Line #76 SpiritualSuccessor/AnimeAndManga


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6	SpiritualSuccessor in UsefulNotes/AnimeAndManga.
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11	* ''Manga/AirGear'' is a Spiritual Successor to the ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' games. (The Korean {{MMORPG}} ''Street Gears Online'' appears to be a Spiritual Successor to both.)
12	* If you're looking for a ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' manga/anime, you could do a lot worse than ''Manga/BlackLagoon''.
13	* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' seems to be a Spiritual Successor to ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', and one can notice ''several'' similarities as they read through both works. There should honestly be a list.
14	* ''Anime/BlueSubmarineNo6'' is a Spiritual Successor to ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'', except that the bad guys are the ones that move around in a refurbished battleship.
15	* ''Manga/BokuraNoHentai'' is this to ''Manga/WanderingSon''. Both are {{Seinen}} series with [[ArtStyleDissonance surprisingly cute art styles]] for their maturity level and each have a UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} TheCutie character who has sported a bob haircut. The former is overall darker though and is a deconstruction of the OtokonokoGenre.
16	* ''Anime/BraveBeats'' is this to ''Anime/TribeCoolCrew'' as both are similar-looking dance animes and aired in the same timeslot.
17	* The ''Anime/BraveSeries'' to ''Anime/TransformersVictory''.
18	** ''Anime/BeastSaga'' to ''Battle Beasts''[=/=]''Beastformers'' and ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters''
19	* ''Manga/BrynhildrInTheDarkness'' can be considered a successor to ''Manga/ElfenLied'', seeing as they are both written by Creator/LynnOkamoto, contain cute supernaturally empowered girls who are mistreated in the name of science, gory fights and have harem [[strike: under]]tones.
20	* ''Anime/CaptainEarth'' towards ''Anime/StarDriver''. It helps that both series feature the same staff of people (except for character design) and concepts from the latter show are used again in the former, most prominently the usage and explanation of the term "libido". However, Captain Earth has an overall more serious tone than Star Driver did.
21	* ''Anime/CardfightVanguard'' is considered a Spiritual Successor to the ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' franchise; it centres around children playing a CollectibleCardGame, created by Akira Itou -- Creator/KazukiTakahashi's apprentice, who also worked on the ''Manga/YuGiOhR'' manga with him.
22	* ''Manga/CellsAtWork'':
23	** The manga is like an edutainment spin-off of ''Anime/PsychoPass''. Like the citizens of ''Psycho-Pass'', the cells are all assigned professions from the moment they are born in order to contribute to the society, that society being the human body. The Immune System is a microscopic version of the Public Safety Bureau who hunt targets deemed a threat to either detain or execute before they can cause too much damage.
24	** The manga, being about anthropomorphized blood cells, viruses, and the general inner working of the human body, is frequently described as an anime version of ''Film/OsmosisJones''.
25	* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' and ''Manga/VinlandSaga'' are often said to be the spiritual successors of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. In fact, if you put ''Claymore'' and ''Vinland Saga'' [[JustForFun/XMeetsY in a blender,]] you'd get a serving of ''Berserk''.
26	** Speaking of ''Berserk'', Creator/KentaroMiura cites several works as his influences, but the series seems to take the most from ''Literature/GuinSaga'', ''Franchise/{{Devilman}}'' and ''Manga/ViolenceJack''.
27	* Subverted to hell and back with ''Anime/Daitarn3'', by Creator/YoshiyukiTomino. It has a similar name as the series that came before it, ''Anime/{{Zambot 3}}'', and a similar design for the robot, similar weapons like a "Sun Attack" which is almost identical to Zambot's "Moon Attack", and three main characters. However, it lacks the ending that Tomino's works are infamous for. Although Zambot 3 was one of the first {{Deconstruction}}s of the SuperRobot genre, Daitarn was a more humorous crossover with [[JustForFun/XMeetsY James Bond in a Super Robot.]] Doesn't stop them from having team attacks in VideoGame/SuperRobotWars, though.
28	** Speaking of Tomino, ''Anime/OvermanKingGainer'' is one to ''Anime/CombatMechaXabungle''.
29	** ''Anime/TheBigO'' could be seen as a successor to ''Anime/{{Daitarn 3}}'', only using Batman instead of James Bond.
30	*** ''Anime/TheBigO'' itself has a spiritual successor in ''Anime/TigerAndBunny''. Both are anime series by the same studio, share part of the staff, and has the look and feel of an american saturday morning cartoon. While the first sported a mecha pilot Bruce Wayne, the second depicts the results of a government/private take-over on the Justice League. [[spoiler:Also including a cute short-haired android voiced by Akiko Yajima.]]
