When I was a kid, I rented AKIRA on VHS, and there’s this scene I really love. Tetsuo wants to ride Kaneda’s bike, and Kaneda just laughs and says, “It’s too peaky for you!”
What he meant was: the bike’s settings were insanely sensitive — a wild beast that only a seriously skilled rider could handle.
Every kid (especially boys) knows that feeling: the urge to master a machine that’s ridiculously hard to control. I’m no exception.
And, actually, I own one “peaky” machine myself.
Well… “own” might not be the right word. I kinda stuffed my heart, brain, and emotions into it, and now I operate it every day. The thing doesn’t even have much power, yet it’s a pain to handle. It gets drunk on alcohol or any tiny pleasure way too fast. It sleeps a lot, it’s lazy, kinda useless.
But sometimes — sometimes — it makes insanely cool screen prints or takes great photos. Lately it’s even started drawing. (I never even touched a paintbrush until I became an adult!)
In English, “peaky” also means looking sick or unwell. When I’m hungover, I’m definitely super peaky.
So yeah — I’m riding this “peaky machine” and living a very peaky life.
Anyway, let’s just grab a beer and chill together.