Until December 28th Akira streams on YouTube for free in Japan. With the holidays at the end of the year, people have more time to watch the movie and maybe more time to notice all the little details.
And little details are what Akira it is not missing.
As noted by the Twitter user HikozaTwi (over My game news flash), around the 38-minute mark in the film, there is a warning label on some medical equipment. Underneath it looks like it is written in English, but it is actually Japanese written in the Latin script.
In English the text means:
Why do we have to fill in so far! Knock it off! Enough
This is the first time I’ve heard of this complaint in the film.
Making anime is hard, and this is where a staff member found a secret way to blow off some steam. The amount of detail in each frame is staggering, which has undoubtedly required a tremendous amount of time, effort, and energy from the makers of the film.
It’s amazing that after all these years people are still finding things in Akira. Are there any undiscovered, complaints or inside jokes?
Originally a manga, Akira debuted in 1982 and finished production in 1990. Creator Katsuhiro Otomo adapted it for a feature film in 1988, wrote the screenplay and directed. It has grown to be one of the most influential manga and anime of all time, and its mark on popular culture can still be felt today.
Earlier this year Kotaku reported as the anime predicted some of the recent turmoil, including Covid-19 and its impact on the Tokyo Olympics. Sometimes it seemed like Otomo almost predicted the future – or at least parts of it.
Last summer Akira received a 4K remaster on Blu-ray. Like the manga, the anime is a feast for the eyes.
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