Is Rick and Morty The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara an Anime?

The upcoming Rick and Morty anime isn’t the first time we’ll be seeing an anime x Rick and Morty crossover. There have been a series of animated Rick and Morty shorts in the past. Among them, there is The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara which stands out for its resemblance to anime. From the Japanese audio aspect to the numerous anime references, this special short is a treat for the fans of Rick and Morty as well as anime. 

Rick and Morty: The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara – What is it about?

Rick is headed to Akihabara in Japan to search for spare parts for his AI toaster, specifically a screw. As usual, he asks Morty to tag along and the duo heads over to the tech hub of Japan or so they thought. Previously known as the tech hub of Japan, it has now been transformed into a cultural center for weebs. Rick finds this change distasteful and wrecks havoc as he usually does when he runs into an old rival, although unintentionally. 

All the hidden anime references in The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara

The Great Battle of Akihabara can be considered a tribute to the world of anime. There are some Easter Eggs in there which will make you think of renowned anime titles. Especially Akira and Evangelion.

• The fight sequences will remind you of Shonen’s fights as well.
• Q-saku uses hand seals to summon a giant, that’s some dattebayo right there, you see?
• At last, the crater near the end might be a Your Name reference. 

Beyond anime, several Yokai who are a part of Japanese folktales also make appearances throughout. There’s a Kappa (with Summer at the end), Nure Onna, Daidarabotchi (the giant summoned by Q-Saku), WaNyudo, Onibi and Karakase Okabe. All these Yokai are visible during the fight between Rick and Q-saku.

There’s also a maid cafe with a maid called Milk-Chan. Can it get more anime-ish than that? Yes, it can! Our newsletter which comes out twice every week is the most anime-inspired thing you’ll ever come across. 

Is The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara an anime?

The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara is not just anime-like in terms of the feels, but technically as well. Adult Swim had a Japanese studio work on the anime short. The animation was a mix of 2D animation which is usually seen in anime and 3D animation popular in American animation. 

• Sola Entertainment produced the great battle of Akihabara. Their renowned works include The God of High School and Tower of God. They are also working on Lazarus and the upcoming Ninja Kamui anime. 
• Masaru Matsumoto was the director in charge with Naohiro Fukushima as the writer. 
• The cast consisted of Yohei Tadano as Rick, Keisuke Chiba as Morty, Yoshito Yasuhara as Q-Saku, Miho Masaka as Milk Chan, and Akiha Matsui as Summer.

Conclusion

If you haven’t already watched this amazing Rick and Morty anime short, right now is the perfect time. The spooky season is almost here and the setting of the anime short is based on Halloween. Besides that, if you’re unfamiliar with Rick and Morty, the short does a pretty good job of capturing the essence of the show. This might be a nudge for you to get started with Rick and Morty or anime.