Akira
Tags: murder, stupid, paranormal, anti war, cult, violence, atmospheric, flashback, psychedelic, action, romantic, comic, revenge, alternate history, sci-fi

Plot synopsis:
On July 16, 1988 an atom bomb vaporizes Tokyo. 31 years after WW3 in 2019, Neo-Tokyo has risen, a decrepit city filled with violence and desolation. In a grungy part of town, a man goes to a bar where the bartender (Yôsuke Akimoto) sells drugs to a customer and the TV recaps the day's news. There is unrest due to unemployment and a bad economy. A young man, wearing a red biker suit, enters the bar and gathers some friends from a back room, announcing that they will be going after the Clowns, a rival bike gang, on Route 5. Outside, a younger teen, Tetsuo (Nozomu Sasaki, English: Jan Rabson), is admiring a bright red motorcycle with special technical features. Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata, English: Cam Clarke), the youth in the red suit and the leader of the Capsules biker gang, walks out of the bar and mocks Tetsuo, telling him he doesn't possess the skill to operate the bike, which belongs to Kaneda. The bosozoku gang rides out into the night.They meet the Clowns at the designated area, chasing them through the skyscraper district where the Clowns are knocked off their bikes. Bystanders watch as nearby cars are damaged and bombed by the violence. In the skirmish, Tetsuo wipes out and is left alone as the police arrive and the gangs split up.A wounded man, dripping blood, leads a short, green-skinned person through the night streets. He pulls a gun and shoots a pair of pursuing dogs. The man is eventually stopped by police near a group of rioting protesters and, in the chaos, is shot to death. The little green person cries out in terror as a building begins to collapse. The crowd scrambles for safety and a mustached man and his companion, a young woman named Kei (Mami Koyama, English: Lara Cody), are split up.Meanwhile, Kaneda's gang continues to pursue the Clowns. Tetsuo chases a Clown on his own and they approach the scene where police are attempting to hold back rioters with water cannons and tear gas. Tetsuo closes in on the Clown, wearing a red cross logo, as the rider wipes out. Tetsuo rides by and viciously hits the downed man on the head. When Tetsuo looks up, he sees the green person standing in his path. There is a crash and an explosion. Kaneda and the rest of the gang arrive on the scene to find Tetsuo semi-conscious in the street while the green person walks away, unhurt. Kaneda calls out to him but the person disappears into the darkness. A second green-skinned person then arrives in a hovering chair and speaks to the other in a child's voice, beckoning him to return and saying 'there is no escape'. A helicopter with an armed paramilitary group lands in the square and forces the Capsules gang to the ground as a tall man with a jarhead haircut emerges from the helicopter. Colonel Shikishima (Tarô Ishida, English: Tony Pope) sends Tetsuo to the hospital while Kaneda and his gang are taken into custody before he leaves in the helicopter with the two green children.At the police station, Kaneda and his gang are interrogated. Eight of the Clowns have been put in the hospital, but the Capsules are released. Kaneda notices Kei being held with another group and persuades . Unknown to him, she is a member of a terrorist organization though she teases him for attempting to flirt by freeing her before she slips away.Meanwhile, at the hospital, Tetsuo is placed in a full-body scanner. His status is overseen by Doctor Onishi (Mizuho Suzuki, English: Lewis Arquette), who suddenly makes an alarming discovery. He contacts Shikishima who is in a meeting with a politician, discussing a possible 'mole' on the Executive Council. Arriving at the hospital, Shikishima is told by Onishi that Tetsuo possesses psychic abilities similar to Akira, a young esper like the two green children, who caused the nuclear-like destruction of Tokyo 31 years prior. Project Akira was sprung from a secret government lab run by a dissident, underground terrorist group, but there was an error involving the growth pattern. Onishi claims that Tetsuo possesses the key to solving that dilemma. However, Shikishima is concerned about Tetsuo's power and, after receiving a prophesy from the esper Kiyoko (Fukue Itô, English: