Akira (1988)

The 1988 film Akira is a science fiction anime film written and directed by Japanese manga artist and writer Katsuhiro Otomo. The film is an adaptation of the Akira manga series, which ran from 1982 to 1990.

Akira takes place in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo and chronicles the conflict between two young motorcycle gang members. The story also includes a mysterious story about Akira, a boy with telekinetic powers.

The movie tells the story of Kaneda, a motorcycle gang member, and his best friend, Tetsuo. Neo-Tokyo was hit by a major disaster in 1988 and the government is working to rebuild the city. After Kaneda and Tetsuo witness a clash of their gangs, Tetsuo is abducted by a mysterious entity and gains telekinetic powers.

Tetsuo's powers make him superior to other humans and cause him to quickly lose control. Kaneda sets out to find Tetsuo and stop him.

Akira is considered one of the prime examples of Japanese anime cinema and has been praised for its high-quality animation, dark atmosphere, complex storyline and deep characters. It has also become a hugely popular cult classic among anime and manga fans.

Here are some interesting information about the Akira movie:

• Akira is one of Japan's most expensive anime movies. It was made with a budget of 10 billion yen (about 100 million dollars) at the time.
• The movie is based on Otomo's manga series of the same name. The manga was published between 1982 and 1990 and is notable for its length of more than 2,000 pages.
• Akira is considered a turning point in the history of animation. It is a turning point for the Japanese anime industry and helped popularize it in the West.
• The film has gained a cult following around the world. It is especially loved by fans of the cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic genres.
• Most of the animation's soundtrack was composed by Geinoh Yamashirogumi, Japan's first synthesizer.
• Akira is also one of the world's first big-budget anime films. This led to the expansion of Japan's anime industry and the emergence of projects with larger budgets.
• Many of the techniques used in the movie are still used in the anime and cartoon industry today. In particular, animation techniques and camera movements in shooting have become standards in this field.
• Akira is famous as a sci-fi movie about the events that will take place in 2019. This, with its predictions and interpretations of the future, still attracts many people today.

Director : Katsuhiro Ôtomo
Writers : Katsuhiro Ôtomo (screenplay), Izô Hashimoto (screenplay)
Director of Photography : Katsuji Misawa
Music : Shôji Yamashiro
Production : 1988 - Japan - 124 m.
Genre : Anime / Animation / Action / Drama / Science Fiction

CAST :

Mitsuo Iwata

Nozomu Sasaki

Mami Koyama

Tesshô Genda

Hiroshi Ôtake

Kôichi Kitamura