What is it with anime and Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass?

[rocklobster]

There sure are a lot of references to Alice in Wonderland or in anime. Take a look at these examples:

• Pet Shop of Horrors Rabbit named Alice (this is the funniest one)
• Alice the 19th--haven't read it, but I hear it's inspired by these books.
• The Animatrix: "A Detective Story"--not only do we have a quote from Alice Through the Looking Glass, but the detective also has a cat named Dinah, just like the cat in the story.
• Serial Experiments Lain has a character named Alice, who's the closest thing to a friend that Lain has. (OK, this one might not count)
• Please Save My Earth--The heroine is named Alice. The manga-ka even mentions the scene where Alice talked with some flowers, so it might have something to do with it.

I'd better stop. Now that weird "White Rabbit" song by Jefferson Airplane is stuck in my head.
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you...
MAKE IT STOP!

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Maybe because it's one of the most nonsensical and surreal classics ever? I don't know. The Alice stories don't make a whole lot of sense, but there's no denying they are intriguing (in a trippy way).

[Bobtheduck]

Yeah, the Alice in Lain was definately supposed to be an Alice in Wonderland reference, which is why I disagree with the "Arisu" rendering of some translations (I forget whether the dub calls her Arisu) Her name isn't Japanese in the least... Arisu isn't a Japanese name, but it's always a rendering of Alice.

Alice in Wonderland is classic literature. It's just really well known world-wide. And it's not just animatrix, the whole first Matrix was filled with Alice references. Follow the white rabbit, the red queen, then of course Neo steps into the mirror when he wakes up... So the Alice reference in Animatrix was really a simple continuation, and one that wasn't all that clever (It was just said in Matrix, it was EXPLAINED in Detective Story...)

[Tancos]

I think that it's not just that Lewis Carroll's books are well-known classics, but also that his insane but extremely logical universe has a special appeal to those who make and enjoy anime. Carroll was probably the geekiest writer of his day.

A few more shows with "Wonderland" episodes: Urusei Yatsura, Cardcaptor Sakura, Ouran High School Host Club.

[Myoti]

Eiichiro Oda loved Alice in Wonderland (along with most of the classic Disney films) and even did a colorspread of Alice and the White Rabbit (I'll try to find it). It may have influenced some of the stuff in his series, since there is some obvious bits from other films.

To explain WHY, the others made the best points on this (I've actually yet to read the whole book myself).

[mitsuki lover]

Yes in the Lain dub it keeps the name Alice for Lain's friend.Aside:Lain is strange and at times disturbing but a far better anime than Paranoia Agent.
Then of course there's also:Miyuki-chan in Wonderland where all the Wonderland
characters are supposed to be boxum babes.Note:I just mention it as another example of anime reference to Alice in Wonderland.

[Joshua Christopher]

I thought most of them were references to our Alice.

[ChristianKitsune]

Alice 19th really has nothing to do with Alice in Wonderland...besides the white rabbit ref...^^; Sure the main character's name is alice but that's as far as the similarities go..

[Debitt]

There are pictures of the Loki characters in Alice in Wonderland settings at the beginning of the original Matantei Loki series, and Loki runs into the Mad Tea Party, the Cheshire Cat, and the White Rabbit when he enters Utgard Loki's kingdom in the 2nd volume of Matantei Loki Ragnarok. :3 Sakura Kinoshita is very much so a Lewis Carrol fan. XD

I think it's because it's just such a strange and interesting story - mangaka/anime producers probably can do a whole lot with it.

[rocklobster]

And besides, the Lewis Carrol books are all public domain anyway. So there's no copyright problems.

[Kkun]

I think that the bizarre, whimsical story just kind of appeals to everyone. Most people know the story, and it makes whatever tale the writer is trying to tell easier for the reader to identify with if they have some kind of frame of reference for it. That said, I prefer the original to knockoffs and reinvisionings, but when creators use imagery from Carrol's classics subtly, I really appreciate that. A la the first Matrix. But not the second and third. Those don't exist.

[mitsuki lover]

In other words Lewis Carrol's Wonderland books are just so fun to read and imitate.
Of course it's a lot better than trying to turn the book he wrote as Charles Dodgson into an anime or any other form of animation,I mean could you imagine
trying to animate something about higher mathematics?

[Maledicte]

Let's not forget "Jack Is Naked" from Samurai Jack.

[rocklobster]

Samurai Jack is wanna-be anime, Thinks 2 Much.

[Joshua Christopher]

Samurai Jack is wanna-be anime, Thinks 2 Much.

Samurai Jack takes influence from Japanese culture, but it's really not anime-like at all, nor was it intended to be.

And you shouldn't insult Samurai Jack, or the spirit of Mako will haunt you.