The Strange Origin Story Behind This Iconic Megacity

[@DamiLeeArch]

Go watch Akira if you haven't! It is a timeless masterpiece that you should not miss!

[@Izzyoutcast.]

So true. In my top 5 anime movies of all time.

[@StephanRogers-y7t]

I'd also recommend reading the graphic novels. They explain that movie a little better.

[@bookofthedamned]

Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Spirited Away and Ponyo. What more would you need?

[@wespaisley257]

Ghost in the shell

[@wespaisley257]

Heavy Metal

[@AndyWarpol]

Also one thing that is never shown in Tokyo is how quiet it is. People aim to shoot the hustle and bustle of Shibuya and Shinjuku, but if you walk maybe 100 meters out of each hub, it’s extremely quiet and decentralised. You can walk down countless streets without bumping into a car or a person. It’s part of the soul of Tokyo that is hard to show on camera and can only be experienced by people who come here.

[@Josh_Quillan]

To be fair that's not exclusive to Tokyo, every Japanese city is that way.

[@infanterambles]

I think "Perfect Day" by Wim Wenders did a great job at showing that side of things. I found it to be much much closer to my experience of Tokyo than most other depictions I have seen.

[@JohnVKaravitis]

THIS.

[@LucJenson]

I think a lot of people have the same idea of most "big business hub/club" districts. Here in Korea, you can be in the thick of it in Itaewon, Hongdae, Apgujeong, or Gangnam, but each of those hubs is like a single road. Literally, Gangnam's busiest little area is one long road. You go one road further away from the main strip and it's silent. Purely residential from there and onwards.

[@ELFanatic]

shinjuku is still insanely silent.

[@MrAllzebest]

Dami Lee's videos are flawless. Excellent from the beginning to the end.

[@imranhusain6087]

Wow, this is one of the best-produced videos I've come across on KZbin! Also super interesting and informative. Thank you!

[@steve.mcbride]

WOW! One of my favorite videos of yours so far. Watched Akira as an 80s/90s kid (probably much younger than I should have). Love your observations and lesson here.

[@grumblekin]

I saw it in the 80s and never thought I'd one day live in the megacity forever. And yet, here I am.

[@sandilemlambo5701]

This is legit one of your best videos, keep it up

[@mr.martex]

مواضيع التي تعرضيها وتتناوليها جدا ممتازة وذات قيمة عالية ...شكرا لكي ...متابعكي من العراق

[@Trojan1109]

The park reminds me of the underground shopping mall in Toronto.

[@JoseCorona-tx5sp]

I really like this channel. Thank u for putting videos up 🎉:)

[@Devibaba]

Awesome video. Thanks for sharing!!

[@redalchemy7322]

If you are looking into fictional architecture and backgrounds you might be interested in some of the unique structures in Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 9 There is even a book series that covers the intricate details of these fantasy worlds called Kusanagi that takes my breath away each time I see them FF8 in particular has some of the most interesting designs architecturally speaking, having a "Sofistifuture" aesthetic Including a cannon that fires people into outer space, floating mercenary gardens, and a lot of interesting train stations like the town of Timber

[@edwinbloemendaal1519]

I was so disappointed when the video ended! I could have watched another hour! I live in northern Midwest U.S. “Twin Cities”: Minneapolis & Saint Paul. We speak of their different “personalities”, probably related to “souls.” I saw Akira years ago and loved it. I’m writing a science-fiction novel and didn’t realize my city under a dome was influenced by Akira! I also love Ghost in the Shell stuff and Aeon Flux. I subscribed and will check out your references!

[@blar2112]

The next step of that would be something like the GLT or Blame! world tht extends indefinetly, consuming the entirety of the planet.

[@frankbarlow6487]

If any movie/manga ever NEEDED a remake Akira is it. I loved the anime, but was never satisfied with the way the it condensed so much of the manga. Do have to mention that the soundtrack is awesome?

[@blackguardunlimeted]

awesome as always !

[@rosietsureai6963]

So... Akira gets a lot of attention for a very good reason. But have you seen the original Moldiver? As a show it was middling at best, but the city its set in is kind of like the forerunner for solarpunk megacity.

[@Z3NBluster]

I Wonder what Dami thinks of Evangelion's Geofront...

[@nothingbutthisthatandtheother]

Ironically enough it's literally just looks like the actual Tokyo.

[@vmpgsc]

I drove 3 hours in the late 80s to see Akira in a theater. Just epic on so many levels.

[@SimplyNyanderart]

What!!! You were dedicated. I will watch it today.

