Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 science fiction masterpiece Akira has heavily influenced animation and the dystopian cyberpunk genre, and now it has inspired an incredibly accurate cosplay.
Made and posted on Reddit by Clayman8, the Shōtarō Kaneda costume perfectly recreates the bike gang leader's signature red attire. It also shows him wielding the massive laser rifle he uses to fight his friend Tetsuo Shima during Akira's epic and brutal climax.
Based on Otomo's manga series of the same name, Akira tells the story of two childhood friends, Kaneda and Tetsuo, who become disillusioned delinquents as teenagers. After the latter gains devastating telekinetic powers after a motorcycle accident, the two end up on opposite sides of a potentially world-ending conflict. Like Clayman8's cosplay, the film has inspired a plethora of fan-made content. Other notable examples include a fully functional replica of Kaneda's iconic bike and an adorable stop-motion video that reimagines the Akira Slide using characters from Studio Ghibli movies.
Akira's Widespread Cultural Impact
Akira hasn't only inspired fans; Otomo's work has also influenced many other classic pieces of Japanese pop culture, including Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop and Metal Gear Solid. Moreover, the story has had a profound impact on Western entertainment media. Both Rian Johnson, the director of the time-travel movie Looper, and the Duffer Brothers, the creators of Netflix's Stranger Things, cite Akira as an influence for their respective works. Furthermore, the aforementioned Akira Slide has been referenced dozens of times in IPs like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: The Animated Series and Durarara.
Surprisingly, Akira also influenced Michael B. Jordan's boxing shorts in Creed 3. Concept artist Raphael Phillips revealed on Twitter the clothing piece's anime origins and Jordan's love of the medium. "Lizz Wolf hits me one Sunday afternoon in 2021 and was like: 'Raph! Michael loves anime so much, what if we pitch him some Akira inspired shorts?'" he wrote.
Filmmakers Dream of Making an Akira Live-Action
Multiple filmmakers have also tried to adapt Akira into a live-action movie, including Taika Waititi, who hasn't given up on the idea. In contrast, toward the beginning of the year, Jordan Peele discussed his decision to leave a planned US remake, confirming that he has no regrets. "I'm glad I didn't do it," the director explained during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. "Because I feel like staying away from that, trying to interpret that IP just set me on the path to create something new."
Akira is available on Hulu.
Source: Reddit