The imagery associated with Akira has been a continuous source of inspiration for artists for more than three decades. The 1988 anime from the mind of Katsuhiro Ōtomo not only has an incredibly deep plot, but also illustrations that have succeeded in perfectly defining the futuristic, post-apocalyptic setting of Neo Tokyo.
The buildings and streets depict with extreme detail the architectural imagery of the futuristic, hyper-technological city that is close to collapse.
Currently on display in Berlin are the drawings from which some of the film’s most famous settings were created. The illustrations of the cyberpunk metropolis were created by Toshiharu Mizutani, who was the film’s art director, as well as backgrounds and layouts by Katsufumi Hariu, Norihiro Hiraki, Shinji Kimura, Satoshi Kuroda, Hiromasa Ogura, Hiroshi Ohno, Hajime Soga, Tsutomu Uchida and Takashi Watabe.
From the deserted streets where Kaneda speeds along on top of his motorcycle to the intersections overlooked by skyscrapers to the stadium at the center of developments in one of the most beautiful and influential animated films ever. These sketches are a true masterpiece.