Melora Harte) envisioning Neo-Tokyo's destruction, instructs Onishi to kill Tetsuo if he thinks the power might get out of control.Once awakened, however, Tetsuo escapes from the hospital and makes his way toward the hideout for the Capsules gang in a vandalized wreck of a building. There, the rest of the gang is recuperating with girlfriends from the evening's events, discussing their surprise of the cooperation between police and the army. A timid young girl, Kaori (Yuriko Fuchizaki, English: Michelle Ruff), expresses her concern for her boyfriend, Tetsuo. Suddenly, he appears and proposes that they run away together. They steal Kaneda's bike and ride off, but not before Kaneda and the others see him leaving.Tetsuo and Kaori ride until the bike stalls. They are then confronted by three Clowns who accost Kaori and threaten to torch the bike. Kaneda and the rest of the Capsules arrive and help Tetsuo fight off the Clowns. Tetsuo, however, angry at having to be rescued, takes his frustrations out on a fallen Clown, kicking him fiercely. He begins to suffer a severe migraine, hallucinating that his internal organs have dropped out of his lower chest and hearing the word 'Akira'. Not a moment later, a CRC team arrives by armored vehicle and helicopters. Having pinpointed his location via a scanning device, Doctor Onishi has Tetsuo taken back to the hospital, leaving Kaneda and his gang to wonder about what's going on.Nearby an explosion rocks a building and police shoot and kill fleeing armed men. Kaneda is drawn to the violence and sees a mustached man fleeing with Kei. Kaneda follows her as police flashlights bracket her attempt to escape. Kaneda assists Kei in escaping as a cop is shot and killed. Kei leads Kaneda to the terrorist headquarters where the leader, the mustached man named Ryu (Tesshô Genda, English: Bob Buchholz), discusses their earlier failed attempt at kidnapping #26, which turns out to be the first green esper child, Takashi (Tatsuhiko Nakamura, English: Barbara Goodson). He proposes a new plan to gain access to a government facility to find what they can on the newest subject: Tetsuo. After being discovered eavesdropping, Kaneda explains to the suspicious group that he and Tetsuo are best friends from the same gang and that he can help. Ryu seeks advice from a short, old man named Nezu (Hiroshi Ôtake, English: Mike Reynolds) who speaks of Akira as a symbol for hope and change while he watches the fires and protests in the city streets from afar.Meanwhile, Tetsuo experiences memories from his days as a boy. Suddenly, his memories turn into a nightmarish hallucination. Colonel Shikishima approaches an aged green-skinned esper girl; Kiyoko, sitting inside a crib while Onishi scans readings. Kiyoko is seen to have a '25' tattooed on her palm. She makes an ominous prediction. Shikishima flies out with a few scientists and don parkas before entering a large, oval-like facility. They enter the frigid space and begin activating some of the equipment within. A massive door slowly opens and the Colonel enters the cavernous chamber. A small, red light and sign reads 'Akira 28'.Colonel Shikishima then attends a meeting with the Supreme Executive Council where he is angered by the members' refusal to further fund his project. He questions them, stating that his intents are the duties of a soldier before he angrily, and abruptly, leaves. Council member Nezu smiles at the Colonel's distress.In his hospital room within the government facility, Tetsuo experiences fantastic hallucinations of a toy rabbit, a teddy bear, a toy car and milk. Confused about what's happening, Tetsuo steps out on a glass and cuts his foot which startles the three green children responsible for the hallucinations; Takashi, Kiyoko, and Masaru (Kazuhiro Kamifuji, English: Bob Bergen). Frightened at the sight of blood, the esper children flee despite their attempt to kill Tetsuo. Angered and realizing the power he holds, Tetsuo chases after them through the hospital, killing anyone who stands in his way and wreaking havoc with his telekinetic abilities.Meanwhile, the Resistance group, having made it into the facility disguised as electrical workers, are spotted sneaking in the sewers and a chase ensues. During the violent shootout, Kaneda manages to take over a flying platform, a small aerial vehicle flown