Akira (1988)
Figures
Form & technique
- The film's aesthetic design and its international marketing campaign.
- The film's musical score by Geinoh Yamashirogumi.
- The visual aesthetic of Neo-Tokyo, particularly its neon-drenched, decaying urban environment.
Tropes
- Tetsuo Shima's final, uncontrollable mutation into a grotesque mass. → The Carnivalesque
- The cyclical destruction of Tokyo, first in the film's opening and again at the climax.
- Tetsuo's painful and phallic-centric bodily transformations (e.g., his new arm). → The Abject
- The dynamic motorcycle chase scenes, specifically the use of taillight trails.
- The film's role in establishing the Western "otaku" or anime fan community.
Films most connected to Akira