It’s now Barbie‘s world, and we’re just living in it. Greta Gerwig’s take on the iconic doll has become one of the biggest movies of the year, with a $337 million global opening weekend that’s not only left Oppenheimer in the dust, but also Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, and (perhaps predictably) stomping all over The Flash.
Now Barbie fever has taken an unexpected swerve into the world of classic anime. Artist Joana Fraga has reworked the iconic poster for 1988’s Akira into a more pastel pink theme, ditching Kaneda’s bike for Barbie’s convertible and showing the icon herself striding purposefully towards it. Check it out:
As you can see, this unexpected mashup has been a monster hit on social media, garnering a quarter of a million likes and 5.5 million views in less than a day. Honestly, given the quality of the illustration and the attention to detail (including making sure “Barbie” is written correctly in katakana), we’re not surprised.
Akira may be celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, but still feels very culturally relevant. Hollywood has spent decades trying to adapt it for the big screen, with Taika Waititi the latest director to take a shot at it. Back in April, Waititi confirmed work was underway and that he’s juggling it with his upcoming Star Wars movie, with Akira potentially being prioritized over it.
Either way, we’re hungry to see this bizarre psychic cyberpunk sci-fi saga return, but in the meantime, we’re considering buying a print of the Barbie x Akira poster to brighten up a wall.