Akira's 30th Birthday

It rocked my world somewhere in the early nineteen nineties, but this brilliant anime saw the light of day in Japanese theaters 30 years ago in 1988. I didn't want to let this birthday pass unnoticed and express my deep fondness of this film.

_{image by 지현 주 - source: flickr}

Two days ago Forbes posted an article on the anime's birthday, and it made me think back; like with so many other "geeks", Akira was the film that introduced me to these Japanese animations for adults. As a hardened fantasy and science fiction lover, I was in for a real treat in the years to follow. There were so many good animes for me to discover: Wicked City, Crying Freeman, Monster City, 3x3 Eyes, Escaflowne, Space Battleship Yamato (which later was remade as a life motion picture). and I could go on and on...

Akira was special though. Not only it was my first taste of this genre, but also because of the quality in animation and storytelling. The tragic story about childhood friends Kaneda and Tetsuo has had as much of an impact on my worldview as Star Wars had a decade before that. The secret to leaving a profound and lasting impression on your audience lies in plot-building and character-development, in telling a good story, and not in bigger and better stunts and effects nor in the embedding of politically motivated messages in the narrative. I hope Hollywood is paying attention ;-)

Not that the beauty and sheer scale of the effects in Akira are anything to scuff at, the story of friendship set against a background of a post-apocalyptic Neo Tokyo with mankind trying to play God again, is what ultimately makes the bulk of the impact. Just like experiencing the battle between good and evil on a galactic scale through the eyes of "everyman" Luke Skywalker, is the reason why Star Wars is still revered as one of the best movies ever by both lovers and haters of science fiction or space fantasies. Also world-building is essential and is something I find especially well done in these Japanese animations.

In Akira it is all about Kaneda and his violent biker gang. He and Tetsuo were both raised without parents and live in violent surroundings, so no one is surprised they're now violent delinquents themselves. Everything escalates when Tetsuo comes in contact with a government test-subject and starts to develop psychic and telekinetic abilities. What follows is an epic struggle to hang on to humanity and friendship.

_{Akira - Trailer}

If you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, please do. Also if you've been looking for an excuse to watch the film again (I must have seen it close to 20 times now...), then I just gave you one ;-)

Thanks again for stopping by my esteemed fellow Steemians. I hope to see you all back tomorrow :-)

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