The cultural consciousness loves the ‘Akira Slide’; a single moment in the 1988 anime movie Akira where Shōtarō Kaneda, following a bike race, skids across the tarmac to slow himself down, facing the screen, his bike side-on, trails of smoke billowing up from the road. Of course, he could use his brakes, but it wouldn’t be as flashy now, would it? Distributors Toho knew what they were doing when they slapped Kaneda and the bike on the movie poster.

Even if you’ve never seen the movie, you’ve almost definitely seen the physics-defying Akira Slide. 37 years later, TV showrunners, animators, and directors can’t get enough of that effortless skid. It’s featured in everything from Batman: The Animated Series to Adventure Time to Jordan Peele’s 2022 sci-fi horror Nope to even adorable

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