Let’s come up with the names of anime characters who were actual, real life people. Real life people just making cameos are not included. What I am looking for are characters, major or supporting, who are central to the plot. I can think of four.
Jiro Horikoshi from The Wind Rises. Horikoshi was the designer of the Japanese Zero used during World War II. Writer/director Hayao Miyazaki tries to paint him as a sympatric figure that was not all that supportive of the war effort. I have no idea how historically accurate that is, or is it just to make the film more acceptable to western, particularly American, audiences?
Fritz Lang from Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa. For those of you who are not classic movie buffs, Fritz Lang was one of Germany’s greatest film directors, until he fled the Nazi government and came to the US and made his contribution to film noir. So now you ask, what the hell does he have to do with FMA? Conqueror of Shamballa is the wrap up movie to the original FMA series. Ed and Al find themselves in our dimension; particularly in Germany about the time of Hitler’s failed beer hall putsch. So the movie does have a lot of history in it, but as far as I can remember, Fritz Lang is the only real historical figure Ed encounters. He looks like Fuhrer Bradley.
O-ei from Miss Hokusai. O-ei was the daughter of a famous artist, and an accomplished artist in her own right. Unfortunately, few of the works of the historic O-ei survive.
D’Eon de Beaumont from Le Chevalier D’Eon. A young French aristocrat joins the secret police to solve the mystery over the murder of his sister. Sis was an expert swordswoman, and from time to time takes possession of her brother’s body to aid in the various battles. The real life D’Eon de Beaumont was an 18th century French nobleman who lived his live as a woman.
Your turn.
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