Akira is the first anime film to achieve international success. This grandiose fairy tale about a 21st-century motorbike-riding demon is set in Neo Tokyo, a world designed down to the smallest detail as an architectural jungle and reminiscent of a science fiction film. Today, the film is regarded as a classic of the cyberpunk genre.

Anyone who sees this immediately wonders why no such cinema film has been made before. Not only because the possibilities of the animated film lend themselves well to the genre, but also because there is a clear penchant for the world of comics in mainstream science fiction films. The art direction of *Blade Runner* was already inspired by science fiction comics, and for *Batman*, the cartoon was literally the starting point for the film’s styling. No expense was spared here to make the sculpture look as artificial as possible. In Akira, the comic is simply animated directly. In turn, this cartoon mirrors the live-action film. Due to distortions in perspective and camera movements, the animated imagery appears less two-dimensional than one might expect, and with its cinematic composition of scenes, Akira often resembles a ‘normal’ film. A brilliant animated film, whilst projection onto a large screen makes for a spectacular experience. (Skrien)