31	* ''Franchise/D4DJ'' is basically a ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' anime, featuring groups of characters forming DJ units and the franchise having a RhythmGame component. While ''IIDX'' does feature characters with anime-style designs and with profiles describing each character, the lore in ''IIDX'' takes a backseat to the gameplay, whereas ''[=D4DJ=]''[='=]s storytelling is very much front-and-center. The various works are even subtitled in the format of "___ Mix", similar to how 5-key ''beatmania'' games are numbered as "''n''th MIX".
32	* ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' shares a lot of similarities with the Russian novel ''[[Creator/StrugatskyBrothers Roadside Picnic]]'', but the scale and focus are different.
33	* ''Manga/DestinyOfTheShrineMaiden'' has occasionally been cited as a Spiritual Successor of ''[=YamiBou=]'', but that probably has more to do with their typical [YuriGenre Yuri]] character designs.
34	* It may seem like ''Anime/{{Diebuster}}'' is this to ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' at first, due to the parallels between the two. [[PlayingWithATrope But then it turns out]] [[spoiler: they have converging endings.]]
35	** However, ''Diebuster'' did get its own legitimate spiritual successor in ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann,'' which later still got its own spiritual successor with ''Anime/KillLaKill'' (see below).
36	*** ''Gurren Lagann'' is one to ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'', as well, due to both being [[ComingOfAgeStory coming-of-age series]] told through RuleOfCool.
37	** In addition to having the same creative team, both ''Kill La Kill'' and ''Gurren Lagann'' share similar stylistic elements and cover similar themes. Where the latter is about boys growing up and learning to face the challenges of life (told though over the top SuperRobot action), the former is about girls growing up and learning to grow past the expectations and pressures of society by way of {{Magical Girl Warrior}}s wearing sentient school uniforms.
38	** [[MoodWhiplash On the more comical side]], ''Kill La Kill'' is one to ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt''. While both series have a penchant for {{fanservice}}, the latter is ''very much'' an AffectionateParody regarding it, while the former makes it a major plot point.
39	* ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'' is this to ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'', although the two are different in tone and setting, they share the same creator, the same "massive cast with distinct plotlines on a collision course" writing style, and the same jazzy musical style.
40	** They also happen to share the universe, though taking place in different countries and decades apart, only two characters from the first make a brief cameo in the second.
41	** Others see it as more of a successor to ''Anime/BoogiepopPhantom''.
42	* ''Anime/DigimonGhostGame'' borrows heavily from the earlier series ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', such as its discussion of WhatMeasureIsANonHuman or giving the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Virus Attribute]] Gammamon childlike innocence in the vein of his predecessor Guilmon to make their SuperpoweredEvilSide that much more jarring.
43	* ''Franchise/DragonBall'' was clearly inspired by the Chinese literary classic ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' for some of its characters and stories right down to Goku's name which is a Japanese translation of Sun Wukong, the main protagonist of the novel.
44	* ''Manga/DuskMaidenOfAmnesia'' can be considered this to ''Manga/NatsuNoArashi'' in animated form at least -- both series were directed by Shin Oonuma and feature cute (actually, near-identical) ghost girls and a healthy dose of [[Creator/StudioSHAFT SHAFT]]-like visuals[[note]]though only ''Arashi'' is a SHAFT production itself -- ''Dusk Maiden'' is produced by Oonuma's spin-off studio, SILVER LINK[[/note]].
45	* Creator/HiroMashima's ''Manga/EdensZero'' draws heavily from its predecessor, ''Manga/FairyTail'', following a boy with powers from a bygone age who was raised by a currently absent, non-human caretaker, quickly partnering with a girl who runs into him by circumstance and becomes his most cherished friend.
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49	* ''Manga/FairyTail'' is this to Mashima's earlier series ''Manga/RaveMaster'', containing a few characters with the same name and/or design, and even a few plot elements with the same name but different functions. Etherion, Oracion Seis, etc.
50	** It's sometimes considered one to ''Manga/OnePiece'' as well due to their similarities in art, characters, and themes.
51	* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' is this for ''Film/MadMax1'', [[JustForFun/XMeetsY but with]] Creator/BruceLee.
52	* ''Manga/TheFiveStarStories'' by Mamoru Nagano is a Spiritual Successor to ''Anime/HeavyMetalLGaim'', an anime series he worked on with Creator/YoshiyukiTomino.
53	** There are hints in the manga that it is, in fact, in the exact same continuity -- that it is a prequel of sorts, pre-dating L-Gaim by a good span of time.
54	* ''Anime/{{Flag}}'' seems to be ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' set in Afghanistan, with the United Nations Task Force standing in for the American military. The InUniverseCamera bits recall ''84 Charlie Mopic''.
55	* ''Anime/GhastlyPrinceEnmaBurningUp'' to ''Anime/ShinMazinger'' -- they both take famous Creator/GoNagai's manga, revamp it for modern audience and introduce new plotlines and characters, including at last one CanonImmigrant.
