Beyond predicting that the 2020 Olympics will be hosted in Tokyo, one theme from both the original anime movie and manga that still resonates to this day is the notion of Japan officially militarizing by abolishing Article 9 of its constitution. If you don’t know what Article 9 is, it’s what makes the Japanese denounce war, and it makes it illegal for Japan to form an actual military (the existence of the JSDF can be saved for a different article). Of course, this was implemented by the Americans, and the original manga also subliminally explores that relationship as it pertains to American military presence. In the original manga and movie, you see how Japan having a military has made the country a police state like in World War II. With the long ruling Liberal Democratic Party (despite the name, it’s a right leaning party) under present Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, they’re seeking to abolish Article 9 due to rising tensions with China and the Korean Peninsula.

This also comes from another quality that was more emphasized in the manga, as it also critiqued Japan’s youth culture during the 1980’s with the rise of “bousouzoku,” or “motorcycle gangs.” With the declining birth rate, teenage motorcycle gangs feel non-existent in modern Japan compared to Japan over 30 years ago. However, it goes back to how the youth in Japan tend to be alienated between then and now has changed. Granted many nations have such problems, but Japan’s circumstances are rather distinct.

In the 1988 film and manga, it explores youth alienation through both the children that were used as experiments, and with Kaneda and his gang to represent their respective generations’ definition of alienation. With the psychic children, they represent the victims of nuclear weapons, and Japan’s infamous experiments. While Japan mourned for the victims, at the same time, they were also being discriminated against. Government induced isolation is an obvious nod to this. For Kaneda and his friends, they represent a new generation in Japan that was raised during its economic rise and probably were the first to grow up in a modern urban environment. Due to the conditions set by these economic changes by making parents non-existent in their children’s lives, they found their “families” through gangs.

In 2019, the issue has transitioned to the phenomenon of NEETs and shut-ins, or “hikikomori.” Today’s youth of Japan more or less grew up in its “lost decades,” or post-economic bubble. With the rise of its senior dominated population and declining birth rate, their future prospects are in jeopardy as taxes are going to get higher to care for these seniors and to cover costs as its population declines.

Since Hollywood is too obsessed with remakes this past decade (some have been awful, but we’ll admit that there have also been some good ones), we can’t help but assume that they should know that an American version to Akira already exists, and that’s Chronicle starring Dane HeHaan, which we’ll admit is a good movie as it tells its own unique story. Also, there’s another American version through the music video of Kanye West’s cover to Daft Punk’s Stronger (yes, Kanye is an Akira fan).