Top five things to consider about an Akira movie adaptation.
News came out that the project was being shut down. Apparently, that was bullshit. I think the movie was more being put on “pause” so it can be reevaluated. Regardless, I’ve been inspired to write the following article.
For the uninitiated Akira is probably the best graphical novel (or manga if you wanna’ be a dick about it) ever made. It has been worshiped for almost three decades now and stands as one of the pillars of the cyberpunk genre.
What is cyberpunk? Well, it is a part of Japanese culture that branched out across popular entertainment that fuses a variety genres, ideas, rebellions, and archetypes. To describe it in one sentence I’d probably say: A genre that has rebellious low-lifes trying to bring down a corporation or entity with the use of technology and sometimes special gifts or biological mods. Maybe that is a bad definition, lol, but it is complicated. Think Neuromancer, Deus Ex (video game), Ghost in Shell, The Matrix, or Blade Runner for near perfect examples.
Moreover, if you were to ask me what my favorite cyberpunk work is it would be without question the manga Akira . The cartoon is fantastic and always entertaining to watch, but it was too hard to pack hundreds/thousands of pages into a couple hours. Also, the depth of Akira is so deep and fulfilling that it puts into question whether or not a movie could ever be made about it. There are just too many hurtles.
The story of Akira is a great one. Created by Katsuhiro Otomo the story explores two best friends, Kaneda and Tetsuo, who are part of a motorcycle gang during the fallout from a nuclear explosion during Wold War 3 — Tokyo was completely destroyed. Moreover, Tetsuo is recruited into a government project that mentors humans with immense psychic powers. To say the least, shit hits the fan and Tetsuo loses his mind when his powers begin to take him over.
That is just scratching the surface of the story. But why am I writing all this? Because I’m curious why the “live-action” movie can’t get made. I’m not an expert of Akira, but I know quite a bit and am listing five things to consider when making the movie. Because, like Robotech, I haven’t figured out why the movie can’t get made about such great source material
1. The story is very “Japanese”.
I don’t know exactly what that means and it isn’t meant to be offensive of alienistic, but when you look at something like the movie Die Hard, that movie is really American. Like, John McClane is an all-American ass-whooper. In the same way, Akira is very Japanese. The story is rolled up in post-war rebellion and hysteria. There is a sense that the whole manga is woven into ideas that are inherently pulled from a generation that lived in a Japan still stirring with post WW2 sentiment. What exactly do I mean by that? Well, don’t quote me, but I think the manga was a big middle finger to the existing establishment of Japan.
All that is not even considering the fact that Hollywood is adapting all the Japanese characters and making them white, a fact that drew huge critcism from famed actor Geroge Takai. It is racist, but making the characters white is understandable. The movie just wouldn’t be possible otherwise.
But consider this: Recently, the masterpiece cartoon Avatar: Last Airbender was adapted into a movie and was a complete failure. While the movie made quite a bit of money (over three hundred million dollars) the movie tried too hard to appease a wide audience by having its main characters be white and not Asian. Even going as far as having white children living in an Inuit village. I think changing the location and race of the characters is necessary to get funding, but how will they handle the change without sacrificing so much of the culture that made Akira what it is?
Velvet — Love the comment. Yes, you’re totally right! I didn’t say it started in Japan though. I said it was part of Japanese culture that spread elsewhere. Maybe I should have said Japan’s “brand” of cyberpunk spread elsewhere?
I know Gibson’s Neuromancer was the pretty much the origin. But Japan just went and made it part of their pop culture, especially anime, for a long time. I guess we kind of did too with the Matrix and Philip K Dick, but I would never say it hit the mainstream here except for Blade Runner, Matrix, and later (maybe) Minority Report. That is all just my opinion.
You definitely know more than me about it then me, I’ve only read the more widely known American cyperpunk authors. If you know any books you think I haven’t read let me know!
Diana — I get you, but I really think Akira will be cool regardless. I think putting it in New York and making the characters white is weird (if not racist), but it is a reality of the Hollywood industry.
No film industry can really afford to make a movie like Akira except Hollywood. Like I said, maybe Japan should do a 7 part anime for TV — but they won’t. Japanese film industry is in kind of weird place right now. Except for Takashi Miike, dude’s a boss.
Cyberpunk originated in America, but was influenced by Asian culture in general and Japanese culture in particular.
I disagree about the film not being possible without making the characters white. (Because, you know, there are no Japanese folks living in New York, right?) It is possible but just not likely because big film companies are so wary about an ethnic lead in an American movie, much less a big budget action flick. The truth is that unless it’s a top-billed, big name Asian actor, Hollywood just won’t risk it which sucks. Frankly, I’m tired with Hollywood rehashing old or foreign ideas for American audiences, either rebooting or remaking other people’s work. But this just underscores my main beef with all of this — why bother making an Akira movie in the first place? If they’re so hell bent on creating something in Neo-Manhattan that only bears a passing resemblence to the classic, don’t call it Akira. Call it something else, “inspired by Akira” or “based on Akira” but they shouldn’t sell it for something it isn’t.