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question

Akira: That opening scene, tho!?

Okay, so I finally got around to watching Akira and WOW. I knew it was supposed to be a visual feast, but I was NOT prepared for that opening motorcycle chase. The way the light reflects off Kaneda's bike, the sheer speed and motion, and then BAM! The explosion. Pure visual storytelling, right? Like, even without understanding the plot (which, tbh, took me a minute to grasp lol), you feel the chaos and the urgency immediately. What I'm wondering is, how much of that effect do you think is down to the animation style itself? That hand-drawn detail feels so, like, visceral compared to a lot of modern CG animation. I'm thinking specifically about the way they animated the mechanical details of the bikes and the city - it gives Neo-Tokyo this really cool, almost gritty realism despite the futuristic setting. Are there any other anime films that capture this same energy, where the animation itself is a major character? Also, can we talk about the color palette? All those neon blues contrasted against the burning reds and oranges? It's visually STUNNING, but I'm trying to understand if it's purely aesthetic or if it's also serving a deeper purpose, like symbolizing the clash between technology and destruction. Anyone got any insights on this? Maybe I'm overthinking it, but the cinematography got me so excited that I want to know more!

cinephile_sarah
8 days ago
3 comments
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