'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
As many manga creators will tell you, art is often born from the inspiration the artists find around them. This is why so many of the most iconic and popular manga series in existence have been inspired by the great classics that came before them.
By knowing this, fans can better appreciate both the manga that inspired their favorite series and the work of their favorite manga creator.
In this list, we will talk about ten manga creators who were inspired by another series to create the work they are known for today.
Disclaimer: This article was created using various interviews and forums found online.
Sui Ishida and 9 other manga creators whose work was inspired by classic mangas
1) Eiichiro Oda (One Piece) – Dragon Ball
One Piece has been around for twenty-five years, so there is no doubt about the fact that it is one of the most influential and popular series in the world. Oda’s creation has millions of fans all over the globe, who constantly praise the manga creator behind Luffy and his friends for how amazing his story is.
When asked about what inspired him to write such an incredible tale, Oda always answers the same thing, Dragon Ball. Oda grew up reading the adventures of Goku and his friends, which inspired him to create his own epic story that could someday become as popular as Dragon Ball.
2) Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto) – Dragon Ball
By releasing Naruto, manga creator Masashi Kishimoto was able to give the world one of the most inspiring stories of perseverance and hard work ever seen.
Alongside One Piece and Bleach, Naruto is considered one of the three most influential Shonen mangas in the world, which is more than fair, considering the huge impact the story had on so many people.
Like Oda, Kishimoto has also been asked countless times the story of how he came up with such an outstanding manga. Kishimoto has always said that the main inspiration behind his masterpiece is Dragon Ball, as he grew up reading about Goku’s adventures as well.
Naruto himself is based around Goku, which is why he is so optimistic and always fights for justice.
3) Tite Kubo (Bleach) – Yu Hakusho and Saint Seiya
As stated before, Bleach is one of the most popular and iconic Shonen mangas in the world. Ichigo’s journey to save the Shinigami world from constant enemies that threaten peace has been acclaimed by fans for decades.
While the manga creator behind Ichigo and his friends, Tite Kubo, has also listed Dragon Ball as an inspiration, Toriyama’s work is not the one that shaped the world of Bleach.
Kubo was mostly inspired by another classic Shonen manga, Yu Yu Hakusho, a series with a serious protagonist like Ichigo. He has also commented in the past that Saint Seiya is what inspired the design of his weapons.
4) Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia) – Naruto
A few years back, a new Shonen series took the world by storm by becoming one of the bestselling Shonen manga in history, My Hero Academia.
The world created by Horikoshi is filled with some of the most amazing powers, charming characters and interesting plotlines fans have seen in a while. It draws heavy inspiration from the western comics Horikoshi read as a child.
However, like most manga creators, Horikoshi was also inspired by a fellow mangaka to create his story. In this case, the manga with the biggest influence over his work is Naruto, as Horikoshi has said before he considers it the best manga in existence.
After reading the two series side by side, you can see the inspiration Kishimoto’s work had on Deku and his friends.
5) Gege Akutami (Jujutsu Kaisen) - Bleach
Another fairly recent and iconic series that quickly rose to popularity is Jujutsu Kaisen. Yuji’s quest to obtain all the cursed fingers and rid himself of Sukuna will forever remain one of the best Shonen manga ever created. Its manga creator, Gege Akutami, has said before that the idea for the story came from Japanese legends and folklore.
Nonetheless, he has also said in previous interviews that the manga that inspired him to work on one of his own was Bleach. Since he admitted this, many individuals online have accused Gege of copying ideas from Bleach, which could not be further from the truth.
Gege simply took inspiration from one of the mangas that touched his heart to create an iconic story of his own.
6) Ken Wakui (Tokyo Revengers) – Re: Zero and Erased
The concept of a time-traveling gang member would have sounded strange at best a few years back. Still, manga creator Ken Wakui was able to make this concept work on one of the most unique and intriguing series of the last decade, Tokyo Revengers.
Takemichi’s mission to save his friends in the past and create a better future will go down in history as an iconic and beloved manga series.
Wakui had said before in interviews that the idea of creating a time travel related manga came to him after reading Re: Zero. When reading the two series, you can find a lot of similarities between Takemichi’s adventures and Subaru’s, as they both leap in time to save the people they care about.
He also took inspiration from Erased, another manga with a similar time leaper plot.
7) Koyoharu Gotoge (Demon Slayer) – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Bleach and Naruto
Swords, demons, amazing powers and a magnificent story are all elements fans can find in the iconic manga series Demon Slayer. Tanjiro and his friends have not been around as long as some other manga in this list, but that does not prevent them from being just as beloved by the community.
The manga creator who came up with the idea of Demon Slayer, Koyoharu Gotoge, has revealed in past interviews that his manga was inspired by Jojo’s, Naruto and Bleach.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure gave him the idea of a world filled with unique and memorable characters. Bleach and Naruto inspired him to create the weapons and the fighting style of his characters.
8) Hajime Isayama (Attack On Titan) – Project ARMS
If what you are looking for is a manga with a thought-provoking and crude story, look no further than Hajime Ishiyama’s creation, Attack On Titan. In his journey to destroy all the Titans and save humanity, Eren found out about the harsh realities of the world he lived in, while giving fans an amazing and philosophical storyline.
The series’ main themes come from the heartbreaking stories and tragedies that occurred during WWII. Yet, Isayama was also inspired by a relatively obscure manga series called Project ARMS.
This manga is similar to Attack on Titan in many regards, like the fact that both series have protagonists who were experimented on as children. It also has one of the most shocking endings ever written.
9) Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist) – Urusei Yatsura
Fullmetal Alchemist is a series that has remained relevant for decades, despite the fact that it has already concluded. This is thanks to the outstanding job the manga creator behind the series, Hiromu Arakawa, did to create an amazing plot filled with unique characters.
The idea of combining magic and science to create an incredible power system also helped the series gain popularity.
Fans would expect a series as serious and often gloomy as Arakawa’s to be inspired by another serious manga. In reality, Arakawa has said several times in the past that her work was mostly based on Urusei Yatsura, a romantic comedy manga she read as a little girl.
10) Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion) – Devilman
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a world famous manga, known even by people who have never read a manga series in their life. The impact this manga series has had on pop culture is unbelievable, as it is still inspiring new artists all around the world.
All manga fans know that Evangelion is one of the most crude and ruthless series in existence. This is due to the inspiration its manga creator had when working on the series, Devilman. This classic manga is also known for having some of the most disturbing and brutal stories in the industry.
Final thoughts
Manga creators, like any other person, have had many sources of inspiration for their work. More often than not, this inspiration comes in the form of iconic or beloved manga series they read while growing up. This has helped many of the most iconic manga in existence to be created, as proven in the list above.
One day, many of the manga creators listed above will inspire a new generation of artists to create a manga of their own and fans will be ready for the new stories that will come with them. As long as there is someone working in the manga industry, this cycle of inspiration will never end.
