Akira resonates today the same way it did 32 years ago.

The story of Akira is thick, full of pain, excitement, creation, and destruction. It is an animated film that was released in 1988, a cultural phenomenon that was the final piece that made anime and Japan respected around the world. It eluded to a frighteningly, technologically advanced future society in which adults and children are at tense odds. It echoes now as it does then, where we live in a society that is governed by adults and the actions and repercussions trickle down to affect our generation of millennials and Gen Z and will in turn affect their offspring.

Today, it feels like I just saw Akira last week even though it’s been 3 years since I last sat down to view it. It is a story I will never forget, fantastical, terrifying, and deeper than I imagined. When I think about it, I realize how many layers the film had through its political, socio-economic, social, and scientific themes. Like today, there is a threat that looms over the heads of both the youth and adults as to what could come next, but an excitement that makes you hope for the future as well.