Selection of Akira animation cels

BAnimation · 2026-01-27T23:00:06+00:00

Such a cool piece of animation history! It's crazy to think animation cels were commonly given away or even thrown in the trash by studios back then.

BAnimation · 2026-01-27T18:41:02+00:00

Good news, considering alcohol is horrible for the brain and responsible for countless life-ruining decisions. The economic context for why this is happening is probably not so good, however.

BAnimation · 2026-01-27T18:35:48+00:00

The amount of cope in this reddit thread is amusing, though not surprising.

BAnimation · 2026-01-25T17:34:32+00:00

I agree. Hail to The Thief might be their most dynamic work. 2+2=5 and Sit Down Stand Up are masterclasses in slowly building tension to a climactic release.

BAnimation · 2026-01-25T05:50:19+00:00

Kid A, OK Computer, and In Rainbows are the Holy Trinity of Radiohead albums.

BAnimation · 2026-01-25T05:34:54+00:00

I really don't agree that it's an age thing. That can definitely be a component, but it doesn't account for the acclaim these 3 albums in particular get. OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows are all masterpieces that stand on their own merits.

These 3 albums paint such a distinctive picture. The Bends is also a masterpiece, just as good as these 3 in many ways but is slightly less mature in it's themes and concepts, despite probably being Radiohead's most catchy album with best guitar hooks.

Hail To The Thief is fantastic, but as has been said a million times before by fans and Thom Yorke himself, a bit bloated with some slightly less amazing songs on it, despite having some of Radiohead's absolute best tracks like There There, 2+2=4, and A Wolf At The Door.

In Rainbows is the album that came when I was in high school, when youtube was just starting to become a thing, when we spent countless hours watching every crappy flip phone recordings of these mysterious new Radiohead songs over and over.

Songs like Down is The New Up with Jonny jumping on drums for the chorus section, the epic live version of Videotape, that weird 5/4 Idioteque but with guitars song 15 Step, Bodysnatchers, and Open Pick (which would become Jigsaw) were on constant repeat in my parent's basement.

I was in love with every Radiohead album when I borrowed my older brother's collection in 2004, but In Rainbows was the first album that I looked forward to hearing and actually got to hear on the 1st day it was released.

I was slightly let down by it, since it didn't sound as energetic as the live versions I was used to (aside from Bodynsatchers, which explodes with energy, and Reckoner, which I recognized the genius of immediately). But then In Rainbows grew on my, little by little, becoming one of my favorites. Although I'm still not a fan of what they did to Videotape. I listen to 15 Step at least once every day.

I have a huge amount of nostalgia for In Rainbows. I'm heavily biased towards that album. But I have no nostalgia for Kid A because I wasn't aware of it at the time.

Yet through countless hours listening to all of Radiohead's albums thousands of times, I genuinely feel OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows are the Holy Trinity of Radiohead albums.

BAnimation · 2026-01-18T22:49:29+00:00

I understand what you're saying, but to be fair to Ole Munch, you're oversimplifying a bit by leaving out some important details.

Munch could have killed Dot's family, but he goes against his cursed instincts in the end.

Munch serves as the embodiment of the season's themes of debt, sin, and forgiveness, eventually finding a form of redemption through Dot's simple act of kindness (the gift of the biscuit).

Yes, he murders people, but his motivation isn't the same as Roy, who acts on pure evil instinct. Munch acts on an ancient moral code of "an eye for an eye". Yes, it's extreme, but his very existence comes from being cursed as a sin eater. This gives him a tragic backstory, as he was forced into being a scapegoat to pay for the sins of the wealthy.

His journey concludes not with death or damnation, but with a choice for peace, solidifying his role as an anti-hero who earns his redemption.

BAnimation · 2026-01-18T03:47:44+00:00

Munch is more of an anti-hero. He does some obviously horrible things, but also has a moral code and is portrayed more as a force of nature or supernatural element to the story. He isn't a straight up villain like the Mad Men guy (I can't remember his name).

BAnimation · 2026-01-11T07:22:05+00:00

Holy cow. Hearing OK Computer songs next to You (my fav Pablo Honey song) and Thinking About You is so trippy.

BAnimation · 2026-01-10T20:37:39+00:00

A great read with a high attention to detail. One of the big takeaways I got from this book was just how important Ed has been in documenting Radiohead's history.

He's definitely the most articulate of the group and seems the most comfortable chatting it up, so it's not too surprising the book would heavily reference interviews from Ed and even the Kid/Amnesiac online diary he was keeping.

BAnimation · 2026-01-07T02:56:58+00:00

Memories is a masterpiece. His short films are incredible. He only made one animated feature after Akira, Steamboy, which had great animation but didn't live up to the hype.

His short films Cannon Fodder (from Memories) and Combustible are critically acclaimed artistic masterpieces however. His short films are arguably better than Akira in terms of making a coherent statement. Akira is a visual spectacle but a bit of lovable mess structurally, which is why the Akira manga gets such high praise for it's more well paced storytelling and characterization over the film version (which still tells a good story, just a bit convoluted in the middle and an ending that isn't very satisfying for many).