by soldiers, and takes Kei as they flee the scene. However, they are quickly detained by soldiers. Using Kei as a medium and possessing her, Kiyoko leads them to a government nursery where Tetsuo is located. Kaneda faces Tetsuo, explaining that he's here to rescue him, but Tetsuo won't have it. He angrily retorts that he needs no rescuing now and, since he's discovered where Akira is, is eager to find out what he is, hoping to make his headaches go away. Possessing stronger powers than the three espers, Tetsuo manages to escape and uses his abilities to fly away; his destination is the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Stadium under which Akira is being held in a cryogenic storage facility.Desperate to find and stop Tetsuo, Colonel Shikishima places Neo-Tokyo under martial law. Tetsuo leaves a trail of destruction through the city before he stops at the bar seen at the start of the film, still wearing his hospital gown, and approaches the bartender, now alone. Tetsuo demands 'capsules' before we see two of his fellow Capsule gang members, Yamagata (Masaaki Ôkura, English: Michael Lindsay) and Kai (Takeshi Kusao, English: Matthew Mercer) walk in from outside. They find the inside of the bar totally destroyed and the bartender lying dead as Tetsuo sits on a pile of rubble and furniture, giggling. Perplexed and disgusted, they wonder if the person they see is really Tetsuo or someone else. Tetsuo speaks to them cryptically before intimidating and attacking them.Having been left behind and locked once more in a holding cell, Kei is used again by Kiyoko to speak to Kaneda, warning him of Tetsuo's immense power. The cell door unlocks and the two escape. Meanwhile, a government representative arrives to arrest Shikishima but the Colonel's men remain loyal to him and assist the Colonel in a coup d'etat. He mobilizes his men to the stadium. Nezu, the government mole, listens to this report from home and murders his staff before Ryu arrives to inform him of the mission's failure to capture Tetsuo. Nezu shoots him and leaves with a briefcase full of money. However, he later dies in an alley from a heart attack. Having followed him, Ryu also dies from his wounds.Kai manages to find Kaneda and Kei at an urban water-filled ditch and explains that he and Yamagata found Tetsuo, who acted strangely and somehow killed Yamagata. Angered by the news of his friend's death, Kaneda vows vengeance. Takashi and Kiyoko then appear, beckoning Kei who walks over the water before disappearing. Kiyoko tells Kaneda and Kai that Tetsuo's powers have become unstable and they are trying to stop him. Kaneda argues that Tetsuo is his friend and that he is responsible for finding a way to defeat and kill him.Tetsuo makes his way towards the stadium, killing soldiers in his path and destroying vehicles and helicopters. Possessed by Kiyoko once again, Kei attempts to fight him but is thrown aside. Tetsuo exhumes Akira's entire cryonic chamber from the ground and opens it but finds nothing aside from dissected body parts housed in individual canisters. Kaneda, armed with an experimental laser cannon, rides into the chaos and confronts Tetsuo. As they fight, Shikishima intervenes with an orbital weapon called SOL, the beam of which severs Tetsuo's right arm. Enraged, Tetsuo flies into space and rips SOL out of orbit, causing it to disintegrate in the atmosphere. He then returns to the stadium where Kaori arrives, finding him screaming in pain due to his intense powers while he synthesizes an artificial, mechanical arm using the remains from Akira. The arm seems to throb with a life of its own. Shikishima finds Tetsuo and explains to him that the espers' mind-controlling drugs administered to Tetsuo were meant to stunt the evolution of his uncontrollable abilities, but they are weakening. He pleads with Tetsuo to return to the hospital but Tetsuo attacks him. Shikishima shoots back and Kaneda appears, intervening.The three espers arrive at the stadium and appear to try and communicate with the remains of Akira in the canisters. Unable to control his powers any longer, Tetsuo's body begins to morph: his arm transforms into a horrific blob that attempts to swallow the Colonel. Kaneda shoots it, causing it to recede but Tetsuo's entire body swells into a protoplasmic mutation, crushing Kaori to death in the