AKIRA: How To Animate Light

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[@mullandglow]

For those who are interested in trying to animate light like this, it's called underlighting, "Underlighting (aka "Bipack Glow") is an animation technique that caught on in the 1980's, although it dates back much further. Some parts of an animated scene may need to glow. Traditionally, a glow was painstakingly drawn by an animator, who had to pay careful attention to get the fringe colors just right to make it convincing. Even in the best cases, a hand-drawn glow still didn't look very "glowy." The solution was to cut a hole in the background in the shape you wanted the glowing object to have, and then project a bright colored light from underneath the scene. The result was a rather awesome-looking glowing object, with tapering fringes that looked exactly as you'd expect a brightly glowing object to look.'

[@CoreyisBarackObama]

the exact comment i needed

[@primeEmu16]

Thank you! Ive been tryimg to find the terminology used for it for a while now.

[@jamesjr2550]

Type in backlit animation

[@Alyxandr]

Do you know of any books or websites that go into deeper detail on backlit animation, that would be very appreciated!!

[@FluorescentTeddy]

Thank you for the info

[@SaNeVenqms]

in short, Akira is lit

[@meplusyouisdeath]

毒液Withba lol literally

[@CalWillify]

Yes, boom! Done. Nuff said. Comment section is now closed.

[@shiningturtle]

It's Litt up

[@glipk]

Heh heh

[@leeshepherd834]

Best TL:DR ever

[@Johnnyshooter]

fun Fact : AKIRA in Japanese meaning "Bright" "Brightness" etc...so similar meaning and u got it pretty much right lol

[@gc3k]

This is basically the theme of the whole movie and what Akira's powers are

[@Nerdwriter1]

MUSIC: Blue Wednesday, "Sweet Berry Wine" soundcloud.com/bluewednesday/sweet-berry-wine Joey Pecoraro, "The Bishop" soundcloud.com/joeypecoraro/the-bishop

[@dragonphoreal]

I hope you eventually do a video essay on NEON GENESIS EVANGELION.

[@Shapchiki]

Please review Samurai Champloo

[@alwaysinformed1]

thanks for adding this

[@normandijk]

Nerdwriter1 These are amazing videos. Thanks for sharing this.

[@tomasskinner2722]

What's the song (or is it just a singe soundfile) that starts at around 3:54? It sounds like a siren.

[@FrankValchiria]

AKIRA is always been one of my favorite movies. a true masterpiece not only of animation but of cinematography.

[@Trizface]

I just wish the entire manga story was adapted to the same quality animation. Its a pipe dream but damn that would be have been amazing.

[@amit84417]

Akira was made in the golden days of animation The animations in the 80's, before japan's economic fall the modern day animation is based on the funds raised by fan service. Perhaps your dream will come true when people finally start buying expensive blu rays straight from japan and animation industry growing into a multi billion dollar business.One day when hentai wouldn't be just called fap material but respectable form of adult entertainment which could boast of a fleshed out story. Maybe one day when Japanese Manga art and animation is adopted by other developing countries and be integrated as one of the sources of their bread and butter,Then chances of animation being brought back to its original form might become a viable reality. Until then,We can hope.When trump can win presidency,there ain't a goddamn thing that isn't possible.

[@amit84417]

What according to you was the front face of the 80's? We aren't counting ghibli films because according to Hayao Miyazaki himself his films aren't anime, but simply animated Feature length films. Akira was the most expensive film of its time. And you say Girls Und Panzer is devoid of fan service. Well, Girls Und panzer is itself the promoter of high schoolers driving tanks, are you really that amateur to not understand the celebration of violence in the film.Anime fights are for the sake of plot convince given, but basing the theme of a Moe story with tank? if basing cute girls to promote a violent subliminal theme ain't also a fanservice I don't know what is. You say Monster Masume isn't competitive enough? have you ever looked up japan's population? Do you really think 5,434 is a less number when half of the world is streaming the manga and anime online for free or a paid subscription.Shit like Sword art online is selling a successful line up of products while things like Bleach are ended abruptly. Why are you trying to see things from the perspective of an outsider bro? why not research things up? reality ain't in numbers.Thats why attack on titan, although the manga being super famous,isn't having a second season.But leave it, its better to give up on people like you who just wander along the crevices of the modern day cliches and repertoire that aren't leading us anywhere? Animators in japan are dying because of bad health.Health issues caused due to overwork and underpaid jobs, thats where the multi billion dollar i was talking about should be focused onto, it isn''t.We are sitting here behind screens debating on useless topics meanwhile the anime makers are suffering a exhaustive and uninteresting array of endless fanservice to work on. Mangakas, Douga Makers,Genga makers,Animation planners, even directors are working on use less pile of moe shit because people demand for that shit.There is a production because there is a demand.But anime is art related entertainment ,you couldn't show the moe shit of this generation to the future generations. Frankly my friend,We have enough of this moe promotion and the last thing all of us should do is to show up numbers to say the anime is fine when it plainly isn't. I spend some time writing this, please without once objecting to my view, review your analysis of the anime, Watch the community understand the purposes of the animation and the restraints limiting the periphery of anime potential to bland protagonist, cheesy story and 2d dimensional character development. If you still feel i am wrong, please forgive me for wasting your time with this reply.But i feel unapologetic of my opinion. thanks.

