Akirais known as one of thebest anime movies of all time. It was one of the first manga series to be successfully translated into English, giving Western audiences an opportunity to experience an entirely new art form. Not only was ithugely successful,but it was also incredibly influential, spawning a host of homages that have been seen throughout the past three decades.
One of the most iconic moments fromAkirais the protagonist, Shotaro Kaneda’s, legendary bike slide. The movie’s first part puts biker gangs at the forefront of the action, and during an exciting scene, Kaneda redirects his movement on his motorcycle by kicking his left leg out, leaning out of the momentum, and sliding his bike. It’s captured with a single, unmoving shot that made Kaneda an instant icon. This single moment has been recreated throughout a ton of different Hollywood series, showingjust how influentialAkirareally is.
PAW Patrolis one of the most popular children’s shows of the past few decades. It stars the tech genius Ryder as he helps 6 amazing dogs save the day in a myriad of ways. Each of the dogs brings something different to the table, offering their skills whenever someone needs them most. While it’s a show meant to be watched by kids who are too young to watch or understandAkira,The PAW Patrol Movieincluded the Akira Bike Slide anyway.
During a bicycle chase, one of the dogs on the PAW Patrol runs out of room while heading towards a river. In a moment of action, she kicks his leg out,leans out of the turn, and hits the Akira Bike Slide expertly. It’s a funny nod to the legendary series that few people would have expected to see in a kid’s show. While most young fans won’t understand the reference, it’s a nice little treat for anime enthusiasts watching alongside their children.
9Come Over
Music Video by Jorja Smith ft. Popcaan
Come Overis a great songby the smooth Jorja Smithfeaturing a titan of Jamaican music in Popcaan. While the song itself doesn’t mentionAkiraor the bike slide, the futuristic music video does. In the visually stunning music video, Jorja Smith rides her green, cyber motorcycle through the streets with a range of colors flying behind her. When her bike is approaching a hill with nothing else to ride on, she goes for it.
The camera stays still for Jorja Smith in this iconic shot. She leans out, juts her leg out for balance, andhits the iconic Akira Bike Slidein the exact same position as Kaneda did in the original film. It’s an excellent, faithful nod to the original series that looks incredible thanks to the high-quality animation of the music video. Jorja Smith’s beautiful singing makes the moment even better, as she wishes she could “Read your mind” over and over again.
Jordan Peele started out as a comedian. His sketch show,Key and Peele,featuring fellow comedian Jordan Peele was arguablyComedy Central’s greatest showsinceChappelle Show.It was a hilarious, smart series that was much better than anyone could have guessed. To see Jordan Peele transition into dark horror movies was incredibly surprising, and his movies have the same quality that his sketch show was known for.
In his movieNope,Jordan Peele gets a chance to recreate one of hisfavorite moments from anime. One of his main characters, Em, is riding a motorcycle when she quickly repositions it. With a bunch of police tape dangled over her shoulders, she leans out of the turn, kicks up a mountain of dust, andbrings the Akira Bike Slideonto the silver screen in stunning fashion.
Teen TitansandTeen Titans Go!are two of themost fun cartoons of the 2000s. They star Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven as the titular Teen Titans, looking to fight crime andsave the worldwherever they can. Even though they’re all teens, they’re more than capable of handling themselves no matter the issue. Robin is the leader and the person most likely to be seen on a motorcycle, so it makes sense that he’s the one to bring one of anime’s most recognizable scenes to Cartoon Network.
Robin has hit the Akira Bike Slide a few different times inTeen TitansandTeen Titans Go!.No matter what outfit he’s wearing, or which identity he’s using, the bike slide looks great every time and Robin is a bonafide expert in it. He leans out,uses his leg for balance, and speeds away just like Kaneda did in the original movie. Though Robin has done the slide a few times, villain Johnny Rancid also performed the iconic maneuver, which makes sense given his whole gimmick is that he has a super-powered motorcycle.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
LikeTeen Titans,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleshas recreated the Akira Bike Slideon a few occasions and has even featured it in its intro. There are a few iterations ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,and each one has a few of the same elements. The series stars the four titular turtles, including leader Leonardo, genius Donatello, fun-lover Michelangelo, and the aggressive Raphael. Raphael is the turtle who loves motorcycles more than most, making him the perfect candidate for the bike slide.
