Katsuhiro Otomo’s landmark cyberpunk anime hit Japanese theaters on this date a quarter century ago. While the film eventually achieved cult status in the United States and continues to influence filmmakers, Phil Hoad touches on what it revealed to audiences and studio heads at the time:
“Led by Akira, anime expanded the idea of what animation could be: violent, abrasive, radically stylised, thoughtful and above all, adult. It arguably readjusted the expectations ahead of the later revitalisation and maturation of the industry under Pixar—sweeping away the prejudice that anything with drawings was for kids.”
Earlier CBC coverage of a live-action adaptation here.
(Shout-out: The Dish)
(Image: Shōtarō Kaneda astride his motorcycle, TMS Entertainment)
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