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Rilakkuma and Kaoru Animator Recreates Iconic Akira Scene in Stop-Motion

Stop-motion animator Kenta Shinohara (Rilakkuma and Kaoru) has gone viral before through making animations with video game and anime figurines. His latest work is a step-up in ambition and complexity: Recreating the iconic Akira motorcycle scene with stop-motion animation.

His video on YouTube breaks down exactly how the smoke effects and sounds were achieved (hint: it involves a lot of cotton). He also wrote the following comment about his process in the video description:

Shotaro Kaneda's figure was big as a foot. For shooting stop motion, it's easier to handle when the figure is bigger. However, the motorcycle was heavy, so I had a hard time making a wheelie. The headlight is powered by battery, and lights up. What made it complicated was that it automatically turned off in five minutes.

I used not only the table, but also the floor to complete this shoot. I was crouching most of the time, so it was tiring than the other shoots I've taken. I used a supporter for my knees to protect it from getting wounded.

Akira manga creator Katsuhiro Ōtomo commented on the video on Twitter, saying, "I saw it for the first time today. It's wonderful."

As an amusing little sequel to the video, Shinohara created a short sequence a week later showing My Neighbor Totoro's Mei attempt at pulling off the motorcycle skid with her toy bicycle.

Also be sure to check out Shinohara's Note.mu page, where he posts detailed breakdowns of how he's able to create stop-motion animation with his figures.

[Via Otakomu]