Ask John: What is Neo-Tokyo?

Question:
My friends and I were wondering what exactly Neo-Tokyo is. We saw the 2-second clip in front of Akira, but have been unable to clarify what it’s about, who made it and where does one obtain a copy. Can you help?

Answer:
“Neo-Tokyo” is the English language title given to the 1987 anime film Mani Mani Meikyu Monogatari (also known as Labyrinth Tales) for its American release from Streamline Pictures in 1992. This artistic anthology film consists of three segments: “Alice in Wonderland” directed by Rintaro, “Running Man” directed by Yoshiyaki Kawajiri, and Katshiro Otomo’s “The Order to Stop Construction.” The Yoshiyaki Kawajiri segment, Running Man, was aired on M-TV’s Liquid Television (1991-1993), becoming one of anime’s first “mature” exposures on American television. The American home video release of Neo-Tokyo went out of print a number of years ago when Streamline Pictures expired, but AD Vision has acquired the rights to re-release the classic film in America.

Revised August 15, 2003