[@shanesutton336]

I would kill to be able to see that in the theatres now!

[@noklarok]

@@shanesutton336 the 35 ml of AKira is the most beautiful pice of art I have ever seen

[@SirHeinzbond]

i have spent for the comics my whole pocket money for five years... no little sugars, nothing else...just plain the German translated comics from carlsen, which i still have and read once a year or so...

[@paulgavian90]

Round age of 8 I received AKIRA MOTORCYCLE. Now I regret losing it 😅

[@betterchapter]

Even 35 years later, this animation still holds up

[@mRahman92]

The don't wanna approve the budget for it.

[@Menaceblue3]

Akira Jin roh the wolf brigade My neighbor totoro Perfect blue Ghost in the shell Macross do you remember love *chef's kiss.jpg*

[@justinhowe3878]

I don't know that there were really advances in this kind of hand animation beyond this. This is pretty much the pinnacle of that particular art form. We have moved on to other techniques, but the genius of masterwork shines through regardless of age.

[@TEO.187]

High budget 2d animation is basically visually immortalized, the ways it's stylized means it will always look good as it's own thing

[@islembenzegouta]

"Akira" means "Bright, intelligent, clear" in Japanese. And that's what your content is, as always. This channel is Akira, DamiLee is Akira🧡

[@DamiLeeArch]

🥹

[@chris.48]

🤣🤣🤣nice one

[@SimplyNyanderart]

Now I got to watch it. I found it on KZbin.

[@thesnowbold1632]

True, I watched just to make sure it helps her metrics even when I’m too busy to give it the full attention it deserves.

[@cloudbusting_]

Dami Lee is also foiiiiiiine.

[@countryclub1113]

A few years ago I lived in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles in modern a high rise apartment on the top floor. Sometimes, when I would look out my window, a helicopter would be flying by, and I could see all of the lights of the city, Japanese neon signs, and cars and motorcycles driving down below. I remember one night I was watching Akira on blue-ray and while I was watching the opening scenes of Neo-Tokyo, I looked out my window again and realized I'M HERE! 😀

[@darkstarprojekt]

If you get the chance, go visit any of the big Asian cities. It's much bigger, with no centralization (well, very little).

[@countryclub1113]

@@darkstarprojekt Yeah, I did. I've been to Tokyo, Yokohama, and Hong Kong. I had a great time! 😃

[@RickyRicardo03]

Love Little Tokyo, The Far Bar has the best Old Fashion cocktail I’ve ever had.

[@sergpie]

There was also another anime, named “Metropolis”, released in 2001, and based upon not only the original silent film, but also upon Osamu Tezuka’s eponymous manga from 1949; the architecture there shows a megalomaniacal, ultra-dense, semi-brutalist art deco futurism. The application of western aesthetic and architectural language by the Japanese in their visual storytelling, has created, in my opinion, some of the most otherworldly and simultaneously familiar, and at times foreboding, built environments. One of my favorite examples of this, also, are the cities and environments in “Reign: The Conqueror” and “Aeon Flux”.

[@colossusofrhodes1282]

Doomed megalopolis was much much better bro

[@THICCTHICCTHICC]

Yeah the architecture is absolutely the highlight of that movie. The buildings are enormous on a scale I haven't really seen anywhere else

[@elinorwahl8619]

I've never watched the whole of Metropolis, but there's a terrific AMV of it set to Conjure One's 'Center of the Sun' that really highlights the visuals of the city in that film

[@firebat2120]

Ohh. Dang. That movie is so amazing. I want to rewatch it now.

[@mRahman92]

Holy shit, I saw that movie as a kid in the early 2000s on TV, with such a generic title like that, no wonder I couldn't find it!

[@Sadistichippo]

Truly one of the most influential series in my entire life. Akira shaped my entire career, it got me into motorcycles, letting me to eventually run my own motorcycle dealership

[@Vedexent_]

Communicating knowledge of architecture is education. Communicating *passion* for archtecture, is art. This channel is art.

[@DamiLeeArch]

🥹

[@CordeliaWagner1999]

Modern Architekturen is ugg lee, boring. Sterile and leads to Depression.

[@armana1404]

Raise your hand if you love Dami Lee’s voice and enunciation. Just so unique and compelling. Like Stan Lee with his distinctive voice.

[@StephenYuan]

She talks rather like someone who learned English a bit late, maybe age 8-12. Like she doesn't have an accent per se, but there's something a bit foreign about the way she forms certain sounds, which makes me think she learned another language first. It's certainly memorable and I've rather gotten to like it.

