Hidden Meaning in Akira - Earthling Cinema

Join Wisecrack! Subscribe! ►► bit.ly/1y8Veir
Watch 107 Akira Facts YOU Should Know ►► bit.ly/1JrFjTT
Support Wisecrack on Patreon! ►► wscrk.com/Patre...
What if an alien in the future stumbled upon Akira? Welcome to Earthling Cinema, where we examine the last remaining artifacts of a once-proud culture and try to understand what human lives were like before their planet was destroyed. I'm your host, Garyx Wormuloid.
This week's film:
Akira (1988)
Directors: Katsuhiro Otomo
Stars: Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Mitsuo Iwata
Production Co: TMS Entertainment, Akira Committee Company Ltd., Bandai
=== Get the Movie! ===
Digital Download ► amzn.to/294WL6d
DVD/Blu-ray ► amzn.to/290YpTj
More Earthling Cinema:
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY ►► wscrk.com/2001S...
WATCHMEN ►► wscrk.com/WtchmnEC
SOUTH PARK ►► wscrk.com/SPrkEC
=== Connect with us on Social Media! ===
FACEBOOK ►► earthlingcinema
TWITTER ►► @EarthlingCinema
Get Email Alerts ►► eepurl.com/bcSRD9
Check out our Merch! ►► www.wisecrack.c...
Written by: Ben Steiner
Analysis & Directed by: Jared Bauer
Starring: Mark Schroeder ( / mark_schroeder )
Edited by: Ryan Hailey
Original Music by: David Krystal (www.davidkrysta...)
Opening Animation by: Danny Rapaport
Producer & Additional Artwork by: Jacob S. Salamon
© 2015 Wisecrack, Inc.

[@byWilfor]

before the film: WHAT??? after the film: WHAT??? after the review: WHAT???

[@TorqueTrackReviews60]

Wilfor83 ikr I don't get it at all

[@airafables]

NANI???

[@isaachorten10]

Lmao retweet

[@wongelfski4681]

Wilfor83 after this revelation

[@hubris_3920]

Read the manga apparently

[@craw_daddy97]

It’s crazy that they referenced the Japanese 2020 Olympics in an animated movie from 1988

[@megasocky]

It takes place in the 2019s too

[@trackmaniaIIDX]

@@megasocky no shit

[@filmlist1177]

They knew

[@supermanprime1281]

And we almost started a ww3

[@abishorynbassarov1274]

maybe the giant testicle will destroy the city, you never know what 2020 has for the surprise

[@Vienna3080]

I feel like Akira has a strong theme of anti authoritarianism where Imperial Japan could fit Tetsuo equally, growing in size destroying itself and everyone around it with the Nuclear blast being the reset of Japan

[@tiffanyharriman3202]

Same

[@judsongaiden9878]

Ironic that the Colonel is portrayed as the good guy.

[@equix9260]

Fr

[@rahulshah1408]

@@judsongaiden9878I think he partially represents restraint and selflessness.

[@judsongaiden9878]

@@rahulshah1408 He's the kind of guy who'd team up with Adrian Shephard during an interdimensional conflict.

[@petroleumjelly417]

“He and his pals go out for a harmless little joy ride” *smacks man in face with bar*

[@whollyhandgrenade13]

So that's what the fuck happened at the end of Akira.

[@novelkars835]

Basically: Akira awakens, and creates an absorption sphere to trap tetsuo, he then moves the whole sphere (including himself and mutated tetsuo) out of the universe and into a blank existence, where where tetsuo expands and becomes a new universe the shot of the ball receding quickly kinda makes me think like it was meant to depict a reverse big bang (the sudden change in size, in the case of the big bang, the universe went from very small to very big in a matter of plank units of time, while the opposite happened in the sphere implosion), after that the expansion re-bounds and goes on like a normal big bang :)

[@Cho0segoose]

so tetsou becomes god pretty much?

[@whollyhandgrenade13]

Cho0segoose That's what I'm gathering from this.