process. Kaneda escapes as the espers awaken Akira; now appearing as a young boy without the need for a physical body. His appearance triggers a monstrous explosion and Kiyoko grabs Shikishima, transporting him to safety in the nick of time. Akira creates a blinding ball of energy that engulfs the entire city and begins to absorb Tetsuo who cries out for Kaneda's help. Desperate to save his friend, Kaneda follows Tetsuo into the energy sphere, followed closely by the three espers who are determined to save Kaneda, though they observe that they might not return.Kaneda experiences Tetsuo's and Akira's childhood memories, seeing how much Tetsuo trusted Kaneda and witnessing how the three esper children were first studied upon just before Tokyo's destruction. The espers tell Tetsuo that Akira is sending him 'away', but somewhere safe as Kaneda is ejected from the inside of the sphere, just before it explodes. The explosion partially destroys most of Neo-Tokyo, leaving a gaping hole where the sphere was that is quickly flooded by the sea. Doctor Onishi is killed when his laboratory collapses.Kaneda awakens and is reunited with Kei and Kai. Together, they ride away on their damaged bikes to start anew. Colonel Shikishima emerges from the tunnel where he was placed by Kiyoko and watches as the sun rises over the destroyed city.Elsewhere, a cosmic 'bang' breaches the darkness and a voice speaks out, "I am Tetsuo." Coming into full control of his powers, he initiates a new universe.

Review: It's a Japanese animated film, an adaptation of 2,000 pages worth of graphic novel by Katsuhiro Otomo and set in the futuristic world of Neo-Tokyo.
Horizons peel away and reality itself seems to disintegrate, fragment after animated fragment, as Tetsuo battles his way to downtown Neo-Tokyo and prepares to face Akira, whatever that may mean.The only other character developed to this level is his best friend Kaneda, who in a number of small, well-judged scenes, comes across as bright, breezy, confident and heroic, and on hand to reason with Tetsuo.
The story is complex enough to keep western audiences attention, yet simple enough to digest whilst taking in the wonderfull animation and excellent soundtrack (a collection of traditional Japanese instruments and modern day synthesised electronica that allow for elements of cinema to establish themselves for the audience) The conflict between the two main characters, Tetsuo and Kaneda is ultimately superceded by the films namesake, the mystery of the boy Akira, and as with very few films Hollywood produces it leaves it's more labour intensive thinking until the end.
AKIRA is one of my favorite movies of all time it has beautiful visuals, great animation, an extraordinary story and a wicked soundtrack.
I have read the entire AKIRA manga comics and yes it makes the movie that much easier to understand but with the new DVD edition which contains the correct dubbed version that allows the viewer to understand the film a little easier.
I first saw AKIRA back in 1994 when I was 14 years old and ever since then I have collected great anime, at first I was confused but yet intrigued and consumed by the plot, I wanted to know what the story was about.
The story is fascinating it takes place in the future in the city of NEO-TOKYO were citizens live in a constant chaos of an urban revolution, while the youth lives reckless on the dark streets gathering in bike gangs the government proceeds with the so called `akira project'; a mayor step in scientific discovery based on human energy.AKIRA is a movie about betrayal, love, loyalty, anger, and fiction.
The possibilities are far from anything we can imagine, `AKIRA' provides a fictional possibility that self energy exists within all of us and that is just as delicate as it is powerful.This is an epic proportion animated feature, the action sequences are creatively amazing, the plot is very intriguing, dark and character driven like no other film.
It takes thought and patience to piece together its sophisticated story.*Stereotype:  Akira rocks!!The animation equals or exceeds Disney's best, the music is awesome, and the characters are complex, but "Akira" has its flaws.
Ten years later, having watched a slew of other anime productions, I would have given this movie an 8 (very good) from memory had I not seen it again yesterday.
