Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Akira is an iconic Japanese animation directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. It was written by Katsuhiro Otomo and Izo Hashimoto. It is based on Otomo’s manga of the same name. It was released in 1988. The film is set in Neo-Tokyo. The original city was destroyed in a psychic explosion in 1988. In this dystopian world biker gangs roam the streets. Tetsuo Shima, a teenager with psychic powers, belongs to one of these gangs called the Capsules. The leader is Shotaro Kaneda. Tetsuo is hospitalised after a battle with rival gang the Clowns. While in hospital it is discovered that Tetsuo has psychic abilities like Akira. Akira was the esper who caused the destruction of Tokyo. On learning about Akira, Tetsuo goes on a rampage to find him.

Akira is considered to be a landmark in the history of Japanese animation and has become a cult film. Some critics consider it to be the greatest animated and science fiction film of all time. It created an interest in anime outside of Japan. It is a commonly sited influence in the manga and anime industry. It has also been cited as an influence on live action films such as The Matrix and Tetsuo. It was certainly one of the animations that got me interested in the fascinating world of Japanese animation.