Abstract
ABSTRACTThis paper compares two aesthetic movements, Italian futurism and Japanese cyberpunk, which served as the high points of utopian modernism and nihilistic postmodernism, respectively. Through a comparison of aesthetics between the movie Akira and Italian futurist works by Fortuna Depero, Umberto Boccioni, Balla Giamoco, and others, this paper shows the cyberpunk movement as a postmodern critique of utopian modernist concepts: the machine body, the revolutionary character of youth and destruction, masculinity, speed, rational architecture, and the cleansing effect of war. Through a synchronic comparison, fundamental features of Italian fascist capitalism, the Japanese bubble economy, and the linkage between culture and economics in these contexts are explored. Finally, a close reading of the themes, aesthetics, and philosophy of the Akira movie shed new light on this movie’s place in the worldwide ‘anime boom’ and its universally resonant themes.
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