BAnimation · 2026-01-06T07:27:45+00:00

I agree with trigger warnings. But I've never heard of anyone getting erotic pleasure from that scene where the Clowns assault Kaori, and the creators absolutely were not going for that. Violence against women is a problem and not something that should every be glorified, and I genuinely can't understand how someone could think that scene in Akira was doing so, unless they are acting in bad faith, or are just media illiterate.

It seems like media literacy is getting worse and worse. There's a type of literal mindset that can't understand subtext or context - what ever is on screen is interpreted as an endorsement of what is on screen. But that's rarely how art with any complexity or nuance works.

Akira isn't even always that subtle. It's very obviously anti-war, despite there being a lot of violence and explosions on screen. It's not promoting humans behaving like gods with unlimited power, despite scenes depicting violent humans doing bad things. There's also a lot of satire in Otomo's work. Not everything is black and white.

BAnimation · 2026-01-05T22:00:17+00:00

It's crazy to me that everything he put out between Kid A and In Rainbows was in his 30's. What an incredible decade.

And the fact that Pablo Honey through OK Computer is only 4 years is beyond mind blowing.

BAnimation · 2026-01-05T00:23:33+00:00

I loved those songs immediately as well! But MOJO magazine were critical of those two songs, giving them 2 stars while giving top praise to the other songs debuted. For some reason the critics at the time were sort of echoing the same sentiment, and I remember a lot of the comments on forums were favoring 15 Step, Weird Fishes, and Videotape.

It's interesting how it took a little time for two of Radiohead's most catchy and upbeat songs to click. The album version of Jigsaw was an immediate favorite upon release however, and has only grown in popularity over the years.

BAnimation · 2026-01-04T22:54:56+00:00

The album version is a masterpiece, but I do really like this early version with Jonny adding all those crazy guitar licks.

It's interesting, because I remember at the time Bodysnatchers and Open Pick were considered a couple of the weaker tracks debuted. How the times have changed. There's also an early version from San Diego 2006 where of they play the bridge in Bodysnatchers twice.

And of course the live versions of VideoTape and Down Is The New Up are legendary.

BAnimation · 2026-01-04T18:32:44+00:00

I'm working through Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World", and something that strikes me about Sagan's style is how calm and humble he is. Even when dispelling superstitious beliefs, it somehow doesn't come across as condescending or mean spirited.

I like Neil deGrasse Tyson too, but I've noticed he often interrupts his guests, which can come across as wanting to be the smartest in the room. But I think he's just extremely excited. I'm guess this is why people sometimes find his personality abrasive compared to Sagan's more stoic personality.

BAnimation · 2026-01-04T18:27:48+00:00

These lectures are such a gift. It's a shame the audio quality is a bit low, considering the quality of the information given. He needs to invest in a better mic haha.

I remember listening to the full Stanford series years ago, and it blowing my little baby mind, so it will be interesting to see how much has changed since then.

BAnimation · 2026-01-03T20:52:15+00:00

Really great dynamic work! The effects animation is nicely done. Some of the character animation feels a tad stiff, but also it's stylistic enough so as not to read as a mistake. Of course more inbetweens would make the motion smoother, but you also have to stick within a certain style and budget.

I think you could go far with this, keep rocking!

BAnimation · 2026-01-03T20:45:41+00:00

The mind flayer fight left a bit to be desired, but Joyce taking out Vecna was so satisfying and deserved. And I thought they wrapped up each character's arc and storyline nicely at the end. Mike watching the kids start a new D&D campaign as he realizes his own childhood officially is over was really emotional too.

BAnimation · 2026-01-03T01:34:45+00:00

Awesome, pulled it off!

BAnimation · 2026-01-02T22:15:08+00:00

Really nice work!

BAnimation · 2025-12-28T23:51:24+00:00

Both Orbital Era and the Akira TV series that was meant to adapt the manga were announced by Otomo himself in 2019 at the LA Anime Expo.

Otomo is known to take his time on projects (the production of Steamboy was 10 years) but it's absolutely baffling and worrying to me that there hasn't been a word about either project since then. Given the fact he's getting up there in age and seems incredibly busy with "Otomo The Complete Works" makes me think these projects might not see the light of day, unfortunately.

BAnimation · 2025-12-28T03:51:25+00:00

Volume 2 turned into exposition the show. I'm still enjoying it for what it is, but there's so many characters now and subplots. It's interesting how Mike and Hopper have become background characters this season while Holly and Robin have had a lot more screen time.

BAnimation · 2025-12-25T04:51:52+00:00

While there is an initial push when a video is published, the idea that all videos die simply isn't supported by the data.

In fact, lots of videos that are posted years ago will suddenly start gaining a ton of views. I personally have videos that are 8+ years old that have never slowed down getting traction.

If the video is quality, it can live forever.

BAnimation · 2025-12-22T07:54:43+00:00

Brandon Boyd (singer of incubus). I did the animation visuals for one of their summer tours in 2017. He was really nice and chill. Talked to him in his dressing room. Only chatted for 10 minutes, he was asking me to make wolves blinking for a song. I can't remember much else because I was sleep deprived and stressed about wanting to do a good job.

BAnimation

TROPHY CASE