56	* The author of ''Manga/FutureDiary'' seems to be following up with his new manga, ''Manga/BigOrder''.
57	* ''Anime/GuiltyCrown'': General consensus is that this series was a partial one to ''Anime/CodeGeass'', particularly in the first few episodes, given that it shared the same "resistance group taking on oppressive entity" premise. While Shu and Lelouch have very different personalities and interests, they are both 17-year old youths accompanied by mysterious girls (Inori and C.C. respectively, who also differ from each other) and capable of using mysterious powers. However, the overarching story eventually headed in more of a [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion different]] direction.
58	* ''Anime/GundamBuildDiversReRise'' is, for some [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom veteran furry fans outside Japan]], the closest thing to an animated adaptation, let alone [[{{Anime}} a Japanese-made one]], from ''ComicBook/AlbedoErmaFelnaEDF'' (with some elements from ''ComicBook/{{Katmandu}}'' thrown into it, culture-wise), at least in its basic premise: [[spoiler:An AI created by humans controlling a world populated with anthropomorphic animals involved in a planet-wide war. The main difference here is the fact in ''Albedo'', the whole war is much bigger, as involve many solar systems, and its respective AI, the Net, is much more benevolent than the one from this show]]. This especially funny because the creator of ''Albedo'', Creator/SteveGallacci, took some inspiration from many Japanese media for the comic, ''Gundam'' included, and he also expressed his interest to adapt ''Albedo'' into animation, especially to an {{Anime}} format, rather than WesternAnimation.
59	* ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'' to ''Manga/AngelicLayer'', which features characters using personalized toy models to fight in a virtual battlefield.
60	** If you want to be more specific, ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'' is more like a spiritual successor to ''Anime/ModelSuitGunplaBuildersBeginningG'', and the latter got the inspiration from ''Plamo-Kyoshiro'', the legendary 80's hobby manga loosely based on Gundam plastic model craze of the era.
61	** ''Manga/AngelicLayer'' to ''Plawres Sanshiro''.
62	** In general, ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' LOVES this trope -- the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam original]] would get 2 -- ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX''[[note]]Well, less of a spiritual successor and more of a "What if?"[[/note]] and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED''; ''X'', in turn, got one in the form of ''Anime/TurnAGundam''[[note]]no pun intended[[/note]], and then ''Turn A'' would get one in the form of ''Anime/GundamReconguistaInG''; Zeta would get 2 as well, in the form of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny'' and the second season of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00''; almost the entire UC timeline[[note]]With the exceptions of ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn''[[/note]] would get one in the form of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE''; ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' would get one in the form of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', which in turn would get one in the form of the first season of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00''; ''00'', in turn, got one[[note]]Along with ''X'' and ''Wing''[[/note]] in the form of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans''.
63	* ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'' has a successor in ''Manga/MedakaBox'' before the latter got turned into a [[ShonenDemographic shonen]]-fighting series.
64	** ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' is one for the last third of the manga where it became a DeconstructorFleet.
65	* ''Anime/HugttoPrettyCure'' can be considered as "The MagicalGirl adaptation of, of all things, ''Film/TheTerminator'' and ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay''", since there's a TerminatorTwosome plot that involves a pair of good time travelers trying to stop an evil company from securing the BadFuture's existence by sending agents to the past to confront and potentially kill a young girl who is destined to mother the last and greatest resistance fighter, all while having themes of ScrewDestiny and learning how to live your own life while valuing others. To make it even more apparent, there's even a stoic robot that used to work for the evil company who does eventually learns how to become human after befriending a young child, much like how the T-800 did when he was tasked to protect a young John Connor in ''T2''.
66	* ''Manga/IMarriedMyBestFriendToShutMyParentsUp'' is this to ''Roomshare'', both of which are by Naoko Kodama. The former is the story of a young woman named Machi who, tired of her parents pressuring her to marry a successful young man, decides to fake a marriage with Hana, who needs a place to stay while her apartment is being renovated. In the latter, the main character, Tomoka, asks her friend Saki to move in with her, since Tomoka's fiance dumped her and she can't make the rent on the apartment she leased. When the owner asks if Tomoka and Saki are the married couple, Saki says yes.
67	* The TwelveEpisodeAnime ''Manga/IfMyFavoritePopIdolMadeItToTheBudokanIWouldDie'' is the LighterAndSofter successor to the anime film ''Anime/PerfectBlue''. Both explore the culture and environment of the IdolSinger and the fandom that revolves around it.
68	* Both the anime and game series ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'' is this to ''Manga/CaptainTsubasa''.
