Week 4

Week 4 – What was the cultural impact of Akira (1988), and why does it occupy a key place in the canon of anime greats?

Akira is an animated Japanese movie made in 1988, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, and was a pioneer in the genre of anime. In terms of subgenre, it is classified as a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk anime. Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction, focusing on futuristic urban societies which are built upon computer technology. Akira is set in a post-apocalyptic future, after the planet has suffered a third world war, the story taking place in neo-Tokyo, which was once destroyed and now rebuilt as a thriving metropolis. The story follows a member of biker gang in neo-Tokyo who has been kidnapped by a secret government agency, and his best friends’ quest to rescue him.

It is revealed that Tokyo was destroyed in 1988 by an atom bomb, and though thirty-one years later in 2019 neo-Tokyo is thriving and technologically advanced, it is still desolate and barren in a dystopian kind of way. In regard to the deadly nuclear war which destroyed the city, there is a connection that can be made to world war two, and the horrific nuclear explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. This national tragedy which is held with importance in Japanese history played a big part in inspiring the destruction and anarchy that is portrayed in Akira. The historical connection is one of the main reasons why Akira became culturally significant, especially for Japanese audiences.

The theme of the biker gang stems from Japanese popular cultural influences in the 1980’s. In Akira, the biker gang symbolizes the disillusioned and rebellion fuelled youth of the 20^th century. The end of the second world war brought many waves of rebellion, the future generations dissatisfied with the conventions of conservative viewpoints, the horrors and systematic aggressions of war. Themes of youth having lost hope in the future and perseverance is also prominent, portrayed well in the classroom scene in Akira, having seen the students’ disinterest in education. For many teenagers and young people watching at the time, there was great relevance to how that generation was feeling and their unique place in society.

Apart from the cultural, historical and societal importance that Akira holds, it remains to be one of the most artistically influential animated movies of the 20^th century. There had never been a production like it before in Japanese film history, having the most expensive budget for an anime movie than ever before. The animation turned out to be so striking, it was clear even at the time that Akira was a masterpiece, and definitely much more than an animated movie for children. After its release, Akira heavily influenced the way mangas and comic books were made and impacted live animated as well as live action movies in terms of story and production. Akira was the first animated Japanese movie to really break into the western world and catch the attention of American audiences, who now were demanding more comic books and mangas that could evoke the same brilliance that Akira had.

References :

Napier, S. (2005). Anime and Local/Global Identity. In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.15-34). Hampshire: Palgrave/Macmillan.