Movies - TV
The Forgotten Anime Classic That Inspired Akira
By COLLIER JENNINGS
If you're an anime fan, you've no doubt heard of "Akira." In a 2011 interview, Katsuhiro Ôtomo discussed his primary influence for "Akira" and the process of crafting the film (which he co-wrote and directed, in addition to writing and illustrating the manga.)
The anime series that Ôtomo credits for inspiring "Akira" is "Gigantor," which was based on the manga "Tetsujin 28-gō." Ôtomo explains "[...] considering Akira's basic concept is that a secret weapon from a past war is resurrected, you could say that Akira was based on Tetsujin 28."
In the same way that Ôtomo drew influence from post-reconstruction Japan while writing "Akira," "Gigantor" creator Mitsuteru Yokohama drew upon his childhood memories of World War II. Also, the protagonists of both stories even share the surname Kaneda.