Otomo’s seminal manga follows members of teenaged motorcycle gang who become entangled in (and help facilitate) the destruction of Neo Tokyo. After gang member Tetsuo begins to exhibit latent psychic powers, the military—which harbors its own psychics—detains him, prompting the gang’s leader, Kaneda, to join a faction of rebels and try to rescue his friend. As Tetsuo’s powers develop, he loses touch with reality and unleashes mass destruction upon the city. The comic’s 1988 animated feature adaptation is regarded as a high-water mark of animation, as well as a worldwide success that helped to popularize anime outside of Japan.