Singh, Jeff :: Akira - All Things Akira!!

Akira Street Scene production artwork Otomo studios Pattern no. 182

Artists: Katsuhiro Otomo (Penciller) , Otomo Studio (All) , Toshiharu Mizutani (Painter)

3 Comments - 420 Views - 3 Likes

Akira Street Scene production artwork Otomo studios Pattern no. 182 Comic Art

Additional Images:

Storyboard art by Otomo scene 182

Finished painted version

Screenshot 6:51

Screenshot 6:53

Next Item:
Akira animation Cel featuring Kaneda

Artwork Details

Title:	Akira Street Scene production artwork Otomo studios Pattern no. 182
Artist:	Katsuhiro Otomo (Penciller)
Artist:	Otomo Studio (All)
Artist:	Toshiharu Mizutani (Painter)
Media Type:	Pencil
Art Type:	Animation
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	420
Likes on CAF:	3 4
Comments:	3
Added to Site:	12/9/2023
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Here is something pretty cool. I wasn't sure what it was when I first bought it which was on a bit of an impulse. I had hoped that it migh be the hand of Otomo-san himself but had no real clue. With the help of a friend and some sleuthing I have found that it is the finished pencils for the background art to scene 182 in the Akira anime movie. It is actually a pretty cool scene and unlike being just a background you see for blink of an eye, it is in the movie full screen without any foreground characters for several seconds. The scene was also included in the US theatrical trailer.

In my additional images you will see a scan of the storyboards from the Complete Otomo series book 21 which was part 1 of the 2 storyboard volumes. You can see even early on Otomo knew what he wanted drawn. I've seen a photograph of this prelim so it was on display at some point too and was made into this larger finished pencil illustration and then painted by art director and master painter Toshi Harur Mizutani. The painted piece was entitled "Akira Pattern No. 182 Final Production Background" and was displayed in the Akira - The Architecture of Neo Tokyo which toured internationally. You can read about it here https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2022/06/akira-architecture-neo-tokyo/ It is also featured in the exhibition book Anime Architecture: Imagined Worlds and Endless Megacities by Stefan Riekeles.

In the movie this scene is from 6:48 to 6:54 so on screen quite some time and a key scene and is also not just a background scene but the actual scene itself. Right after the opening battle with the clowns they pan a shot of Neo Tokyo then this scene which is moving and blurry at first as one of the rebels escapes with Takashi (No. 26) and is stumbling injured through the side streets just before he shoots the dogs and then is himself shot triggering Takashi to collapse all the buildings around them. How cool is this. Two screenshots below from 6:51 and 6:53. Blurriness effect is seen in the screenshots.

At 4:14 in this documentary on Akira where they interview Otomo-san this is in the background too. Again, this appears at 23:12 in the documentary where they are interviewing Mizutani-san who is the art director as well as the painter of the finished piece. Finally, this scene made the US theatrical trailer and can be seen in the documentary at 49:42 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj7wxeo6R9o&ab_channel=JPSOUSAdesign

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About the Owner

	Jeff Singh ( 7 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	November 2004
Last Login:	September 2025
Website:	http://www.art4comics.com
Country:	CANADA
On CAF:	Premium Member Q&A Jeff's Classifieds Jeff's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF Read More About JeffSingh

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Comments on this Artwork

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Steve N. Comic/Fantasy Art
Member Since 2017

1 - Posted on 12/9/2023

I still remember watching Akira for the first time in middle school. Surreal, uncanny, mindblowing.

Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 12/9/2023

A really great looking pencilled piece. I hope you do find out some more background info on it!

artless artmore
Member Since 2013

1 - Posted on 12/10/2023

Fantastic! So much to enjoy in this

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