[@novelkars835]

Cho0segoose Yes

[@atrocious_pr0xy]

Tetsuo is the embodiment of the folly of man with the power of a god. either symbolically or literally, he was an infant in his developing form, because he was not enlightened. he was a lost soul who had no control over what he was doing. even without the powers, his life was self-destructive; self absorbed. Once unlocked, his powers, like most men, were used to consume all that was around him, including the ones he loved. he even called out for help within realizing what was happening, but it was too late. (this is directly tied into what we, as humans, are doing to our own world.) we all have Akira (God) inside of us because we were created in God's image... Akira, the enlightened, had harnessed this unlocked power for the sake of creation.... His methods are holy... this is evident in the fact that he did not destroy Tetsuo, but removed him and allowed creation to take place elsewhere... this movie is one of the most poetic things I have experienced... it's so basic, yet so absolute. We all have the power to either create or destroy... yet, there is also creation in destruction and destruction in creation... such is the balance of life.

[@TooTsaka]

Who DOESN'T want to become a giant testicle anyway? The greatest question in human history.

[@thickheart28]

I think that was part of the Grand Inquisitor.

[@ryodash]

+TooTsaka I already am one.

[@lucasurquiza554]

TooTsaka MEGA giant testicles, that’s who. Really it would be a pretty embarrassing downgrade for them.

[@omgshift111]

"Which American history books tell me weren't even that bad."

[@JAK3Y7]

Laurie it was bad but it’s sad they teach us that way

[@hatredrus8177]

Would you be so kind to remind us when the US government apologized to the Japanese people for the destruction of several hundred thousand civilians through atomic disintegration? I am sure that it is mentioned in every American history book.

[@zjschulling]

@@JAK3Y7 Dude what. Our schools do not brush over the bombings

[@issag5764]

yea our class just brushed that over

[@frederik_9748]

Tbh the bombings of Tokyo where much worse and lesser known

[@Reiko33]

I dare you to do Neon Genesis Evangelion. Good luck.

[@Cumbercuke]

+Reiko33 They made it up as they went along. There, analyzed.

[@thewayfarer8849]

+Logan Benton

[@keikurono192]

+Logan Benton I think they ment End of Evangelion which they did not make up as they went along.

[@brettm7162]

+Reiko33 what about Ergo Proxy

[@DarkAngelEU]

+Omer Khan It's still not that hard to get it, NGE is a dark parody on mecha anime so Shinji is a sort of ultimate authority on humanity as all protagonists in this genre seem to have "mankind's fate" in their hands at some point. Because he's been treated badly, and has another tantrum, he decides all of mankind should die. This initiates Third Impact, aka WWIII. However, in this same tantrum, he finally discovers the world isn't as confusing as he thought it was before, so he decides life might be not all that bad. Third Impact is aborted, he and Asuka are seemingly the first or only humans to return to earth. Shinji, having acquired a new set of testicles, still has a beef with Asuka and tries to kill her. When she shows him love, he stops this attempt. All well that ends well. Oh yes and almost ALL of the plot derives from what Japanese media, including Akira and Godzilla, were dealing with up until then. You could say that, very vaguely stated, it is about the Japanese youth - or Japanese society as a whole - being systematically forced to always act in the benefit of their nation (in the name of the FATHER) despite their own desires. Anno decided somewhere along NGE it was more important to talk about (his) life rather than follow this tradition, or what he would call, obsession with technology/death/rebirth/guilt/innocence in order to make something he felt would be more valuable and personal. It worked, ever since NGE anime has been very refreshing and talks about bigger (philosophical) questions which are narrated closer to the Japanese spirit. In an extent you could make a link to the Cold War, as the world back then was always fearing nuclear war which was considered mutual assured destruction. The new generation (of anime), Shinji's generation, is born in a world where Cold War is a memory, history, another tale. He and the other children are foils (ab)used by the people who aren't finished playing power games. This generation however, is the first one that actually cares more about minding their own business, exploring their minds rather than engaging power struggles. Of course this is complex, as portrayed in the anime but don't tell me today's society, with its social media that paradoxically drives people closer but also heightens the contrast on our individuality, is so much easier. This last paragraph might be a little far fetched but I came up with it while writing so I thought it might be worth sharing.

