Expy/Anime and Manga: Difference between revisions

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*** Stella's teammates, Sting Oakley and Auel Neider are Expies of two characters from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED|Gundam SEED]]'', with [[Only Sane Man|Sting]] playing [[Sore Loser|Clotho Bauer]] to [[Sociopathic Soldier|Auel]]'s [[Axe Crazy|Shani Andras]].

* Garrod Ran is something of an expy of Judea Ashita, since both were war orphans who couldn't help but get caught up in the events of the world around them and both grew into real badass (or in the case of Garrod [[Badass Normal]]) pilots, and even though they both had reason to neither one of them succumbed to their [[Heroic BSOD]] for very long.

* Heero Yuy from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing]]'' has the honor of not only having an expy in another Gundam series (Setsuna from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]])'', but has one outside the Gundam franchise (Sosuke from ''[[Full Metal Panic]]''). The scary thing is, Sosuke is even more anti-social and military minded than Heero. At least Heero could blend in a high school; Sosuke can barely not shoot or blow anything up that seems suspicious.

* Heero Yuy from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing]]'' has the honor of not only having an expy in another Gundam series (Setsuna from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]])'', but has one outside the Gundam franchise (Sosuke from ''[[Full Metal Panic!]]''). The scary thing is, Sosuke is even more anti-social and military minded than Heero. At least Heero could blend in a high school; Sosuke can barely not shoot or blow anything up that seems suspicious.

** Setsuna F. Seiei from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]]'' is pretty much a dead ringer for [[Full Metal Panic|Sosuke]]. Pilot of a [[Reality Is Out to Lunch|physicsdefying]] [[Super Prototype]] [[Mecha]]? Check. [[Child Soldier]] in a wartorn Islamic country? Check. [[Ax Crazy]] [[The Rival|rivals]] with unhealthy obsessions? you got it. Need I go on? Makes you think their creators were trying to one-up each other.

** Setsuna F. Seiei from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]]'' is pretty much a dead ringer for [[Full Metal Panic!|Sosuke]]. Pilot of a [[Reality Is Out to Lunch|physicsdefying]] [[Super Prototype]] [[Mecha]]? Check. [[Child Soldier]] in a wartorn Islamic country? Check. [[Ax Crazy]] [[The Rival|rivals]] with unhealthy obsessions? you got it. Need I go on? Makes you think their creators were trying to one-up each other.

** It goes much further with [[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Lockon Stratos]] and [[Full Metal Panic|Kurz Weber]] who are both cool snipers who excel at in giant robot sniping, who [[Handsome Lech|can get almost any girl they want]], though this might have a bit to do with their [[Shinichiro Miki|shared voice]]. {{spoiler|They also both die in combat sniping.}}

** It goes much further with [[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Lockon Stratos]] and [[Full Metal Panic!|Kurz Weber]] who are both cool snipers who excel at in giant robot sniping, who [[Handsome Lech|can get almost any girl they want]], though this might have a bit to do with their [[Shinichiro Miki|shared voice]]. {{spoiler|They also both die in combat sniping.}}

** And of course Ali Al-Saachez is obviously Gauron, with a side dose of ''Gundam'''s original [[Psycho for Hire]], [[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Yazan Gabal]] thrown in for the hell of it. Ribbons Almark is Yazan's final employer, Paptimus Scirocco.

* Both ''Gundam Wing'''s Heero Yuy (the original one) and King Peacecraft, as well as ''Gundam SEED'''s George Glenn, were based on Zeon Zum Deikun. Uzumi Nara Attha is based on King Peacecraft.

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** And then inverted when {{spoiler|one of the "same face, different place" characters really ''does'' turn out to be the same person they'd met before.}}

** [[Deconstructed Trope|Deconstructed]] later on, when one Expy turns out to be {{spoiler|the ''son'' of the character he mimics, for... [[Oedipus Rex|less than healthy reasons]].}}

** CLAMP wrote ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'' as a 20th anniversary [[Fan Service]] gift to its fans, so [[Expy]] is essentially the raison d'etre for the series. ''[[~~XxxHolic~~]]'' is a concurrent CLAMP manga series that intersects so tightly with ''[[Tsubasa]]'' as to require reading both to fully appreciate and understand each story. For the 100+ list of CLAMP [[Expy|Expys]] in ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'', see [[wikipedia:List of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle characters#Crossover characters|Tsubasa Chronicle Crossover Characters]] Note that the crossovers with ''[[~~XxxHolic~~]]'' are mostly deleted from the anime adaptations because separate production companies animated each series, creating contractual and creative differences. [[Expy]] instances in ''[[Tsubasa]]'' vary in the anime because the series veers from the manga late in season two (though is recovered mostly in the ''Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations'' OVA series.

