Part 1: What features make Akira cyberpunk:
Cyberpunk is a combination of Cybernetics and Punk. In terms of the artistic creation of film and television entertainment; it is a branch of science fiction stories based on information technology with a combination of low-life and high tech. The animation Akira is fully conformed to the features of cyberpunk, including cyberspace, cybernetics, urban expansion and ghetto, mega enterprise, human augmentation, genetic engineering, terrorism and anti-hero as seem from the Cyberpunk documentary(Indigo Game, 2019). The only difference is the combination with Japanese-style cultural relics in the background (Suzuki & Shunzo, 1988).
From the appearance of the Neo-Tokyo represent high-tech dark city as there are many futuristic high-rise buildings, and there are also many Japanese-style buildings such as restaurants, temples and other signs with Japanese language characters on the streets under the overwhelming high-rise buildings, the dazzling lights and the gloomy scenery (Suzuki & Shunzo, 1988).
Social chaos in the story have become incurable; violent incidents like drag racing, explosion and destruction, and anti-government activities such as protest movement and demonstrations. The school has become a gathering place for degraded ethnic groups; students do not study, and the faculty teachers are helpless. The high-level government is even more corrupt, intrigue, and only for their interests, regardless of whether they live or die (Suzuki & Shunzo, 1988).
In terms of technology, buildings are similar to robotic styles, including vehicles, networks, digital spaces, mechanical pipelines, and complex electrical circuits are all-important technological elements. For example, the low-floating vehicles, high-tech surgical laboratory which transformed Tetsuo into Akira like superpower, and the coverage of high-tech underground base (Suzuki & Shunzo, 1988).
In terms of human nature, Akira showed the evil thoughts, hatred and greed of humans; it also explained that power is like money; once you got it, you will want more. For example, when Tetsuo has achieved superpower, he changed from a weakling to a madness killer and slaughtered those who got his way from achieving Akira’s power, including his friend Kaneda who used to look down on Tetsuo (Suzuki & Shunzo, 1988).
Part 2: How does it reference the wider subgenre:
Akira is undoubtedly the most successful Japanese animation in the Western market. While producing Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo also referred to the film and television works from various parties. Afterward, Akira has also become the inspiration for cyberpunk entertainment works. In other words, Akira and Western film and television inspire each other. As for which subgenres Akira referred, Otomo has combined his life experiences, including people and things, and the early robotic animations and the Hollywood movies he saw into a world, which is the Neo Tokyo in Akira.
First; the Neo-Tokyo in Akira derived from what Otomo saw and heard on the streets of Tokyo in the 60s and 70s, including the post of World War II, the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, and the security struggle in the 70s has become the corrupt elements shown in cyberpunk. For instance, Katsuhiro came to Tokyo after graduating from high school, witnessed the drastic changes that Tokyo was going through before and after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he then saw student demonstrations, cyclists, political movements, gangs, and homeless teenagers (Kodansha Comics, 2019).
Second; two early Japanese animes inspired Otomo, one is from Yokoyama Koki’s Iron Man no.28, and the other is Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy, both are about the abuse of technology in wars and peace (Fuller, 2020). In short, these two works have inspired Katsuhiro in character and story setting. For example, the two protagonists, “Kaneda Shotaro” and “Shima Tetsuo” are named after Iron Man 28. In the story of “No. 28”, Shintaro Kaneda is the protagonist who is the pilot of no.28 robot, and Tetsuo is taken from the scientist Dr Shikishima Tetsuo. Furthermore, the number 28 in Akira’s hand is the tribute message to the glory of Yokoyama’s
Iron Man no.28 (Barber, 2017). As for the prototype setting of Akira, it was inspired by a character from the version of Tezuka’s Journey to the West Xiaolong, who poses deep, crying and sad expression, so he used this as a prototype with the combination of mysterious superpower developed by dark technology (Kodansha Comics, 2019).
Third, Akira’s setting is inspired by American film and television works, especially the Blade Runner which directed by Ridley Scott and has similarities with Akira. For example, Neo Tokyo is much like the cyberpunk scene of Los Angeles in Blade Runner; more smog, more neon lights, more holistic and more technological elements like projection advertising (Surat, 2017). Yet, the true ancestor of cyberpunk is the French manga master Moebius. Through the blade runner, Katsuhiro Otomo realized the drawing of cyberpunk from Moebius’s artwork, which later inspired him on the technology settings because of the urban landscape and visual style that influenced the aesthetics of the movie in Blade Runner are everywhere in the shadow of Moebius (Campbell, 2017).
Finally, Akira makes cyberpunk themes more dazzling, including environmental collapse, body transformation, the undercurrent of consciousness, human evolution, artificial intelligence, trust totalitarian, and has become the best role model for film and television entertainment, and video games, some creations are even completely imitated and then modified to their own, which is why some critics always adopt a satirical attitude towards cyberpunk works of today by saying they are owing debt to Akira, as according to Campbell (2018). threads of Akira’s influence can be found in all aspects of popular culture today. For example, like the Japanese animation Ghost in the shell and the Hollywood movie Matrix with many figures of Akira including; complex technology, garbled screens, and the dark fallen world (Campbell, 2017). Furthermore, a new upcoming game Cyberpunk 2077(see the attach) is very enlightened by Akira. For example, in the customization mode, players can change motorcycles outlook into the similar one used by Kaneda in Akira, which is also a tribute to Akira by the production unit (Sheridan, 2019).
Reference:
Indigo Gaming. (2019). Cyberpunk documentary part 1: Neuromancer, Blade Runner, Shadowrun, Akira [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sttm8Q9rOdQ&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0ZOnQmyGabIr8FMiM6Lkz-DBE1–cZrqPuIA2StGx-4WIjVmBrOKS9GeA
Suzuki, R. & Shunzo, K. (Executive producer). (1988). Akira. Tokyo Shinsha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooKBenGK3R4
Fuller, F. (2020). The deep influence of the A-bomb on anime and manga explained. https://www.penncapital-star.com/commentary/the-deep-influence-of-the-a-bomb-on-anime-and-manga-explained/
Barber, O. (2017). Katsuhiro Otomo on creating Akira and designing the coolest bike in all of mega and anime. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2017/05/26/katsuhiro-otomo-on-creating-akira-and-designing-the-coolest-bike-in-all-of-manga-and-anime/#40481c266d25
Kodansha Comics. (2019). Akira: Otomo interview, rightstuf exclusive pins, sweepstakes and more. https://kodanshacomics.com/2019/01/09/10-years-kodansha-comics-akira/
Surat, D. (2017). Blade Runner’s unbelievable influence on anime. Anime News. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2017-10-06/blade-runner-unbelievable-influence-on-anime/.122391
Campbell, O. (2017). Mind blowing artwork from the anime classic Akira. Dazed. https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/32448/1/the-french-sci-fi-comic-that-inspired-blade-runner-and-akira
Sheridan, C. (2019). New cyberpunk 2077 motorcycle screenshot shows a very Akira bike you can add to your garage. Game Radar. https://www.gamesradar.com/cyberpunk-2077-motorcycle/
Pop Genres 2020 