[@SonofTiamat]

Man, I thought I had this movie figured out, but it looks like I was way off. But movies this brilliant can always be interpreted a number of ways. I have new found respect for this movie now.

[@evildasha]

These are some good observations, but on one point, I don't think you went quite far enough. Tetsuo's transformation (and other similar transformations in Japanese films) is not just about technology ruining tradition, it's about a fear that too much reliance on technology might make us inhuman. It's surprisingly subtle in this movie, but in others, not so much. When Western filmmakers try to make movies with the same basic idea, it always seems to instead be that too much reliance on technology will literally destroy humans, as seen in the Terminator films, Wall-E, and of course that great classic of Earth cinema, Maximum Overdrive. Which, as we know, is not the way the destruction of humanity actually went down - I don't want to spoil the ending of humanity for anyone who didn't see it, but let's just say that the big hair fad of the 1980s came back in the most terrible way possible.

[@rick9687]

Lol his transformation was due to his body not being enough to withstand the power he had due to him being careless. His power was seeking another host. It has zero to due with any of that nonsense. Actually, you're right. Not only are we too reliant on technology, but we use and abuse it. Which is why it searched for a different host. The more carelessly Tetsuo used the power, the weaker he became. Interesting

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

This video should be required viewing for all Akira new-comers. The frenetic pacing of Akira makes it difficult to see all the subtle symbolism, leaving many people saying things like "the animation is amazing but the story sucks".

[@zerocoolkid9757]

thats because the animation is probably the best. The story seems more of an excuse and I am a big fan of akira.

[@aaronlandry3934]

Zero Cool Kid I’ll have to agree with you there. It’s story is ok, but nothing special. It’s animation is the star of the movie, though. Absolutely gorgeous!

[@kindoflame]

I know what you mean. When I watched Akira, my reaction was somewhere along the lines of, "I understand why this is so famous. It tackles deep and complex themes in an innovative way that is still unique today. I do not know what those themes actually are, but I know they are there."

[@adisor906]

Just watched the film for the first time and i'm 21 years old. I thing i've understood the subtleties of the film more than the actual fucking plot itself. Guess i need to read the manga :)

[@HiDefHDMusic]

Jesus I remember watching this like 8 years ago and I think I repressed the memories of all the old child people, I just remembered the teddy bear coming to life and the big anime fights.

[@Chris.Pontius]

Having not watched Akira yet, this was weird as fuck.

[@kakashi76767]

+Chris Pontius why did you watch this then you moron? ahahaahahhahaaaha

[@thewayfarer8849]

+AMV Top 50 What so you've watched every film featured on this series? Ahahahaha *you* moron :L

[@elili1990]

+Chris Pontius I'm with you on this one, all this time I thought Akira was about a guy and his motorcycle running around

[@---wq9xp]

it's worth watching, but its such a mind fuck I doubt it'll give you any sort of satisfaction after the first viewing

[@Chris.Pontius]

AMV Top 50 Because these videos can be pretty funny even when you haven't watched the movies yet. And if I like the video, I might consider watching the movie. Like I did after this video.

[@ahorrell]

Great to see them doing some more non-western movies. Japanese story telling in particular has such different conventions and tropes, its really interesting to compare to western storytelling

[@osurpless]

3:05 - "Which American history books tell me weren't even that bad." Amazing commentary!

[@Oglokoog]

Burst out laughing at "6-part mango" and it only got better from there.

[@Optamizm]

The funny thing about that Mango joke is that in Indonesia, they call Mangoes, Mangga...

[@stahppls2293]

a lot of southeast asian countries call mangoes mangga

[@feliciaf8]

lol that's true, i used to think that manga in term of mangga

[@VictorHugo-zj5zr]

portuguese and quite propably other similar languages have that as well, except that it is spelled manga either way

[@blukarlieyt1777]

Optamizm Philippines called them Mangga also,it came from i dont know spanish maybe

[@Stratmanable]

Hilarious.

[@cjcskittlez]

Tetsuoo!

[@politure]

Kaneda!

[@theuday99]

+Kwago Nite sasukeee

[@JuniorAngel8888]

ICHIGO KUROSAKI!