[@Stickybutton]

But it’s over enunciation that’s a double edged sword. I can only hear her for a bit and then the smart Alec stigma surfaces. Hearing her say those Japanese words make me cringe.

[@armana1404]

@@Stickybutton - Nah, I love it. It's a distinct style and personality trait.

[@FalconWindblader]

@@Stickybutton ANYONE who can articulate remotely scientific stuff eloquently & artfully will invariably sound like a smart alec in varying degrees. a completely down-to-earth blue-collar can never articulate anything like that after all.

[@AnonGoogleuser]

Unfortunately I find the over the top vocal frying annoying and it distracts from the otherwise great content.

[@MassiveJetGrind]

When I was in Osaka, under my hotel in the same building were a mall, arcade, and the train station! No city flows like Japan. Great video!

[@SimplyNyanderart]

I want to go to Japan, so bad.

[@dasturschloss8679]

Osaka really comes close to that. First time I was like: "Oh now I get it. I'm not supposed to walked at street level, the pedestrian area is up there!" Same in Yokohama Minato Mirai.

[@bravosierra2447]

Osaka is another metropolis/megapolis that influenced the legendary Ghost in the Shell anime.

[@FalconWindblader]

A hell lotta Asian cities, especially those without much land to expand in, actually look & function like that, a lotta different buildings with very different functions being built extremely close to each other, or just outright crammed into a single complex, though not at the scale of big Japanese cities.

[@eric_has_no_idea]

Right by my hotel was a crazy multi layered garden mall (Namba Parks). The thing that got me was the walkways around Shinbashi. Walking over streets for miles was amazing.

[@henriklarsen8193]

The quality of these productions is insane. This is artistic documentary, I am just blown away every time at how effortlessly amazing your channel's videos come off when watching. Big kudos.

[@zalseon4746]

The architecture of a fictional setting really does add a ton of soul, but it's not talked about as much as it should be. It honestly kinda drew me to become an electrical engineer and writer.

[@elinorwahl8619]

Have you ever heard of the story 'A Subway Named Möbius' by A.J. Deutsch? It posits a Boston train system of such vast complexity that it essentially creates a singularity, and consequently a train disappears into an infinite loop

[@erichsieh3681]

Thank you so much for visiting these architectural sites that get discussed in the video. I know it's more work and more money, but we get to appreciate so many more things when shot that way. A sense of scale as you stand next to the building, a feeling of the weather when the wind blows your hair, revelations about the shape of objects in frame as parallax movement turns them from 2D to 3D.

[@DamiLeeArch]

That’s awesome to hear it makes a difference 😁 Hopefully we can do more of these!!!

[@AgeraRS7]

@@DamiLeeArch try chongqing china for 2020s neo-tokyo style city

[@bobbiusshadow6985]

@@AgeraRS7 I agree, Chongqing is the city I think of when it's about ficticious futuristic Neo-Tokyo-like cities. The parks and public spaces on top of buildings with skytrains moving around between buildings, etc..

[@Coolestmovies]

@@bobbiusshadow6985And they’ve got real-life authoritarianism insidiously underlying it all, not unlike the fictional variation in movies and anime, as well as surveillance on an unprecedented scale to keep the entire population toeing the Party line line via the horrendous social credit system. Lee should indeed go there, but is she brave enough to look at the sociopolitical and police-state aspects of architecture in the cities of mainland China? I’m skeptical. 🤨

[@darkstarprojekt]

I caught that too, when a quick 'one-liner' was literally in Japan, at the specific place she was talking about. Most content consumers don't realize that took planning, a few thousand dollars, and in her case,; good looks and an interest in a subject that is probably unhealthy, lol, but we love it!

[@Rapt0rham]

0:45 for a second I thought you were just chillin' waist deep in the bay

[@NotEvenOverThere]

Right😂

[@pter81]

Lol

[@g-mav]

I’ve been on KZbin as long as any of us have - I mean it when I say it that this might possibly be my new favourite KZbin video of all time. Amazing work, Dami Lee. Watching this video felt like a sublime and visceral experience, and the love and enthusiasm you show for the subjects of architecture, cyberpunk and anime really seeps through in a way that almost feels tactile. Please keep this going!!

[@KirkKiyosadaTome]

As a Japanese-American, I found this fascinating. Weirdly, this popped into my feed as I had just finished rewatching Akira, as it's my favorite anime of all time. Thanks, as always, for the super fun and interesting vids, Dami.