[@amit84417]

Sir do you want me to really get into the nitty gritty detail of it all? You're provoking me at this point and a detail lengthy explanation of my opinion at this would only make things get messier. Chill out sir, keep your anime with you. i think thats the way you are and can be appreciated as.

[@hanacodaiko]

That's why I'm so afraid of the live action adaptation. I'm not convinced that the movie will encapsulate the aesthetics or visual power of the original movie. Like the scene in 6:13 that looks like a refugees in World War 2 getting mowed down by a boarder partrol. Akira feels and looks hopeless, gritty and violent. So Hollywood will most likely turn it into a sterile PG 13 pseudo-Chronicles flick with generic asia-deco artstyle (kinda Ghost in the Shell with What's-her-name-again)

[@robertellis2402]

I recently watched Akira for the first time. Amazing film.

[@redlion145]

If you liked it, check out the graphic novels. A good portion of the content was left out of the film for length reasons. It's truly an epic long form manga.

[@moksound19]

It truly is. Over time I began to strongly dislike anime and the baggage that comes with it. But in spite of that, Akira stands unmoved as a masterpiece of Cyberpunk.

[@EternalRoman]

Better late than never mate :D

[@thurman-merman]

Miles Kelley Could you elaborate? Curious why you don't like it anymore and what's the baggage

[@moksound19]

In a rough microcosm: I grew sick of cool-evil-smart-guy turning his back, pushing up the bridge of his glasses, and talking dismissively while brash-dumb-hero shouts 'bastard!' while he rages impotently, and everyone else quivers and stutters and gasps for a full 10 seconds. I dislike it's approach to characterization. When I stopped watching, it was a parade of taped-together tropes, rather than unique people. The genre feels incredibly rigid when it comes to characters. Characters seemed written to fit a pre-defined niche, paint by numbers - designed as a unit rather than born, relative to other storytelling media. And when it's not rigid, it's contrived. Rarely did the genre's characters occupy that happy middle ground of original but believable. I believe this balance can be struck, in spite of the wild diversity of premise that anime sports. I've seen other animated stories do it well. But I saw it rarely enough in 'anime' that I no longer find the genre worth watching. So it's possible that what I dislike more precisely is the Japanese approach to characters. There's more to it than characterization, like it's ham-handed approach to drama, or like the handling of theme that's about as well thought out as a high-school book report, in spite of pretenses of depth. But the breadth of what I find lacking in this particular brand of cartoons is difficult to describe. Which is a shame, because I love the wild explorations of premise. As for baggage, that's a discussion too large and wide-ranging for youtube comments. And it relates more to the fans and creators more than the media itself, so it exceeds the scope of this comment thread. Sorry!

[@jasminewang6815]

For everyone saying “wait but this didn’t teach me how to animate light”, the “How To” means more so how light should be animated. It’s saying Akira is a prime example of how to animate light. Sure, upon first reading the title may suggest a tutorial on how to animate light but(and correct me if I’m wrong), this channel doesn’t really post tutorials on how to do technical things within film but rather breaks films down into their different film language components.

[@immaterialboy6806]

This guys should make a video on Evangelion

[@MrAllenCrown]

And Lain, we should all love Lain.

[@denolaj]

+Knights_of_Eastern_Calculus I marathoned Lain when I was like 15 or so. Had a headache, but yeah, good miniseries!

[@immaterialboy6806]

How long is lain? I've actually never seen it. @everyone

[@denolaj]

I think it is a trilogy, if I recall correctly

[@MrAllenCrown]

it's 13 episodes.

[@BrothaJeff]

I'm an animator and we studied AKIRA a lot in school. For some of the lighting effects they actually used real light behind some of the cels to make it more vivid and real for example when the huge ball of light engulfs the city. Also not all of the animation is drawn on 24 frames per second. It's usually 12 frames per second unless it's a really fluid and fast moving scene.(Disney always drew on 24 frames per second) A lot of anime use even less frames per second but they still are able to capture the movement and poses really well. Instead of north america's 2 frames for each drawing in Japan it's usually 3 frames for each drawing. They use a lot of tricks to keep it fluid. The animation cycles on the hair moving in the wind or the clothes. So when a character turns it's head and stops. The drawing is just held there and then on another cel layer the hair will be moving in a cycle that repeats over and over.