[@LastHCompany]

Luffy!

[@DillonHinx]

+CJ Skittlez KAGOME!!!

[@Vampir3xfr]

And what about tetsuo's girlfriend everyone forgot her ?

[@viva6235]

Cen prince de Lapin-tisserie Not me. -Spolier Alert- I was wondering where the fuck she went. Meanwhile everyone's kind of figuring out the meaning and theme of the movie. I'm guessing Kaori died in the explosion. Or she was crushed by Tetsuo (You kinda do see blood when it's happening). Which, I thought was fucking weird and stupid. Like what was the point of her even being there... We had no insight into her story. It was like she was just some meaningless casualty. No development. Wished they could've done more with her character. Guess that will leave a bitter taste forever. But that's just my opinion.

[@cryinginmyroom]

G lol yeah she died because -Testi- her boyfriend couldn’t control his body due to his powers I assume and crushed her. I watched the sub and he something like “she’s dying she’s dying” “I can hear her voice inside me” so it’s obvious she died or just went with him :)

[@mejestic124]

She a lot soul. Poor girl.

[@thrashedd]

I was rooting for Tetsuo's girlfriend to kind of manipulat Tetsuo into thinking what he's doing is bad. Like she's the one who will give enlightenment to Tetsuo.

[@chrisvangainz5175]

She got squanched

[@gewmmi]

really appreciated the summary of the parallels between Tetsuo and post-war Japan; I’ve seen the comparison made several times before but this was the first explanation that was simple enough for me to understand

[@Elegant_Sausage]

Please do No Country For Old Men

[@paytonwitthar1467]

Yeeees! I second that

[@kidburman]

Yes

[@dhruvchawla1996]

+ Payton Witthar Thirded

[@legamingguitarist3876]

Fourth'd.

[@simonlundquist1633]

+Heidi Lengas The floor is up for debate

[@kyubiultima5]

And now I finally understand this freaking movie. Thank you satire movie review channel

[@koyaaanisquatsi]

"he found the girl named Kay because of the same cloths and haircut" When he found her they didn't have the same cloths. They all (Ruo, Kay, Kaneda and two others) dressed up in the same uniform in order to get in the building where Tetsuo was held. P.S. whoever is watching Akira for the first time, do yourself a favor and watch it in original with english subs!

[@derBene]

In original with DUBS? Did you mean with Sub(titles)? :)

[@koyaaanisquatsi]

@@derBene left this comment 4 years ago lol, but yes, subs :) edited, thanks!

[@SSJSadAf]

Major difference in emotions and everything watching Sub

[@ZS05]

I just kept playing 3:23 over and over and over again. Wow.

[@Peusterokos1]

*thwack*

[@ZS05]

+Peusterokos1 ouchies!

[@xBASSxHEADxBMWx]

Man I'm I glad I saw this. I recently saw Akira a short while back after being aware of its hype for many years. Upon finishing the movie, I was left curious as to "what the hell did I just watch"? Thinking I had wasted my time on something that was just simply well-drawn. Now that I understand it's meaning, I take it in a better point of view.

[@jordanowen42]

This was the best Earthling Cinema yet! Would love to see Ghost in the Shell!

[@jordanowen42]

Agreed. Would be cool to see some live-action Japanese films as well, a'la Miike, Kurosawa (both), Shinji Tsukamoto, etc.

[@XZenon]

+jordanowen42 Did you just.. reply.. to yourself?

[@REXFORGT]

+FieryWingedAngel someone prolly deleted their comment

[@XZenon]

Possibly

[@jofac22]

"...which American history books weren't even that bad." OMG LOL MY FKIN BRAINS OUT

[@ToGetToTerrapin]

Garyx what's space cocaine like? And don't say "it's out of this world" please...

[@GamingPenis]

lol

[@EpicFishStudio]

My old friend Jungi was caught of having some. He described it as "passport to next level of existence", and the smell close to like Brittish boiled eggs. (he is stuck in age to compare things to earthling nutrients dunno.) Tough being illegal only in jupiter, he had many enemies in many places. He is currently is Jupiter's criminal cryostasis n.11. Poor Jungi.