[@TheBeatles..]

sensational photography and observations. I live in Tokyo (Shimokita) and you have opened my eyes even more than I thought I already have re Japan, Tokyo, Anime and architecture! Thank you.

[@andrewp.attivissimo9446]

Awesome video as always. To answer your question, Detroit feels like a city with a soul. Many buildings are being restored and brought back to life with a whole new purpose than originally intended. For example, old mechanic shops turned into restaurants, old churches turned into coffee shops, and the historic Michigan Central Train Station and a Book Depository Building became what is now known as an "innovation hub".

[@thefutureslibrary9443]

I was thinking the same. Haven't been there in some time, but the architectural roots, the resurgence efforts, and the refusal to give up seem like they might make an interesting story.

[@TechnoEstate]

Ironically, modernist architecture was itself heavily influenced by *_traditional Chan-Buddhist & Zen-Buddhist architecture._* Though the Western take on it was heavy-handed, resulting in the sterility and rigor modernist architecture is often rightly accused of...

[@RaymondCai-ws2jt]

0:04 That sounds very familiar to me (August 1945, Hiroshima, Nagasaki) - I wonder how the two atomic bombings influenced post-apocalyptic architecture and design?

[@trevorwhitham6742]

Its always Hiroshima and Nagasaki but never unit 731 comfort woman and Nanking and the rest of the pacific under Japanese rule

[@Jordan-inJapan]

Wow, I loved this one on so many levels. First of all, AKIRA has a special place in my heart since it (just blew my mind when I saw it back in high school and) was probably the work of art that sparked off my initial interest in Japan…. where I’ve lived for the past 20+ years. (I’m originally from Vancouver too.) Also, I really love the idea of a city having a ‘soul’ and I really have felt it sometimes. Definitely in Osaka. In Tokyo, I really felt that each area of the city had its own soul, so the ‘megacity’ feels, to me, like a collection of distinct organisms inhabiting the same space. You don’t notice it so much when you’re riding the trains through Tokyo, but if you ever try WALKING through Tokyo, then you can feel it.

[@FalconWindblader]

When you talked about cities having souls, it kinda reminded me of another anime, Karas, the setting of which actually took the concept of 'cities being living organisms' & 'cities having souls' in a very literal sense, so much so that souls of cities actually manifested in human forms & agents being appointed by said souls & given powers to protect said cities, acting like the cities' immune system. Karas, like Akira, also put a lotta heart into its illustration & animation, as well as the sound, so much so that one of the studios involved in the production was said to have actually run into bankruptcy because of it.

[@Vi_Renders]

Wow, the kind of things that an architecture focused channel can get into are really surprising. I never would have expected there'd be a lot for you to talk about regarding Akira but here we are. Nice work:)

[@DamiLeeArch]

Hahah well same here. If you had told me just five years ago that I can make a living talking about architecture and my fav anime I probably would have said you’re out of your mind 😆

[@erih2934]

@@DamiLeeArch Your and your team's work is brilliant. The combination of educational information, lighthearted presentation showing how culture, history, technology and zeitgeist come together in architecture makes it just one of my favorite channels. Thank you all for all the effort!

[@4RILDIGITAL]

It's fascinating how the city's architecture was influenced by real-life concepts and mirrors economic and societal shifts. Love the dismantling of the detailed symbolism in the color palette as well.

[@daveduglass2093]

The quality of content on this channel is superb and everytime you post it makes my month

[@rodrigoportellarodrigues6592]

This is one of the best produced videos I've ever seen on KZbin.

[@dstovell]

Your channel has been creating some incredible videos lately. High production value, interesting topics, extremely thoughtful commentary. Love love love! Know that we acknowledge and appreciate all the hard work / passion that go into creating content like this 💜

[@gabrielaguilar8556]

I do believe the City of New Orleans has a living, breathing soul. And it fills my heart every time I go visit. ❤⚜️

[@Savageman76]

Most excellent video by you and your team Dami. I’ve been to Japan twice with my family and I totally agree Tokyo does have a very unique soul. Also when we visited Hiroshima we felt the soul of that city. The feeling of sadness of the past but also the feeling and amazement what humanity can overcome. The soul Hiroshima is amazing.

[@SimplyNyanderart]

I know, it is crazy that so many things have happened on this tiny country, in comparison to larger countries.

[@MaticTheProto]

Same goes for many German cities which were completely turned to dust as well

[@socks_cat356]

@@SimplyNyanderartTherefore, there is no point in you boasting about your country's land area.

