I've been thinking about the AKIRA anime series recently. Otomo announced it 5 years and 22 days ago at Anime EXPO 2019. A lot of people would or already have lost hope of it ever releasing but I still choose to believe it's happening. No matter how naive that sounds, I guess.

It was announced right when COVID was being recognized as a global issue. He also announced his most ambitious project, the Complete Works, at that panel. As well as his new fucking movie. The Complete Works have already had setbacks and delays; the old man's busy. I'll wait as long as it takes. I know Otomo replied to a 2022(?) question about the state of the series with a cryptic "I'd like to know as well" but I think he's under an NDA or whatever.

I don't actually think about the series that often to avoid overhype. It's also fun to not think about it and suddenly imagine all it will be. What got me thinking about it was a Blue Submarine 06 clip on Twitter. I watched it probably five times yesterday thinking about how good the AKIRA series will be if it looks like that. Has that kind of weight and fluidity in Otomo's classic manga style.

The animator for that clip, Toshiyuki Inoue, worked on AKIRA (1988) when he was a freelance key animator. I thought his name looked familiar. The animation is so good. The blur on moving body parts for each punch and strike. The subtle movements in between all of the action, too, with the shifting of weight and breathing. Reminded me of all that detail in AKIRA where it makes everything feel more real.

My friends and I often reference this OVA Otomo worked on, Freedom Project, when we speculate about the series. It was this 7 episode OVA for Nissin's 35th anniversary in 2006; basically one long advertisement animated and produced by Sunrise. It's alright. The one thing about it that I hate is that it's entirely computer animated. It looks super dated. I mean it was made in 2006 but damn. Our fears about quality arise from the idea of Sunrise going in that direction since they're producing the AKIRA series.

I know if the series is all computer animated I don't want to watch it. No matter how much like 2D animation they try to make it look. Unless it's flawless I'm not into it. If they use CG elements for buildings or background stuff, that's fine. Even using CG for something like the wavelength reader from the movie, which was the only 3D aspect in the film.

There's a lot of expectation for the series. I know I'm building it up in my head but that's because I trust Otomo since he's directing the whole thing. He's known to be some kind of perfectionist, I believe it's safe in his hands. Lots of people hanging their head and saying "it'll never happen" and shit like that, too. Whatever. They can give up on it and I'll still be here, laughing at them when it does come out!

WRITTEN: JULY 2024