[@samwallaceart288]

Isn't akira a form of the Japanese word 明 for "bright light"? Surprised the video didn't mention that if so.

[@gc3k]

Akira could also be written 晶 even though it's never written in kanji in the movie iirc It's a running theme in the movie that Japanese figured out a lot sooner than non-Japanese speakers

[@daseinstudioua2609]

Akira - 明（あかるい）- Akarui. Not too obviously but possibly yes.

[@samwallaceart288]

Maximum Casualties 明 can also be read akira in some cases; though I think the kanji 旦 for daybreak/dawn has that as a full reading.

[@Bestmann3n]

there are more than a hundred kanji that have an Akira name reading. you could probably ascribe any meaning to the name if you wanted to.

[@samwallaceart288]

Bestmann3n shit, I've been spotted!

[@amatamaaa]

i wasn't even listening to you all my senses were invested in the video

[@sbaromski]

All your senses except for hearing then. So, just the sense of sight is what you're saying.

[@jangofet555]

i think he means all his attention was invested into the movie, and was tuning him out.

[@Ghost-ip4ku]

versace 666 ayy

[@TheCaliforniaHP]

me too

[@zsstupidvideos6780]

At the beginning of the video I actually had this same thing happen. Didn't tune back in until it switched to The Conformer

[@dulangnz]

This shit is lit...

[@mexicanninj]

ay lmao

[@coldplay109]

It's MEGA lit.

[@MaQuGo119]

U r8 muh niga

[@hollandscottthomas]

00:46 that distant background plate is actually HUGE and you only ever see a sliver of it at a time. Madness. MADNESS.

[@tf2dudebot]

This was incredible. I just realized the theme of light connects with the name of the film and manga, "Akira," which means "bright light" in Japanese.

[@Tychoxi]

KANEDAAAAAAAA!

[@sixthcavalier]

Duncan Graham AKIRAAAAAAAAAA

[@CurryCloud]

Duncan Graham Kakarotoooooo!!!!

[@apessparacletos]

SASUKEEEEE!

[@gc3k]

KEVVVVIIIIIIIIN! (Hollywood version)

[@MrLCGO]

KHAAAAN!

[@EdertheJust]

I still dont know how they made the light in the movie.

[@hollandscottthomas]

White paint ;)

[@EdertheJust]

hollandscottthomas thanks

[@EdertheJust]

***** Thank you. The video didnt say any of that stuff. I thought that was what the video was about.

[@kylebroflovski6382]

_1:14__-__1:42_ He did mention it. Maybe if you had paid more attention you would've noticed the reference to Disney as well, where you could've found even more information on what you're looking for.

[@alex173ek]

No, @@kylebroflovski6382 , the author does NOT say HOW they did the LIGHT, but describes how the end result looks like. I also do not see the answer in the video which was promised by the title.

[@MrNerdista]

Outstanding analysis that wholly captures the excellence of the animation in this film. The meticulous way in which Katsuhiro Otomo almost manipulates light to bend around the themes and atmosphere of AKIRA is truly impressive. This is one of my favourite video essays of 2016 - and that's saying a lot coming from a fellow video essayist who consumes this form of media daily. Great stuff!

[@oldhbruna]

Do Bebop, do bebop now!

[@Phanthion]

I would love a piece on American Psycho. That movie is utterly fascinating, full of interpretations. I also heard that Bateman fellow is a real smooth guy.

[@brain_apostrophe_t]

first time Ive ever watched a video because my phone recommended it the second it came out

[@isaacsawka6524]

Lik and subscreib

[@bunnybreaker]

Akira is literally my favourite movie. Great video, I really enjoyed your analysis.

[@mahesh3097]

I literally watched it this morning and was thinking when you were gonna make a video on Akira! What a coincidence

[@mwoakill09]

Man this video was lit..

[@sebastianhybel3325]

Been waiting for a new video. I would like a kendrick lamar video, could this be done Evan?

[@felipeflores18]

sebastian hybel I'd rather have a Tribe Called Quest video, with the new album coming out and everything.

[@Hoizaty]

he's already done a Kendrick essay.

[@AshTailor]

You've got to analyse Cowboy Bebop! One of my favourite shows 😁

[@BryanEshbaugh]

AKIRA is still to this day one of the greatest animations ever.

[@Ignirium]

What about today? 20/04/2021

[@キラキラくりくり頭]

I think this film was the main reason I became an animator.