[@soyunharlequin]

Please, if you happen to come to central europe, come visit Bratislava. It practically became a skyscraper city overnight. And there's also a new mall with a huge public park on the rooftop.

[@developingtank]

Damn, I was about to go to bed then this video drops. How am I supposed to sleep?!

[@DamiLeeArch]

Sleep is for the dead!

[@SimplyNyanderart]

lol, just watch it. You can make up the sleep. 😁

[@heinuchung8680]

You aren’t :::

[@Aqua_9191]

You're the best architect creator on this platform, you helped a lot with my inspirations and University application. Thanks a lot! ❤

[@roamingsamurai9012]

I am a black dude from the US and my grandfather introduced me to Chinese cinema. He had quite the library of martial arts films and watching movies with him has made me into the Asian culture appropriating person I am today! 😂 Like seriously...from martial arts, philosophy, to even working in a Chinese restaurant and a Korean restaurant ( I love asian culture). I grew up reading American comic books and writing and illustrating my own in highschool. But then I saw Ninja Scroll at the age of 16 and my world completely changed! Akira was the second anime I saw and everything I have worked on of my own has since been very Japanese influenced to say the least!

[@modernhaze3]

Best Retro Anime Movie

[@NoxmilesDe]

Why you say retro?

[@hitachicordoba]

@@NoxmilesDe meticulously hand drawn cel animation vs modern meh CGI

[@sergpie]

That entire era was strewn with masterpieces; “Dominion Tank Police” “The Venus Wars” “Patlabor” “Tokyo Demon City” “Project A-Ko” “Record of Lodoss War” “Genocyber”. We were spoiled as kids with those animations.

[@theothertonydutch]

@@hitachicordoba It used CGI for some scenes but it was basically rotoscoped because of the jarring difference between CGI and hand-drawn animation. This is also a very good way to do a lot of interesting and intricate animation.

[@robderich8533]

I would call it vintage rather than retro.

[@arcturionblade1077]

I lived for seven years in Tokyo and miss its vibrancy every day. There's no other city like it on Earth.

[@jandraelune1]

Minneapolis has the ' Skyway ' which is a series of public access bridges between buildings and through them that is always open and is highly used during the winter.

[@CortexNewsService]

There's something similar in Chicago, the pedway. Mostly public access and stretching across half the loop underground

[@DeronMeranda]

Lots of cities have or had these. Look up "Skyway" in Wikipedia. Cincinnati used to have a great one, though it was torn down a few years ago.

[@KeiPalace]

@@DeronMeranda the miles of skyways in St Paul Minnesota are at times dystopian, alleys are now blocked off, sometimes you can literally get trapped if you walk in, and it's a sunday and the business buildings are closed, you can walk in an endless maze trying to find an exit. At least most times there are glass walls and you can look out onto the street to figure out where you are! I think to someone who used them all the time you'd easily navigate.

[@JibberJabJones]

akira is a great example of a work of art so stratospherically ambitious, that not only had its like never been seen before, it will never be seen again. even the soundtrack is astonishing. i got to see it in the waterloo imax when lockdown restrictions began loosening. it was louder than a stadium gig, and filled a screen the size of a house. one of the best live show experiences i've ever had. i still can't believe such a piece of animation actually exists.

[@justinhowe3878]

It's really special to see Akira on the big screen. Glad you got to experience it!

[@JibberJabJones]

@@justinhowe3878 dude, i'm jealous of myself 3 years ago!

[@DarthBiomech]

I can't believe you didn't covered Blame! before, so I think this is the best time to suggest it for an alalysis. It's a manga made by an architect and that has a city as one of the main characters. Wait, no, not "a" city. THE City.

[@DamiLeeArch]

It’s coming 😉

[@DarthBiomech]

@@DamiLeeArch Hype!

[@NoxmilesDe]

Wow! But please with BLAME! Manga, it's 100x better than the Anime (which still is amazing!)

[@hitachicordoba]

@@DamiLeeArch I'd also love to see inclusion of the decaying post-apocalyptic interior/exterior architecture in Girl's Last Tour and Nier Automata

[@SimplyNyanderart]

Alright another anime to check out. Is it called, "Blame!"?

[@sfperalta]

I'm a long-time fan of Akira. I have to say this video was incredibly interesting. Not to mention the presenter's enthusiasm and knowledge, which was just infectious!

[@christopherpetersen342]

your work is the soul of edu-tainment. so much to learn, so immersive, and still so entertaining. you're so right about the impacts of metropolis, akira, etc. love the little shout out to mies in the corner.