In the 2003Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesopening, Raphael shoots out of a moving van on his red motorcycle. He turns a corner and completes the Akira Bike Slide perfectly. On his red bike that already looks like Kaneda’s, he leans out of the turn,uses his foot as a brakepowerfully, and hits the Akira Bike Slide like only he could.
Adventure Timemight feature the most original version of the Akira Bike Slide when the Vampire Queen herself hits it without even using a bike.Adventure Timeis a cartoon well-known for its absurd humor and expert writing. Marceline herself is a great example of this. She’s smart, powerful, and has lived for 1,000 years. While this long lifespan might make a lot of other characters grow boring, Marceline is anything but. She’s a daredevil who is always looking to have a good time, and her bike-less slide is a perfect example.
Marceline’s Akira Bike Slide is hilarious precisely because there’s no bike to be seen but plenty of slide instead. While running, she gets on all-fours, faces left just likeKaneda on his bike inAkira, and slides with her hands and feet on the ground. It looks painful, but a Vampire Queen likeMarceline couldn’t care less.
X-Men Origins: Wolverineis one of themost exciting comic book moviesstarring the titular Wolverine. While there are several timelines within the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole,X-Men Origins: Wolverinelooked to tell the origin story of the iconic hero. Though fans may debate its merits, the movie attempted tp humanize Wolverine and give him an excellent background that could explain why he is the way he is. In an action-packed sequence of events, Wolverine is getting chased by a helicopter and has to pull off a crazy move to get away.
It’s not identical to the Akira Bike Slide, but Wolverine puts his own spin on it. In order to avoid the helicopter,Wolverine uses the bike’s momentum to turn around, plants his claws into the ground like only he could, and brings theAkiraBike Slide into the world of X-Men.
Carmen Sandiegomight be one of themost faithful recreationsof the Akira Bike Slide. She’s an iconic character who has entertained audiences for generations. In her 2019 return to the screen, she brings an all-red outfit to a great chase scene that culminates in a dedicated version of the Bike Slide that shows that the creators of the show really do have an appreciation for anime.
10 Movies And Shows To Watch If You Enjoy Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego
From her humble start as a computer game, Carmen Sandiego has gone on to be a Netflix sensation, borrowing the atmosphere of other great heist movies.
While Carmen is in the middle of a thrilling chase scene on her red bike, she goes to the roof of a building to try and avoid capture. Just like Kaneda inAkira,she leans to her left out of the turn, uses her foot to redirect herself, and hits theAkiraBike Slide fiercely.
2Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Animated Series Produced By Lucas Films Animation, Based on the Franchise Created By George Lucas
Obi-Wan’shoverbike Akira Bike SlideinStar Wars: The Clone Warsis wonderful.Star Wars: The Clone Warsis arguably thebest TV versionof the iconic franchise. During an intense fight akin to a jousting match, Obi-Wan takes on a ton of enemies at once on a speedy hoverbike. When facing the boss of the enemy’s troops, Obi-Wan his to reposition himself using a move straight out of anime.
Obi-Wan’s Akira Bike Slidelooks even cooleron a hoverbike than it does on most motorcycles. He’s already floating in the air, and when he leans out of a turn to hit the bike slide it looks like he’s drifting over nothing and everything at the same time. It’s a great moment only a master Jedi could pull off in the middle of a heated battle.
Robin is known for hislove of the Akira Bike Slide.He’s been hitting it since he was a kid inTeen Titans,and inBatman: The Animated Series,he brings the bike slide back.Batman: The Animated Seriesis one of the best renditions of Batman, one of the best cartoons, and has one of thebest opening of any seriesin its category. Robin is just as brave as Batman on numerous occasions.
While a gunman is shooting at Robin, Robin heads straight for him on his motorcycle. He grabs the gunman by the collar and starts dragging him along a pier. While facing the opposite direction than Kaneda did, Robin drops the villain off and completes the Akira Bike Slide,creating sparksat the same time.
