1. What was the cultural impact of Akira (1988), and why does it occupy a key place in the canon of anime greats?
<Akira> is considered one of the most influential SF animations of all time. Akira is even mentioned as the most important work of the time in the history of Japanese animation. It has become a novelty of the cyber funk genre and is widely popular throughout Japan and internationally.
Tetsuo is a monster who has gained overwhelming power after an incident. He elicits a sociological imagination of the ambivalent attributes of modern civilization of science and technology, especially of self-destructive power. Through this, we can say that the belief in “development” and “progress” related to science and technology is an empty hole in optimism about technologically civilized society.
If Tetsuo’s superpowers were to be associated with the mythical story of Prometheus, we are able to relate this to the concept of ‘fire’. Prometheus is the most humanized god who brought fire to the human world, and he is later punished severely for his actions by Zeus. The issue that should be noted in this myth is the nature of fire in which he gifted to humanity. Fire in this myth is expected to be controlled under the power of Zeus, and human interest in fire is considered taboo. Therefore, Prometheus’ outlandish act of stealing fire and passing it on to humankind is observed to be a challenge to the gods, before it is seen as compassion towards human beings. It symbolizes the deadly nature of human desire to multiply infinitely towards divine tools.
Based on the similarity with Prometheus, I would like to interpret it as “Tetsuo,” who stole technology in a near-future. The tragic end of ‘Tetsuo’ is a punishment for self-cultivated ambitions, and also a destructive overthrow of social desires that have been the foundation of these self-cultivated desires.
It can be said that the main character, Tetsuo, declared the end of the Homo sapiens era in a new way. It refers to Homo sapiens who possess the knowledge on how to use tools as a means to supplement intrinsic human abilities. It also contains the narcissistic self-awareness of mankind living as the dominant species of earth. However, it is no doubt that the human body and spirit, as well as human to human network of relationships, are subordinate to technological power today when what was considered a technological tool, began to enter the human interior. Here, we use Akira to illustrate the reversal of the situation in which humans are equipped to the outcome of science and technology. Specifically, after describing a technological civilization that cannot be overcome by relying on natural human power, it shows a situation in which individuals cannot resist such an environment. The explosion of ‘Tetsuo’ makes us reflect very profoundly on the human excesses that have become the driving force. Within the direction and speed of the development of science and technology, it indicates that there is a latent instability factor that the present civilization has not realized.
References
Mountfort, P. (2020). Pop genres anime 1 Akira [PowerPoint Slides]. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/
Shin, D. (n.d.). 재패니메이션의 마스터피스, 를 봐야 하는 이유. Retrieved August 21, 2020, from https://m.post.naver.com/viewer/postView.nhn?volumeNo=9312603
Pop Genres 2020 