Akira

Anime3 list appearances

In 2019 Neo-Tokyo—rebuilt over the crater of World War III—biker gang leader Shotaro Kaneda races to rescue childhood friend Tetsuo Shima after a military highway collision awakens uncontrollable telekinetic mutations. Writer-director Katsuhiro Otomo shattered cel-animation limits with pre-scored dialogue, 327 custom colors, and Geinoh Yamashirogumi's gamelan-choral score. Animated at 24 frames per second in key sequences using 160,000 cels and 50 custom nighttime Neo-Tokyo hues. Pioneered the highway tail-light trails and sideways motorcycle power-slide homaged across global pop culture. Pairs cyberpunk street riots and military coups with Geinoh Yamashirogumi's hypnotic Indonesian percussion soundtrack. Opened Western theatrical doors for adult Japanese animation years before the late-1990s boom.

Frequently Ranked Alongside Akira

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The Lion King

2 shared lists