I guess I'm a glutton for punishment because y'all have given me a mountain of recommendations for Anime/Manga to check out and having insomnia helps to get extra reading/watching tv time. I enjoy having so many shows to watch and mangas to read but I was wondering if anyone could recommend any that are western themed or were inspired by westerns. I guess something like 7 Samurai would work since that inspired Magnificent 7.
Also, so far it seems like anime/manga fans do the best job at gatekeeping. I say this because I see the most pushback against whiners about representation or "sexualization". I frequently see feminists hacks whining about pushback amongst amine fans when they want to have a discussion about the male gaze or something. I've reached the point to where I think anyone bringing up such topics should be weeded out immediately because they are poison for fandoms. As I always say, imagine how gaming would be if Zoe Quinn or Anita Sarekessian had been told to pound sand from day one.
Trigun is the standard answer for this. Another of the same author's (Nightow) work is Gungrave which is similar but more of a modern crime/mafia setting. Cowboy Bebop lives up to its name in this respect as well.
A classic show City Hunter (originally made in the 80s, but survived in many forms over the years) has strong elements of a western-cowboy style. Probably best described as an anime version of Miami Vice.
You might also look into the Captain Harlock and related series. Some of those are distinctively western-themed.
That sounds awesome!!! Writing them down now. Thanks! I saw Trigun years ago and liked it but I have been meaning to binge watch it. I need to see if it is on youtube or Tubi.
Have you considered some older historical manga? Vinland Saga is a more famous recent one, but I'd like to throw some different suggestions:
Green Blood: From 2011. Since you said you're interested in Westerns, IIRC this one's story starts in post-Civil War NYC, but eventually moves out to the frontier. It is a seinen clearly inspired by Gangs of New York, so you can certainly expect blood & other mature content in its pages.
Kingdom: From 2006. Centers on the unification of China by Qin Shi Huang, who is of course a major character. IIRC this is the biggest bestseller among historical-fiction manga and one of the bestselling manga of all time period, beating Vinland Saga by a whopping 90 million copies sold - I'm always surprised that it isn't as well-known in the West as I would've thought it would be on account of that.
Wolfsmund: From 2009. A seinen manga centered on William Tell and the first great Swiss uprising against the Habsburgs in the early 14th century. The author was a student of Kentaro Miura's and it shows in the art & grim themes, most certainly including by way of the Berserk-esque medieval brutality depicted.
The Rose of Versailles: From 1972. Ancient, as you might guess, and it's actually classified as a shoujo manga, but that in no way means it's not good. Centers on the years leading up to & the earliest stages of the French Revolution. Despite being from the '70s, long before historical revisionism & rehabilitation of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's reputations got going, it shows the royals in an actually reasonable, even leaning-positive light and doesn't portray most of the other nobles as cartoon villains either (unsurprising, because main character Oscar Francois de Jarjayes is one). The author actually won France's Legion of Honor award for her attention to historical accuracy.
And two more recommendations based on famous works of fiction from other countries...
The Heroic Legend of Arslan: From 2013. A manga adaptation of a novel series of the same name (the latter having been illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, who was also the chief artist on most of the Final Fantasy games from I up to X), based on a Persian legend and set in a low-fantasy world clearly based off of the Middle East. The author was also the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist and she hasn't lost her touch with this one.
Lupin the Third: From 1967. Must be quite a few ouiaboos in the ranks of the mangaka from that time period, because like Rose of Versailles this one was also based in something from France - this time, the Arsène Lupin stories. Follows the various misadventures of that guy's grandson and his gang as they carry out seemingly impossible heists.
Vinland Saga sounds awesome! Thanks for all of it
If you feel the urge to jump from Manga to Anime, the second season of Vinland Saga is currently airing. It's a good time to make the jump!
Where is it airing?
I'm sailing the high seas, myself. As good as anime is, localizers are cancerous middlemen whom I refuse to support.
Try Desert Punk. It's about a wandering mercenary in a post-apocalyptic desert Japan.