[@CJvzla]

If a live action adaptation of Akira is ever made, this video should be mandatory viewing. Amazing. *Starts streaming Akira for the 347th time*

[@instantlife]

The number of places she travels to just to show a 2 second clip is impressive. This channel is going next level.

[@zacharystovall674]

This channel often captures an intersection of some of my two of favorite things: architecture and film. I'm a software engineer with a casual interest in architecture but in another life I'd love to build things like this. Great work!

[@BizzyBoom]

FIRST TIME VIEWER OF YOUR CHANNEL & WOW! This was such a great video! So cool to learn about the different inspirations each person had and how it all came together to create the masterpiece we know as AKIRA! I won't be surprised if you and your team have 99% watch time on this video cause it was so well put together! Can really tell how much work went into this! cheers!

[@student-lumbarlordosis]

Dami whatever topic you explain about and concepts you introduce to us, your passion and deep interest in the topics you talk about is super inspiring, to see a person really get into it, the burst of excitement energy that lights up your eyes. Your enthusiasm is infectious. I am so grateful to have found this channel, thank you to you and your team for opening up an entirely new world.

[@chardelraconner7324]

akira means bright intelligent

[@killedbyarockstar7565]

Could someone please help me find the music playing in the background at 10:36 ? Thanks in advance!

[@AmbientWalking]

Thanks for this amazing origin story of Neo Tokyo! Love it!

[@N40-montages]

Big fan of your work, you are the most dynamic and well driven architecture channel i've seen and at the same time it is useful and informative. Keep going, you are truly inspirational

[@justketh4298]

Wow, this channel talks about everything I love-architecture, Akira, futurism, anxiety! I'm totally in.

[@UnShredded]

This is the embodiment of a new architectural language in video-making. Akira Kurosawa is smiling down on you.

[@theelektriccowboy7661]

Hong Kong, New York, and Tokyo. Those are the cities that spoke to you will your feet touch them. Your videos are poetic. You are the jewel of KZbin

[@adryanmartinez2532]

The amount of research and care that goes into your videos is honestly inspiring and shows a lot of taste. I love this content ❤

[@wednesday1899]

This video is going to set the mood for my evening viewing 💜

[@rosevfx]

The great advantage of cities is that distances between points of engagement and acquisition are relatively short, which speeds up work and development and also inspires. The great disadvantage of cities is that they are not organic but brick, concrete, steel and glass and for that reason for a living creature there is no actual connection other than projection, it's artificial, and artificial in the long run, is unhealthy for a being's soul.

[@ziongite]

"Japan industrialised after WW2" Nope, it industrialised during the Meiji restoration, that's precisely how Japan became such a powerful empire, and almost all of Japan's major corporations started before WW2 actually. You might want to read some Japanese history Miss Lee. So what about Neo Tokyo? Actually the proper origin of this is the fact that during WW2 Tokyo was firebombed and destroyed, therefore after WW2 the entire city had to be rebuilt, it attracted Japanese men from all over Japan to take part in this rebuilding, and thus jobs were plentiful and the population of Tokyo accelerated rapidly, because it was rebuilt it also became extremely modern looking compared to other cities that weren't destroyed for example. With this initial rebuilding that started almost straight away, there was an economic boom, there were a lot of jobs, and thus people bred more, and you had a large generation being born. However by the time these children themselves got toward adulthood in the late 60's and early 70's, the economic boom was gone and instead there was downturn, and thus there was more unemployment and things started to look a bit dystopian for the future (at least relative to how it had been just prior), and this is where the idea around Akira's dystopian futuristic city was born, he moved to Tokyo exactly during this period in the early 70's, basically Akira is stylised version of what he saw in his own life.

[@badongpalacio312]

The Jacket🔥

[@Jorgee-]