69	* The TwelveEpisodeAnime ''Anime/IsabelleOfParis'' is this to ''Anime/LaSeineNoHoshi'', which was released four years earlier. Both are set in olden-times France and center around innocent French girls who become freedom fighters and fight for the oppressed after witnessing how the elites abuse their power. Both also become entangled in the messy political scene of French society. [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks Both are also]] accused of ripping off ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles''.
70	* Almost every part of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' can be considered a manga/animé adaptation of something else:
71	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Phantom Blood]]'', with its themes of lineage, its setting of Victorian era London, and the main threat being a vampire with zombie minions, may be the closest thing to a ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' manga/animé yet (along with CV's [[WesternAnimation/{{Castlevania\|2017}} western-produced Netflix adaptation]]).
72	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency Battle Tendency]]'' is likened to ''Franchise/IndianaJones'', owing to its pre-World War II setting, Nazis [[spoiler:initially]] as an opposing force, an ancient mystery surrounding an artifact and Aztec vampires, and globe-trotting adventure plot. Joseph even looks like Indy himself come ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]''.
73	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'' is essentially a modern-day (well, [[TheEighties then-modern day]]) retelling of ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'', what with the heroes setting out to kill a vampire to free a lady from a curse his existence inflicts her with. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen In fact]], had [[ExecutiveMeddling had executives not gotten in the way]], the connections would have been more overt.
74	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]'' has been likened by some to be an adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces'', only set in Victorian times and with horses and [[GuardianEntity Stands]] as opposed to racecars and gadgets.
75	* ''Manga/KamisamaKiss'' has a lot in common with ''Manga/InuYasha''. To begin with both plots revolve around an ordinary teenage girl getting control over a supernatural asshole, who is forced against his will to help her and protect her, and only later do the two start to fall in love. Tomoe, the male lead in KK, looks almost exactly like an older and more mature version of Inuyasha when he wears his hair long; he also acts like a more intelligent and ''slightly'' more mature version of Inuyasha. Nanami, the female lead in KK, looks like Kagome with brown hair and has the same personality type. Then the Time Travel Arc happens in KK and the similarities get even more pronounced.
76	* Creator/KeikoTakemiya's ''Manga/KazeToKiNoUta'' is the spiritual successor to "The Door To Summer", a one-volume manga she wrote. They both contain similar story elements, as well as both being adapted into 60-minute {{OVA}}s.
77	** Both of these series in turn are spiritual successors to ''In the Sunroom'', a lesser known manga of hers, which also have similar story elements of the two series mentioned above.
78	* People have started seeing ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' as a spiritual successor to ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''. Granted, just think about it: a comic martial arts series with pretty [[ActionGirl Action Girls]], which results in lots of {{Fanservice}}, a LoveDodecahedron and a WillTheyOrWontThey type of relationship between the protagonists. Sure, there's no {{Tsundere}} female character in here, but if it was, then it'd be called a rip off instead of a resemblant work.
79	* ''Anime/KiddyGrade'' is a Spiritual Successor to ''Literature/DirtyPair'': both series revolve around a team of [[LovelyAngels two young female]] operatives for a [[HeroesRUs galaxy-wide troubleshooting organization]] that uses incredibly advanced Phlebotinum, [[ActionGirl brute force]], [[HeroInsurance property damage]], and [[SpannerInTheWorks good luck]] to right wrongs and triumph over evil.
80	* ''Manga/KillMeBaby'' might perfectly be a licensed parody of ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha''. The sheer premise of "stoic girl with blonde hair in twin tails and black ribbons who works as an enforcer has a cheerful, brown-haired, more mundane female friend who saw the darkness of her work and thus attempts to bring the best out of her" should rings all the bells.
81	* ''Manga/KissAndWhiteLilyForMyDearestGirl'', what with the "two rivals (one fiery and compassionate, the other [[TheAce a genius]] who's rather passive about everything but romance) fall in love with each other" takes a few cues from ''Manga/SpecialA'
82	* ''Manga/KurokosBasketball'', the most popular basketball series of the 2010s, is the Spiritual Successor to ''Manga/SlamDunk'', the successful basketball series of the 1990s.
83	* ''Manga/Life2002'' is a succession to the mangaka's work ''Vitamin'', as both deal with the harsh reality of bullying and how it can physically, emotionally and mentally destroy the victim. The differences are that the former is a long-running series spanning over twenty volumes, takes place in high school and the girl cuts herself and the latter is only a few chapters long, takes place in middle school and the girl becomes bulimic. How they deal with the bullying in the end differs, too.
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87	* ''Manga/MadeInAbyss'' has been called one for ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' by some. Both deal with a CrapsaccharineWorld that starts off bright and colourful before revealing how horrible it is, with the main characters being fairly young. Both also are a GenreDeconstruction.