[@tyedyeerrthing1817]

Brah i animate shit too, Iv been working so hard on my newest project, Its a 11 min OVA i was commissioned for but i was given complete freedom so for this film iv only worked on it only if iv taken/ are on acid, shrooms or dmt, this will be the masterpiece that sets me apart from the pack! Even if i become insane in the process its all for the art! This is the pinnacle

[@キラキラくりくり頭]

TyeDye Errthing, well, you've certainly got me looking forward to it now.

[@soridosuneku]

!!! where can I see it once it's finished?

[@tobangafeufeu]

you two should tell us who were dealing with. Are you professionals or hobby animators like me?

[@joshm.7592]

K Dub - didn't become an animator but this movie, specifically one unlikely scene, did challenge my drawing. Tetsuo stumbles down the rectangular hallway, then he creates an invisible force that is spherical which manipulates the walls & ceiling to take the same spherical shape. This blew my mind. .

[@Melarancida]

I've seen the movie countless times and always felt fascinated by it's look but never caught on how much of it is due to it's lighting. Really great video!

[@divelostmind]

A encompassing sphere that erases the 'light of neo-tokyo'? spawning the rebirth of the city and the light within it? I guess you could call it a Neon Genesis.

[@Milkynaomi1]

animayo you sir deserve a bunch of medals

[@midgetwthahacksaw]

animayo Bravo!!!

[@gc3k]

Neon Genesis is just a fancy translation for New Era

[@FreakyBo0o]

This, to me, is eargasmic. The intelligence, the analytical eloquence and the poetry are just so satisfying to listen to.

[@AnimeEverydayYT]

Brilliant work once again Evan! Would love to see that Bebop video too

[@roushington]

I'd like to see him do a video on Angel's Egg. Freaking loved that film. Didn't know it existed until you made video on it, though. Glad you watch good stuff. Big fan of what you do. It's quality work.

[@AnimeEverydayYT]

Angel's Egg would be equally brilliant

[@roushington]

AnimeEveryday I think he could do a video on the art style alone. You know, things like the color palette. I've never seen another anime do something like it.

[@tahahormozan]

We owe a lot of our childhood moments to Japanese animators

[@CreativoErratico]

One of the kanji for Akira means bright. ICYDK.

[@kas8ia]

The only Kanji actually 明, it's a real name

[@starr0401]

There are more than a dozen Kanji for "akira", and they're all pretty common names.

[@kas8ia]

Lester Lee 明 was the one used

[@CalWillify]

What is ICYDK?

[@gvs108]

In Case You Didn't Know

[@berlinstephan7389]

honestly Akira is the best Anime Film I've seen

[@bijibadness]

*Nerdwriter1* makes me glad to be human, breathing and still alive. thank you for this, sir. thank you.

[@FabienMariauxdeSerres]

I really like this video and your commentary. I particularly enjoy the format: not too short, not too long. A concentrate of information without fluff.

[@videotrash]

Watched it just yesterday, amazing timing.

[@strawberrymilksamurai]

4:09 not only the lights, but other aspects of Neo Tokyo and its inhabitants are neon too, like the clothes they wear, the colourful bikes they ride and even the blood in the anime is coloured neon. In scenes where the lighting is very low and you can barely see the characters, the blood glows bright red and gives off an effect of neon

[@jakerobbins314]

This is less "Akira: How To Animate Light" and more "Akira: Light Animated." Great video as always, just not the most fitting title.

[@mariaah3073]

But the relation between video and title is correct, it's an answer to "how to animate light": with meaning, symbolism and attention to detail, using it as a narrative tool. It is a "how to" video - not as in a tutorial, but focusing on theoretical analysis.

[@defvii]

The use of light in your name is the best use of computer aided light in animation I've ever seen. Its simultaneously hyper realistic and truly awesome and subtly striking when needed. Its the complete opposite of akira: its overly natural and realistic to the point where it becomes striking yet again.

[@HunterRodrigez]

80s Anime films had some amazing light effects... just look at Neo Tokyo... the film not the city...

[@DJGhostingFish]

I love Neo Tokyo, especially "The Runnung Man" with all of the neon on dark goodness. Fun fact for all of you at home, ""Construction Cancellation Order" in Neo Tokyo was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo himself, which I find is pretty awesome. I've always been fascinated with the harsh neon lighting effect that was used in traditional animation. I forgot what the method was called, but it was basically light being introduced into the camera directly, rather than painted on. The earliest that I have ever seen this personally used was in "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro" (1979), though only very briefly. I feel like I have seen it used in earlier pieces, but I can't recall at this time. By the time the 80's came around, the method was pretty commonplace.

