Akira

KATSUHIRO ŌTOMO (Japan, 1954).
AKIRA. “Tetsuo Shima”.
Acetate.
Original stamp attached.
Measurements: 23.5 x 35.5 cm.
Celluloid from the legendary film Akira (1988), directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, now considered a highly valuable collector’s item in the history of anime. More than just a production fragment, it is a direct testament to the artisanal process of traditional animation, predating the digital era, where each image was hand-painted onto celluloid sheets.
The piece depicts Tetsuo Shima with his head bandaged, one of the film’s most iconic images. This moment refers to the character’s progressive transformation—the central axis of the narrative—in which his physical fragility is a hallmark of his transformation, contrasting with the uncontrollable growth of his psychic powers. Set in the city of Neo-Tokyo following an explosion that triggers a conflict of global proportions, Akira stands as a seminal work of the cyberpunk genre, exploring themes such as power, corruption, scientific experimentation, and social chaos. Its innovative animation, featuring over 160,000 hand-drawn frames, and its complex narrative have made it an undisputed landmark that marked the international expansion of anime.