[@GamingPenis]

Dat Epic Fish nice creativity you got there

[@milascave2]

The fad for space cocaine ended quickly. It seems that it washard to sniff rail in a zero gravity environment. Oh sure, for a while it was fun to chase the little coke balls around the space pods, but the fun ended when it entered to machinery. Due to the cybernetic neuro-cell implants in the space pods, the ships started moving at high speds, but erratically, unable to decide on a as specific goal and stick to it. At the same time, they started spewing volumes of useless information. At this point, the intergalactic federation stepped in and made it illegal. But there was hardly a need. Space crack, which can be consumed much more easily in a zero gravity environment by smoking it in special pipes, had replaced space coke as the next big thing.

[@ToGetToTerrapin]

Ethan Davidson but what if you own a 'space bullet'? Surely they sell space bullets for your space cocaine...

[@kippiekorner9545]

Wow, this is an EXCELLENT analysis of Akira! This is probably one of my favorite episodes, the jokes were on point here too.

[@Ryan-lx8gi]

The US history books joke absolutely made this the best earthling cinema I've seen thus far! Love the show, keep up the great work!

[@siunegu]

"So he decided to become a giant testicle instead..." Lmao I died

[@Ascalafo]

ghost in the shell!

[@ygrymyr2334]

+david cortes Yes please!

[@JuniorAngel8888]

+david cortes Oh man yes! At least the first movie.

[@anbfm129]

my god, PLEASE

[@Marcara081]

+david cortes There are like, what? 100 different themes and meanings to choose from? Unless you just mean the first film. I suppose that could be covered in, I dunno, 2 hours or so? ;D

[@芸術-i2z]

+david cortes my god yes

[@johannF09]

That was actually a really accurate synopsis even though it was supposed be merely funny. Great episode.

[@AceBadguy]

This episode made way more sense than actually watching the film. Thanks guys!

[@JesterSqueak]

Would you guys consider doing a TV show? A little Breaking Bad?

[@WisecrackEDU]

Consider it...considered. Something special awaits.

[@Mordred86]

+Wisecrack Do LOST, seriously what else would you do

[@harryjamesmiller]

+Gonçalo Gonçalves i think they would want to do a TV show that had an ending. it's supposed to be a show about aliens analyzing the culture of Earth after its destruction, and seeing as dr. who currently has no end, it'd be a little difficult to do.

[@nikolasbryant4235]

+Gonçalo Gonçalves It's unoriginal because, to be all like TV Tropes, Seinfeld is Unfunny. It seems unoriginal because it created a lot of those things, so that when other shows did it, it makes Doctor Who seem uninspired.

[@Snakebite105]

+JesterSqueak It can't always be good things like Akira and Breaking Bad. Their best video in my opinion was the mean girls review.

[@Bmanritchie]

It never ceases to amaze me how Earthling Cinema can turn my indifferent position on the movies being reviewed into being intrigued. So much so that I'm willing to re-watch some of the movies featured. Coming back for you first, *Old Boy*!

[@jameswilliam2003]

The animation was undeniably groundbreaking but the story is much better told and give more justice if they put this into series.

[@frankjaeger2565]

It seems like studio Sunrise is going to produce an Akira series, we just have to wait for new announcements about it

[@rick9687]

Simply put you gotta read the manga to truly understand the movie. I think this movie was iconic by not only being a great anime movie. But by encouraging viewers to read Manga

[@bobr2837]

is there only one book or there’s multiple? I wanna get it but idk if my wallet will allow it 😭

[@kerokerobonita]

this is uncanny, I just watched akira a couple days ago

[@MatiasAlric]

+Samdara L me too, last week, actually. I couldn't believe it when I saw they uploaded this.

[@CocoNichole]

You guys should do spirited away

[@neosashi]

+Coco Nichole yes

[@kidburman]

Please, Do an Earthling Cinema on No Country For Old Men.

[@whitetuxmafiaandfilms5042]

So glad you chose this movie

[@Duke_Togo_G13]

Dude.. Read the Manga.. This only covered one half of the Manga.

