Ask John – Has Akira or GitS Made the Bigger Impact on America?

Question:
Akira or Ghost in the Shell. Which had more impact on Americans before the anime boom?

Answer:
American anime fans that have joined the hobby within the past decade may not be aware, or may not remember exactly how popular and influential Akira was when it premiered in America. The combination of Ghost in the Shell reaching America several years after Akira, and Ghost in the Shell being a far more philosophical and academic film than Akira limited its audience and impact while Akira is arguably the first Japanese animation production to gain mainstream American recognition as “anime.”

The Akira manga made its American debut in 1988 thanks to Marvel Comics label Epic Comics. If I’m not mistaken, Akira remains the only Japanese manga series that the major American Marvel Comics publisher has ever acquired for translation. (Marvel’s Epic Illustrated magazine published at least 4 translated manga short stories in the early to mid 1980s.) The Akira motion picture premiered in America in 1989 and went on to become a cult favorite among both American anime fans, and non-anime fans. Although imported Japanese animation including Astro Boy, Speed Racer, Gatchaman, Voltron, and Robotech achieved mainstream American success prior to Akira, they were heavily “Americanized” and were not widely promoted and recognized as imported Japanese art. Akira was the first imported anime to gain traction in America specifically because it was foreign, unique, intelligent, and fascinating. The Akira movie remains the only anime title to be included in Criterion’s respected line of “important classic and contemporary films.” Footage from Akira appeared in Michael Jackson’s 1995 “Scream” music video. Influential American comic artist Todd McFarlane’s toy company launched its line of anime toys in 2000 with Akira figures. In 2004 the Benihana restaurant chain launched an animated television commercial clearly inspired by Akira. Kanye West’s 2007 “Stronger” music video pays homage to Akira, further demonstrating the film’s recognition in American society.

From the late 1980s through the 1990s, Akira remained tremendously popular, respected, and influential in America because its depiction of psychics, shocking bloody violence, a dystopian cyberpunk future, drug use, corrupt politics, motorcycles and motorcycle gangs, along with the sheer visual brilliance of the film, all epitomized the progressive nature of Japanese animation for average Americans. Akira was adopted as an example of the future of alternative, cutting edge entertainment, and familiarity with Akira was established as a sort of badge representing personal progressive, cultural enlightenment. To put it simply, during the late 1980s and mid 1990s, Akira seemed to have thoroughly permeated American popular culture.

The Ghost in the Shell movie didn’t premier in America until 1996. By that time the American anime industry had been well established, and Akira had already spent seven years popularizing impressive sci-fi anime in America. In effect, Ghost in the Shell didn’t have the degree of impression generating impact that Akira did because Ghost in the Shell was too late to introduce American society to intelligent, adult anime. Furthermore, Akira may not be especially cohesive and easily digestible, but it is more accessible and comprehensible than the dense, philosophical, slowly paced Ghost in the Shell movie. While Akira was able to engage mainstream American viewers with its sensational action and spectacle, Ghost in the Shell was an esoteric film that never had a possibility of mass market acceptance. The Ghost in the Shell movie remains critically respected in America, and its more action oriented spin-off video games and TV series have helped it gain traction in America, but both Ghost in the Shell films remain firmly within the American realm of cineaste cultism.

Article revised on October 22, 2008 with assistance from John C. Watson.