88	* Anime/MegaloBox is a very intentional spiritual successor to Manga/AshitaNoJoe
89	* There has been quite a bit of adaptations of ''Literature/TheLeatherstockingTales'' in comic book and graphic novel form. The best? The Manga/MangaShakespeare adaptation of the Creator/WilliamShakespeare play ''Theatre/KingLear'', where the setting is shifted to North America circa 1759 with Lear bringing Chingachgook to mind, as does Gloucester Leatherstocking and his sons the Munro sisters.
90	* ''Anime/MahoGirlsPrecure'' is an anime adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/PrincessGwenevereAndTheJewelRiders'', as both are MagicalGirl series with a PowerTrio that has pink, purple and green theme colors, takes place in a fantasy world and has the heroines use the power of jewels to defeat the forces of evil.
91	* ''Manga/MariaNoDanzai'' to ''Manga/JuujikaNoRokunin''.
92	** Both protagonists dedicated their life for revenge against satanic bullies for killing their family in the most deserving and gruesome way possible.
93	** The respective bullies' leaders, Kyou Shigoku and Nozomu Okaya, are both the BigBad and TheSociopath who are way worse than the gang as they are responsible for killing the protagonists' loved one(s) as [[TroublingUnchildLikeBehavior young teenagers]] and [[ItsAllAboutMe don't care about their group]].
94	** The manga has sexual scenes, though ''Juujika no Rokunin'' has more unhinged ones.
95	* ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun'' is seen as this towards ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' and ''Manga/SchoolRumble'' as they all use and parody shoujo tropes. Taken a step further with ''School Rumble'' as both this and ''Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun'' also have high school students who are secretly mangaka.
96	* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'':
97	** Many fans of the Disney film ''Film/SkyHigh2005'' have embraced ''My Hero Academia'' as an unofficial Japanese remake. Both deal with a world where superhumans are commonplace, with the main character starting off as a BadassNormal who eventually gains superpowers, and taking place in a SuperheroSchool that has the world's equivalent to ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' as an alumnus. In fact, when a live-action ''My Hero Academia'' movie was announced, ''Sky High'' immediately started trending on Twitter.
98	** It's a softer and brighter manga adaption of the ''Literature/WildCards'' series. Both take place in worlds where the vast majority of the human population possess a superpower with the majority of them worthless ([[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway Deuces]]), some of them turning people into [[BodyHorror physical mutants]] (Jokers), a selected few into [[SuperPowerLottery winners with an actually useful power]] who can become "heroes" ([[HeartIsAnAwesomePower Aces]]) ''and'' a small percentage of the population without a power altogether ([[{{Muggles}} Nats/Quirkless]]). The only difference between them is the absence of "Black Queens" (aka the mortality rate) in ''My Hero Academia''.
99	* While the two are not all that similar plot-wise, Totoros from ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'' seem to be a Spiritual Successor to Papa Panda from ''Anime/PandaGoPanda''
100	* The anime adaptation of ''VideoGame/NamuAmidaButsuUtena'' is this to ''Anime/ToukenRanbuHanamaru'', what with both's heavy emphasis on humor and SliceOfLife.
101	* Hideaki Anno has admitted in interviews that ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' was basically his go at making his own ''Franchise/{{Devilman}}'' anime.
102	-->'''Anno:''' I think I didn’t do it consciously… But after that, people made me notice: Oh, this is ''Devilman.''
103	* ''Manga/{{Ninku}}'' shares many similarities with ''Naruto'' despite coming first. Examples like the fact that Fuusuke is a wind ninja who wears orange and uses the kuatsuken (resembling Rasengan).
104	* ''Manga/NodameCantabile'' is seen as the spiritual successor to ''Manga/HoneyAndClover''. Both are about students in art schools (drama ensues, obviously), both anime adaptations were made by the [[Creator/JCStaff same studio]], with a very similar drawing style.
105	* ''Anime/{{Noir}}'' was succeeded by ''Anime/{{Madlax}}'', and ''Madlax'', by ''Anime/ElCazadorDeLaBruja'', being part of studio Creator/BeeTrain's GirlsWithGuns trilogy.
106	* ''Manga/{{NEEDLESS}}'' is basically a Spiritual Successor to ''Anime/{{Scryed}}''.
107	* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
108	** It's often seen as a spiritual successor to ''Manga/KochiKame'', not because of their content but by the fact that after ''Kochi Kame'' ended, ''One Piece'' has become the oldest series that is still serialized in ''Weekly Shounen Jump''. As of 2017, it's celebrating its 20th anniversary and the only other series that premiered before the 2000 era is ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', a manga that is barely present in the magazine due to its high amount of hiatus and it was even completely absent in 2015, and every other series premiered in 2012 and later. ''One Piece'' has been serialized for half as long as ''[=KochiKame's=]'' serialization and it is very clear that ''One Piece'' isn't going to end soon.
