This animated cyberpunk film was directed by Katshiro Otomo and is often said to be a pinnacle of the anime film genre. Akira is lauded by critics for its artistry in animation, which continues to inspire animated films today. There is no denying that Katshiro Otomo's influence as a director was crucial in achieving this status.
Akira was made using cel animation, which involved using layered paintings rather than using computers. The director used over 160,000 animation cells to create the end result. Otomo also pioneered an incredible use of lighting, which is used to highlight important scenes.
Alongside Izo Hashimoto, Otomo co-wrote Akira, and therefore heavily influenced the setting, structure, plot and characterization in the film. He is said to have filled over two thousand pages of notebooks with ideas for the film. An interesting feature of this film is the fact that the dialogue was recorded in advance of the animation, instead of recording it after the animation was complete. This is something that is quite rare in anime films.