Sounds very cool. Thanks!
From oldest to newest:
https://anilist.co/anime/2451/Space-Cobra/
https://anilist.co/anime/2722/Crusher-Joe/
https://anilist.co/anime/424/Dirty-Pair/
https://anilist.co/anime/432/I--I-A-ZIAM-THE-ANIMATION/
https://anilist.co/anime/6/TRIGUN/
https://anilist.co/anime/1/Cowboy-Bebop/
https://anilist.co/anime/400/Seihou-Bukyou-Outlaw-Star/
https://anilist.co/anime/205/Samurai-Champloo/
https://anilist.co/anime/889/BLACK-LAGOON/
https://anilist.co/anime/1194/Coyote-Ragtime-Show/
https://anilist.co/anime/137909/Ningen-Fushin-no-Boukenshatachi-ga-Sekai-wo-Sukuu-you-desu/
If I would narrow it down to the best, it'd be Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, and I--I-A-ZIAM (Iria Zeiram). All other are okay, although Space Cobra is really, really, showing its age..
Greatly appreciated!
Man, someone dropping Iria references? I feel old now. I remember seeing about ten minutes of that at a hotel while on vacation as a little kid and having it burned into my brain. I spent the next fifteen years searching for it before I finally stumbled across it in some video store in a mall. I should watch that again.
A few suggestions you may like, if I didn't already suggest them last time: Monster, Outlaw Star, Vampire Hunter D, Baccano, Berserk.
Sounds really good! Also I love Bruce Lee so I’ll check that out
This season - Jigokuraku
Honorable mentions - Mashle & Heavenly Delusion
Thanks!
Oh and I didn't give "western" themed but one somewhat similar to that is: Sabikui Bisco
Trigun Stampede is also new: https://youtu.be/-RQTxqPc5T0
You know where its available to watch? Or high seas?
yeah nyaa.si is the main site to download anime
May I recommend Amagi Brilliant Park?
I loved it before, but its director was one of the many that were murdered in the Kyoto Animation arson attack.
I wish it had been so much more successful than it was. The light novels don't even have a translation, official or otherwise.
Golgo 13 - an episodic anime about an assassin for hire. Each episode is about how the titular character figures out how to make the impossible shot. Not exactly "western" themed but features a lone wolf character kind of like the man with no name.
Desert Punk (Sunabozu) - post apocalyptic anime about a handyman for hire in the Kanto desert. Lots of guns, comedy, and violence. It's "western" themed in that it takes place in a desert where just about everyone is armed, and centers on a lone wolf character.
Cowboy Bebop - episodic anime about a crew of bounty hunters in space. It's a western in the same way Firefly is.
Gun Frontier - basically Space Pirate Harlock but set in the wild west.
Thanks!
Can't think of a western anime/manga other than for latest one Trigun Stampede and it's crazy hearing the production side of it (LOTS of drinks with the author of Trigun with the production team to understand the world of Trigun) then the obvious Cowboy Bebop etc
Sorry couldn't be much help, anything else like comedy or drama might be better help on
What comedy or drama animes are there? Trigun is an older one right?
Trigun is old but Trigun Stampede is a recent adaptation made by Studio orange, it's CGI but GREAT CGI with great action and story.
Comedy: The Legendary hero is Dead, Mashle and Kamikatsu are good current series
Drama: the biggest one is Oshi No Ko ESPECIALLY after the last episode, not just that it's based on a true story of Hana Kimura but that had a WORSE outcome, it's really showing the dark side of the entertainment industry along with how 'fans' influence and react to them.
Death Mount Death Play gets my recommendation from this season, just for scratching my raging boner for necromancers. It's a helluva ride, although you might want to wait until the whole season's aired, since it's full of twists that will leave you wanting the next episode.
I didn't know they'd made an anime
I didn't know there was a manga.
We make a fine pair! :D
I'll suggest Grenadier; the beautiful warrior, and Gun X Sword.