There are many cartoons that I have watched in my childhood. None are more memorable than the multitude of anime the likes of Ronin Warriors or any of the shows that would air on Toonami (a late-night Saturday time slot for just anime on Cartoon Network). One anime that stands out is Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo. Most notably the lighting effects that were used. I always wondered about the arduous process of using cell animation to create such a beautiful film. The attention to detail is astounding. Anytime that I see a clip or a reference to the film, I am instantly taken back to the first time I saw this feat of animation.
After learning more about the process of cell animation through behind the scene clips of how Disney using this technique in their films, I was taken aback by the animation performed on Akira. Mainly due to the attention to detail in each frame of the film. Unlike the work of Miyazaki and Ghibli Studios with movies like Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, which focused more on the story rather than the animation. Not to take anything from the story or animation of either film, they both are reputable in their own right. There was something about the detail and lighting effects of Akira that instantly made it a top suggestion to anyone that wanted to be introduced to the world of anime and a personal favorite.
Watching a video by Evan Puschak of The Nerdwriter shed more “LIGHT” on how Otomo used lighting to bring Neo-Tokyo to life. The video also explains how Otomo wanted Tokyo to play a major role in the movie. Using neon, something Tokyo is known for, to accomplish this. Light is intertwined into every aspect of the movie that it takes on its own personality. This is why Akira will always be one of my top three favorite anime’s of all time.
Here is the original video by The Nerdwriter's Evan Puschak: