Akira. Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Written by Izo Hashimoto and Katsuhiro Otomo. Release Date (Japan): July 16, 1988. Country of Production: Japan. Key Cast (vocal talent): Mitsuo Iwata (Shotaro Kaneda), Nozomu Sasaki (Tetsuo Shima), Mami Koyama (Kei).
What can I say that has not already been said of what is considered by some to be the greatest anime of all time? You may ask: "But how can an animated movie from the 80s still stand on its own against the contemporary expectations of animated movies? Certainly the advent of CGI and the explosion of this field has raised the bar so high that nothing from earlier generations can hold a candle to something so visually accomplished as Finding Nemo." Well, first of all, I wouldn't really call it a film since I watched it on DVD, and secondly, it's because Akira represents the pinnacle of cel animation, reaching a level of interactivity between the hand-painted backgrounds and the animated elements that had never been seen before, and with computer technology quickly on the rise, will probably not be seen again. Each one of the 160,000+ cels prepared with such care and consideration that the anime genre would finally make its presence known in the critical circles of the west.
The main focus of the movie's narrative harkens back to the Frankenstein complex, the great power that humans are not ready to tamper with yet, which certainly deserved reexamination after the world had borne witness to the destructive power of the atomic bomb. I believe these are the historical roots in which this movie has grown from, and the atomic bomb certainly has had an irrefutable impact on Japanese society and culture.
Another thing the movie does so masterfully is to juxtapose the coming of age of the main characters on such a local and introspective level with the growth of the entire country politically and societally. Tetsuo and Kaneda are two teenage delinquents living in post-World War III-Japan. They are members of a bike gang, and inadvertently become involved in a government science experiment when, after having been liberated from a government compound by a member of the terrorist resistance, Takashi (one of the children upon whom the government has been experimenting) and Tetsuo literally collide.
Since this post is following one of National Treasure 2 I think this would be a good time to talk about the lack of good American storytelling in Hollywood these days. It seems like there are more sequels and remakes coming out than ever, and not just of American movies. More and more, the movie industry is looking abroad for untapped resources, and I was recently discussing with a friend of mine the wealth of wonderful stories that are tucked away within the folds of Japanese culture. I think it's no coincidence that the horror genre has more or less converted to one dealing almost exclusively with remakes of Japanese movies, and now I hear that Leonardo DiCaprio is producing a live-action version of Akira that will be hitting theaters in 2009!
In my opinion, aside from the story, this movie is historically unforgettable as a gem of animated cinema, and for any animation fiends out there who haven't seen this yet, you better get your ass in gear. Another thing I wanted to discuss was the screening of anime in English versus Japanese with subtitles. Usually, when it comes to foreign cinema, I prefer to view them subbed rather than dubbed, because I like to hear the intonation of the actors, even though I can't really understand them. For an animated movie like Akira though, I might have to reverse my stance. Reason being: an animated movie is so visually involved that in jumping back and forth from the subtitles, I became extremely anxious that I would miss something. Personally, and especially with this movie, the vocal talent, although certainly deserving of respect and admiration, should be the least of your concerns. This movie has so fucking much going on, that you may want to forego your purism in favor of staying on top of the plot and to really take in the visuals. They are just as much a part of the story as the discourse.
-PT
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