On​ the surface, the new computer-animated film from Disney looks more “Dragon Ball Z” than “Frozen.” Set in a mash-up of US and Japanese cities called San Fransokyo, “Big Hero 6” is about a boy, Hiro, who, upon losing his older brother, bonds with a sweetly charming, inflatable robot named Baymax. Together, they form a team of high-tech superheroes as Hiro grapples with finding both happiness and a life’s purpose.

Based on a Marvel comic-book series set in Japan, the film -— which hits theaters Friday -— borrows in a big way from that country’s culture, specifically the storied tradition of anime.

For inspiration, directors Chris Williams and Don Hall turned to everything from Hayao Miyazaki’s films (hits that include “Spirited Away” and “The Wind Rises”) to a Shogun Warriors 24-inch toy with a shooting fist that Hall had as a child.

While the resulting animation doesn’t look like a “Pokemon” episode (other than its lead’s spiky hair), the essence of anime is there.

“In anime films . . . the action scenes are really pushed and dynamic, and on the other hand, they have scenes that are so quiet and still and sweet,” says Williams. “So we try to capture that spirit, those two opposing forces.”

The filmmakers also traveled to Japan for two research trips, from which they took away environmental details such as the alleyway crates in which Tokyo citizens place their recyclables.

The directors recently returned to Japan to debut “Big Hero 6” at the Tokyo International Film Festival. If the rapturous reception was any indicator, Williams and Hall have done the city proud.

“They seemed to really want to be advocates for the film,” says Williams. “That meant a lot to me, coming from a Japanese audience, since we are wearing our influences on our sleeve here.”