I'm convinced that if there is something an artist likes about any piece of art, they can't write it off, even if they choose not to use it because it's overused or something of the sort. It's a key part of developing voice and style. If you think about how you even start writing, it consists mainly of imitating these things. Even professional writers do this, actually. The difference, however, is that good professional writers are more preceptive readers and watchers. They are more attuned to the precise, deeper things that work for them which allows them to steal things without imitating. For instance, it may be a contrast between the happy-go-luckiness and the deeper traits of characters like Naruto or Luffy that a writer likes, but instead of imitating that exact model they might plug in different superficial and deeper traits.

I guess my main point in this is that it doesn't matter quite as much what works, specifically, you take influence from, but your perceptiveness as a reader and watcher. What helps is to experience many works in many genres, particularly lauded ones. Reading and watching things in many different genres can give insight into old favorites and provide more points of reference for future readings/watchings.

So yeah, if anybody hasn't watched Fullmetal Alchemist and Death Note, they should. There are also loads of great works they should experience as well that aren't within the Action Shonen or Shonen umbrellas. Or even the manga/anime umbrella. The Human Centipede, for instance...







...is definitely not one of them.

Agreed, that's why it's good to compare and contrast them with other lauded works. I haven't read as much manga as I've seen anime, to be honest, but, along with FMA and Death Note, Urasawa's works stand as highlights among what I've read, even though he tends to stave off development of the main character and resolution of the conflict a little too long just so he can introduce a hundred other characters. But he does provide a good bit of background on those characters which grounds them pretty well. He also has a great deal of not-attractive characters, which I find interesting. I think he also does open endings effectively, in that they generally compel the reader to think back through the plot and piece things together, even though sometimes he leaves a little to much to the imagination. Still they're fun reads. I've been waiting for a 20th Century Boys anime for a while now.

Still need to watch Citizen Kane. It's an embarrassing gap in my watching experience (not that there aren't a lot of those), and I love Orson Welle's other most lauded film, The Third Man.

Whiplash is definitely a great movie for all the reasons you say, but it is also an interesting study in accurately conveying its subject, in that it absolutely does not do that. It seems not interested at all in realism, not even specific emotions, but tension, and exaggerates whatever it needs to to build up tension. (A 20-minute drum solo is that last thing that would go over well at a jazz education conference, Fletcher is the furthest thing from a good jazz educator, Andrew Neiman never practices with a metronome and only practices double-time swing).

By contrast, a quick look at the author bio and thank you's in Memoirs of a Geisha reveals how much research actually needs to go into those subject sometimes. Arthur Golden had, himself, a Masters in Japanese history, and talked with several experts, geisha, and other people who simply lived during the Depression/World War II. It's attention to historical detail is stunning and its realism lends its emotional properties weight. Both Memoirs and Whiplash ask "how much research should a writer do?"

New genres, hmm. Does post-modernism count? It's not particularly new, but less than a century old. Then there's post-postmodernism. Seems like someone should come up with better names.

If we're going to use Dragon Ball, i highly recommend the manga format over the anime. Here's reasons wy. Although it was the anime that really turned shonen into a genre of its own (even though its not),  it pushed for more.

I also do NOT recommend Mad Max: Fury Road. At least in terms of story. Mad Max barely got away with its story. barely. and it was because of the action it presented. But just like "Avatar", people will see the flaws, and soon forget the movie.

Naruto Bleach Z is a great inspiration and serves as an example of what not to do. I speak from a quality stand point and not form a success/profit standpoint. You want to make money with garbage here is a step by step guide on how to make Naruto Bleach Z, http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/WriteAShonenSeries

For art inspiration There are the likes of Otomo and Miyazaki and others who get imitated. There there are others like Yukito Kishiro who do not get imitated as it would take too much work. I'd love to see more Kishiro imitators. From an art stand point the big thing is first learn how to draw real people, really well and then adapt them to manga look, this will help prevent the "teenage American manga artist" look. You know the look, you have seen it on desks and school folders.

When it comes to story telling drawing inspiration from just manga is a huge mistake. While you have people like Satoshi Kon turning out good fresh stuff in his anime (not any more) most manga is imitation of bad original content.

As manga is just a medium it would be best if you had a broad experience with all stories and thus have more to draw from.

If you thought those Mocking Jay movies were garbage, go hit up the manga that got ripped off Battle Royale.

As for Citizen Kane it is the most over rated movie of all time. There is a very good reason for this. It is the movie where Hollywood fought the power and won. They will spend eternity patting themselves on the back about that, even though they have become the evil power to be stood up against, just like when Orson Welles stood up against the insane power of William Randolph Hearst. See RKO 281 id you watch Kane.
If you want to be a critic you have to love it (those are the rules) and you have to pat Hollywood on the back.

Watch Being There.
Watch Blade Runner
Wathc Mamaro Oshis's stuff
Wathc Satoshi Kon's stuff
Watch Otomo's stuff (especially his collections, Neo Tokyo, Short Peace, Robot Carnival, and best of all Memories.)
Miyazaki stuff

M Night shamalamadingdong brought the plot twist front and center and shows the dangers of being a one trick pony.
Watch Star Wars and The Hidden Fortress back to back to learn how to rip off other's work.
The magnificent 7 and The 7 samurai back to back to learn how to rip off and regionalize/retell.
Watch A Clock Work Orange
Read 1984, A Brave New World, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451 (original asbestos cover if you can find it ), READ Harrison Bergeron to understand tumblr,  A wizard of Earthsea (not the anime!!!!!), Neuromancer (to learn awesome prose), Snowcrash, Aristoi (a new way to write stories), KW Jeter's NOIR ( a modern 1984. heck, read most of his books, he has fresh ideas). The Sandman Slim series to learn how to drip cool on your stuff. A Fire on The Sun/When Gravity Fails (learn you some Islam!). The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,
Watch Once Upon a Time in the West and old spaghetti westerns to refine your baddest man alive/man on a mission.

Most of all, live life, do new stuff and always talk to people as well as just watch them.

As a story teller, if you want to make manga by being inspired by manga, you are in a closed loop and are just waiting to rip off the next big thing. It is like digging through the toilets of people who just ate at 3 Michelin star restaurants and thinking what you take from there and serve will allow you to open your own 3 star restaurant.
As an artist, once you are good at real humans and real humans in action, then it is time to learn to do everyone's style, like an art forger. Then just draw for a few years and see what your style looks like.
 

But unfortunately a lot of amateur writers and artist want to be just like these series.

Looking at a lot of TV most "professional" writers are exactly the same.

Sturgeon's law - ninety percent of everything is crap

it is alarming how this can be applied.