Anime Accessories: Five Comics That Aren’t Technically Anime
Like Scott Pilgrim, these comics based on popular animated shows aren’t technically anime. But we’re happy to give them a pass anyway.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is right around the corner. And between the art style, the returning cast, and yesterday’s sneak preview that looks perfect, we’re really darn excited. Scott Pilgrim is definitively one of those titles that isn’t quite anime but is definitely close enough that many of us wave it into the club anyhow. And whether it’s in style or tropieness, all of these not-technically-anime titles hit a lot of the same checkboxes we love in our anime.
1. Scott Pilgrim
I know, I know, we covered this one. But with the show coming out, if you haven’t read the comics yet, now is your chance. We have the hardcover edition in my house, so believe me when I tell you it’s great. And you know the full-color edition looks so good.
2. Avatar
When I think of shows that look a lot like anime and have found a very heavily overlapping fanbase, Avatar is always the first one that comes to mind. And it doesn’t hurt that this series manages to always be good. The comics expanded on the main series and followed the characters through some of their post-series adventures. Loose ends get tied up and questions we were left with are answered.
3. Totally Spies!
Do you remember this series? I do, and I didn’t realize how long it had lasted at all! Totally Spies! is seeing something of a minor resurgence at the moment, and I don’t know how long that will last. But this series was pretty cute. It pulled a lot from shoujo tropes and had a bit of an anime style, while also feeling like a very California-based spy show. Is this good? Does it hold up? I have no idea. But if you’re looking for some 2001 nostalgia, this will ‘totally’ get you there.
4. Samurai Jack
Unlike the other pics on this list, Samurai Jack doesn’t have a lot of that super recognizable anime style. Instead, it looks a lot like a 90’s Cartoon Network toon. Which is conveniently exactly what it was. But the tropes and the surprisingly involved plot managed to pull quite a few anime fans in. As an adult though, I see a lot of Kurosawa inspiration in Samurai Jack. Which is honestly awesome.
5. RWBY
Another real quintessential not-anime-but-close series is Rooster Teeth’s RWBY. Joining forces with DC comics, they brought this massively popular animated series to a more paperback format with the RWBY comics. Volume one of the comics expands on the events of Volume four of the animated series, diving into backstories and side stories that never made it to the screen.
Oh hey! BoLS might make a little dolla-dolla if you decide to buy these items. We need that money to buy more shelves for all of our comics.
