Blade Runner and Anime

        While watching Akira and part of Ghost in the Shell, along with pieces of other anime films, there was one live-action film that kept coming to mind: Blade Runner. The aesthetic of many anime films from the color to the wardrobe, to the settings are eerily similar to those found in Ridley Scott's film. The story lines of anime films also often show uncanny resemblance Blade Runner with plots about dystopian futures full of cyber punks and the question of whether or not machines can be alive.
       And while it is no surprise to see Blade Runner have such a significant impact as it was extremely influential in the science fiction genre of live-action film, it does seem strange to me that such an overwhelming number of anime films are so heavily affected by the film. I think the reason for this can be found in Blade Runner's feelings of fear for the future and cynicism for the past that resonate so well with Japanese culture of the mid to late 80's which was trying to move on from the horror of WWII.

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