This is a book about Akira - the manga of 1982-90 and the movie of 1988, and about the creator of Akira, the genius artist Katsuhiro Otomo (b. 1954).

In Neo-Tokyo, built on the former site of Tokyo after World War III, two teenagers are targeted by agencies after they develop paranormal abilities.

Discover Katsuhiro Otomo’s visionary work and post-Akira Japanese comic culture. The catalyst of an era, of a world that was unaware of its downfall, Katsuhiro Otomo’s visionary work marked a turning point in the industry. First, in his homeland, Japan, in terms of graphics and plot on an entire generation of post-Akira artists who adopted his attention to detail, his realism and his dizzying views. But above all with his international reach, which threw Japanese comic strips and animations into the limelight in numerous countries, by trampling the rest of the world’s notion that cartoons are exclusively for children. This book dives headfirst into the radioactive culture that is the creative power of Katsuhiro Otomo, from the mangaka’s— already explosive—beginnings, up to winning recognition for Akira. Discover the themes and influences of this fundamentally anti-establishment work by exploring its socio-economic or simply literary aspects. The author of the work analyzes the phenomenon, from its tiny seed to the mighty tree, and reveals why Akira is, above all, a purely Japanese series. This book will provide you with an analysis of the socio-historical context of Akira. It aims to help Western readers to better understand the escence of this graphic and narrative treasure. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rémi Lopez graduated with a degree in Japanese from Bordeaux III University. In 2004, he cut his teeth as an author when he wrote website columns on video game soundtracks. Two years later, he joined the Gameplay RPG magazine in which he carried out the same task. He then followed the then editor-in-chief, Christophe Brondy, and his entire team to a new project: the monthly Role Playing Game magazine. Rémi wrote The Legend of Final Fantasy VIII and the book on the Original Soundtrack for Pix'n Love publications in 2013.

With Akira and his mad prime minister ruling the Great Tokyo Empire, the world at largeis gathering its military strength to take on the Empire.

form a work of astonishing power and visionary scope, with unsurpassed artistry. Now available for the first time in English, and featuring more than 100 full-colour, full-size title-page illustrations not included in the original manga reprints, as well as rarely seen alternate art, preliminary sketches, production drawings and a variety of posters, advertisements and products all accompanied by commentary from Otomo himself Akira Club is the ultimate companion to Otomo?s masterpiece! Beautifully presented in a high-quality, coffee-table hardback edition, this is a bookno sci-fi, manga, comics or Akira fan should miss!

With the manga and anime Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo changed art and pop culture worldwide. Now some of the most admired illustrators and comics artists in the world have come together to pay tribute to this master, in a beautiful tribute art book. New, original cover by Katsuhiro Otomo! This 168-page collection began life as a limited-edition tribute to Otomo given only to attendees of the prestigious Angoulême International Comics Festival, where Otomo was recipient of the Grand Prize in 2015. Now it's available to readers and collectors around the world, with additional content from a list of more than 80 fine artists, illustrators, and comics legends, including: • Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto) • Shirow Masamune (The Ghost in the Shell) • Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo) • Taiyo Matsumoto (Sunny, Tekkon Kinkreet) • Tomer and Asaf Hanuka (The Realist, The Divine) • Aleksi Briclot (Spawn) • Olivier Coipel (Legion of Super-Heroes) • Naoki Urasawa (Monster, Pluto) • Sara Pichelli (Runaways) • Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Diebuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL) • Akihiko Yoshida (Final Fantasy) • And many others. In full color at a large size.

The career of acclaimed filmmaker Akira Kurosawa spanned more than five decades, during which he directed more than thirty movies, many of them indisputable classics: Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo, among others. During the height of his creative output, Kurosawa became one of the most influential and well-known directors in the world, inspiring filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and movies such as The Magnificent Seven; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; and Star Wars. In Akira Kurosawa: A Viewer’s Guide, Eric San Juan provides a comprehensive yet accessible examination of the artist’s entire cinematic endeavors. From early films of the 1940s such as Sanshiro Sugata and No Regrets for Our Youth to Oscar winner Dersu Uzala—the author helps readers understand what makes Kurosawa’s work so powerful. Each discussion includes a brief synopsis of the film, an engaging analysis, and thoughtful insights into the film’s significance. All of Kurosawa’s works, from 1943 to 1993, are analyzed here, including the overlooked television documentary Song of the Horse, produced in 1970. In addition to more than twenty photos, Akira Kurosawa: A Viewer’s Guide provides rich discussions that will appeal to students of cinema as well as anyone who wants to learn more about Japan’s greatest director.