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Amazing GIF compiles some of the best scenes inspired by Kaneda’s drifting in Akira

Andrew Kane Aug 8, 2016
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We doubt anyone could ever forget just how influential Akira is, but here’s a GIF to remind you just in case you ever do!

Some very patient pop culture fanatics have scoured hours of footage to prepare this surprisingly comprehensive GIF that shows some of the times animators from around the world have copied a certain iconic moment from one of the 1988 animated film’s best-known sequences. And, believe it or not, it’s not that infamous teddy bear bleeding milk scene either!

▼　Check it out below for yourself!

One cool slide deserves another. Katsuhiro Ôtomo's #Akira continues to influence artists and filmmakers alike. pic.twitter.com/6LYuOHC6Sr

— One Perfect Shot (@OnePerfectShot) August 2, 2016

In several seconds, this GIF neatly encapsulates just how influential this film, and this shot in particular, is, with numerous clips in rapid succession showing different characters trying to be cool while replicating the move almost exactly. Simpsons even did it!

The shot that inspired the rest obviously comes from Katsuhiro Ōtomo’s 1988 cinematic adaptation of his long-running manga, Akira. For those who haven’t yet seen the seminal movie, the clip comes from early in the film, when Kaneda and his pill-popping bike gang clash with their rivals, the Clowns, on one of the futuristic highways of Neo Tokyo.

As the two gang leaders speed toward each other in a game of chicken, Kaneda narrowly misses his foe, performing a pretty insane drifting move down the center of the frame. It’s a cool scene in a movie filled with memorable moments. So, if you haven’t seen it or the arguably superior (read: more coherent) manga on which it’s based, do yourself a favor and do so immediately!

Unsurprisingly, the GIF reveals that there were a fair number of Akira fans in the North American animation industry as well, with scenes from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman, Adventure Time, and the Clone Wars all paying tribute to Kaneda’s excellent driving skills.

▼ And animators might not be the only ones who were inspired!

@RocketLeague Someone was inspired by Akira. The Esper totally has the aesthetic of Tetsuo's Motorcycle. pic.twitter.com/jvkQDhT8WL

— TwistedSyn87 (@TwistedSyn87) June 10, 2016

And, of course, to please all the Pokémon fans out there, this amazing GIF concludes with Officer Jenny performing some impressive acrobatics before catching a Pikachu mid-air and executing a perfect Kaneda-style drift.

Show off!

Let’s just admit it — like Tetsuo, we’re all deeply jealous of (might even be unhealthily and violently obsessed with) Kaneda and his amaing red motorcycle. It’s even got computer controlled anti-lock breaks! But please, do not attempt this move at home. I thought I could do it for this story on my bike, and the attempt ended in nothing but tears and humiliation.

Sources: Twitter/@One.Perfect.Shot.
Top Image: Twitter/@One.Perfect.Shot.