Akira

I think the Akira movie was probably more a vehicle designed by Katsuhiro to promote his comic. There are quite a few things wrong with the movie, such as why absolutely nothing makes sense. There are vague hints and references to the comic, ones that aren't even revealed until after the movie was created.

As a result, the viewer is left in the dark, completely dumbfounded by what is presented to him on the screen. This isn't a mindfuck, the story presented in the movie is just fucking stupid. Ultimately what Akira does best is combine artistic vision, and likeable characters into an entertaining feature, with lots of bang and pizazz. All aspects of the picture making were top notch, from production, to design, to acting. It's a great film, just not a great story.

Which I suppose would make it the quintessential anime. =/

Jam it back in, in the dark.