[@HunterRodrigez]

DJGhostingFish oh yes just the reflections in running man makes it worth watching

[@Crowborn]

DJGhostingFish That's amazing. I hate modern anime because its so lazy when compared to the old titles. Those were mindblowing.

[@HunterRodrigez]

Crowborn we still get some amazing looking anime nowadays, just look at stuff like studio ghibli, garden of words, Redline, studio trigger or 5 centimeters per second (or 5 wallpapers a second, as I like to call it) And the average anime from the 80s and 90s didn't exactly look amazing either, stuff like Akira and neo Tokyo where the exceptions, not the norm

[@JaiField]

Oh. My. Lord. ... @Nerdwriter1, this is a FANTASTIC critique of the manifestation of light within this "Akira" world of Neo Tokyo. I have been talking about the layers of animation cels, and the layers of meaning in Akira to anyone who will listen for years. I'm happy to know that someone as eloquent and educated as you chose to address it. Please... keep up this pursuit. Your insights are fantastic and much needed in this era of cultural miasma & muddling of message.

[@whitetuxmafiaandfilms5042]

I wish anime looked more like Akira then sword art online. Like specifically with the explosions

[@Jeercrul]

You have such an amazing way of putting feelings into words.

[@eladbari]

I've ALWAYS wondered how they drew that blurry underwater effect in old cartoons! Anyone knows?

[@BrothaJeff]

They used a rippled glass overtop of the drawings and moved it slowly each time they took a picture with the camera.

[@eladbari]

Jeffie Jeff's Art omg that is amazing, man! How do you know that? I wish there was a behind the scenes video of how they did all those sfx like that one ! It really looked like those scenes were below water. very convincing effect.

[@BrothaJeff]

eladbari I am an animator. I studied about it in school and I thought all the special effects were so cool. Maybe there are some behind the scenes on youtube somewhere. This is what disney did back in the day.

[@eladbari]

Jeffie Jeff's Art thats awesome. i didnt find any BTS footage of special effects. only the normal handmade animation. Closest thing i found was a BTS of HBO title intro. very fascinating. they show 1 sfx of how they animated some sparks and some lights. but its not what i was looking for... very cool they taught you also about classic animation..and not 3d straight away. do you work in this industry now?

[@kenseigerj2659]

Jeffie Jeff's Art if it's not to much to ask, how did they do the lens flare effect in old anime/cartoons? Those effects weren't used in Akira, but I've seen them used in a lot of retro anime that doesn't look like it was hand drawn, but instead composited in the shot.

[@valeniusthekat]

Akira is a true work of art and solidified me as an anime fan. Robotech was my first intro to anime, but Akira was it. Knowing that this was all hand done is just amazing

[@thecoolones666]

you could do so much about Cowboy Bebop. You could talk about the Newar or setting or the music involved in each scene or how the characters move fluently. Bottom line you should make an episode about Cowboy Bebop

[@shadowandroid45]

Amazing work here Nerdwriter, consider yourself having a new subscriber. I agree that the light could be considered a character in this film, and in fact IS a character in AKIRA. Usually a movie focuses on the main character, or at minimum a character of interest to propel the plot. In AKIRA though, the light is a main character, always highlighting and focusing on the scene and action the viewer is looking at, and at times has an overabundance of presence that screams "LOOK AT ME!" This is really clear in the Hallway scene, where Tetsuo kills the three men and the light from the scene, once vibrant and clear, has now become dark, with lots of greys and blues. Signifying his transition from a main character to the villain of the film. Id say more but its been so long since I analyzed this film I don't remember many other instances that make light a character.

[@tylerburton154]

Loved this! Surely some of your best work. Glad your channel is doing so well!

[@Tit0Matic]

The guy narrating the Donald duck sequence: that guys voice is how EVERYONE sounded in the 30s

[@Luboman411]

I never realized this, but the very first shot after the credits is of the word 春木屋, which is the name of the seedy basement bar. In Chinese it means "spring chalet" or "spring log cabin." (Don't know Japanese, but I figure 春木屋 means the same thing in that language.) Funny play on words, since this evokes a clean and rural idyll, which is the complete opposite of everything that happens in this movie. Though with "spring," 春, it could also be some clever foreshadowing since you do mention that the huge white light at the end of the movie creates a "fresh rebirth" for a city bathed in the baleful influence of neon light.

[@gc3k]

"[Name]屋" is common nomenclature for a Japanese store or establishment, I guess it's like saying "Haruki's Place."