109	** While many shonen manga running in Jump and other magazines are heavily influenced by ''Franchise/DragonBall'', ''One Piece'', more than any other series, is seen as its generation's equivalent to that manga, having reached the same level of ubiquity and success in Japan, critically and [[CashCowFranchise financially]]. In an inverse of how it compares to ''Kochi Kame'', it's run much, much longer than ''Dragon Ball'' but has similar content and characters.
110	** ''One Piece'' is in many ways The Manga[=/=]Anime of ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'': Both are wacky pirate adventures full of [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum insane explanations]] and [[ViolationOfCommonSense insane solutions to problems]]: ''One Piece'' has a swordsman who can talk when he has a sword in his mouth and a chef who can survive his leg being on fire because of their hearts (said chef can also perform ''plastic surgery'' by kicking people), while ''Monkey Island'' has you deliberately mixing medicine to put yourself in a coma, firing yourself out of a cannon ''three times'', and triggering a volcanic eruption and ''point-blank range.''
111	* ''Anime/OsomatsuSan'' can be seen as the anime equivalent to the many Creator/HannaBarbera based Creator/AdultSwim originals such as ''WesternAnimation/Sealab2021'' or ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'', being edgier, parodic, adult oriented reboots of 60s kids shows.
112	* ''Manga/PokemonDiamondAndPearlAdventure'' to ''Manga/DragonBall''. WildChild young boys befriend teenage girls, fight enemies, and go on adventures.
113	* ''Anime/PokemonOrigins'' is this to ''Manga/PokemonZensho''. They're both adaptations of ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'', though the former uses a lot of features from on the remake. Red is depicted as a cheerful, HotBlooded hero with a Charmander starter and both are TruerToTheText adaptations of the game.
114	* First, Junichi Sato directed ''Manga/{{Pretear}}'', a MagicalGirl series that is (very) loosely based on "Literature/SnowWhite", and features a redheaded heroine with a [[MysticalWhiteHair white-haired]] PrettyBoy and TallDarkAndSnarky JerkWithAHeartOfGold as her love interests, and a DarkMagicalGirl enemy who believes nobody loves her. Three years later, he directed ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', a MagicalGirl series featuring a ballet-dancing redheaded heroine trapped in a fairytale-influenced world with... a [[MysticalWhiteHair white-haired]] PrettyBoy and TallDarkAndSnarky JerkWithAHeartOfGold as her love interests, and a DarkMagicalGirl enemy who believes nobody loves her. While the two series are very different in tone and overall story (Pretear is a ReverseHarem that starts out light-hearted and quickly becomes dark, while Tutu has dark elements from the get-go and is full of meta about art and storytelling), the similarities are hard to ignore.
115	* ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'' has been stated to be a spiritual successor to ''Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind''; both have similar themes and characters, but ''PM'' has rather more depressingly realistic overtones, and replaces the former's HappyEnding with a BittersweetEnding.
116	* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': With its overt religious symbolism, time slowing GunFu / GunKata battle, and escape from a false reality, ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'' is the best anime adaptation of ''Film/TheMatrix'' since ''Anime/TheAnimatrix''.
117	** Several themes in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' can be traced to scriptwriter Creator/GenUrobuchi's afterword to the first volume of ''Literature/FateZero'', of which he was also the author.
118	** It could also be a successor to ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' due to both being [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructions]] of a popular [[{{Mecha}} anime]] [[MagicalGirl genre]] with a very insecure protagonist, a ally with short, blue hair and a HotBlooded [[FieryRedhead redhead]] who gets introduced later.
119	* ''Anime/PuniPuniPoemi'', from the same [[Creator/ShinichiWatanabe director]] as ''Anime/ExcelSaga'', seemed to be a deliberate attempt to cram all the insanity of ''Excel Saga'' into two episodes.
120	* ''Anime/RahXephon'''s creator has said it's a Spiritual Successor of 1970s super robot series ''Anime/BraveRaideen''.
121	** The average person who has watched ''[=RahXephon=]'' will more likely compare it to ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', though.
122	*** That's because both of them can be considered as spiritual successors of ''Anime/{{Megazone23}}'', with HumongousMecha. And ''Eva'' has taken quite a few cues from ''Anime/SpaceRunawayIdeon''.
123	* ''Anime/MadoKingGranzort'' to ''[[Anime/MashinHeroWataruSeries Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru]]'', both by Creator/{{Red\|Entertainment}} and Creator/{{Sunrise}}.
124	* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' to ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles''.
125	** ''Anime/StarDriver'' and ''Anime/ShoujoKagekiRevueStarlight'' are this to Utena.
