A triumph of animation

Rating: 9/10 (6 March 2012)

"Akira" is more than just a character's name or an iconic motorcycle; it's 2019 Neo-Tokyo, one of the most distinctive places you've ever been transported to. Within this city are warring biker gangs, a sinister government bureaucracy and freakish all-powerful mutants. And despite the "RoboCop" levels of violence, you'll find yourself coming back. This is that big of a mind-bender.
There's substance to the claims that the plot can be a bit opaque, and I think there was too much of the epic manga crammed into this (the political subtext and metaphysics are only given a passing glance). But with regard to animation, there's simply no rivaling this. Look at the rippling destruction of a citywide energy blast or the blood spray of a human body as gunfire cuts it to ribbons; the sheer effort and attention to detail that went into this are staggering. The line work is articulate and the color is just stunning. This is a post- apocalypse and it's still a visual feast. The violence may be ugly, but the art sure as hell isn't.
"Akira" is as repulsive as it is dazzling and there's nothing else like it.
9/10