[@Luboman411]

Maybe the director did that on purpose--he chose a proper name like "Haruki" with Chinese characters that had spring and a peaceful rural idyll in mind (because 木屋 means "log cabin" or "chalet" in Chinese). Very smart! It's these little details that separate the good movies from the great movies, IMHO.

[@brandongonzalez6277]

This was fucking phenomenal. Thank you. Akira is a treasure of mine - dating to my upbringing. This has brought new meaning to an old classic of mine. I appreciate this a whole lot and will soon again watch Akira to observe its ripe saturation of both meaning and light.

[@roodogkac]

nice perspective, i never even thought of the lights factor in the dozen times I've watched AKIRA. Will watch again in a new light, thanks Nerdwriter1.

[@FlamingGeekFrosty]

This is one of my all time favourite mangas and one of my all time favourite Anime films! Thanks for the great analysis!

[@arniemarnie]

You never cease to amaze me with your reviews. I've watched Akira like 20 times since I was 12 years old and I never payed that much attention to the meaning of light in the film. Thanks for sharing your insight and knowledge!

[@coffeeandpeach]

This. Was. So. Interessting. I LOVE THIS CHANNEL SO MUCH EVERY VIDEO MAKES ME GRAB MY CHIN AND MAKE ME GO "OH!! I SEE! WOAH THIS HAS ME THINKING 🤔 "

[@pirateKaiser]

Lu Kubin that's pretty much the idea of an essay

[@coffeeandpeach]

pirateKaiser doesn't keep others from making crappy ones

[@pirateKaiser]

Lu Kubin well if you're good at something, someone is bound to copy you... which is kind of a compliment I guess

[@darkilluminat3976]

Akira still remains in my mind as one of the greatest arts ive ever encountered the attention to detail is unreal

[@e30sdontrun86]

Fucking yes! I watched this on VHS when I was young.

[@X0verXDriveX]

I saw Akira about 22 years ago and I was about 10 years old and I thought it was so fucking amazing. I never really thought about again since then. Today, I saw your video and now I feel like watching it again. I like your videos because they focus on one thing and you describe this thing with so much dept and passion that it makes me want to watch Akira again. I just saw your Ren and Stimpy video and I feel like watching the first two seasons even if I never really cared about this show. I think that says a lot about the quality of your videos. Thanks for making them!

[@RicardoMango]

Cool Theory. Makes a lot of sense. I'ts fun how the Manga have a different conclusion [SPOILER] - something like a reborn of a Japanese Nationalism Anarchist. And when i read the Manga. The movie lost completely the sense (and because the movie had just 1/4 of the history... in manga have the REAL AKIRA is a character) - and you Nerdwriter raised the meaning of the Movie for me, even after read the Manga. Now i see how both pieces are differents. (Sorry about my bad English, i'm from Brazil :) )

[@SkylerB]

much like sound effect editing, it goes un noticed often but thats what makes it good, it syncs up so well with our brains. great perspective on the light!

[@Emmanuevans]

I just wanted to write that I love your videos and the work you put into them, you're one of my favourite content creators and I'm always showing people your videos based on their own interests, because you cover so many different areas of art. Thanks for what you do, and good luck with everything.

[@VancePetrol]

Akira was also the first anime to take place mostly at night and they had to come up with over 300 different colours in order to make it feel distinct from the daytime, rather than just simply painting the sky black, iirc. Akira was a groundbreaking animated feature in more ways than one, but the lighting was definitely a big aspect of that.

[@nachitokpnoadventure]

I'm glad you made a video on this. My name is Akira. It is interesting that there are many Chinese letters that read Akira, and many of them are related to light and sun, meaning something is to be revealed, or uncovered under the light, like the character Akira in the film.

[@TheTokyoAmducias]

So... how do you animate light?

[@Coeurlarme]

Like you animate anything else.

[@TheTokyoAmducias]

Brilliant.

[@RedZeshinX]

How do you animate light? Here's how: with a keen eye for atmosphere, storytelling, and a deep cinematic sense of philosophical dualism! :P Oh wait, you mean what specific techniques are used in Akira to animate the light? Beats me. Since 20th century anime used photographic techniques, they probably layered cels with faded paints framed over empty spaces backlit by projectors, and then took a picture to the film negatives. That's my guess. Somebody needs to go interview the remaining talent from the previous generation to preserve their techniques, it's patrimony for future generations of artists!

[@alliesfrench]

Gave me chills at the end, sir. You're a master. This is one of my top ten favorite films, and you analyzed it here so beautifully over a concept I had never truly considered.

