Matt Schley - The Japan Times

CULTURE / Books

Jul 15, 2018

The enduring appeal of 'Akira,' the manga

Katsuhiro Otomo's cyberpunk masterpiece, 'Akira,' has gone through multiple English-language incarnations throughout the years, but reader demand has never wavered.

CULTURE / Film

Jul 14, 2018

The pain and the passion that fueled the creation of 'Akira'

When I tell Kuni Tomita the anime classic "Akira" turns 30 years old this month, she shakes her head and laughs.

CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle

Jul 14, 2018

My deep dive into 'Akira' only scratched the surface of its legacy

A few months ago, I proposed to the editors at The Japan Times that we do a piece paying tribute to the classic cyberpunk anime film "Akira," which turns 30 years old on July 16. They were enthusiastic and the pitch ballooned (not unlike Tetsuo in the film's final scene) from a single article to an "Akira"-themed...

CULTURE / Music

Jul 13, 2018

'Akira' soundtrack featured music worthy of a visual masterpiece

A crack of thunder. Pulsing polyrhythmic percussion. The roar of a passing motorcycle. A haunting symphonic chorus.

CULTURE / Music

Jul 13, 2018

Reshaping the sound of Neo-Tokyo for 'Akira'

If you were watching anime in English in the 1990s and 2000s, chances are you've heard a dub recorded by Les Claypool III. Some of the films and series that passed through Claypool's studio, Magnitude 8 Post, include "Macross Plus," "Ghost in the Shell" and "Cowboy Bebop." In 2001, Pioneer Entertainment...

CULTURE / Art

Jul 12, 2018

Collecting 'Akira,' one scene at a time

Joe Peacock vividly remembers the first time he saw "Akira," the influential sci-fi anime film that turns 30 this month.

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Jul 11, 2018

Speak Japanese like a biker punk from the future with 'Akira'

Those looking to give their Japanese a bit of biker edge could do worse than take in a screening of the classic sci-fi anime 'Akira.'

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT

Jul 10, 2018

'Akira' inspires generations of foreign animators

Enthusiasts pour their souls into labors of love honoring Otomo's classic anime film and manga series.

COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET

Jul 10, 2018

Views from Tokyo: Do you remember the first time you watched 'Akira'?

People in Shibuya offer their thoughts on Katsuhiro Otomo's classic 1988 film and the 1982 manga series.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle

May 31, 2018

Rainy season is a great time to binge-watch anime

The anime season that began in April is winding down, meaning that those who prefer to wait and ingest their anime in one flat-out, high-speed burn are starting to look around for series to binge.

CULTURE / Film

Apr 18, 2018

'Liz and the Blue Bird': A brilliantly executed return to an anime favorite

At my high school in the U.S., it was said that while the athletes were the talk of the school, it was actually the band kids who were embroiled in the juiciest drama.

CULTURE / Film

Apr 5, 2018

'After the Rain': A problematic love story deftly presented with emotional heft

"After the Rain" ("Koi wa Ame Agari no Yo Ni"), the 12-episode anime series that finished airing March 30 (and is streaming worldwide via Amazon Prime), centers around 17-year-old Akira Tachibana, a high school student who falls in love with Masami Kondo, the manager at her part-time job, who is 28 years...

CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle

Mar 29, 2018

The anime industry readies for another gold rush

If you didn't already know that the anime industry was in the middle of a boom, a quick look around the trade fair AnimeJapan would give you a pretty good indication.

CULTURE / Film

Mar 14, 2018

'B: The Beginning': Netflix anime gets a 'B' for effort

Whatever you've thought of their quality up until now, Netflix's original animated series have definitely rocked the boat in some way, whether by assembling an international production team ("Castlevania"), putting an X-rated twist on a classic franchise ("Devilman Crybaby") or, uh, inspiring people...

CULTURE / Film

Feb 21, 2018

'Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms': Mari Okada's visuals tell a moving story

Mari Okada is one of the most prominent — and prolific — writers in anime today. A native of Chichibu, Saitama, she's perhaps best known for penning a pair of deeply personal titles that take place there, "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day" (2011) and "The Anthem of the Heart" (2015). But Okada...

CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle

Jan 25, 2018

2018's anime lineup offers plenty of potential

Over the past few years, the success of several films — including, most notably, Makoto Shinkai's record-setting "Your Name." — have proven that anime directed by someone other than director Hayao Miyazaki can still attract a wider audience.

CULTURE / Film

Jan 17, 2018

'Devilman Crybaby': The franchise is back, but with extra sex and ultra-violence

if 'Crybaby' presages what's to come from Netflix's investment in anime, it's going to be an interesting year for the medium.

CULTURE / Film

Jan 11, 2018

A super robot returns a little older and a little wiser in 'Mazinger Z/Infinity'

It has been 50 years since the publication of the first manga by Go Nagai, the mastermind behind classic properties such as "Devilman," "Cutie Honey" and "Mazinger Z." To mark the occasion, a number of Go Nagai anime adaptations are out this year, including the film "Mazinger Z/Infinity" (Jan. 13).

CULTURE

Dec 14, 2017

Anime didn't see any massive hits in 2017, but there was a lot to watch

It takes only two words to sum up why 2016 was always going to be a hard act to follow: "Your Name."

CULTURE

Dec 14, 2017

A long night in Kyoto and androgynous beings made of gems make up some of the best anime of 2017

The world of anime in 2017 didn't give us any obvious breakout hits like last year's "Your Name.," but the past 12 months still had its share of winners:

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