126	** Many fans consider ''Anime/{{Penguindrum}}'' and ''Anime/YuriKumaArashi'' successors to Utena as well, given the creative staffs.
127	* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' can be the closest thing to a shojo anime adaptation of ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' due to their heathy balance of comedy, drama and adventure and both featuring a teenage KidHero in a larger-then-life adventure, except the TimeTravel and CoolCar elements are [[RecycledInSpace replaced with]] the MagicalGirlWarrior aspect. As a matter of fact, one viewer who noticed the comparisons made an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdH5-HzHUC0 AMV inspired by it]].
128	* ''Manga/SakamotoDays'' can be seen as one to ''Manga/TheWayOfTheHousehusband'', both telling the story of a legendary Yakuza/hitman who retired from their crime life after falling in love with and marrying a normal woman.
129	* ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' is a Spiritual Successor to ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', both series being created by Shinichiro Watanabe.
130	** ''Anime/MichikoAndHatchin'' is a further succession, judging from the art style and Watanabe's involvement.
131	** ''Anime/SpaceDandy'' is yet another spiritual successor, since it's directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and involves a badass (well, sort of) and his crew flying through space. It's also a successor to not only ''Cowboy Bebop'' and ''Samurai Champloo'', but to ''Outlaw Star'' and ''Trigun'' as well, as all four of those shows had the distinction of [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff becoming much more popular to American audiences than Japanese audiences]] after airing on Creator/{{Toonami}} and Creator/AdultSwim, to the point that ''Space Dandy'' made its ''world premiere'' on Toonami.
132	* ''Anime/SamuraiFlamenco'' is a GenreBusting, [[DeconReconSwitch deconstructing-reconstructing]], [[MidSeasonTwist wild ride]] of a show. It uses so many genres and tropes that it can be compared to a diverse range of works that cross culture, genre, and time, like: ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', ''Anime/TigerandBunny'', ''Film/KickAss'', and ''Literature/DonQuixote''; as well as Sentai and MagicalGirl shows.
133	* ''Anime/SerialExperimentsLain'' is the spiritual successor to ''Anime/KeyTheMetalIdol''.
134	** And ''Anime/{{Despera}}'', in return, is the spiritual successor to ''Lain''.
135	*** [[DevelopmentHell When it some day comes out...]]
136	* ''Manga/SixThousandTheDeepSeaOfMadness'' is considered one to ''Film/EventHorizon''. In both stories, a crew is trapped in a deeply isolated space (in the first, a deep sea facility 6000 meters underwater; in the latter, an abandoned, missing spaceship), and have to deal with strange, eldritch horrors haunting them. Both are noticeable for similar tones of horror, which leans dark, but still somewhat over-the-top.
137	* ''Manga/SoulEater'' is sometimes considered to be the spiritual successor of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. Note that ''Soul Eater'''s writer Atsushi Okubo has worked as Hiromu Arakawa's assistant.
138	** The animated adaptations of ''Manga/SoulEater'' and ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' even suffered similar fates. Both shows started to overtake the manga on which they were based on, and rather than try to pad out the show with filler, the writers came up with [[GeckoEnding their own ending]] for the show to tie up the loose ends.
139	*** Also there [[http://www.mangareader.net/157-10197-1/soul-eater/chapter-52.html this cover page]].
140	* ''Anime/SpaceCarrierBlueNoah'' to ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'', by the same producer.
141	* ''Anime/SpaceDandy'' is sometimes viewed as a an amazing adaptation/sequel to ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'', due to having a similar style of snarky, [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall self-]] [[PaintingTheMedium aware]] humor. There is an animated ''Spaceballs'' series, but it's widely viewed as a disgraceful and cheap rehash of the original film, while ''Space Dandy'' is praised for doing what that show should've done, making its own unique voice from the similar base of "epic SpaceOpera parody".
142	* ''Anime/SpacePatrolLuluco'' can be considered a Studio TRIGGER version of [[spoiler: TYPE-MOON's ''Anime/CarnivalPhantasm'']]: both shows are comedies based on [[spoiler: taking several different independent properties owned by the company (''Inferno Cop, Kill la Kill'' for TRIGGER and ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}, [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate]]'' for TYPE-MOON) and crossing them over with comedic results,]] along with being a sort of SelfParody of the companies producing the anime.
143	* ''Manga/SpottedFlower'' is one to ''Manga/{{Genshiken}}'', both by the same author and focusing on the otaku culture, although there are subtle hints pointing that the former might be a true {{Sequel}} to the later, with the two of the main characters grown-up and married.
144	* ''Manga/TheSummerYouWereThere''
145	** The series is often compared to ''Manga/YourLieInApril''. Both involve terminally ill girls named Kaori who want to encourage their artistically inclined classmates- Kousei from ''April'' is a musician while Shizuku from ''Summer'' is a writer- to continue with their crafts. [[spoiler:Each series has the terminally ill girl leave a letter posthumously confessing her love to her love interest]].