[@Lamoraa69]

@Nerdwriter Been away from your videos for some time. For a time I was watching them every week on release. The essays that you make, like the ones where you analyze contemporary and past movies, music, series. And ones that handles "begriffsgeschichte"/History of ideas and learning/conceptual history I really enjoy. Partially due to my own past studies but also due to the difference that it offers when compared to other what other makers offer. Love your uploads, I give people tips about the channel when I have the chance. Keep it up, let's keep on grow wiser together.

[@ok-tchau]

I'm a simple man. I see Akira, I click "like".

[@tutex119]

Akira animation its just too perfect i love it all the animes should be animated like that or at least like evangelion

[@Chandasouk]

I need to watch Akira again. I was way too young when I first saw it.

[@SrgtBarney]

I love old animation lighting. Something about it really feels like it's evoking a "feeling" that I can't quite express. I think the title was a little misleading for it did not show "how" to animate light but more so how Akira evoked its significance and beauty or just expressing your appreciation for it.

[@RyanBarrett80]

I don't usually like vids like this but this was seriously beautiful to watch and listen to and gave me a more profound appreciation for one of my all time favorite movies.

[@intereality]

You've done Ghost in the Shell. You've done Akira. You've recommended Cowboy Bebop. Any chance of an FLCL episode? Or better yet, a Lupin III episode?

[@DixyRae]

intereality Lupin would be difficult because where do you even begin with so many different iterations over decades. A Humble Professor on youtube had a good (long) analysis of Castle of Cagliostro. Worth checking out just for the breakdown of the car chase.

[@davidb5205]

Shameless plug for my favorite channel: 'KaptainKristian' has a great FLCL video.

[@intereality]

David Boucard Thanks for the recommendation, that was fantastic. Always happy to find more channels focused on intelligent discussion. He's even got links to Super Bunny Hop and Every Frame a Painting. Guess I know what I'm doing with my afternoon.

[@davidb5205]

intereality He's by far the best video essay creator IMHO. His production quality and his exploration of the creative process is a cut above the rest.

[@AlexanderMWood]

Philip K Dick wrote Bladerunner (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Androids_Dream_of_Electric_Sheep%3F). It wasn't William Gibson.

[@CouchCit]

Excellent video. You're right, the lighting is integral to the story. I saw Akira for the first time when I was a pre-teen and I remember the lighting captivating me before I even knew how to explain or quantify it.

[@dQnielK]

If you haven't, I would suggest researching the techniques they used in Secret Of NIMH, which came out 6 years before Akira. I'd be interested if Otomo used any of the experimental stuff Bluth pioneered.

[@Momoka7]

Akira was back then when it came out, 1988(and 1990 when i saw it, came out when the Snes came too ^^) a masterwork ... and it still is today. You showcased very good, one of the many reasons as to WHY it is that masterwork. Nicely done.

[@donbasuradenuevo]

Title is somewhat misleading. I was hoping to see the technical side on how light was placed in the animation (equipment, techniques, material used to actually create light or its illusion), and not so much the artistic side. More like, "AKIRA: How to use lighting in animation".

[@RokieTheJawa]

You're right. I was waiting to see how Otohmo animated light, but it just talks about he made light another important element, which is right, but according to the title doesn't explain it.

[@story-mode]

Akira was the first anime I ever saw, that I realized was an animation from another country (I did see DBZ before, but just took it for a cartoon) I was 9 years old. That was 23 years ago. Thank you public library for letting me rent a rated R VHS tape. Back then things were more laid back "Oh its just a cartoon". haha.

[@manypseudonyms]

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I need to understand HOW this amazing light was created, not why! I understand why! There are no technical specifics anywhere and this is a very misleading title for people who are heavily medicated due to wisdom teeth removal, and have been marveling at cel-animated light their entire lives. LIES!!!!

[@Henbot]

Jees, this just made almost cry because it made me remember how freaking awesome AKIRA was.

[@TeKaMOTO]

"Katsuhirou Ouotoumouo"

[@rickandrygel913]

You make it sound like light is the plot of the movie, thumbs up!

[@munki9820]

that's how you know light is a powerful motif in the film, when it envelopes the narrative. i guess you could also call that theme.

[@davidhaggerty9850]

Very informative. I was expecting a tutorial about animation of light done in the style of Akira, but this was quite interesting. Big ups for the shoutout to Crunchyroll.

[@ricopena2053]

Excellent video! It totally articulates one of the many reasons why this is my favorite movie and manga.

[@dustingriffith7399]

When I first saw AKIRA (1988) on Blu-ray since November 2009, I was amazed with the film's animated cells, the lights, the shadows and the special effects that really came to a point that after its successful hit in Japan, it was Hollywood that found its influence from Japan after going through many ideas from the Walt Disney Studios. Or what am I saying, Japan's animation industry has gotten better than the Disney's Animation Studios.