** CLAMP wrote ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'' as a 20th anniversary [[Fan Service]] gift to its fans, so [[Expy]] is essentially the raison d'etre for the series. ''[[xxxHolic]]'' is a concurrent CLAMP manga series that intersects so tightly with ''[[Tsubasa]]'' as to require reading both to fully appreciate and understand each story. For the 100+ list of CLAMP [[Expy|Expys]] in ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'', see [[wikipedia:List of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle characters#Crossover characters|Tsubasa Chronicle Crossover Characters]] Note that the crossovers with ''[[xxxHolic]]'' are mostly deleted from the anime adaptations because separate production companies animated each series, creating contractual and creative differences. [[Expy]] instances in ''[[Tsubasa]]'' vary in the anime because the series veers from the manga late in season two (though is recovered mostly in the ''Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations'' OVA series.

* Continuing on from the Gundam listing above, ''[[Code Geass]]'' has plenty of its own.

** Lelouch is a main character version of Char, what with both being exiled members of (more or less) royalty, suffering from having their beloved parent murdered, having a sister, planning for revenge, and not allowing that sister to be part of it, or even knowing about it. And when she does find out, they have a showdown, and she gets in his way, etc, etc. They also fight an internal battle between revenge, wanting to join with the "nice guys" and be a real hero, and mass genocide.

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*** Most likely a reference to the visual novel, which was contemporaneous with the original [[Yonkoma]] on which the ''Lucky Star'' anime was based. It may also just have been a coincidence that the studio capitalised on to up the [[Pandering to the Base|otaku quotient]]; Kagami is actually named after [[wikipedia:Kagami Yoshimizu|her creator]].

*** [[media:Tsukasa_and_Kagami_as_Ryou_and_Kyou.jpg|This]] picture (which is also the header picture for the [[Cosplay Fan Art]] page) says it all.

** Misae is an [[Expy]] of [[Full Metal Panic|Kaname Chidori]], down to the [[Satsuki Yukino|seiyuu]]. Hell, her last name is Sagara.

** Misae is an [[Expy]] of [[Full Metal Panic!|Kaname Chidori]], down to the [[Satsuki Yukino|seiyuu]]. Hell, her last name is Sagara.

** Tsukasa is a visual (at least) expy of Akari Kamigishi from ''[[To Heart]]'', which the series delights in [[Lampshade Hanging|pointing out]]. The poor girl once gets photographed by an [[Otaku]] who sees the resemblance and [[Otaku Surrogate|Konata]] once gives her Akari's red uniform.

*** By transivity, Ryou is also a visual [[Expy]] of Akari.

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** Speaking of ''[[DearS]]'', Junpei from ''[[Nyan Koi]]'' is very reminiscent of Takeya.

* Most ''[[Mai-Otome]]'' characters are Expies of ''[[Mai-HiME]]'' characters. In fact, almost all of the main characters of Mai-HiME appear in Mai-Otome, although they may only be supporting characters or even extras. The reverse is often true as well -- the main character of Mai-Otome, Arika, appeared in Mai-HiME for only a few seconds at the end of the last episode. One character, the android Miyu, actually seems to be the exact same Miyu and not a new character after all, as though Mai-Otome is set in Mai-HiME's future. The future-time setting leads to some fan speculation about the Mai-Otome characters being reincarnations.

** Rena Sayers, however, is an expy of ''not'' of a character from Mai-HiME, but that of a character of another series: Rena Yuuki of the [[~~Play Station~~]] game ''[[Future GPX Cyber Formula]]: The New Challenger''. Their first names sound alike (except the "L" replaces the "R") and addition to that, the series' main character designer is also the main character designer for the last 2 OVAs for ''Cyber Formula'' as well as most of video games based on that series.

** Rena Sayers, however, is an expy of ''not'' of a character from Mai-HiME, but that of a character of another series: Rena Yuuki of the [[PlayStation]] game ''[[Future GPX Cyber Formula]]: The New Challenger''. Their first names sound alike (except the "L" replaces the "R") and addition to that, the series' main character designer is also the main character designer for the last 2 OVAs for ''Cyber Formula'' as well as most of video games based on that series.

* In [[One Piece]] there were two characters who share similarites to Nami who appeared in previous versions of Romance Dawn. One was a Swordswoman who joined Luffy's crew, personality wise she was more gentle than Nami. Another was more similar to Nami's current self in terms of personality however from the way the Pilot's story was going it seemed like she wouldn't join the crew.

** Weirder case here because we have [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism|no reason to think Oda was ever influenced]] by ''[[Berserk]]'', but the resemblance between Zoro and Guts is rather uncanny. It's as if Zoro is how Guts probably would've been if he was a allowed to have an easier life and {{spoiler|much, much more faithful friends.}}

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* Gaku Namikiri of ''[[Absolute Boyfriend]]'' is basically Tasuki from [[Yuu Watase]]'s earlier work ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]'', reincarnated as a supernatual low-ranking salesman. Though Gaku is slightly less [[Hot-Blooded]], he's got the same [[The Idiot From Osaka|Idiot from Osaka]] tendencies, the same [[Loveable Rogue|loveably roguish]] demeanor, the same gift for [[No Social Skills|socially incorrect remarks]], and the same ability to show up whenever the plot conveniently needs to be moved along.

