Amazon.com essential video: Artist-writer Katsuhiro Ôtomo began telling the story of Akira as a comic book series in 1982 but took a break from 1986 to 1988 to write, direct, supervise, and design this animated film version. Set in 2019, the film richly imagines the new metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, which is designed from huge buildings down to the smallest details of passing vehicles or police uniforms. Two disaffected orphan teenagers--slight, resentful Tetsuo and confident, breezy Kaneda--run with a biker gang, but trouble grows when Tetsuo start to resent the way Kaneda always has to rescue him. Meanwhile, a group of scientists, military men, and politicians wonder what to do with a collection of withered children who possess enormous psychic powers, especially the mysterious, rarely seen Akira, whose awakening might well have caused the end of the old world. Tetsuo is visited by the children, who trigger the growth of psychic and physical powers that might make him a superman or a supermonster. As befits a distillation of 1,318 pages of the story so far, Akira is overstuffed with character, incident, and detail. However, it piles up astonishing set pieces: the chases and shootouts (amazingly kinetic, amazingly bloody) benefit from minute cartoon detail that extends to the surprised or shocked faces of the tiniest extra; the Tetsuo monster alternately looks like a billion-gallon scrotal sac or a Tex Avery mutation of the monster from The Quatermass Experiment; and the finale--which combines flashbacks to more innocent days with a destruction of Neo City and the creation of a new universe--is one of the most mind-bending in all sci-fi cinema. --Kim Newman
Disappointing conversion from the print version I'll make it short; there is no reason to fully restate the contents of this, as it's available from countless other authors and places.
*SPOILER WARNING*
I read the original comic (in Danish, though, and later in English), and in watching the Anime adaptation, I got severely disappointed. Yes, I know that you can never make a perfectly 'honest' translation of something from one form of media to another, but still, I had my hopes set for something more than this.
One part of it is the way the plot and storyline of the print version is torn apart and odd stuff that seems out of place is inserted in the animated version instead. Fx. (probably the most noticable difference, in retrospect) why is Akira reduced from a living being to a collection of formaldehyde specimen jars? Why has the foreign intervention been erased (the US Aircraft carrier in Japanse waters). Why is Lady Miyako changed from a withdrawn and insightful person to what appears a religious lunatic cult leader (i for some reason, found this insulting!)? Why was the Post-Nuke Neo-Tokyo cult following around Akira/Tetsuo toned down to the point of annihalation?
Too much of the good stuff that gave essence to the comic has been ripped out, and it shows.
Sitting back and seeing the movie end, and the scrolltext enter the screen, I felt robbed. I expected more than this. (Sure, it's an open ending, but you can surely make open-ended movies much better and more telling than this!).
Even though this classic is obviously praised by many of the old-timers, I wouldn't recommend watching it if you haven't already. (If you haven't read the print version, you may like it better that I have, but on the other hand, if you go ahead and read it afterwards....). I also expect to get a few flames directed at me too, judging from other responses to critical reviews on this board. Oh well. :I
Anime Classic I found this Anime to be enjoyable. Vivid colors and DTS sound envelope you into the movie. Backed by an interesting story.
Very imaginative and captivating. However as good as it was I have sceen many other Anime's I would rate better then this movie. Still a must see.
What led to so much more It really is unbelievable just how many animes derived and used something from this movie. Obvious origins can be compared to Dragon Ball and Elfen Lied, but so many ideas were first featured in this film that later translated into full-length anime series. Aside from setting the groundwork for future animes, this film was also one of the greatest, if not the greatest, anime film ever made (though my favorite is still Spirited Away). The best aspect of this film, in my opinion, is the character development of Kaneda and Tetsuo, best friends in the film. While Kaneda evolves into a more empathatic person, Tetsuo makes the most dramatic changes, from a jealous and weak individual, to an insane, angry, blood thirsty villian, to a frightened child who clearly realizes his mistakes. Tetsuo has to be my personal favorite villian from any film, purely due to how well he is developed and the absolute human, kind-natured side to him that is apparent throughout the film. Besides that, the movie is the orgin of anime for most anime fans, and is an absolute must-see film for anyone in my opinion, even for those who don't usually like anime. I mean, who doesn't like an awesome story line, great character developemnt, big explosions with high intensity sequences, and a great ending in my opinion. One of the greatest anime films ever made, and the film that really started it all for anime's popularity.
Fantastic piece of classic Anime Akira in many ways put Anime on the map, at least in the US, but is deserves to be recognized as more than a gateway film into the world of Anime. It is the classic post-apocalyptic setting, a story about what happens when science and teenage hormones run amuck. The film tells the story of a teenage motorcycle gang, and their troubled, latent psychic and second in command Tetsuo. It is an examination of diverse psychology, The Will To Power, corruption in various forms, and ultimately, sacrifice. The artistry of the animation is still amazing almost twenty years later, and the story is just as compelling now as it was then.
Amazing Must See An amazing trend setting Animated film; intense, believable characters, deep story line, incredible animation, sound, and music. A pivotal, groundbreaking work that has inspired animators and film makers since.
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