146	** The series also has some noticeable similarities with ''Manga/ASilentVoice'', since each stars a suicidal former bully who falls in love and tries to make amends with their victim, although in the case of this series, the bullying victim and love interest- Ruri and Kaori, respectively- are separate characters.
147	* ''Anime/SummerWars'' is getting a reputation for being the best ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' film ever. Having the same director and basic plot as one of the most popular actual ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' films probably helps on that front.
148	* ''Anime/SwordArtOnline'' to ''Franchise/DotHack''. Both series center around virtual reality [=MMORPGs=] that are more dangerous than a video game ought to be, with SAO killing players who die in-game and ''.hack//'''s "The World" housing dangerous AI experiments. Both also have video game adaptations that simulate MMO gameplay in a single-player Action RPG.
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152	* ''Anime/{{Tamayura}}'' is the spiritual successor to ''Anime/{{Kamichu}}''. Not only is the show about a tightly-knit group of teenage girls, with the mood, art style and theme practically lifted from its illustrious predecessor, but it also [[RealPlaceBackground takes place in Takehara]], an old town not far from ''Anime/{{Kamichu}}'s'' Onomichi and similar to Onomichi in many respects. Still, an argument could me made for ''Manga/{{Sketchbook}}'' as an influence, considering the age of the characters and the art theme (not to mention the opening).
153	* ''VisualNovel/ToukaGettan'' is a Spiritual Successor of sorts to ''VisualNovel/YamiToBoushiToHonNoTabibito'' and ''Moonlight Lady''. One episode of ''Tōka Gettan'' was essentially a ''[=YamiBou=]'' episode. The games they were adapted from were unrelated, though.
154	* The TwelveEpisodeAnime is in many ways a spiritual successor to the {{OVA}}.
155	* ''Manga/WanderingSon'' is similar to the 1990s film ''Film/MaVieEnRose''. They're both about the struggles of feminine brown-haired children who [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} identify as female despite being male-assigned-at-birth]]. Later on, they befriend characters who [[AmbiguousGenderIdentity may be trans boys]].
156	* ''Manga/WanganMidnight'' to ''Shakotan Boogie''. Both are the explorations on contemporary car cultures during their publication times, written by the same author.
157	** At the exact same time, SpiritualAntithesis is also in play. While sharing both racing themes, ''Wangan Midnight'' focuses more on street racing while ''Shakotan Boogie'' puts more emphasis on RunningGag and [[PimpedOutCar Shakotan-styled cars]]. ''Wangan Midnight'' also took the races on the expressways while ''Shakotan Boogie'' focus the races on touge and city streets.
158	** And now, ''Wangan Midnight'' and its ''C1 Runner'' sequel were succeeded by ''[[OddlyNamedSequel Ginkai no Speed Star]]'', which has a completely fresh new plot with automotive mechanics as its main focus, though it was set in the same universe and had the ''Wangan Midnight Final Chapters'' as its subtitle.
159	* ''Literature/WorldEndWhatDoYouDoAtTheEndOfTheWorldAreYouBusyWillYouSaveUs'' has often been compared to the ''VideoGame/{{Nier}}'' series in terms of overall themes and plot. Both take place in post-apocalyptic fantasy worlds where humanity has [[spoiler: devolved into the monsters that now threaten the nonhuman remnants of civilization]]. Similarly, the reveal about the origins of the [[spoiler: Beasts and Shades]] causes a major existential crisis in the main character of each series. Furthermore, the final antagonist of both series is a [[spoiler: Beast/Shade version of the protagonist]].
160	* ''Anime/XamdLostMemories'' is an obvious Spiritual Successor to ''Anime/EurekaSeven''.
161	* ''Manga/YourLieInApril'' is seen as a successor to ''Manga/NodameCantabile'' due to also being a series about music that has a prodigious yet cynical male pianist whose life changes when he meets a talented and wild female musician.
162	* ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'' is an AnimatedAdaptation of both ''Series/{{Sliders}}'' as a show that deals heavily with TheMultiverse and ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' in that said multiverse is a love-letter to a particular franchise (the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon for ''Kingdom Hearts'' and Franchise/YuGiOh for ''ARC-V''.)
163	* ''Anime/YuriOnIce'' to the ''Anime/JapanAnimatorExpo'' short ''ENDLESS NIGHT'', both of which were directed by Sayo Yamamoto. ''ENDLESS NIGHT'''s primary focus (figure skating), core concepts, and some of its imagery (most notably that of [[spoiler:two men pair skating together]]) are all transferred into ''Yuri!!! on Ice''.
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Context SpiritualSuccessor / AnimeAndManga