[@MyScorpion42]

That's Sparky Sweets, Phd's job :)

[@KingDaveth]

Earthling *Cinema*

[@TheCow-j1l]

I think the mangas didn't survive the earth destruction... only the movie copies...

[@raizumichin]

Shut uuuuup.

[@WhoMightThis1Be]

The Movie barely covered 10% of the actual events in the Manga since the plot is so different. I personally think that Akira is one of the cases where the Anime is better then the Manga, most of the stuff that got cut out was pretty boring. The movie did a great job using the Mangas elements to create something more compact and interesting that fits into movie format. I mean, the Great Tokyo Empire is probably the biggets part that got cut out and every character there was almost as boring as the military subplot, this manager guy didn't even have a name and akira did absolutely nothing after fucking up the city 3 seconds after beign introduced.

[@Licherous]

Really brought up stuff about Akira I had never considered before.

[@Brunoxid0]

This one was a particularly good one. They're always great but this one... Bravo.

[@kalylbmmi]

I miss this series so much

[@soldatheero]

this analysis let me down. it doesn't pick up on the spiritual concepts In Akira.. higher levels of consciousness, psychic powers, tapping into infinite energy of we are made, becoming one with reality, etc. at the end Akira saves Tetsuo and brings him to his level of consciousness.

[@worufualisu5706]

thats more the manga. the movie barely scratches depth of six volumes of akira.

[@soldatheero]

Jeff Adrian Coquilla That is likely true, however the movie must do a decent job of getting into these themes as I have never read the manga and I picked up on all of that.

[@onpoint4gamers]

I loved Akira, but by the second half I was very lost story wise. This video TOTALLY helped me out in understanding the movie!!!

[@witchplease9695]

Please do a ghibli movie next, like Howl's Moving Castle or Spirited Away!

[@acatnamedeleven]

"The Precog Babies Decide To Stop Lollygagging Around And Wake Up Akira, Who Isn't Dead After All, He Just Became Too Cool For A Body"

[@willferrous8677]

He pronounces Japanese names more accurately than English ones, fucking hilarious.

[@viktorvlasov483]

Will Ferrous it's reasonable, as fast as you learn it it's easier to read from the text what it sounds like.

[@torut65]

Halfway through I’m like “are his eyebrows getting bigger?” Only to realize they’d been that way the whole video my brain just blocked it out. 😂

[@thomas1910]

Stalker, Amadeus, or Dr. Strangelove. I love your videos! Keep up alein cinema it's perfect!

[@RiderKick774]

Since you're on anime, how about Madoka Magica?

[@ygrymyr2334]

+RiderKick774 Too dark for an alien to analyse. . .

[@Oveja_TV]

+RiderKick774 that's not a movie

[@InquisitorThomas]

+La Oveja actually it has three, the first two are basically just the original series and the third is rebellion

[@Mrmightyturtle]

I mean, it kinda speaks for itself.

[@arcanethink]

The series has been recapped in 2 movies.

[@yuu-kun3461]

What about Ghost in the Shell now? Or Princess Mononoke, or Perfect Blue...

[@RJ_Ehlert]

Holy crap, I never thought of the movie in any of those deep ways. Well done!

[@lordjubei9829]

“The elderly man boy, and his elderly friend children “ 😂😂

[@abababaTV]

Akira is a metaphor for questions about the re-militarization and peace constitution of Japan, a war criminal state.

[@asclepia088]

Yes what is the hidden meaning behind me? Akira is my name, Duhn duhn DUHNNN.

[@sampheonix]

Hey Akira Wanna hang out ?

[@asclepia088]

No

[@sampheonix]

@@asclepia088 your loss

[@brEZ527]

This movie has so much symbolism and hidden meanings it’s overwhelming. I kinda wish that they were a little more clear

[@chippchipp1]

Next, you must tackle Synechdoche, New York

[@findingliospugolini8979]

I'm fuming over how concisely this video explains a movie I've seen a wile ago but was still trying to understand for years.

