History NoCelebritiesWereHarmed / AnimeAndManga

* ''Anime/IdolDensetsuEriko'': Yuusuke Tamura's physical appearance is based on the Japanese actor Hiroyuki Nagato.

* One minor character in ''Manga/{{Monster}}'' is a serial killer named Peter Jürgens with a severe FreudianExcuse, whom Johan manipulated into killing one set of his foster parents. Jürgens is a dead ringer for real-life serial killer Edmund Kemper, who also had rather grievous parental issues (his mother was one of his last victims).

* In ''Manga/BananaFish'', Ash Lynx's design is [[https://bananafishlovers.tumblr.com/post/171059866239/ichigatsunanoka-bananafishlovers-so-akimi based]] on Creator/RiverPhoenix (though early on in the manga, he more closely resembled professional Swedish tennis player Stefan Edberg). Akimi Yoshida [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRWPIZ7V_H8/T2ijQjl6sLI/AAAAAAAAA58/WvsqFkzbRoA/s1600/ashriv.jpg has drawn]] Ash and Eiji in positions that references the movie ''Film/MyOwnPrivateIdaho'', which stars River Phoenix and Creator/KeanuReeves.

* Many of the characters in ''Manga/{{BECK}}'' are based on actual musicians. Chiba, the punk/rap vocalist for BECK, is based in attitude, style, and appearance on [[Music/RageAgainstTheMachine Zack de la Rocha]]. While Taira, the bassist, possesses much of the style and mannerisms of Flea from Music/RedHotChiliPeppers (who just happen to be [[WriteWhoYouKnow the creator's favorite band]].)

* ''Anime/{{Daimos}}'': Kyoshiro Yuzuki's signature look of a bouffant afro, rose-tinted glasses, a katana, and a trench-coat heavily resembles Creator/BobRoss. Not to mention, Bob Ross was in the air force, and Kyoshiro flies a CoolPlane.

* ''Afganisu Tan'' is pretty much an exact replica of "Afghan Girl" from the famous National Geographic cover.

** Emperor Gaiseric, the legendary founder of The Kingdom of Midland is based on UsefulNotes/{{Charlemange}} and the Gothic king Geiseric.

* ''Manga/ChoujinSensen'' have two characters based on real-life political figures: Kabe Seizou (Abe Shinzo) and Hillary Easton [[UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton (Hillary Clinton)]].

** Yoshikage Kira looks and dresses like Music/DavidBowie. His first appearance particularly brings to mind Bowie's "Serious Moonlight" look.

** Two other noteworthy examples are Impmon, who sounds exactly like Joe Pesci, and Piedmon, who is made to sound like a higher-pitched Creator/TimCurry. Incidentally, both are voiced by Creator/DerekStephenPrince.

** Emperor Gaiseric, the legendary founder of The Kingdom of Midland is based on UsefulNotes/{[Charlemange}} and the Gothic king Geiseric.

** In "Heavy Metal Queen", the fugitive, [[Film/BladeRunner Deckard]], bears a suspicious resemblance to Creator/WoodyAllen
** "Radical Edward" has a reference to Uri Geller, the (in-)famous SpoonBending Hungarian-Israeli celebrity entertainer, with a character named "Uri Kellerman"

** Doohan is modeled after director [[Film/RebelWithoutACause Nicholas Ray]].

** Asimov is modeled after Creator/AntonioBanderas from ''Film/{{Desperado}}''.
** Katrina is modeled after Creator/SalmaHayek's character from the same film.
** Whitney Hagas Matsumoto is modeled after Creator/GeorgeClooney.
** The villains from "Boogie Woogie Feng Shui" are modeled after Creator/DanAykroyd and Creator/JohnBelushi from ''Film/TheBluesBrothers''.
** "Teddy Bomber" is modeled after [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kaczynski Theodore "Ted" Kaczynski]], the [=UNAbomber=].
** "Londes", the leader of the Scratch cult in "Brain Scratch", is based on "Heaven's Gate" cult leader Marshal Herff Applewhite.

** Victor Nikiforov is based on Evgeni Plushenko in terms of his career. However, his looks were based on actor John Cameron Mitchell, which was inspired after original character designer Mitsurou Kubo saw him in a performance of ''Theatre/HedwigAndTheAngryInch''.

* [[DubPersonalityChange Unlike the Japanese original]], the dub of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' mines celebrity impersonations for all they're worth, especially for Duel Spirits. Neo-Spacian Ground Mole is Art Carney; the Ojama Trio (Green, Yellow, and Black) are an approximation of the Three Stooges, Crystal Beast Emerald Turtle is essentially a really poor Creator/WoodyAllen, and Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth is possibly the worst Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger the world has ever heard.
** On the subject of Crystal Beasts, does anyone else think that the Topaz Tiger is a feeble Creator/SeanConnery?
*** Pretty much all of the Crystal Beasts were based on famous movie celebrities (Sapphire Pegasus seems to be channelling Series/MisterEd, Cobalt Eagle says at one point "[[Series/GetSmart Missed it by that much]]" and Amethyst Cat is [[Series/Batman1966 Julie Newmar]]).

* Another dub (specifically, 4Kids) example: an episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' featured Dr. Quackenpoker, who was such a blatant [[Creator/MarxBrothers Groucho Marx]] parody that the original animators were in on the joke too, because he even ''looked'' the part. Not to mention an early recurring character named Speilbunk, a very self-congratulatory film director.

