190 - Bootlegg'd - Akira

It’s always satisfying to fill in a blind spot here at the Cartoncast, and this one was a mile wide. Akira establishes the cyberpunk genre, opened the doors for anime in the west - and the anime industry in Japan - and commented upon the timely (and timeless) themes of institutional power in a time of rapid evolution. No need to be psychic to judge how we felt about this work; it’s remarkable, and stands proudly as a pillar of the industry. * The Akira Slide * Yet again, Yankii gangs in Japan * Battleship Potemkin - Odessa Steps Sequence * The Sokovia Accords * The Protomen * The Colonel? * 2001 Space Odessey ending