[@SGman3000]

Could you please do Requiem for a Dream? It's one of my favorite films

[@ryderfisk3450]

Dude....never stop doing these

[@thewayfarer8849]

In Bruges?

[@HeritageDrPepper]

The irony of asking for a subscribe after saying "goodbye forever, we will never meet again" (sayonara). Though it's been eight years I'm sure most people know that by now xD

[@whitetuxmafiaandfilms5042]

Seven Samurai, I just thought about that and I ran to my computer just to say it

[@Edges]

+WhiteTuxMafiaAndFilms Pretty much most of Kurosawa's jidaigeki films.

[@dabrams13]

i wanna see them try Ozu

[@ryanchase9746]

I love your sense of humor, Bro

[@adrian.c6460]

holy shit I saw my comment in there I'm so happy

[@kummer45]

Be careful resuming this, Wisecrack. The Graphic novel is the true story of this. The movie is a synopsis that skips lots of important stuff. A true recreation of Akira would take a gigantic budget for the full realization. I would love to see it happen with the current technology. Now it is possible.

[@ahorrell]

+Wisecrack You guys are doing a great job on Books and Movies. Have you thought about doing the other two mass culture industries? ie TV shows and music? TV shows in particular would let you do multiple episodes on a single topic, so you wouldn't run the risk of exhausting all the most popular content.... like what is kinda happening with Thug Notes

[@WisecrackEDU]

Yeah, both TV and music are on the horizon. Sounds like you totally "get" what we're trying to do. Thanks for the support, Aaron.

[@ahorrell]

Hey, thanks to you guys. You're my favourite channel on youtube. Glad to hear that music and TV are on the horizon. Let me then be first of thousands to say THE WIRE hahaha

[@campepsi1731]

If you dont dislike the anime genre, you should do Spirited away. Another famous Anime movie. Its marked me the first time and still to this day I have an undescribable feeling when I watch it. I feel good, but nostalgic as if I know there is a meaning, but I dont understand it yet.

[@warrenbradford2597]

Anime (or Japanese Animation) is not a genre, it is an artistic medium.

[@SuperARCANGEL0]

Thank you so much wisecrack!! I love this channel

[@soldatheero]

Tetsuo is not "transported" to another dimension by Akira. Akira is a story that is very near and dear to my heart and I feel your analysis just doesn't do it the justice it deserves. I feel this review reflects a very superficial way of perceiving or understanding Akira or at least it is very different from how I interpret the film. You take the parallel with ww2 and Japans sort of collective consciousness thing to far, I would agree that some of those themes are there but at what at the core Akira is really about. Akira is set in a post apocalyptic world that was destroyed not by technology but by a psychic being gaining too much power and not being able to control that power, I think the story is that he accidently triggered a nuclear war. The whole story is about Tetsuo becoming more and more powerful and not being able to control his power because of his ego, to say tetsuo just represents Japans post war struggles is kind of arbitrary. His mutations are because he cannot control is psychic abilities or mind and he loses control of his body, it has nothing to do with cultural identity of Japan. Akira is about a deeper view of reality not just mundane things like human history and sociology and politics, instead it reflects Eastern spiritual views from Buddhism and Hinduism. Akira does not transport Tetsuo into a new universe so Japan can have a new future. Tetsuo was destroying not just the world but the entire universe this is because Tetsuo was merging or becoming one with the universe and if he could not control his power he would destroy it . Before this happens Akira brings Tetsuo to his level of consciousness and this is denoted by Tetsuo when he says "I AM TETSUO" suggesting he has attained a new state of self-identity. This fits well with Vedanta philosophy which says that we are all one soul and the highest self is God the one reality. Also Tetsuo's self-formed arm out of metal materials doesn't symbolize technology taking control, that is very cliché. Remember Akira is not Cliché. The arm is is about the lack of distinction between Tetsuo's personal body and that of the universe and the fact that he could manipulate matter with his will power. It is not about technology, it is about the latent power of the human mind or soul. There are many good scenes in the film which support this way of perceiving the film, though none are mentioned in your "hidden meaning" and they are crucial to the story. "... I asked Rio one time, he told me that Akira is ultimate energy".

