Akira

'Akira'(1988): Japanese anime had made inroads to the West long before Katsuhiro Otomo's mind-blowing cyberpunk epic started creeping its way into the comic-con fanboy cliques. But it wasn't until this vision of a postapocalyptic future began sporadically showing in America ... morethat the second official anime explosion began in earnest. Suddenly, all memories of wide-eyed heroes like Astro Boy were wiped off the memory slate. Based on a popular manga, this dense, dystopic tale of a young man with strong psychic powers battling corporate goons is filled mind-meltingly hallucinogenic imagery. (Full disclosure: I still have nightmares about those marauding rapist clowns and that giant mutant teddy bear). But it was the top-notch animation, an unusually strong narrative (for anime, at least) and its bleak, "Blade Runner"-esque take on Tokyo circa 2018 that made discerning geeks sit up and take notice. The influence that "Akira" has had on the genre ever since has been incalculable, and older viewers who didn't know their Pokemon from their Miyazaki would soon find themselves immersed in the country's fertile animated output.