Akira (1988)

About this episode

The hosts discuss the groundbreaking anime film Akira, exploring its themes of power and human inadequacy.

A Sensory Overload of Cyberpunk: Akira Takes Over Neo TokyoWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast, where hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest David Westlake to dive headfirst into Katsuhiro Otomo's groundbreaking 1988 anime masterpiece Akira. Buckle up—this one goes hard from frame one.Neo Tokyo Never Stood a ChanceThe crew tackles one of cinema's most ambitious and visually stunning films—a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk epic that defies easy explanation. Set 30 years after a catastrophic explosion that reshaped Tokyo, Akira follows biker gang leader Kaneda and his friend Tetsuo as they stumble into a military conspiracy involving psychic children, a mysterious godlike force, and power that no human was ever meant to wield.Krissy admits she was completely lost for most of the viewing experience, frantically taking notes and cross-referencing Wikipedia. Yet this confusion becomes part of the film's brilliance—Akira deliberately withholds exposition, letting mystery and ambiguity drive the narrative forward. The hosts wrestle with whether they enjoyed the experience, ultimately concluding that enjoyment isn't quite the right…

People in this episode

Hosts: Krissy Lenz, Nathan Blackwell

Guest: David Westlake

Topics covered

• cyberpunk
• anime
• post-apocalyptic
• power
• human inadequacy
• mystery
• narrative

Keywords

• Akira
• cyberpunk
• anime
• Neo Tokyo
• post-apocalyptic
• Katsuhiro Otomo
• Tetsuo
• Kaneda
• military conspiracy
• psychic children

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Akira

Places: Neo Tokyo, Tokyo

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