In what turned out to be a worldwide famous coincidence, cult cyberpunk anime Akirapredicted that (Neo) Tokyo would host the 2020 Olympic games. In a spooky parallel with the real world, in Akira’s post-apocalyptic world too, people are calling for the cancellation of the games.
Akira nailed it
Set in 2019, 31 years after World War III, Katsuhiro Otomo’s monument of science-fiction, Akiratells about a rather dark world struggling to get back to normal while a mysterious force is strengthening to plunge Neo Tokyo into yet another doom.
Akirais a phenomenal work of animation which has inspired countless movies and shows, including The Matrixtrilogy no less. The combination of thrilling artwork and a highly complicated plot combining teenage gangs, psychic kids, and top-secret government experiments has not aged a bit.
But what certainly struck people the most is how Akira somehow foresaw the future on so many levels.
Just Cancel It
Last Friday marked exactly 147 days until the 2020 Games opening ceremony on July 24th. A countdown that echoed with a particular scene from the movie, which shows a signboard reading オリンピックあと= “147 Days Until The Tokyo Olympic Games”.
Entirely in phase with the current call to cancel 2020’s Olympics due to the coronavirus, graffiti under the signboard reads だ中止which means “just cancel it!”
The hashtag #中止だ中止is officially now trending on Twitter.
Twitter user @zombie0928 wrote“中止するタイミングはがいいぞ。” (Today is the best day to announce the cancellation of the Olympic games.)
Another twitter user, @egg68389419, posted a screenshot from Akiraside-by-side with an actual poster in real-life Tokyo. That is just spooky.
While we all wish for the Olympics to take place after all the effort Japan made for the infamous stadium to be ready on time, the current situation is quite worrisome. Was last Friday the best timing to announce a cancellation indeed?
“The best day is today.”
Here’s how to build a sentence to express that something is “the best” or “the most” using the expression 一番.
- Noun + は/が 一番\+ adjective + だ
でジブリは一番だ。= Ghibli is the best known (studio) in the world.
- Verb-dictionary form + のは/のが 一番 + adjective + だ
アニメをるのが一番きだ。= Watching anime is what I prefer to do the most/the best.
Vocabulary
東京オリンピック toukyou orinpikku Tokyo Olympics 開催 kaisei opening 迄 made until あと ato after 日 nichi day 中止 chyuushi cancel 発表する happyou suru announce タイミング taimingu timing 今日 kyou today 一番 ichiban the best, the most いい ii good 世界で sekai de in the world ジブリ jiburi Studio Ghibli 有名 yuumei famous, known アニメ anime Japanese animation 見る miru watch 好き suki like
Just to be clear, the International Olympic Committee has vehemently deniedthere is any chance of the Tokyo Olympic games being canceled.
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