I feel as if modern Tokyo and its Anime has diverged quite a bit from the Neo-Tokyo depicted in AKIRA.My final comment is DO NOT rent the English dubbed version, as I did long ago.
Visually impressive, solid direction, with a compelling story (if a little complicated), just the right amount of character development, good and very appropriate soundtrack and an extensively detailed New Tokyo, Akira manages to be as groundbreaking as it was when it was first released.
It is heavily emphasised towards revealing what the next evolution of man is and whether or not the evolution would be in the best interest of man.Closing comments, Akira is a must watch for any anime fan who appreciates a thought provoking storyline and dense characters.Also watch; Ghost in the Shell, Ghost in the Shell:Innocence and Perfect Blue.
It amuses me that so many people are appalled by the "graphic violence" of this film when they are the ones who will turn around and glorify a movie like "Silence of the Lambs" simply because it is live-action.
This is a true emotional experience the likes of which Hollywood could not duplicate even if it tried.A gang of young motorcyclists get involved in a government plot involving the resurrection of "Akira," a force which once laid waste to Tokyo.
If those who watch Akira can discard their preconceived notions of what animation should be, they will find one of the most exciting, emotional, and rewarding films they will ever have the fortune of seeing.As a special side note, I personally prefer the dubbed version, which is executed very well by a talented cast of voice actors.
My favorite line in the movie belonged to the Colonel: "They don't teach tact at the academy." Though it was adapted from a huge body of manga work, Akira was executed perfectly, being directed by its original creator, Katsuhiro Otomo..
Disney may be pablum for the masses, but its theatrical releases certainly are a hundred times more smoothly animated than "Akira".I had to put the "viewing experience" aside and concentrate on the plot, theme, and characters.
I really wanted to like this movie, I heard from everyone that it was an anime classic and I had seen screenshots that looked really cool.
ugly.The big mistake Akira makes is that, if a movie wants to make people think about it's "hidden meaning", for people to try hard to understand it's point, the film should at least offer something to draw the viewer in.
Every now and then, there's a small flash of lucidity and a few brittles of a deeper meaning are thrown around, but it seems so random and rushed that it ends up just adding to the confusion and the unpleasant overall feel of this film.The overall impression one gets from watching Akira is about as pleasant as staring at a badly-treated, crusty fleshwound dripping with pus.
Akira is not "gritty", "haunting", "menacing", or any other cool word the marketing bods might want to slap onto it, it's just ugly.And for some reason, there are still people out there who claim that this is the be-all and end-all of the Japanese animation industry.
The way Manga video marketed Akira gave a bad, and lasting first impression of Japanese series in general to occidental audiences, which qualifies as a valid enough reason to hold a grudge against this movie in my view.
when compared to some of the digitally edited anime on offer nowadays AKIRA seems almost antiquated with its soft hazy backgrounds and over emphasised facial expressions but if you look at the work as a whole, taking into account the staggering amount of man hours involved in each scene (there is almost constant movement in every shot, especially the traffic scenes!) and the ease with which the audience empathises with the characters, then you have to consider it to be the benchmark for future anime to be judged against.
No current film has ever come close to what AKIRA did for anime, and I doubt any other traditionally made (cel) movie ever will.
I remember seeing this film when I was around oh, 8 or 9 years old, in full knowing of the adult content (I mean, the most violent animation I had seen previos was probably "Footrot Flats").
I didnt sit all the way through it (its a hell of a lot of story to consume) but the action in the first half entranced me like no other "Cartoon" had before ie I couldnt believe they allowed breasts and shot dogs in cartoons.I have since bought it myself, and it still, from start to finish entraps the imagination in its beautifully stunning animation, set pieces and unbelievable action.
I would say the last half hour is the greatest action sequence ever portrayed on film, whether animated or not, and is enveloped in animation I believe far surpass' that of even Ghost In The Shell (which is saying a lot) especially considering its entirely hand drawn, which I appreciate greatly in animation.The storyline while being convoluted and incredibly hard to follow the first few times, and could alienate some viewers through its intricacies, opens up after several viewing and provides a great backdrop to the entire experience.I will admit one thing though.
