3. OVERVIEW
Breanna Nasser
Akira was an animated film created and directed
by Katsuhiro Otomo in 1988. It is about a
Japanese biker gang who goes up against the
government, who is conducting experiments on
citizens, one of which was a member of the gang.
The movie is set in a futuristic Neo-Tokyo in post
apocalyptic Japan.
4. Film Clip
Jonathan Hasbun
Here is a link to the full film on youtube:
http://youtu.be/otmOJhemS2w
5. HISTORY
Beverley Farrow
• Akira, the movie comes from
the original Japanese
Manga/comic book written by
Katsuhiro Oromo.
• Katsuhiro Otomo was born in
April 1954 in Japan’s Miyago
Prefecture, an agricultural and
fishing province north east of
Tokyo
6. • In high school, Katsuhiro
developed a keen interest in
film in particular the American
new wave cinema of the late
sixties and early seventies.
• This obsession would influence
his later work; he developed a
realistic art style that has
changed the way manga is
drawn in Japan.
7. • Manga also known as Japanimation began in
the early twentieth century and was created
in the wake of animation techniques being
used in Western countries.
• Japan had a limited live-action film industry
and found it was able to make up for this
through animation.
8. • The oldest form of Japanimation was a short
film in 1917 about a samurai.
• Starting in the late 1930s Japanese animation
companies took cues from Walt Disney to
create more content at a lower price.
• In the 90s and 2000s, feature films in the
Japanimation style were marketed to Western
countries and have continued to grow in
popularity there.
9. • If not for Japanimation, the entertainment
industry in Japan would not have blossomed
into what it is today, or at least not as quickly.
When film industries were first developing
around the world, Japan found itself restricted
in the stories it could tell because of a lack of
Western-looking actors. Japanimation,
however, opened up the stories and locations
that Japanese filmmakers could input into
their films.
10. • Today, Japanimation is
most popular in
television series in the
United States, Europe
and Latin America.
• Feature films are also
slowly becoming
embraced by other
cultures, giving Japan a
unique foothold in the
global film and
entertainment industry.
11. CULTURAL ASPECTS
Breanna Nasser
Modern Japan has some key cultural concepts that
are influential at both the societal and individual
level. These concepts would have affected
characters and character development in Akira,
as well as dynamics between individuals, and
how they respond to society and government. It
would determine how they protest the
technology that was causing so much strife in
the film.
12. Giri (Moral Obligation)
#1 #2
• “…giri involves caring for • “this giri is manifested in the
world of business, because it is
others from whom one has essentially moral based on a
received a debt of gratitude feudalistic human
and a determination to relationships, it means to
realize their happiness, serve one's superiors and
clients, even to the point of
sometimes even by self- going against the rationality
sacrificing” (Gillespie). that is a business principle”
(Gillespie).
13. Giri can be seen in
interactions between
patients and doctors,
doctors and the
government, soldiers
and the government,
and even within the
biker’s gang.
14. Nemawasi (Prior consultation)
“A technique to avoid confusion and gain consent from
everyone in advance when making a decision is called
nemawashi. The original meaning of the word is to
cut roots short before moving a tree, so that the tree
can be easily moved…when nemawashi is practiced in
politics, there is the fear that policies are not made in
front of the people's eyes; thus, some criticize
nemawashi as not being democratic” (Gillespie)
15. "Enough! Open up your eyes and look at the big
picture; You’re all puppets of corrupt politicians
and capitalists. Don’t you understand, it’s utterly
pointless to fight each other.“
-Colonel Shikishima
16. Cultural Aspects
Government Structure in Japan
Breanna Nasser
In Japan today there is still an Emperor, and is a symbol for the people.
He needs approval for action. In the case of Japan, this is from the
cabinet and the prime minister (who he appoints). He has little to no
powers related to government and is mainly a figurehead. The
Imperial Throne is passed from father to son.
There is a national diet divided into two houses (The House of
Representatives and The House of Chancellors). These are the highest
levels of state powers, and they make the laws. They are elected
every four years.
There is a cabinet (Naikaku) with a prime minister as well as ministers of
state. They are responsible to The Diet (Kokkai).
17. Technical Aspects
Jonathan Hasbun
Through the production of this film many
different ideas/methods/techniques were
utilized and developed in order to create this
film. In addition many precedents were set by
this film and it has become a cult-classic.
18.
19. • The film is comprised of over 160,000 (2 – 3 times
more than usual) animation cels, due to this it is
considered one of the most fluid movies of all time (in
terms of animation).
• Akira was also one of the first anime movies
introduced to the West which dealt with adult
concepts (animation in America at that time was
mostly cartoons).
20. • Otomo created the storyboards for all 783
scenes in Akira.
• He also personally inspected all of the over
160,000 cels used to create the movie.
21. • The film experimented with using oranges,
reds and greens for the night scenary.
• An unheard of (at the time) 327 individual
colors were used, several of which were
created specifically for the film.
22. • The voices in Akira were pre-recorded, then the animation
was done to match the mouth movements and timing. In
Japan the animation was generally produced first.
• Production of this film cost a record breaking $10 million
(unprecedented for a Japanese animation film at that
time).
• Overall this film is a true masterpiece and a pioneer to
future animations.
23. sources
• http://voices.yahoo.com/cultural-importance-japanese-animation-movie-360849.html
• http://www.ehow.com/about_4572179_japanimation-movies.html
• BlueBlade AKIRA, http://www.bbakira.co.uk/main.htm
• Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_%28film%29
• IMBD, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094625/
• http://www.akira2019.com/katsuhiro-otomo.htm
• http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-japanimation.htm#
• “Casting Controversy Over Big Screen ‘Akira’”. The Rafu Shimpo. Rafu Shimpo. Laos
Angeles, CA. 29 Apr., 2011. Accessed 10 October, 2012.
http://rafu.com/news/2011/04/casting-controversy-over-big-screen-akira/
• “Fundamental Structure of the Government in Japan”. Based on Organization of
the Government of Japan 2007. Administrative Management Bureau, Ministry
of Internal Affairs and Communications. 2007.
• http://www.filmsite.org/visualeffects13.html
• Gillespie, John K., “Key Aspects of Japan”. Sugiura Yiochi. 2004. Accessed 2
November,2012. http://www.japanlink.co.jp/ka/home.html
