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Gelecek Vizyonlar Dergisi 2025, Clt. 9(2) 181-191
CYBERPUNK AND STEAMPUNK: Ōtomo Katsuhiro’s Cautionary Tales of Destruction and Salvation
ss. 181 - 191
Yayın Tarihi: Aralık 31, 2025 | Görüntüleme Sayısı: 0/0 | İndirilme Sayısı: 0/0
Özet
Ōtomo Katsuhiro 大友克洋 (born 1954) as a visionary creator whose manga (comics) publications have garnered immense acclaim, inspiring a wide range of adaptations into live-action and animated movies. Despite his prolific career as a manga artist, Ōtomo has directed only two animated movies – Akira (『アキラ』, 1988) and Steamboy (『スチームボーイ』, 2004) –, each of which has profoundly transformed the landscape of visual cultures. The study undertakes a critical examination of these seminal works, dissecting their dramaturgic architectures, narrative structures, character designs, and aesthetic-ideological frameworks. As pioneering contributions to cyberpunk and steampunk, respectively, both animation movies offer powerful meditations on the rebellion against established norms and society’s relentless chase of progress. At their core, they intertwine narratives which challenge the dominance of older generations while reflecting Japan’s collective trauma from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in parallel with the nation’s unyielding drive for technological advancement pursued by a ruthless elite. Through intricately crafted worlds and richly nuanced characters, Akira and Steamboy engage with themes of technological progress versus human alienation, generational and socio-political divides, and the omnipresent metaphor of nuclear peril. These thematic explorations are set within a dystopian artistic vision which contemplates the necessity of healing through self-responsibility. As landmark achievements in animated cinema, both animation movies stand out not only due to their technical innovation but also due to their profound and enduring portrayal of the human condition amid rapid change.
Anahtar kelimeler: japan, katsuhiro
APA 7th edition
GRAJDIAN, M. (2025). CYBERPUNK AND STEAMPUNK: Ōtomo Katsuhiro’s Cautionary Tales of Destruction and Salvation. Gelecek Vizyonlar Dergisi, 9(2), 181-191.
Harvard
GRAJDIAN, M. (2025). CYBERPUNK AND STEAMPUNK: Ōtomo Katsuhiro’s Cautionary Tales of Destruction and Salvation. Gelecek Vizyonlar Dergisi, 9(2), pp. 181-191.
Chicago 16th edition
GRAJDIAN, Maria (2025). "CYBERPUNK AND STEAMPUNK: Ōtomo Katsuhiro’s Cautionary Tales of Destruction and Salvation". Gelecek Vizyonlar Dergisi 9 (2):181-191.
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