Cyberpunk ? - Akira (1988) Discussion

[–] Ghost the Lost Soul 13 years ago

Well, let's see:

-The movie is set in Tokyo of the future, which has become a megalopolis
-The city is overrun with crime, violent protests, terrorist activity, and an oppressive military/police force/government that is just as big of a part of the problem
-Top secret government experiments that are being done on children to harness dormant psychic powers
-Biker gangs fighting and killing each other in the midst of all the chaos
-The use of futuristic weaponry like laser rifles and laser satellites
-Not one, but TWO apocalyptic explosions on the city

Is this good enough for you?

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[–] Brokenail22 13 years ago

Nope. There's no cyberimplants.

To me, the main component of a cyberpunk universe is the influence of technology on men. Not just science. Technology. Like Robocop, Repomen, Matrix, Johnny Mnemonic, Deus ex.

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[–] Ghost the Lost Soul 13 years ago

If it helps, near the end of the film, one of the main characters, Tetsuo, creates a robotic arm to replace the one that got blown off from the blast of laser satellite, although it really didn't help him in the end.

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[–] jessemon11 12 years ago

Well, that's to you. Unfortunately you did not coin the term cyberpunk, and objectively speaking, Akira qualifies.

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[–] elderesek 12 years ago

I'd rather say this is post-human sci-fi. Cyberpunk implies megacorporations and biomechanical human interfaces. Both are absent in this film.

"Money is always important because money is a by-product of success." - Mel Brooks

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[–] the_Forcer 12 years ago

Well, mr. Brokenail, A Clockwork Orange is defined as cyberpunk though it doesn't deal with cybernetics at all. The society in the story is not even futuristic. But it does deal with crime and evil and its source in human nature, which is a cyberpunk theme.

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[–] nidirom 12 years ago

Not sure where u get your info, but in no way is Clockwork Orange close to cyberpunk. A Clockwork Orange has a dystopian a view of the future, as do many cyberpunk stories. However, it is not cyberpunk. It contains nothing cybernetic or computerized. Cyberpunk as i know it, relies heavily on technology to move the story and/or build the proper atmosphere. A Clockwork Orange does not.

maybe u can enlighten me as to why u think it is.

Clan Motto: Sapienter si sincere

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[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

OP, Google is your friend. All you have to do is type in "cyberpunk, and voila, a list of links pop up that deliver answers. The first one on the list is from Wikipedia, and that adequately explains it for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk

There are more websites as well. Nothing in any of the artciles suggests that cyberpunk requires cyber-implants. Yes, that is an elements of cyberpunk, but not the one thing that defines a work or disqualifies a work as cyberpunk. I fail to see what your issue here is. Saying that cyberpunk requires cyber-implants is like saying that science fiction requires laser beams. The term is a bit more encompassing than that.

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

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[–] Brokenail22 12 years ago

Young sailor, Google is your aunt.

Cyberpunk is not only about cyberimplants, but it has to be about the way technology and men match together or the way technology is used to control people. You can find this in Ghost in the shell, but not in Akira.

Look at Robocop, Blade Runner or Repo Men and you'll see that it's pretty different from Akira.

Maybe it's because the power does not come from machines or technology but from a mystical force.

( CALL ME OP, AGAIN. COME ON, MAKE MY DAY CYBERPUNK !)

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[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/what-is-cyberpunk/ >>> That is a good article that goes a long way in proving the OP wrong.

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

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[–] Brokenail22 12 years ago

On the very same blog :

http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/movie/decade/1980-1989/akira/

"Akira definitely strays to the “punk” side of cyberpunk, but has full clashes with the corporate control element and technology run amok"

I'm not an OP, punk. Don't make me say it to you again.

Anyway, I was thinking about that, and I have a few more questions for you :

Would you say that "The fifth element" is cyberpunk ? Would you say that Star Wars is science fiction ?

Great blog, by the way.

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[–] marcosnsouza 12 years ago

I don't see anything cyberpunk in the Fifth Element. It's a very childish story, very maniqueistic and mystical.
Star Wars is a tricky one. I guess I'd say SW is a FANTASY science fiction story. It has the Space Opera setting, but goes for a fantasy approach.

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[–] Ehrgeiz 11 years ago

"Cyberpunk is not only about cyberimplants, but it has to be about the way technology and men match together or the way technology is used to control people. You can find this in Ghost in the shell, but not in Akira."

Ehm, thats pretty much what Akira is about. The espers - and also Akira - are kind of failed products to create soldiers with superhuman powers.

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[–] Damn-Deal-Done 12 years ago

Akira can almost be said to define cyberpunk these days.

Social unrest and change, low life punks, large organisations trying to control the masses, experiments to modify and enhance humans using technology, neon lit metropolis, violence.

There is no strict definition but Akira the anime falls well within any definition.

(Owner of Akira2019.com)

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[–] Etherdave 12 years ago

The film is universally considered an early Cyberpunk film, the manga an early Cyberpunk manga. William Gibson has stated: 'Modern Tokyo IS Cyberpunk', so as far as I'm concerned Akira is Cyberpunk.

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[–] Brokenail22 12 years ago

Where do you see those "large organisations trying to control the masses" ?

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[–] Damn-Deal-Done 11 years ago

The council and the army, both keeping secrets and doing experiments on people. The police use deadly force on protesters which causes a riot. The rebellion/resistance grew because of the governments corruption. I think this covers my original comment.

(owner of www.akira2019.com)

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