Kaneda Merged

Anyone who has seen the film recognises the silhouette immediately: the swaggering teenage gang leader out of Neo-Tokyo, all attitude and no plan, the character who opens one of the most influential animated features ever made. This is a figure of him, sculpted as a display piece rather than a game token. Akira's look has aged remarkably well, and its lead biker is the part of it people reach for first, a poster boy for a whole strand of 1980s cyberpunk who is half delinquent and half reluctant hero. A sculpt has only posture to work with, so stance, shoulders and the set of the head carry what dialogue and motion do on screen. It belongs on a shelf of anime figures, on a studio desk, or on the workbench of someone who wants a paint-up project with real history behind it instead of another generic hero pose.