Katsuhiro Otomo's shows and movies are some of the best sci-fi animes with unique visuals, complex characters, and thought-provoking stories. Most of his animes have brilliantly detailed dystopian worlds, and mind-bending conspiracies, and are dealing with social issues and identity crises.
Katsuhiro Otomo created a wide range of shorts, series, and anime movies during the past decades and his widely celebrated works inspired other anime artists as well as all types of filmmakers all over the globe. His stories are famously some of the darkest psychological animes, and he even created sci-fi animes that predicted the future. Thanks to his inspired animes, anime fans could get lost in some of the most meaningful and unique anime worlds that make them reflect on life and what the future might hold.
7 Neo Tokyo
Neo Tokyo is one of Katsuhiro Otomo's oldest short animes from the 80s. Thanks to this iconic classic anime he quickly became one of the most recognized anime artists in Japan. It's a strange and darkly atmospheric anime set in Tokyo and has a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world.
Thanks to Neo Tokyo's abstract art style and thought-provoking stories Katsuhiro Otomo quickly gathered a big following and this short also led to the creation of his most known anime, Akira. Neo Tokyo has three separate short stories with otherworldly settings and interesting characters.
6 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA
Katsuhiro Otomo also worked on the original video animation (OVA) of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure in the 90s. He directed multiple episodes of this now iconic action adventure anime and helped turn it into one of the most beloved anime franchises that's popular all over the world.
While JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA is more serious than the modern version it still has epic battles, and hilarious moments, and of course, it was already one of the best animes with great female characters. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA follows the adventures of the Joestar family and their allies who travel to Egypt to find the infamous vampire Dio Brando and save mother Holly.
5 Steamboy
Steamboy is one of Katsuhiro Otomo's most underrated anime movies with a stunning steampunk-inspired world and is set in a fictional version of England. It's a great choice for those who love steampunk-themed games and want to watch a great story that has unique technology and deals with morality in a creative and highly entertaining way.
Many fans of Katsuhiro Otomo consider Steamboy his masterwork and prefer it over his most known anime, Akira. Steamboy also has fun characters that were inspired by western stories such as Gone With The Wind. Its story is about a young inventor boy who suddenly gets caught up in a dangerous conflict over steam power.
4 Short Peace
Short Peace is Katsuhiro Otomo's most cinematic anthology feature with a fine selection of deeply atmospheric action, fantasy, and sci-fi worlds all with unforgettable stories and beautiful art style. This anime anthology takes its viewers on an emotional ride while immersing them in whimsical and darkly violent worlds.
While some of the stories are inspired by Japanese folk tales that feature one of the most powerful bears in anime, others are more realistic and are set in dark and apocalyptic worlds. Short Peace is a great choice for anime fans who are looking for animes with truly stunning cinematic worlds with powerful stories that'll make them think.
3 Memories
Memories is one of the darkest and greatest psychological anime anthologies and Katsuhiro Otomo produced and directed one of the three segments titled Cannon Fodder, but all three shorts are based on stories written by him. While all three stories have different settings and themes they all have a dark and moody world.
All the segments were created by brilliant anime artists including Koji Morimoto, Tensai Okamura, and Satoshi Kon who all added their unique touches to this classic sci-fi anime anthology. Memories have three distinctive stories one is set in deep space, another has a frighteningly realistic story about biological weapons and the third one has a mind-bending story and is set in a post-apocalyptic world torn apart by mysterious wars.
2 Metropolis
Katsuhiro Otomo wrote the screenplay for Metropolis adventure anime that was based on the manga with the same title and was also inspired by the iconic classic Metropolis film from 1927. It's a beautifully animated and obscure anime with an emotional story that deals with various themes about life, society, and the nature of love.
Metropolis is one of the most underrated sci-fi movies with a stunningly rich world and well-crafted characters. It's set in a dystopian future in which humans and robots co-exist and follows the adventures of a rebel scientist who is pursued by anti-robot fanatics who want to destroy his latest creation named Tima.
1 Akira
Akira is no doubt Katsuhiro Otomo's most popular and widely celebrated anime that's beloved by fans and critics alike. This cyberpunk action anime is one of the most iconic anime films ever created with a fascinating story and brilliant art style.
Katsuhiro Otomo both directed and wrote the screenplay for this beloved anime and created a truly memorable world that has been celebrated by sci-fi fans for decades now. Akira has a post-apocalyptic world and is set in Tokyo. Its story follows the adventures of a bike gang leader named Shotaro Kaneda who tries to save his friend Tetsuo from a dangerous government project.