June 29: Akira (1988) dir. Katsuhiro Otomo

Akira takes place in post World War II Neo Tokyo. This is based on a set of chunky graphic novels which were published over a period of time, and were also produced by the illustrator Katsuhiro Otomo.

It's an absorbing and cult film. It's best watched (as are all foreign language films) in the original language version with subtitles - otherwise voices, nuances of expression, sound effects etc are changed very often.

The Akira wiki contains a range of articles including one on Japan which considers how the AKIRA 'milieu' varies from, but takes its 

Description from a review:

An ’80s anime classic, Akira takes place in post World War II Neo Tokyo, boasting a sprawling skyline some have said draws inspiration from Japan’s modern Metabolist architects. Elaborate scenes, especially those depicting motorcycles sprinting through the city, show off a detailed imagining of a future metropolis.

My son has a very chunky set of large hardback illustrated books with the full story of Akira complete with additional elements and even translations of the sound bubbles in the comic, which are different to the ones in the English translation and more expressive.

This is the edition my son has:

Japan was due to host the Olympic Games in 2020, but they were delayed to 2021 because of the pandemic, eerily echoing the setting in the book.