The Most Influential Of All Things Anime!

Rating: Null/10 (18 April 2015)

The most influential of all things anime, Akira no doubt played a key role in the popularity surge of Japanese animation & is considered a landmark achievement of its genre(s) that didn't just shape up most of the art in the anime world but influenced a few live-action films as well. However, purely from the storytelling perspective, it didn't do much for me.
Set in the underbelly of post-apocalyptic Tokyo, Akira tells the story of a teenage biker who inadvertently gets involved in a government secret program & ends up with psychic powers that are beyond his control. The only people capable of stopping him are the leader of the biker gang he used to be a part of & a bunch of psionics who know what his power can unleash.
Co-written & directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira is based on his manga of the same name & he has transformed it on the film canvas in a truly astonishing manner, setting up whole new standards in the process. The futuristic world it puts on the screen is highly fascinating to look at plus the cyberpunk tone present in its dystopian society provides the right feel to it as well.
The screenplay is finely adapted & while its execution makes sure that meticulous attention is provided to smallest of details, the narrative unfortunately isn't captivating enough & even the characters are quite uninteresting. The animation was a groundbreaking feat of its time, the camera-work is brimming with surplus energy, the use of sound is expertly carried out but its score is a disappointment.
On an overall scale, Akira is a technical marvel that rarely lets its viewers breathe for it runs at breakneck speed from start to finish & packs in more action n violence than anticipated but considering its legacy, I expected much more from it. And although I won't be a part of its ever expanding fanbase for now, I do get what the fuss is all about. Definitely worth a shot, Akira is a must for anime & sci-fi aficionados.