The characters voices really grow on you, and are all individual sounding with a lot of character differentiation.Overall it sits on my personal top ten, and provides a depth rarely seen in film, let alone animation.10/10..
Here is a line that is not in the movie but demostrates how the new US dialogue is bad Old US dialogue dub "Akira is a highly powerful entinty" New US dialogue Dub "Akira is a very powerful guy"Now back to Akira" The old US dialogue version" , after the first viewing of the movie you understand a little bit of Akira then I advise you to watch it several times over a year or two and delve deeper into the story.
Like wise, Akira was (and is) considered a great Anime film for one reason, it was one of the first to be brought to American television.
DROP IT EVERYONE, Akira is NOT A CULT FILM, just the first Anime seen by general public.Accept the fact that it sucks, no one is forcing you to like it.
I recommend to watch the movie Japanese spoken (i always do!) with English subtitles, because the Japanese brings out more of the culture and i fear that any translation other then English will diminish the incredible detail of the dialogs.I absolutely love the details everywhere: The junk laying around, the destroyed and decayed things that have not been repaired, the look in the eyes of people just walking about, the atmosphere of purposelessness and decay.
What if a human were given power far beyond itself?) with a sci-fi/action plot taking place in a post- annihilation Tokyo, featuring everything from teenage motorcycle gangs, covert military psionics research, and something called "Akira".
But I really do feel without a film like Akira, people like the Wachowski brothers, Quentin Tarantino and Doug Linam even wouldn't have half the creative juices flowing in their head from the explosion of vivid storytelling, fascinating narrative (even if it was in Japanese) and amazing detail.This movie is ground breaking on so many levels its mind boggling, the story is a bit out their, but someone please tell me which Manga ain't, in fact you can't tell me Lord of the Rings or Star Wars aren't "far out there" stories either, at least Akira is set in Tokyo a real place !
Akira has the most original story and captivating characters ever seen in an animated film and perhaps a real film too.
Akira goes down as the greatest anime film of all time.
The music and cinematography intermix perfectly, as Kaneda and Tetsuo lead the cast in a whirlwind of explosions, mystery, and mesmerizing visuals.The story opens with a cataclysmic explosion, that sets the pace for the rest of the movie, and then from there goes into a heart-racing bike chase, in which Kaneda's superiority over Tetsuo is established.From here on out, words cannot describe the visual aspects of the film, and the plot line is unlike anything that you can read.
In fact I liked the mysterious feeling the movie gave me the first time I looked at the futuristic Tokyo with all the skyscrapers,lights, and the incredible artwork it was presented in.The character animation in this film is by far the best I've seen.
This can be seen by watching the subtitled version of the film, which I consider to be the better version.One of the things that stands out in this movie is the detailed background.
You'll be sucked into the animated world in no time.The story like I said is very complicated, and will require multiple viewing to fully understand.
"Akira" is one of the most visually potent animated films of all time.
This movie introduced me to the anime genre but nothing will probably overtake "Akira" as being my all-time favorite anime film.
I don't care if I anger every so-called "otaku" out there that loves this movie, but I must say that Akira is certainly NOT the best anime out there.
I'm not usually a huge fan of anime but this is awesome full of ideas and visually incredible, a neon lit dystopian future is the backdrop for a story of teen rebellion and government experiments on children with terrifying powers.Akira works on several levels as a straight ahead sci-fi blast, a teen's gone wild adventure or an intellectual sci-fi posing many questions.
The animation style is very detailed and glossy, although in 2002 (with films such as Shrek, Toy Story, Final Fantasy, and Waking Life in circulation) the visuals in Akira are nothing special - they even seem somewhat dated.
This might make sense to people who are familiar with anime styles and stories (I think that Akira was a book before it became a film), but speaking as someone who is not versed in that folklore I was left scratching my head in confusion and not enjoying this cinematic experience.
