Since its premiere back in 1988, the anime film Akira has been monumentally inspirational for artists across the globe, especially within the action and sci-fi genres. Oddly enough, the rated-R post-apocalyptic film has been given a recent shoutout by the director of the children’s film Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. While the Puss In Boots sequel shares fundamentally nothing in common with Akira — thankfully — the animation is a hopeful sign that a dying art in Hollywood can be spared.
In an interview with Variety, director Joel Crawford emphasizes the impact that Akira had on the Puss In Boots film’s animation. In short, the anime cult-classic inspired him to include 2D animation in his work with Dreamworks. While this may seem like a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, for Hollywood’s animation industry, this is a sign of a changing tide.
Joel Crawford’s Love of Akira
In the Variety interview, Crawford explains how the film Akira inspired him when he watched it as a child. He explains that the hand-drawn 2D art amazed his younger self, and he was especially inspired by the animation behind the incredibly detailed explosions within the film. When approaching the art and design for film Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, Crawford explains that he wanted to add personal touches to the animation that he believed only anime has been able to capture. In the interview, he claims that while working with the animation department they were in agreement that, “We wanted to get back to the artist and reduce the imprint of the computer.”
At the core of this interview is Joel Crawford’s passion for Akira. Perhaps the cult-classic was his gateway anime, but as he also explains in the interview, it’s what inspired him to pursue a career in the arts. This is the case for many artists, both in the East and West.
The Lasting Impact of Akira
In Japan, Akira was the driving inspiration for many creators, including Masashi Kishimoto, creator of Naruto. As for the US, Americans have Akira to thank for numerous films including Looper, Inception, and many more.
It was even influential during the making of the Netflix orignal series Stranger Things, though the anime film has a much longer history of impacting Hollywood and film. That being said, there isn’t much credit given to Akira for affecting the animation of Hollywood, which has been a grossly ignored part of the industry.
The Neglect of Animation In the West
For whatever reason, animation at large has never been given the same treatment in the West as it has in the East. While the anime genre has grown into a colossal industry with a variety of demographics and fans, cartoons are rarely respected in mainstream media, at least outside children’s entertainment. Even when children’s entertainment is the focal point, poor attempts at scriptwriting, animation, or anything in-between are waived-off as unimportant.
Although companies like Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks have become famous for creating animated masterpieces with great care, there are still rampant issues within the industry that need to be worked through. Aside from the issue of censorship and the need for more varying demographics in high-budget animation, there is a disappointing lack of fresh ideas coming from America’s animation industry.
The lack of new ideas in regard to animation is a reflection of the industry’s current limits. It’s treated more as a pastime for children rather than the art form it truly is, and though there is merit in entertaining children, the medium can — and should — be used for more. Anime, on the other hand, has a long history of both entertaining and inspiring viewers of varying ages. Whether it be for television or film, Japanese animation projects are more often made with care and detail. This is why Joel Crawford’s Akira shoutout is important. It’s a sign that some American creators are starting to remember how inspirational animation is as an art form.
Looking To the Future of Animation
One common debate among fans of American animation in particular is the question of 2D or 3D animation styles. Though the days of purely 2D hand-drawn animation are seemingly long gone, the style is still terribly missed, and not just for the reason of nostalgia. Crawford would surely agree that there is something special about capturing frame-by-frame movements with 2D animation. 3D animation alone can only do so much when adding not just charm to the appearance of a film or show, but also add emotion and connection. From little details of body language to the way natural elements move, 2D animation has a better chance of displaying these.
Recent American film projects like Disney’s animated short Paperman (2012) and the Sony feature film Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (2018) are some of the first to blend 2D animation with 3D to create something new, but the experimental style is still not even remotely as popular as 3D is today. The fact that a major animation company like Dreamworks would finally allow their artists to create something new and inspired is perhaps the tipping point that the animation industry needs for an animation makeover.
With how popular the new Puss In Boots film is, grossing $18.8 million after one day at the box office, there’s the hope that general audiences will begin to crave higher quality animated films. Crawford’s shoutout of Akira is also a hopeful sign that those who read the interview will watch the iconic Japanese film and also become inspired, thus continuing the great impact that the movie has on viewers, on modern-day art, and on Hollywood and the film industry at large.
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