[@13Psycho13]

Very interesting look on Akira, nice of you to cover it. Only point of complaint would be that you're not actually explaining how to animate light (the animation processes and such to bring about light), but rather explain what light in Akira means and how it uses it.

[@inkthered]

“Akira” literally means light or brightness, so this is an interesting analysis

[@johnprudent3216]

Great analysis of light animation by one of anime's greatest films. And I've seen Bebop. One of my all time favorites, both the series and film.

[@lukeism2]

How did they make the light?. Shining lightbulbs behind the frames?

[@lincolnmcmeen3100]

I still don't understand how they animated light lol

[@lukeism2]

Lincoln Cartoons yeah I didn't really learn much apart from this guys analysis of the use of lighting in relation to the story. I want to genuinely know how they did it.

[@leblanc8014]

Luke Petersen By drawing it, it looks like. He said in the video something about " when you have to draw the same light over 20 times you begin to master it" something like that. So like they animate the rest of the movie, probably the same.

[@lukeism2]

Gabby LeBlanc but it's actual bright light. It's not paint. They do 24 frames a second true but I want to know what light source they used and how they got the colourful lighting

[@Mudux]

it's all paint, what's not to understand?

[@pageperpage]

Aside from the light element, Akira's soundtrack is badass and really really good

[@b00jen81]

WOW, what a fantastic analysis! Just brilliant. Akira is one of my all time favorite films. I've long been in love with the look of the film, and of course the music, as well as the whole cyberpunk genre. But one of the things thats always impressed me is how every frame, every moment of the movie is infused with a sense of inherent gravitas and impending doom. Your exploration of the use of light helps us to see one of the devices used to accomplish that. Thank you for bringing a whole new level of appreciation to this masterpiece.

[@DarthBiomech]

To be objective, ALL anime of 80s and 90s have that "neon-like light source" effect. That's just the technique they used at the time, scratching paint to the the surface of the transparent film and placing a lamp (maybe even neon lamp, yeah) underneath it, I believe.

[@filmosophy101]

Can't believe I haven't watched this film after hearing about it so many times, must not waste any more time...

[@DoogleLawless]

Beautiful as usual. You make me want to watch all the best films again.

[@DeathMonkeySoup]

Do. Cowboy. Bebop.

[@PedroNogueiranunes]

DeathMonkeySoup PLEASE

[@Whosaskin]

YEEEESSSS.....

[@tmcnairbledsoe]

Man... You're videos are super interesting to watch. Very good work. A lot of these things are new insights to chew on.

[@SinisterSkyline]

Have you seen an anime called "Akagi"? It's abour mahjong. It's so mesmerizing and I don't even know why. If by any chance, you've seen it, do you know what the hell is going on with it?

[@soridosuneku]

The synopsis on myanimelist sounds intriguing :O

[@SinisterSkyline]

***** The first 15 episodes, man... I could just watch them on a loop. Very interesting philosophy in the ideas of it. The last 10 eps are dilute the overall quality of it, tho.

[@soridosuneku]

SinisterSkyline Glad you told me this. I've wasted time on a few anime before at a point. But hey, 15 episodes is still a pretty decent length! I'll give it a look-see

[@SinisterSkyline]

***** The last 10 eps are good, but, they're all one match, so it can get tiring. Like a Dragon Ball Z fight that lasts 10 eps, just a bit much, nevermind the action being epic.

[@SinisterSkyline]

***** I prefer 'Akagi' to 'Kaiji', personally. And, I didn't understand much of mahjong first time I watched 'Akagi', I was still hypnotized by it. There's simply something done really well in that show and I can't put my finger on what it is... Plus, I reckon the philosophy Akagi's character preaches is the real focal point.

[@derekmatzek9551]

I gotta say I was a little worried about this video when it seemed like he was only going to talk about light sand how to animate it, if u know me I LOOOOOOOVE Akira with a mighty passion and was concerned that he wouldn't go into deeper themes of the movie, like how it is a cautionary tale of science going too far beyond what humans were meant to handle. Nonetheless after watching this video I was very impressed with how he took a simple concept of the film and showed its importance in a way that ever I had not seem before! Thank You Nerdwriter1 you made one of my favorite movies even better

[@carlerman99]

How on earth are people disliking this?

[@DKPaladinX]

People without taste. They DO exist :D

[@gc3k]

He didn't really explain anything that wasn't already discussed since 1988

[@Watch-0w1]

RockPapersBeer I know what u mean. anime it not the same

[@antiantiderivative]

Well not everyone knew about this before or was alive in 1988

[@gc3k]

They didn't discuss this in 1988 and just stop, it's been an ongoing discussion from then till now