** Before we note that [[Ayashi no Ceres|Tooya]] and [[Absolute Boyfriend|Soushi]] are reincarnations of Tamahome (Tooya in looks and fighting skills; Soushi in looks), it must be said Tamahome is actually himself a reincarnation of Manato Sudou from ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]'''s older sister, ''Shishunki Miman Okotowari''.

* Because of their many similaries ([[The Stoic|Stoic]] [[Child Soldiers]] who [[Character Development|grow more human]] after meeting and [[Bodyguard Crush|protecting]] an [[Ojou]], have [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]] goofball [[The Lancer|Lancers]], and pilot [[Humongous Mecha]] with dangerous but powerful technology), [[Full Metal Panic|Sousuke Sagara]] is often considered an Expy of [[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Heero Yuy]]. When the two finally met in ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'', their similarities were [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]], and Heero actually mentors Sousuke in an attempt to do something about his [[Fish Out of Water]]-ness.

* Because of their many similaries ([[The Stoic|Stoic]] [[Child Soldiers]] who [[Character Development|grow more human]] after meeting and [[Bodyguard Crush|protecting]] an [[Ojou]], have [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]] goofball [[The Lancer|Lancers]], and pilot [[Humongous Mecha]] with dangerous but powerful technology), [[Full Metal Panic!|Sousuke Sagara]] is often considered an Expy of [[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Heero Yuy]]. When the two finally met in ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'', their similarities were [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]], and Heero actually mentors Sousuke in an attempt to do something about his [[Fish Out of Water]]-ness.

** In addition to this, Sousuke shares some chracter stylings from both Sanousuke and Kenshin from ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]''.

* Claire, the protagonist of ''[[Claymore]]'' is an almost perfect expy of Ikuno from [[Angel Densetsu]]. Down to her behaviour. (And she's attracted to Raki/Yuji too). For some added expiness read the episode in which Kitano dreams during math lesson just after reading Claymore, and notice his sword and the oni's eyes.

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* Stop me if you've heard this premise before: A young, newly-hired male teacher and his busty female co-worker/love interest have to deal with a class of hyperactive students, particularly a "unique" trio of girls whose antics cause no shortage of misunderstandings. This can describe Kodomo No Jikan, [[Hanamaru Kindergarten]], ''and'' [[Mitsudomoe]]. It's a triple threat of expy-ness!

* Lettuce Midorikawa fron ''[[Tokyo Mew Mew]]'' and Michiru Kita from ''[[Zombie Loan]]''. Both have [[Meganekko|glasses]] and [[Shrinking Violet|shy personalities]], and in the beginning of ''[[Zombie Loan]]'', Michiru even has Lettuce's twin braids. Until she chops them off, of course.

* [[Chrome Shelled Regios|Sharnid Elipton]] is a pretty much a copy of [[Full Metal Panic|Kurz Weber]]: a sniper, whose skill is matched only by his laid-backness, with long blond hair and a propensity for womanizing.

* [[Chrome Shelled Regios|Sharnid Elipton]] is a pretty much a copy of [[Full Metal Panic!|Kurz Weber]]: a sniper, whose skill is matched only by his laid-backness, with long blond hair and a propensity for womanizing.

* Gainax has claimed that ever since [[Neon Genesis Evangelion]] they have just been using Shinji as a base for their male protagonists and changing how he was raised. For example [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|Simon]] is Shinji who admired his cool older brother and [[This Ugly Yet Beautiful World|Takeru]] is Shinji with abandonment issues towards his mother rather than his father. Hopefully we don't forget [[Fooly Cooly|Naota]] as well.

* Tsubame Sanjou from ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' is an expy of Hotaru Tomoe from ''[[Sailor Moon]]''.

* Pick any character from ''[[Karakuridouji Ultimo]]'' and you will find someone from ''[[Shaman King]]'', Takei's previous work, who resembles them. Rune and Manta is probably the most infamous.

** Machi Shina looks like [[~~XxxHolic~~|Yuuko]] right down to [[Smoking Is Glamorous|stylish smoking]] and [[Fortune Teller|similiar]] [[Hot Witch|professions.]]

** Machi Shina looks like [[xxxHolic|Yuuko]] right down to [[Smoking Is Glamorous|stylish smoking]] and [[Fortune Teller|similiar]] [[Hot Witch|professions.]]

** Service looks like Rin from [[Vocaloid]]. [[Dude Looks Like a Lady|Except Service is a boy.]]

* The [[Manhwa]] ''[[Witch Hunter]]'' is quite an expy of ''[[D.Gray-man]]''. The main protagonists both have [[White-Haired Pretty Boy|white hair]], wear black uniform which are the same color as their respective comrades', show sympathy towards their enemies' ''race'', and have [[Played for Laughs|hilarious]] financial problems.