Akira

AKIRA.
"Tetsuo Shima."
Acetate.
Original stamp attached.
Measurements: 23,5 x 35,5 cm.
Celluloid from the mythical film Akira (1988), directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, considered today a collector's item of enormous value in the history of anime. More than a simple fragment of production, it is a direct testimony of the artisanal process of traditional animation, before the digital era, where each image was hand painted on sheets of celluloid.
The piece depicts Tetsuo Shima with his head bandaged, one of the film's most iconic images. This moment refers to the progressive transformation of the character, the central axis of the narrative, in which his physical fragility contrasts with the uncontrollable growth of his psychic powers. Set in the city of Neo-Tokyo after an explosion that triggers a conflict of global dimensions, Akira stands as a key work of the cyberpunk genre, exploring themes such as power, corruption, scientific experimentation and social decontrol. Its innovative animation, with more than 160,000 drawings produced, and its complex narrative have made it an indisputable reference that marked the international expansion of anime.