Ducktales Director Details Newest Episode's Anime References

Ducktales has become one of Disney's most ambitious series nowadays, and fans are geeking out after its most recent episode showed off its otaku colors. The episode followed the McDuck clan as they traveled to Japan on an adventure, and things got interesting as our heroes explored their destination. And over on Twitter, director Tanner Johnson confirmed the episode hints at numerous anime series through some clever references.

The whole thing began when a user known as Pelle Creepy shared some trivia about the references in the Ducktales episode. It didn't take long before Johnson caught on and commented on the various cues himself.

In case you don’t know: We on Ducktales love Lupin III and we know what we’re about. Astro BOYD is a triumph. Props to @jason_zurek and his team for a wonderful episode that makes me cry. https://t.co/CuRBFF82yW

— Tanner Johnson (@TannerTrue) May 2, 2020

"In case you don't know: We on Ducktales love Lupin III and we know what we're about. Astro BOYD is a triumph. Props to Jason Zurek and his team for a wonderful episode that makes me cry," he said,

As for those of you who missed the cues, well - there are a lot of them. To start, one of the major characters introduced in this episode is Inspector Tezuka. Not only is the character named after Osuma Tezuka who created Astro Boy but is also heralded as the Father of Manga.

But that is not all! Oh no, there is more to explore. Inspector Tezuka may be named after the artist, but their design comes from Lupin III. They are dressed after Inspector Zenigata, and Ducktales' detective even walks the same way as their role model.

From its animation to its Akira nod and a bit of Itano Circus, there are plenty of anime nods in this Ducktales episode if you look closely. And as you can see in the slides below, the homages were a big hit with fans!

Did you notice this little nod? What did you think about this brand-new Ducktales episode? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!