Star Wars Inspired by Japan - Samurai & Anime

by segodon

Posted on 2020-10-06

otaku image by segodon Star Wars Inspired by Japan - Samurai & Anime

Have you heard of the story behind the Star Wars?

It looks like George Lucas was a super fan of Japanese movies and especially those by Akira Kurosawa, a Japanese movie director whose files are pretty much all the story of Samurai period of time called Jidai geki in Japanese. (sounds like Jedi... it must come from it!)

I can see that George was pretty a Japan wotaku that he loves Samurai movies as well as some animes back in 70s.

the story and a lot of its scenes have very similar cuts and so you could easily tell how Lucas "used" its original contents *cough* excuse me, how he's been inspired by other culture and films.

The Kurosawa's movie called The Hidden Fortress gave its story line as well as characters such as Darth Vader and his troops looks like wearing the samurai armors. 

In the Hidden Fortress, there are two peasants who got involved the war between two groups of samurais and going through the difficult time but the point is time to time the movie spot on those who seem not so important rolls yet treated as if main characters. and THAT in Star Wars is C-3PO and R2-D2. Those two have very similar (almost the same) rolls as those peasants in the Japanese movie.

It's said that the first Star wars was supposed to a remake of the Hidden Fortress and George Lucas ACTUALLY asked Toshiro Mifune for Obi or some main roll to play the sword actions yet Mifune turned down..

Supportive Source on YouTube - the Hidden Fortress and the Star Wars:

https://youtu.be/_pU6B2zEFeg

 

The other one I believe inspired Lucas is that a Japanese anime called Space Battleship Yamato in 70s.

In the story there are similar scenes as well as characters. such as a robot that's like R2-D2 and you can tell George used it as one of his characters in his movie. Also how characters are portrayed in the show gives you some hints how George might have used and mixed up with Kurosawa's samurai movie to create his own.

Supportive Source on YouTube - Space Battleship Yamato and Star Wars:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb-r5LmgmqY

In the end of the day, I would like to give an applause to Lucas for the "creativity" that introduced to the western culture, and thank you for sharing Japanese cultures and subcultures to the world, but at the same time, hopefully more people are aware of it and have Japan's contribution will be appreciated more in a future.

Also hope that more people will have a chance to find the truth rather than seeing the "reality" that's made up(well not all, of course) by the power..

#starwars  # star wars  # japan  # japanese influence  # influenced by japan  # jidaigeki  # jedi  # japan original  # Space battleship Yamato  # Hidden Fortress  # akira kurosawa  # anime  # martial arts  # 70s  
wotakuexchange user avatar wota image | WotakuExchange
wota 2
2020-10-12 I haven't watch it all the way to the end but it seems interesting that they made the live version of the Space battle ship Yamato Movie in 2010(after 35 to 40 years). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewrNuNePPXk
wotakuexchange user avatar jose image | WotakuExchange
jose
2020-10-14 I have watched the Space Battleship Yamato but come to think of it they are pretty similar! Interesting..
Wotaku exchange

オタク, ヲタク
otaku, wotaku exchange

  • geek
  • nerd
  • enthusiast
  • expert
v2.311232021