When most people think of anime, they think of some production, whatever it may be, that has its origin in Japan. Several popular anime of today, however, do not have completely Japanese creative teams at all. This is part of what makes them officially "anime", and not just anime inspired like shows such as Teen Titans, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Boondocks. Here's a list of now classic anime that weren't just products of the land of the Rising Sun.
Perhaps the most surprising entry on this list is the popular series Dr. Stone. This series sees a young genius named Senku attempt to revitalize the human race after a strange phenomenon petrifies humanity for centuries while society crumbles. The author of the manga is Riichiro Inagaki, but the artist is a man named Mujik Park, who works under the pen name of Boichi. Though Boichi lives in Japan, he is actually South Korean and had worked on several manhwa (Korean manga) one-shots before Dr. Stone. The series, namely its anime adaptation, has gone on to become a huge hit and stands out as something different than the typical action shonen series.
Of all of these series, Vinland Saga is easily the most anime of the bunch. For all intents and purposes, it is an official manga/anime, with a Japanese creative team through and through. The original manga was written and drawn by Japanese creator Makoto Yukimura. Despite the potential Norse connection in its name, it takes place in 11th century England and is made up of a cast of Vikings, namely the vengeful young Thorfinn. Essentially, the only things foreign (or not officially Japanese) concerning the series would be its European protagonists, as well as the fact that the anime itself was licensed by Amazon Video. It also aired on Amazon Video a day before its Japanese release, further sullying the waters of its exact national identity.
Despite its protagonist's resemblance to Naruto and Luffy, Radiant started as a French Manfra, a French comic made to imitate manga and anime art styles. The story is about a boy named Seth, whose world has been ravaged by monsters that fall from the sky. Those who survive the monsters' attack are shunned by society, but also gain immense powers. Seth seeks to find the Radiant, where the monsters hail from and defeat them to restore order to his world.
The series is written and drawn by Tony Valente, and published by French company called Ankama. Though its status as a French manga imitation might edge it close to its progenitors, it received official anime status when it was adapted to a TV series by Lerche, a branch of the Japanese animation company Studio Hibari.
Cannon Busters started as an American comic book series by LeSean Thomas, which was eventually published through Udon. This company, which also publishes comics for Capcom video game properties such as Street Fighter and Darkstalkers, is known for employing manga-esque art styles in their books. The series was eventually transitioned to focusing on a potential animation project, which came to fruition in 2019. Distributed by British company Manga Entertainment, the series would be animated by Satelight and Yumeta Company, two Japanese animation studios. It was also directed by Takahiro Natori, covering all bases to ensure that the work was officially an anime.
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Rooster Teeth's very successful RWBY is possibly the most well-known example of a Western/not entirely Japanese anime. The web series stars a group of girls who attend a rigorous academy in order to hone their skills in defending the world of Remnant against the evil monsters known as Grimm. The character designs and action sequences were obviously inspired by anime, and one of its primary creators, Monty Oum, also had Japanese ancestry. Probably the biggest way in which it officially became an anime, however, was by having multiple manga adaptations released in Shonen Jump. These would serve to expand the backstories and motivations of the protagonists, telling all-new storylines for the characters after initially adapting the plot from the first production trailers. On top of that, the series is broadcast on Crunchyroll and has even been dubbed into Japanese. Needless to say, it now blends in pretty easily with all of the other anime.
Rooster Teeth has continued producing the series, even after Oum's tragic death in 2015. This has seen it grow into a multimedia powerhouse, with the franchise appearing in toys, video games, and even recent films such as Doctor Sleep. DC Comics has also begun publishing a comic book adaptation of RWBY, along with fellow anime-inspired Rooster Teeth show Gen:Lock.