# Akira (1988)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-most-excellent-80s-movies-podcast-330209/akira-1988
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-most-excellent-80s-movies-podcast-330209/akira-1988.md
Podcast: [the Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-most-excellent-80s-movies-podcast-330209)
Published: 2025-12-31T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/akira-1988--69258849
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/op3.dev/e/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69258849/ca4a8670.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-most-excellent-80s-movies-podcast-330209/episodes/akira-1988
Duration seconds: 3431

## Resource

A Sensory Overload of Cyberpunk: Akira Takes Over Neo TokyoWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast, where hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest David Westlake to dive headfirst into Katsuhiro Otomo's groundbreaking 1988 anime masterpiece Akira. Buckle up—this one goes hard from frame one.Neo Tokyo Never Stood a ChanceThe crew tackles one of cinema's most ambitious and visually stunning films—a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk epic that defies easy explanation. Set 30 years after a catastrophic explosion that reshaped Tokyo, Akira follows biker gang leader Kaneda and his friend Tetsuo as they stumble into a military conspiracy involving psychic children, a mysterious godlike force, and power that no human was ever meant to wield.Krissy admits she was completely lost for most of the viewing experience, frantically taking notes and cross-referencing Wikipedia. Yet this confusion becomes part of the film's brilliance—Akira deliberately withholds exposition, letting mystery and ambiguity drive the narrative forward. The hosts wrestle with whether they enjoyed the experience, ultimately concluding that enjoyment isn't quite the right word. Instead, they felt changed by it.Nathan emphasizes that the film's true genius lies in its exploration of unchecked power and human inadequacy. Through Tetsuo's tragic arc—reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker's descent—the film asks a haunting question: what happens when a being with the emotional maturity of an angry teenager suddenly gains godlike abilities? The answer is absolute chaos. The violence is visceral, the destruction is relentless, and the moral landscape is deliberately murky. This isn't a film designed to comfort you; it's designed to challenge and provoke.David, experiencing Akira…

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