Okay, so the other day I was going through some old stuff and I came across this manga, Akira, you know? It’s by that famous guy, Katsuhiro Otomo. I’d read it years ago, but flipping through it again, I got hit by a wave of nostalgia, especially for Kaneda’s red jacket.
I mean, that thing is iconic, right? It’s got that rebellious vibe, and it just screams “cool”. In the manga, Kaneda’s got a bunch of different outfits, but in the anime, it’s all about that red jacket. So I thought, “Why not try to make one myself?”

I started by doing some research. I rewatched the movie, paused on every scene where you could get a good look at the jacket. I noticed it’s kind of like a ski jacket, with two layers, clip buttons, and a big collar that you can adjust. This explains the structure and some design choices. Then I found some high-quality images online, which was a huge help for figuring out the details.
Next, I had to find the right materials. I wanted to get as close as possible to the original, so I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect shade of red leather. It wasn’t easy, but I finally found a supplier that had exactly what I was looking for. I also had to source the buckles, the lining, and all the other bits and pieces. And I wanted to make the jacket as close as possible to the one in the movie, but without the pill design on the back. After all, I didn’t want any trouble, just wanted to make a cool jacket.
Then came the actual making of the jacket. I’m not exactly a pro, but I’ve dabbled in sewing before. I started by creating a pattern based on my measurements and the references I’d collected. Then, I cut out the leather, the lining, and everything else, and started sewing it all together. It was a lot of work, and there were definitely some tricky parts. I had a few moments where I thought I’d messed up, but I just took a deep breath and kept going.
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I used my old sewing machine, and man, it gave me some trouble at times.
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Stitching leather is no joke, it’s tough stuff!
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I had to redo the collar like three times to get it just right.
After many hours and a few minor mishaps, I finally finished the jacket. And I gotta say, I was pretty proud of myself. It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely recognizable as Kaneda’s jacket. I put it on, and I felt like I could take on the world, or at least cruise around Neo-Tokyo on a cool motorcycle.
The Result
In the end, I managed to create a pretty decent replica of Kaneda’s jacket. It’s not an official one, of course, but it captures the spirit of the original. And more importantly, it was a fun project that brought back a lot of good memories. I learned a lot about sewing, about leatherwork, and about the importance of paying attention to detail. And now I have a unique piece of clothing that’s both a tribute to one of my favorite mangas and a testament to my own DIY skills.
So that’s the story of my Akira jacket. It was a challenging but rewarding project, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s a reminder that sometimes, it’s worth taking the time to make something yourself, even if it’s just for fun.