Toshiharu Mizutani - Akira (cut no. 84) Poster

This background was used to create a pan down of the animation camera. It is the first view of the back alley behind Haruki’s Bar right at the beginning of the feature. Kaneda, Tetsuo and Yamagata start their adventure from this dark spot in Neo Tokyo.

The surface of Neo Tokyo seems to be glamorous. However, the streets lie in darkness, littered with garbage. The contrast of colours between the back alley and the high-rise buildings enforces the impression of Neo Tokyo's complex laminated structure. Asked about references which he used for the creation of this background artwork Toshiharu Mizutani, AKIRA’s art director, mentioned Syd Mead and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. “I watched that video so many times.”, he confirmed in an interview conducted in preparation for an exhibition called “Cityscapes in Anime Background Art”. The influence of the cyberpunk icon is palpable in this tableau.