What was the cultural impact of Akira (1988), and why does it occupy a key place in the canon of anime greats?
Akira is a cyberpunk thriller anime film created in 1988 by Katsuhiro Otomo is known to be one of the most important animations of all time (Taylor, 2016). The influential impact Akira would have on the film industry worldwide was unforeseen and to this day it is legendary because of its original and fresh introduction of an animation film for a more mature audience (Clark, 2018). Akira is the pinnacle of its genre and was made during the Cel animation days which meant no computers were used but instead extremely detailed paintings. Akira provided Japanese anime and Anime for mature audiences with recognition and started a culture where people worldwide were hungry for more (Covill, 2017).
Before Akira the animation industry only created films marketed towards children, one of the major companies being Disney (Clark, 2018). Therefore, the film Akira indefinitely shook up the animation industry due to its successful presentation offering something new and different. Although, it wasn’t only the film industry that Akira shook up, the fresh film added to the pop culture entirely (Clark, 2018). According to Covill (2017) “Many films, shows, and even musicians have referenced the iconic anime.” Some of these being Micheal Jackson, Kanye West stranger things and the Duffer brothers. Thankfully, Akira presented mature themes opening the door for shows like the Simpsons and Archer (Clark, 2018).
The deep plot, inventive narratives, intense detail and artistic styles Otomo used and the risks that he took to create and produce Akira gave birth to endless ideas for other artists. This has all helped craft and continue to inspire the current fiction worlds we have today worldwide.
References:
Clark, K. (2018, April 24). How ‘Akira’ Changed the World of Animation Forever. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.fandom.com/articles/why-akira-was-such-a-groundbreaking-film
Covill, M. (2017, May 03). ‘Akira’ Is Frequently Cited as Influential. Why Is That? Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://filmschoolrejects.com/akira-influence-12cb6d84c0bc/
Mountfort, P. (2020). Pop genres anime 1 Akira [PowerPoint Slides]. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/
Taylor, T. (2016, May 31). How Akira sent shockwaves through pop culture and changed it. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/31328/1/akira-anime-studio-ghibli-kanye-west-michael-jackson-pop-culture
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