Close Analysis of a Japanese Animation Film, Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo

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Film Research Paper
Proposal
This research project is a deeper look into world cinema. It will analyze Akira, a Japanese animation film that has influenced the world of film for the last three decades. This proposal will focus on the cultural aspect and setting, content production, and my interpretation of the film. This will be done to determine the extent to which Japanese popular culture, manga, and anime have shaped the way the world sees Japan. As a result, this research will try to look deeper and try to understand the cultural aspects and struggles of japan portrayed by the art enjoyed by millions in the world.
Rough outline
Cultural context
* Introduction to the world of manga and anime.
* Reading of the Japanese culture and its influences around the globe
Film industry produced in
* A deeper look into the writer of Akira Katsuhiro Otomo
* Analysis of the making of the project and its worldwide reception
Content of the film.
* A brief narration of the plot for the film.
Review
* Analysis of technical details regarding the creation of the film
Interpretation
* My interpretation of the film
* Deeper discussions on the themes and imagery portrayed in the film.
* Important takeaways and lessons.
* Significance of the film to Japanese culture and its influence in international popular culture.
Detailed outline
Cultural context
This section will focus on the cultural aspect of Akira and anime as a whole. To get more understanding of the significance of the movie, this section will detail the impact of the Japanese culture on the rest of the world. Cultural reading is important and they will influence how people view an export from Japan such as Akira.
Film industry produced in
Katsuhiro Otomo, the writer of this film is considered as one of the greatest anime and manga creators of this generation. It is therefore it is helpful to analyze and obtain his perspective and line of thinking. This section will look at his influences and upbringing and how he got interested in manga and professional illustrations. It will also detail the budget it took to create Akira, other directors, and the success of the film.
Content of the film
This part briefly narrates the plot of the movie. It introduces the main protagonist Shōtarō Kaneda and other influential characters to the plot of the film. Also, the setting, Neo-Tokyo, and circumstances needed to understand the story are detailed. This section provides more evidence of the analysis intended by this proposal.
Review
This section will delve deeper into the themes and technical aspects of the film. This analysis of the film is important to help the reader understand the details surrounding anime especially this particular film. This in-depth analysis sets the stage for the next section of this proposal.
Interpretation
This part continues to explain the details highlighted in the review section. It delves deeper into the themes of the movie showcasing the meaning, significance, and teachings of the film. This part of the proposal offers the direction to how one can understand Akira.
Cultural context
According to manga enthusiasts, there is a manga for everyone whether it's about serial killers, teenage athletes, or anthropomorphic cats. Manga and anime (Japanese animation) have offered a comprehensive exposure to the Japanese culture for non-Japanese people around the globe. One of those works to have a huge impact outside Japan is Akira. The original manga is an epic piece of film and to its right, it can be considered as the finest animated film ever made. This association is good for Japanese culture and has helped shape its identity towards the outside world. Yeon-Sik Hong a Korean cartoonist retaliates that manga and anime is the foreign export they understand about Japan. He acknowledges that most Koreans that don’t know anything about comics and Animation will think the same way. CITATION Chr191 \l 1033 (Ro) The relationship between Korea and Japan has been troubled due to the Japanese invasion and colonialization. Korean people thus consider Japan a close country, yet so far due to the geographical proximity and the fostered pop culture.
The entanglements in colonial legacies have thus created a rivalry in pop culture exportation between Japanese manga and Korean manhwa. With manga being popular among the two, its reception around the world is seen through a colonial legacy lens. Alexandra Gueydan-Turek, an associate professor of French and Francophone studies at Swarthmore College in the US is all for the discussion. CITATION Chr191 \l 1033 (Ro) He views manga as an important tool for post-colonial nations such as Japan and Korea to grapple with their cultural identities. Japan is distant enough from countries like France to have a shared history, geography, or to provide an alternative to any traditional cultural dominance. However, it has not prevented manga from influencing strong cultured French colonies such as Algeria. The success of the football-themed Captain Tsubasahas shows that the Arabic speaking nation is open to new ideas. Gueydan-Turek considers this to be positive and sees manga as much bigger than Japan itself. Its appeal and attraction can be attributed to its adaptability as a global popular cultural product.
The film industry was produced in.
Akira is created by Katsuhiro Otomo who has an illustrious and long career as a manga artist as a writer and director. He is a multifaceted individual involved in live-action and animation and with an excellent eye for mechanical design. Growing up in Tohoku, northern Japan, he read a lot of manga as the area is very rural and he didn’t have much to do. As a key part of him growing up, it explains a lot the popularity of the culture. CITATION Oll17 \l 1033 (Barder) The impact of manga has been identified to have more effect on young and impressionable individuals when they first encounter it. A survey conducted in 2017-07 among four European countries found that 15% of the respondents encountered manga before the age of 10. 45% between 10 and 14 while 29% in secondary school. This is a crucial time for identity formation for any young individual and Katsuhiro Otomo was no different. Growing up he was able to afford one manga book per month and he tried to draw the characters. According to him, every elementary kid was drawing so he did not find it unique not until in high school where he developed an interest in movies and professional illustrations. Much of his work leans towards narratives and science fiction complimented with his clean and unique style. These characteristics created the perfect background for Akira and explain the reasons people fell in love with the movie. CITATION Oll17 \l 1033 (Barder)
The 1988 Japanese animated post-apocalyptic cyberpunk film is produced by Ryōhei Suzuki and Shunzō Katō and written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto. It is based on the Otomo'...