CTVA 215 Week 8 - Akira (1988)

I don’t think I was ready for Akira. This is one of those films that’s proven very culturally influential, where I’ve managed to learn enough about it to understand the cultural references (my favorite movie of the decade has an Akira slide at the end!) but not enough to know the story before watching. What I got was a dense and intense action/sci-fi that I found hard to follow at points but was consistently engaging and visceral for the entire runtime. I was so fascinated by this dystopic, post-WW3 Neo-Tokyo, with rich world-building that can easily be compared to great sci-fi worlds like the dystopic Los Angeles of Blade Runner. The animation is also gorgeous, with a distinct hand-drawn art style that allows for unique character design, intense action scenes and some truly horrifying psychological and body horror. The way Tetsuo loses control of his powers and becomes a giant, suffocating mass of flesh near the end of the film has particularly stuck with me, showcasing both the impressive animation as well as the existential horror present in much of the story. Many great pieces of Japanese media have themes of processing the traumas that the country has been through in recent history, and the way Akira’s story mirrors the experiences of life after the atomic bombing of the country I found particularly resonant and harrowing.

Thank god for Kaneda! What a fantastic protagonist. Akira was a lot to process for me on a first watch, but having a main character like Kaneda really helped me stay grounded and kept me from getting too lost in the supernatural and existential themes. His rebellious and oftentimes immature and comedic personality brought a levity to the film that I really enjoyed. His more immature moments really reminded me of just how young these characters are and how much they go through in this film. Having him at the center of the film, and centering so much of the story around his and Tetsuo’s childhood friendship, was a really nice touch. After watching Akira I completely understand why this is such an important film for sci-fi, action, and Japanese animation as a whole. It’s an exciting and thought-provoking film that furthers its mediums and genres while still telling and engaging and emotionally gripping story.