This documentary was made to precede the late night screening of Katsuhiro Otomo’s AKIRA on 7 January 1994 on BBC 2. The program features clips from AKIRA as well as comments by Otomo, Hayao Miyazaki, Suichi Terasawa and others.
Comments by Otomo:
■In the old days, culture had been the province of the older people. As it became more youth-oriented, Manga appeared.
■When I arrived in Tokyo, there were so many interesting people around...so I thought I'd try to write about what I saw here... The ambience, student demonstrations, bikers, political movements, gangsters, homeless youth... This was all part of the Tokyo scene that surrounded me. I projected all this elements into the future, as science fiction.
■In my youth I watched many movies, and tried to learn from them. Producing animation is very similar to making a live action film. I used the technics and forms best suited to my purpose...Cinematic style, building up speed, cutting and editing.
■Lots of good ideas come up when I'm drinking with friends. But in the light of the day they don't always seem as good as they did. But if I still remember them six month later, I might use them! Then I start thinking about creating the characters and gradually the film starts to take shape.