An Anime So Good, Even Anime Haters Will Love It. I recently saw Akira for the first time, and I'm not a big fan of anime, but I must say this film blew me away.
In my opinion, there were too many things going at the same time (the fight of Kei's revolutionary group, what was the whole point of the ester's, the concept of the internal energy in every human) that did not allow me to focus in any of them, so I felt the narrative and the story a bit chopped.I know it might be because they tried to condensate a whole manga into a movie, but these should be 2 independent pieces of art, the movie should not rely on you reading the book to understand it, otherwise what is the point.Overall, I was not fully satisfied by the movie, making it an experience that I did not hate neither enjoy.
Akira possesses the stunning fast paced animation that only Manga have been able to achieve, however it is not just that which makes it a classic, the story-line is detailed and in depth and never leaves the viewer bored, the dubbing is superb (and believe me, it makes a difference!) The music, although a bit annoying at first, complements the atmosphere very well.
Heard a lot about Akira prior to watching it, both about it's quality and cultural impact, and since usually I'm a mild fan of Japanese animation, I had very high expectations for this film.I was let down.Although the movie is very stylish and the story has promise at first, the movie is simply overlong and almost impossible to get through in one sitting.
28 years after its release in 1988 & My First encounter with Akira.An awesome post-apocalypse (sort of) movie set in 2019 & Neo-Tokyo after 3rd World War.(Only introduction I'll give about the plot so as to not degenerate into spoilers).I'm a huge fan of Anime & This movie is a prime example of almost prophetic futuristic vision in sci-fi& how awesome it looks in animation.Often better than real-life props,plastic sets or fallible expressions of human actors.It has everything,intriguing story,suspense,visuals,sights & its a pioneer in many movies which spun-off its characters & modified it to their stories,novels,movies & characters.I could actually see&remember so many of them.I've seen stunning animated movies set in similar circumstances out of Japan which remain my all time favorites like "Ghost In The Shell" & "Animatrix" but all of them owe some of the origin to this movie.So do 'The Matrix', "Minority Report" & at least 4 or 5 more that I can name that draw parallels at least.This is probably the most realistic scenario one can expect after a few decades of War & details are just exquisite.Definitely joins a collection of memorable ones I've seen.It's intense &music score is one that I especially loved.Considering how Lo-fi it does seem at first glance after digital revolution in animation in 90s & '00s,it's just jaw-dropping in how well it was shot.This is me raving Highly recommended..
If you are looking for animation with such elements as killer biker gangs, military takeovers, out-of-control psychic warfare, and mass destruction galore, then there's no better place to start than with Akira.The film begins and ends with a bang...literally.
Akira is the kind of anime film that even people who don't really like anime can watch and enjoy.
I haven't seen many other animated films like this on bluray, but i'm sure this is one of the best looking ones.
This film should be an example for all anime of today, a story that gets the viewer interested, along with mind blowing visuals.
Of course, the politics are only supposed to be working as the background to the struggle between Tetsuo and Kaneda.On this fourth viewing, Akira reveals itself to be one of the best science fiction movies ever made, one of the best Japanese movies I've ever seen, maybe the best (and I have seen a lot), and easily the best animated film I've ever seen.
Pretty simple for movie anime like this that focuses on one person with all sorts of stories throughout it but the story is not focused for him and not him who takes the spotlight.Katsuhiro Otomo made Neo-Tokyo as a major character where all of them were protagonists and antagonists in the city.
One of the most unique among all characters is the conflict between Kaneda and Tetsuo that fight each other but show a pitiful flashback.Akira is one of the most controversial animated films ever, back at the times.
And truthfully, the lack of real character depth in no way detracts from this film since the story is interesting and the world and design are fantastic.The art of Akira is what is, for me, the most memorable part of the movie.
Akira is a movie well worth your time and should be a must-watch for all anime fans.
Akira Great Animation for its Time but a story that falls flat!.