More than 30 years after its release, Katsuhiro Otomo’s film remains a must-watch that has influenced many works of pop culture.
Like blockbusters adapted from comics or futuristic works, anime is a genre that is currently experiencing huge success. Through works such as The attack of the Titans, One Piece (which will also be adapted into live-action) or demon slayerthe general public is becoming more and more passionate about Japanese animation.
A mainstay of anime and a source of inspiration
While big names in entertainment are increasingly interested in this genre, the best example being Netflix, the best destination for fans remains specialized platforms such as Crunchyroll (new paradise for fans) or DNA. The latter can regularly count on a quantity as rich as it is varied of novelties, but it is about to make the buzz with a classic. Released in 1988, Akira still today remains considered the ultimate anime of the 1980s and one of the greatest masterpieces of the genre. With its budget of 1.1 billion yen, it was the most expensive animated film in history at the time. Adapted from homonymous manga, Akira takes place in a dystopia in 2019.
It follows Shōtarō Kaneda, the leader of a gang of young bikers, whose childhood friend, Tetsuo Shima, acquires incredible telekinetic powers after a motorcycle accident. An incident that will gradually threaten an entire military complex and the rebellion of the sprawling futuristic metropolis of Neo-Tokyo. While most of the character aesthetics and character are directly adapted from the manga, however, the plot differs and excludes much of the latter half of the story. Having been slow to earn its cult status, Akira remains a seminal film in the cyberpunk genre, particularly the Japanese cyberpunk subgenre, and adult animation.
With Akira and Saint SeiyaADN is full of nostalgia
More than 30 years after its release, it is clear that the film has had a significant impact on global popular culture, paving the way for the explosion of anime and Japanese popular culture in the Western world. Moreover, Katsuhiro Otomo’s film remains a great source of influence in animation, comics, cinema, music, television and even video games. Not happy to be able to watch demon slayer and Holy Seiya, regulars of ADN will also be able to find this classic of animation from April 11th. With this new arrival of size, the platform stands out more and more for its catalog of quality old school titles. In addition to the nostalgic, young anime fans are invited to discover a cult work, which will soon be entitled to a live-action adaptation by Taika Waititi (Thor Ragnarok, jojo rabbit).