As with any piece of media, anime is influenced by a bunch of different media and people. So it makes sense that creators want to honor the works of others that inspire them. They often like to leave things called Easter Eggs, small references to other works that only eagle-eyed viewers can spot and appreciate. In this post/video, we are going to discuss some of the Easter Eggs we discovered that surprised us and or made us laugh.
Squidward in Gurren Lagann
You read that right. In episode 12 during the underwater fight against Viral, we see none other than Squiward appear aboard the Spiral ship. It’s not the only time the series director, Hiroyuki Imaishi, referenced western media. In Kill la Kill episode four, Jules and Vincent from Pulp Fiction appear as background characters.
Light Yagami in Death Parade
Oh the irony. In episode 11 of Death Parade, Light shows up briefly on a camera footage as a guest at Viginti. It turns out Studio Madhouse animated both Death Note and Death Parade, and the leads for both anime share the same Japanese voice actor. It also makes too much sense for Light to be awaiting his fate in a game-centric limbo.
MyAnimeList in Sword Art Online
In episode one while the Game Master tells his evil plan, screenshots of different websites fly around him. One of those screenshots looks very similar to a page from MyAnimeList. It’s not an exact copy, but it’s close enough to be more than a coincidence.
Himouto! Umaru-chan In Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
In the fourth episode of season one, Kaguya pulled out an orange hoodie that’s instantly recognizable. It’s none other than the hoodie worn by Umaru Doma. This may appear to be a weird Easter Egg, but both the Kaguya-Sama and Himouto manga are published in the same magazine, Weekly Young Jump, so it makes sense that one references the other.
Starship Enterprise in Dragon Ball Z
Okay, not quite but almost. As Vegeta and Nappa are about to battle several of the Z Fighters in season one episode six, news helicopters can be seen recording the action. One of those helicopters has the registry code NCC-1701-A. That is the same code for the USS Enterprise in Star Trek movies four, five, and six.
Monty Python in Girls Und Panzer
No one expects Monty Python! In the second OVA, the girls get super excited about spam, chanting it over and over. Then they cut to the girls dressed as vikings chanting the word. They’re dressed up just like the vikings in Monty Python’s Spam sketch, where the viking patrons do nothing but, you guessed it, chant the word Spam.
South Park in Yuri!!! On Ice
In episode 12 of Yuri!!! On Ice, during a flashback to JJ’s childhood, JJ is donning the same outfit worn by Eric Cartman. Why the random reference? In the 277th episode of South Park, it is shown that Ike has watched Naruto and Yuri!!! On Ice.
Hey @Crunchyroll South Park just gave you a shout out along with Yuri on Ice pic.twitter.com/PKMiBEgrBS
— Andrew Link (@SpeedyDonut) December 8, 2016
The Yuri!!! On Ice crew decided to return the favor and leave this little Easter Egg for fans of both shows to catch.
The Fridge in Cowboy Bebop and Space Dandy
In the ending to the hilarious Cowboy Bebop episode Toys in the Attic, Spike jettisons out a fridge into space. What happened to the fridge? Turns out it ended up in the universe of Space Dandy. In episode eight of that show, Dandy and his crew land on a junk planet, and the fridge is standing amongst the junk pile.
The Costumes In Servant X Service
In episode 12 of this romantic-comedy, there’s a bunch of costumes shown off on the wall. From left to right, there are costumes from:
Easy references to make when one of your characters is a cosplay enthusiast!
That wraps up the Easter Eggs. Was there one that we missed? Is there an Easter Egg in a manga that you like? Send us a mention on social media. We would love to learn more surprising secrets creators have left in their work.