Incredible video, thank you for the lesson! I find it fascinating how greens and dark blues was chosen to represent the "unnatural" elements of the experiments, hallways, and horrors tied to the corruption of Neotokyo. Such familiar, natural, collors bastardized to such an extent that they become alien. My personal favorite is the hazy, dreamlike, whites that bask the flashback scenes (as well as the "nukes") almost as if the memories themselves are lounging in a nostalgic sunlight... another irony given how nukes are often referred to as "harnessing the power of the sun". Such a masterpiece of a movie. Another thing, as a Puerto Rican I always felt a kinship with the infinite expansion yet rampant abandonment found in almost all of the corners of Neotokyo. In the shot where the camera pans up from the street level to the heights of the countless skyscrapers, you can spot construction cranes littering a majority of the rooftops. How curious that much of the most populous places in the city (especially the schools, streets, sub-levels, and old towns) are experiencing a rot that can't even maintain the bare minimum of cleanliness and upkeep while the glittering towers are only getting higher and higher each day. You see this all over America, a refusal to maintain the past at the expense of ceaselessly building towards some nebulous future. In the early 2010s, I saw numerous construction projects throughout Trujillo Alto become outdated, rusted, and abandoned in less than a decade. Public spaces, statues, monuments, and squares left to the elements. A great example of this is Luis Muñoz Rivera Park, constructed in 1925 and having seen its last major restoration in 2004, never to be touched again. Its fountains remain dry, and all of the cobblestone is cracked, overgrown, and left to wandering graffiti artists. I can't say it doesn't have its own charm, but thinking about how common this story is throughout the island hurts in a way I struggle to put into words. I despise El Distrito T-Mobile, and am curious to see if it will make it to the 2030's.

[@hendrixg]

Toronto's soul is ripping people off.

[@theworldsmostplagiarizedma2436]

I would love to see a video about the futuristic architecture of Ghost in the Shell. Especially the second movie, Innocence and the autonomous zone they travel to looking for a hacker. There’s a quote about our phenotypes expressing themselves through our architecture that I think you and your team would probably appreciate.

[@DFTricks]

In my travels, Montreal and Berlin are the only two cities that have duelling souls in their architectures.

[@spinjitzumasterfalcon]

Man, I learned so much. Japanese culture is just incredible and a true marvel. Thanks for the info! I definitely have to go to Japan one day

[@tay-lore]

Just like a human is a creature made up of cells, a city is a creature made up of humans

[@melocitysolo9574]

The genius Markus Gabriel, often referred to as a rock star of the Philosophical Society, said, "NYC is such a village compared to Tokyo." He went on to describe Tokyo as, "a meditation on 20th-century modernity and ultimate perfection."

[@uthbhabdhar9481]

14:41 bro tried to recreate something💀

[@amilcarderas1624]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!!!! You took me back to my childhood in Houston, Texas and the first time I saw Akira the movie!!! The hairs on my arms stood straight up within the first minute of your video because it is that good!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@sindre.]

The only channel I will drop anything to watch immediately (in this case my dinner got slightly burnt. Worth it) Love the blend of cinema history combined with architecture and high high end production. I feel each video is getting exponentially more epic. Truly enjoyed this video 🙌🏻💙

[@Zao11010]

I absolutely agree that cities have soul's are are basically living things My favorite was definitely hong kong in the 80s and 90s it was so alive with its neon lights, insane density and amazing culture, so sad to see all those things die out now days over there. Ive been to tokyo and osaka though and this video perfectly describes the feeling it gives you of being in japanese mega cities, great job!

[@SimplyNyanderart]

This is another place I want to visit, Hong Kong!

[@heinuchung8680]

Hong Kong isn’t very nice anymore, lots of barricades the people there seem afraid to talk politics or anything .

[@SimplyNyanderart]

@@heinuchung8680 That sucks

[@zen_XIII]

I'm here to support DamiLee because of her beautiful fac... Ughhh 😥... I mean her content. and of course intelligence. 🙄

[@bookofthedamned]

Wow, this could easily have been a three-hour documentary and I still would have been glued to the screen. Wonderful!

[@eli_future]

I love that account so much. My adhd brain love learning about things it doesn't need to know on a daily basis 😍😍

[@ncwolfe]

That's called curiosity, not ADHD. It's among the most natural of human behaviors.

[@ak_hoops]

THAT PART

[@eli_future]

@@ncwolfe im saying that i have adhd and the way my brain is wired, it likes useless information

[@ncwolfe]

@@eli_future That's not ADHD. Kids have loved looking at Guiness Books for decades. People have curiosity. It is not "neurotypical" (a meaningless term) for people to only be interested in useful information, nor is it "neurodivergent" to only be curious about stuff that isn't useful. It's 100% natural, nothing to do with ADHD, period.

[@AnamPaiseanta-i7k]

I see the production quality getting even better. One of my favorite channels.

[@turnipsociety706]

1:40 "national culture" is a bit of a dead-end to describe any thing in social science. Saying Japan is a "polite culture" is creating a fixed archetype, and then being surprised that reality doesn't match it. Japan had a very violent culture in the 16th century and was known for it.

