35 years ago, this day of of July 16th from the year of 1988, Akira, a most unique and very adult cyberpunk film would usher in a new era of “Japanimation.” It’s storytelling and style remains unforgettable, still through provoking, and brilliant.

Akira was first shown to the world on this day in Japan, as a cyberpunk mix of horror, science fiction, drama set in Neo-Tokyo, a futuristic metropolis that seems ever closer to our current times.

Strangely, Akira takes place in 2019 where we meet Shōtarō Kaneda, a street tough biker gang leader and his young friend Tetsuo he treats as a brother, Tetsuo Shima. But, Tetsuo gains deadly telekinetic abilities, and ends up…well, if you havent watched the movie, you need too. Such is essential watching for all science fiction fans, as important and influential through feature films as Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2001: a Space Oddysey, Star Wars.

Akira is directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, produced by Ryōhei Suzuki and Shunzō Katō, and written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, based on the manga of the same name. Known well through its haunting visuals with details and fluid animation, giving goosebumps to this day with moments of pure emotiona fuels that remain part of pop-culture among sci-fi nerds. Shout Kaneda or Tetsuo at any anime or comic con, and there sall be likely recipricol reactions of understanding.

Since then, influences to the work has been constantly felt or reminiscent of pop shows and films later on especially Stranger Things, The Matrix, nearly countless anime and video games. It’s been parodied in many pop-cuture works including South Park, Ric and Morty. The scene where Kaneda does his motorcycle drift slide to a stop remains highly inconic.

Now, it’s really the fans of Akira that keeps ifluence through the heart of the sci-fi fandom and sphere of pop-culture. But what’s next for Akira, a film that has stood it’s own with any expanding universe beyond it’s own manga and film since it’s release date…until recently. Akira director Katsuhiro Otomo announced a sequel TV series and new film back in 2019. The pandemic probably slowed that plan for now. But, do expect Akira’s influence as a film to move on, quite like Tetsuo’s power….ever expanding influence with no limits until…

Wait, and let’s see for another 35 years, and beyond.