** Emperor Gaiseric, the legendary founder of The Kingdom of Midland is based of UsefulNotes/{[Charlemange}} and the Gothic king Geiseric.

* From ''Manga/BlackClover'', Gordon Agrippa's appearance is based off of Music/MarilynManson.

* In the The Mexican Spanish dub of ''Manga/CaptainTsubasa Road to 2002'', the announcer, at least in the later episodes, sounds a lot like the famous Mexican sports announcer Enrique "El Pelon" Bermudez, complete with his famous [[LargeHam trademark way to describing the matches]].

* ''Manga/ChoujinSensen'' have two characters based on real life political figures: Kabe Seizou (Abe Shinzo) and Hillary Easton [[UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton (Hillary Clinton)]].

** "Londes", the leader of the Scratch cult in "Brain Scratch", is based off "Heaven's Gate" cult leader Marshal Herff Applewhite.

* ''Anime/ErgoProxy'': The Great Amy Lee Debacle. The secondary main-character of Ergo Proxy, Re-l Mayer, is the [[http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2508/ergoproxyamylee.jpg spitting image]] of Music/{{Evanescence}}'s vocalist, Amy Lee. It is unclear if it was actually intended or not, but many fans agree the startling similarity is just too much to be coincidental.

* In the classic seventies shoujo manga ''Manga/FromEroicaWithLove'', main character Dorian Red Gloria and three of his henchmen are physically modeled after the members of Music/LedZeppelin. (In fact, the henchmen are all named after band members: James (Jimmy Page), Bonham (John Bonham) and John Paul (John Paul Jones.) Leaving, of course, Robert Plant as Dorian.)

* One of the biggest problems of Geneon's dub of [[Anime/LupinIIIPartII the second Lupin III anime series]] is the fact that it's a GagDub that makes it look as though this series, which first aired in 1977, takes place in "the present day" (in this case, the 2000s), with references to then-recent pop culture and events. This comes to a head in the dub of [[Anime/TheSecretOfMamo the first movie]], where the U.S. president is turned into a George W. Bush soundalike.[[note]]Not only that, the dub also references to the war on terrorism.[[/note]].

* ''Noritaka''. Its final arc, and arguably the worst one, features a streetfighting contest, and the main character will confront Sting, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and some more celebrities. They're called by their names, with little or no variations (e.g., Sting is a [[Music/ThePolice Police]] man...)

** The Admirals Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu were based on Japanese actors (Yusaku Matsuda, Kunie Tanaka, and Bunta Sugawara respectively) and some prominent roles they played. Likewise, Admiral Fujitora is based on Shintaro Katsu, and his role as Zatoichi.

** Vice-Admiral Garp's right hand man is based off Creator/HumphreyBogart. He's even called Bogart.
** Sanji's appearance is based off of Creator/SteveBuscemi as he appears in Film/ReservoirDogs, according to WordOfGod.

* The manga ''Manga/SDGundamMushaBanchoFuunroku'' has a minor character, news reporter Crystal Tatsugawa. She's based off of real-life Japanese television announcer and news presenter Christel Takigawa.

** Japan periodically has scheduled blackouts to conserve electricity. One chapter has this, but has the Tokyo Electric Company portrayed as TheBridge, complete with BridgeBunnies and the director dressed up as TheCaptain, spouting stock lines from military anime. The disclaimer at the bottom reads:

** Another manga chapter involves Keroro and Tamama spying on manga writers, and features a cameo by what can be assumed to be the spirit of the late, great Creator/OsamuTezuka (we don't see his face, but one can make out his trademark pipe and beret, and he kicks over a Hyoutan-Tsugi as he departs).

* The author of ''Manga/SpaceAdventureCobra'' admitted that Cobra's character design was largely based on French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, who specialized during the 70's in tough, charming and witty roles.

* [[DubPersonalityChange Unlike the Japanese original]], the dub of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' mines celebrity impersonations for all they're worth, especially for Duel Spirits. Neo-Spacian Ground Mole is Art Carney; the Ojama Trio (Green, Yellow and Black) are an approximation of the Three Stooges, Crystal Beast Emerald Turtle is essentially a really poor Creator/WoodyAllen, and Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth is possibly the worst Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger the world has ever heard.

** Yuri Katsuki seems to be a combination of several Japanese skaters; his career and background are heavily based on Tatsuki Machida, especially since they both came in dead last at the Grand Prix Final in Sochi. His personality and skating style seem to be inspired by Daisuke Takahashi, particularly his reputation for having a "glass heart" and being known for his step sequences. In terms of appearance, without his glasses on, he looks like Creator/YuzuruHanyu.

* One of the biggest problems of Geneon's dub of [[Anime/LupinIIIRedJacket the second Lupin III anime series]] is the fact that it's a GagDub that makes it look as though this series, which first aired in 1977, takes place in "the present day" (in this case, the 2000s), with references to then-recent pop culture and events. This comes to a head in the dub of [[Anime/TheSecretOfMamo the first movie]], where the U.S. president is turned into a George W. Bush soundalike.[[note]]Not only that, the dub also references to the war on terrorism.[[/note]].

* ''Manga/YakitateJapan'' has a recurring gag character called "Kid" that bears a remarkable resemblance to none other than Creator/BradPitt. However, unlike Brad, Kid isn't just a movie star - he works in just about every industry under the sun including being a masseuse, thief, lawyer, and CEO to name a few.