedly an American product, being based off classic barbarian stories like Conan the Barbarian. There is just something foreign about his design that makes it look un-American to me. The sleeker look from the 2002 toys commercial… I mean TV show, only highlighted the foreignness to me. Though the above fan art is called the He-Man anime style, the art to me feels the least different from the initial product than anything else on this list.
Art by Xong.
9 An Endless Japanese Summer
Phineas and Ferb, the popular Disney Channel show that aired between 2007 to 2015, was slightly after my time. I was still watching some cartoons during that period; however, I mostly stopped watching Disney Channel at that point. I also had a stigma towards the show at the time, as I thought it look kind of plain and uninteresting. Of course, I was proven wrong when the show became a hit with not only with children but older people as well.
Phineas and Ferb kind of ushered in a new age of children’s entertainment that would lead to more well-produced kid’s shows. The anime fan art above gives the main cast more rounded heads, a contrast to the many unusual shapes that the characters had in the show.
8 Small Town, Big Personalities
The Comedy Central smash hit, and a personal favorite of mine, South Park, is a vulgar show that ridicules everything that can possibly be mocked. Religion, celebrities, entertainment, social customs, popular trends, and many more, are not safe from South Park’s scorn. The show is not afraid to point out people’s stupidity, and even openly questions why certain things are the way they are. It’s unapologetic in it’s critique, and it is truly one the best animated shows for grown-ups out there.
The animation of South Park emulates paper cut-out animation, even though it is primarily computer generated. The simple animation contrasts with the dark humor present throughout the series. There are times the show venture to different styles, including transforming into an anime parody in the episode “Good Times with Weapons."
7 This Anime Would Rock
Thanks to Boomerang and early morning television, I grew up watching many of the classic animated shows. I was able to watch some Flintstones in my youth, and I was also oddly obsessed with the live-action movie when I was a really little kid as well. I always loved how they used prehistoric animals as replacements for everyday tools; they were always so creative.
She's one tough mother!
The show mostly centers on Fred Flintstones and the wacky situations he ends up in the city of Bedrock. His wife Wilma was generally portrayed as the typical housewife, staying home to take care of their daughter Pebbles. The above artwork displays a different kind of Wilma. She looks more realistic in the art, and also appears to be more of a fighter. I like how she is carrying Pebbles on her back, showing she a tough mother. It’s a fun take on one of animation's most classic female characters.
Art by Sakimichan.
6 Water They Waiting For
I love The Little Mermaid; Ariel was one of my first crushes. While I love the other Disney Princesses, Ariel was always my favorite. She always felt to me to be more lively than the other Princesses. This piece of fan art showing Ariel embracing Eric underwater fills me with so much nostalgia. I always thought that Ariel and Eric’s relationship was one of the more believable romances that followed the classic Disney pattern; even though it is weird they do decide to get married after knowing each other for like three days. The coloring and the expressions on their faces in this art is really well done, and it really does sell the romance between the characters. I would love to see this iconic film turned into an anime series. I think it would do incredibly well.
5 Get In The Robot, Dexter!
I watched a ton of Dexter's Laboratory when I was kid. It was always on Cartoon Network, I would just re-watch the same episodes over and over. I remember being obsessed with the musical episode they had, and adoring the obvious anime parodies. It is because of Dexter's Laboratory that I was first exposed to older anime. I became aware of shows like Speed Racer and Voltron for the first time because of Dexter.
With numerous anime parodies and references hidden within the original show itself, Dexter redrawn as an anime feels like a no brainer. The typical anime style mixing with the classic characters of the show fits like glove. A giant robot is thrown in for good measure, completing Dexter’s transformation into a giant mecha anime show from the 90s.
Art by Toppera-tpr.
4 Down A New Rabbit Hole
Interesting enough, Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was a really popular book in Japan when it was translated in 1899. The Disney adaptation would also be very influential in Japan. The movie’s and book’s effect on anime is very evident with how much the classic imagery pops up in many different animes. You will constantly see character’s in anime referencing the classic story. Alice’s iconic blue dress is often seen in many lovely parodies of the source materials. With how much anime references the classic story of Alice, it feels appropriate that there is an anime reimagining of character herself. Since classic anime is very much influence on classic Disney aesthetics, anime Alice looks right at home with her American counterpart.
Art by Mari945.
3 A Frightfully Good Anime
My first exposure to Beetlejuice was the TV show, so I was shocked to find out that there was a movie. I remembered watching the show a lot when I was really little, however, for the life of me, I can’t remember anything about it. I also saw some reruns of old-school Addams Family cartoons, though like Beetlejuice, I also have no memories of the show. Most of my knowledge about the Addams Family stems from the live actions movies that came out during the 90s.
The three girls create a horrific, yet adorable trio of weirdos.
As pictured in fan art above, I do think Lydia from Beetlejuice and Wednesday from Addams Family would get along smashingly. I especially love how Lydia is glancing at Beetlejuice’s hand from the corner of the painting. It seems like Beetlejuice has stolen a donut from Lydia’s and Wednesday’s mutual acquaintance, Lenore.
Art by Dav-19.
2 A Whole New Adventure
From what I know about Adventure Time, I know it is a show about the supposedly last human boy on the planet going on crazy adventures in a crazy world with his adopted brother, who’s a shape-shifting dog and is voiced by Bender from Futurama. I also know there is a gender-bent version of the main character named Fionna, who exists in the fan-fiction created by the main villain.
Fionna is a really popular character, at least from what I can gather. I come across a lot of wonderful fan art of her. The above though maybe one of my favorites. Fionna is wearing the dress that Princess Serenity from Sailor Moon wore. It’s amazing combo of two shows, that delightfully captures the spirit of both shows in a loving tribute. Not only that, it is also really pretty artwork to look at.
Art by Dav-19.
1 Powerpuff Girls Z!
I remember when the Powerpuff Girls first aired on Cartoon Network. It was a show that I would watch all the time. I only really started appreciating it when I got older, when I recognized how creative and wonderful the show really was. It showed girls being the leads in action-comedy, and had a lot of memorable antagonists.
Whereas the majority of the list is filled with anime artwork that is fan made, Powerpuff Girls Z is actually a real anime made in Japan.
Gone were the simple character designs of the giant-headed Powerpuff Girls. Powerpuff Girls Z instead featured more proportionate girls who wore short skirts. The premise of Z is pretty insane. Rather than the Powerpuff Girls being born from Chemical X (along with sugar, spice, and everything nice), the anime instead focuses on three girls who can transform into the Powerpuff Girls. The three girls are not sisters, and they each have their own unique weapons.