Not many movies, period, have a reputation like that, let alone ones that traversed borders and genres in the process.
This film’s influence in bringing anime to a worldwide audience alone is worth a place in history. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s an emotional thrill-ride with an unprecedented legacy. To this day, countless action and sci-fi films pay homage to its famous "Akira slide" shot. Not many movies, period, have a reputation like that, let alone ones that traversed borders and genres in the process. Not just that, “Akira” infuses its exciting action with a lot of meaning. At its core, it’s an intimate exploration of the cost of power in an ever-changing world. In the process of telling that story, it just so happened to change the world a little itself.