[@TEO.187]

Actually, cultures with a heavy emphasis on politeness almost universally come from a bloody past so that makes perfect sense Also obviously cultures are woven together out of the existence of millions of people living individual lives over countless generations but it's completely asinine to pretend that different populations of people (especially in historically isolated regions) don't have their own set expectations for appropriate behavior in shared society

[@こーこ-e6r]

とても面白い考察でした。「METROPOLIS」と「AKIRA」をつなぐのは、現代日本のマンガの法則を作った手塚治虫の存在です。日本人は21世紀の未来の姿を、手塚治虫のマンガ「ASTRO BOY 鉄腕アトム」で思い描き、大友克洋はその世界の中で育ち、その世界にたどり着けずにいる東京でマンガを描きました。 大友は、21世紀を前にした1999年の東京を破壊し、新たに自分のネオ東京を創りだし、それを自ら破壊しました。その先の未来は、金田たちに託されます。 しかし、現実の日本、そして東京には、2024年現在、手塚治虫が描いた21世紀も、大友が未来に託した東京も存在していません。

[@Joex0f]

Goddamn this woman is fine af

[@Overworkedandunderpaid]

Creep

[@illitero]

@7:07 "In Akira, 'The Bomb' hits Tokyo in '88" There was no bomb, that was a cover-up. The explosion shown was Akira losing control of his powers in the exact way Tetsuo does later on in the film. That's, like, what the whole story was about: preventing a repeat of what happened to Akira. I get that it's told in a confusing way (ESPECIALLY if one doesn't read the manga), but c'mon now hahaha Edit: I don't remember the degree of cover-up (like if the Japanese government flat-out claimed someone else bombed them or if inquiry from other countries pressured them into capitulating into agreeing to an aggressor; I just know that the explosion was definitely a lil' dude an not a bomb haha)

[@DragonBoi3789]

Just putting this out there as a feeler to see if it sticks, but have you heard/played the game 'The Talos Principle 2'? I do recommend playing the first one (and it's DLC because they're both fascinating), but the architecture in TP2 is... something that I might label as 'Neo Brutalism'. Its brutalist architecture that evokes ideas of art deco while also incorporating nature and color in an uplifting and hopeful way that really makes it it's own thing. And it makes sense, as all the architecture is designed and used by robots instead of people. Would make for a fascinating video IMO. Architecture for Non-Humans (or, technically, new humans as far as TP2's lore goes).

[@katieartspace]

Wow 😳 Great work 💯 👏 It's video 🎉❤ like a futuristic fantastic historical blockbuster 🌋🌊

[@NonnaTeresa-x6q]

I stumbled upon your KZbin channel by chance, and it was a stroke of luck. I was captivated by your talent. You have a superpower that allows you to tell beautiful stories about architecture, connecting architecture, innovation, films, books, culture, colors, people, and much more in a single, seamless flow. You are incredibly talented and thank you so much for the content you offer us!!!! P.S. Have you ever thought about using your knowledge to make a science fiction film?"

[@h1661n5]

Cities with souls. I'm from Baltimore and it's definitely has a soul. It is a place that is constantly struggling to heal a lot of the self inflicted wounds of America. It has an absurdly bad reputation that is honestly wildly out of proportion with reality. During the Civil War, it was similar to Berlin during the Cold War as a hot bed of covert military activities. The architecture is extremely diverse as well; there's Neo-Classical, there's Brutalism, there's Creole, Gothic, Art Deco, it goes on and on. The food culture is equally diverse, informed by every possible immigrant population in American history and for a quarter or half the price of a Washington, D.C. or New York City restaurant you can get a four star meal from almost any style of cuisine. It's seen a lot more than other cities its size but Baltimore is untapped economic power house where a lot of medical research and shipping take place. Investors have realized this and are trying to stack up as many workers in the city as possible It's downtown area - from roughly Mount Royal to the harbor - is going through a brutal gentrification that is replacing much of the historical architecture with bland utilitarian looking buildings that look like those grey and black McDonald's that are popping up everywhere. In real time, you can see multiple struggles in Baltimore.

[@clubsobri]

What a wonderful video, DemiLee. I'm a big anime fan, and I was born in Mexico City and now live in a suburb of San francisco, so I am most certainly a city rat. Going to Tokyo in September with myu wife, and looking forward to it very much.

[@Sanctum1972]

All hail Otomo! I was there when it came out in select theaters in the USA in 1989-1990 and also read the manga ( EPIC/Marvel version ) before that. Masterpiece.

[@stamatis-klausntampoudis4314]

Great video! Tiny correction, the Phillips pavilion was designed by Ioannis Xenakis who worked in Le Corbusiers office a t the time, and not by Corbusier himself. Keep up the good work!