The 1988 anime film “Akira” has been ranked the best anime film of all time by Complex, solidifying its influence on the medium and pop culture at large.
There are great anime films, and then there is Akira. Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 cyberpunk masterpiece has officially been ranked the best anime film of all time by Complex, further cementing its reputation as one of the most influential animated features ever made.
Directed by Otomo and based on his own manga series, Akira stars the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, and Taro Ishida, among others. Set in a dystopian, neon-soaked Neo-Tokyo, the film follows teenage biker Kaneda and his friend, Tetsuo, as political unrest, government experimentation, and uncontrollable psychic powers spiral into chaos.
While anime had long thrived in Japan, Akira played a pivotal role in introducing the medium to international audiences. Its cult popularity in the early 1990s helped spark global curiosity about Japanese animation, paving the way for franchises like Dragon Ball and Pokémon to gain mainstream pop culture acceptance outside Japan.
Visually, Akira was unlike anything Western audiences had seen at the time. Its hyper-detailed cityscapes, fluid animation, and shocking body horror sequences pushed the boundaries of animated storytelling. The film’s cyberpunk aesthetic, made up of flashing lights, political tension, and existential dread, would go on to influence major works across entertainment.
The film’s impact can be traced through video games like Final Fantasy VII, anime such as Ghost in the Shell, and even pop music. Artists including Michael Jackson and Kanye West have incorporated imagery and stylistic elements inspired by Akira. One of its most iconic moments, Kaneda’s now-legendary motorcycle slide, has been homaged repeatedly in films and television, including Jordan Peele’s Nope.
Beyond its technical innovation, Akira endures because of its tone. The film is unapologetically intense, filled with grotesque transformations, political paranoia, and relentless violence as Tetsuo’s powers grow increasingly unstable. It’s ambitious, unsettling, and undeniably cool, a combination that continues to captivate viewers decades later.
More than 35 years after its release, Akira remains a benchmark not just for anime, but for animated filmmaking as a whole. And according to Complex‘s latest ranking, there’s simply nothing else quite like it.
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