[@archivehans]

+soldatheero s many words SO MANY WORDS

[@om3g4z3r0]

forgive the man he is not a human.

[@sjbrooksy45]

you're just starting why things are happening in the story, not why the writer has them happen in such a way. With any work of art there can be multiple layers of interpretation, so the spiritual themes can blend with other themes. Akira, like most good sci-fi, uses a future setting to examine the world and society the author lives in.

[@sazasa100]

Couldn't agree more!! Tying everything to politics to make it sounds deep is something I don't really like about American interpretation of movies and arts.

[@abdulgalad2844]

soldatheero they are totally correct in their analysation of Akira with regards to japan, the author himself said so in a documentary

[@vangoghsear8657]

This is the kind of humour you never see on YT anymore.

[@Psycoticsheriff]

You should examine the movie Drive!

[@peteman70]

This series should be mandatory viewing for all high schools.

[@joaosturza]

my coment appears there xD! im so happy for some rason!!!!!!

[@Vasileski88]

That analysis was awesome!

[@PennyOMG]

Please do Leon The Professional.

[@PennyOMG]

The Fifth Element would also be fun to see.

[@mfcyeahyouknowme]

Both please!! lol

[@AuDHDQ]

This is the best analysis of Akira I have ever seen.

[@HeruruMeruru]

Do Princess Mononoke next?

[@blackmagicwoman1493]

I know this movie is always given credit for The Matrix, but what about Stranger Things? I feel like Stranger Things also pays homage to this movie, as well as Firestarter and others.

[@sc18594]

Full Metal jacket please.

[@deformemvita]

You have earned yourself a subscriber.

[@enemybird]

eraserhead

[@Astronopolis]

That would be like a half hour long

[@darneillburgess3452]

*My hero academia*

[@leoarmstrong3650]

I just found this guy on a magazine!! thanks

[@nono9543]

Please do No Country For Old Men.

[@theenigmaencoder92]

These never fail to make me smile, thank you.

[@MarcAlcatraz]

lololol "6 part mango"

[@valcliffb8558]

'Kaneda follows Tetsuo to the Olympic stadium and vows to give him the world's biggest noogie.' That earned a subscribe, ya Alien weirdo. I dig the eyebrows, too.

[@k.b.9270]

Is it sacrilegious to say that I never liked Akira? I appreciated the awesome artstyle and animation, but good god this story is filled with so many douchebags I wanna punch in the face. I didn't know for who or what to root for. It has a message and all, but I never enjoyed the story.

[@dancekinghoseok4608]

horrible dog taste u got

[@k.b.9270]

then I really shouldnt tell you my opinion of 2001: A space odyssey

[@dancekinghoseok4608]

Thorsten Benecke i've never watched it so it woudnt hurt me

[@darkrequiem9133]

"Kaneda follws Tetsuo, vowing to give him the world's biggest noogie." This was the part where I lost it. XD

[@DamianReloaded]

Great episode. Please do *Ninja Scroll*.

[@HyddenMith]

At LEAST 5 years after watching it, I finally get it. Akira was a mind fuck... granted, maybe I just wasn't old enough to truly appreciate it at the time.

[@omega5040]

I want to go to Earth-con

[@williehaller5840]

omega5040 We already have the outfits for it

[@Hollyberrystreats]

Akira...definitely on the list of classics that I really should have seen by now...

[@po1s0ned]

Eraserhead or Mulholland Drive!

[@ravissary79]

Wow, usually these things are half thoughtful and mostly tongue in cheek, but this was actually REALLY thoughtful! I feel like I actually learned something!

[@way2tehdawn]

:O So in the Earthling Cinema universe World War 3 happened and was the last global conflict. I wonder if that's what wiped us out.

[@noahhounshel104]

+way2tehdawn the last global conflict. But there are still interplanetary conflicts, interstellar conflicts etc.

[@nikolasbryant4235]

+Noah Hounshel Yeah, that's a good point. You got to remember the entire planet was annihilated. That's probably going to need an extra-planetary device.

[@noahhounshel104]

Or a Ragnarok

[@Cheetowitcheese]

Just finished this movie for the first time.