Anime Review: 'Akira'

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Earlier this month at my local comic-con I bought myself a used copy of Akira, the landmark anime film that started the anime boom in the West. I had actually seen it a few months earlier online, and after seeing it I wanted to own it. So here we are.

The famous bike slide scene

Akira is based on the manga by Katsuhiro Otomo. Interestingly, the manga was still being produced when the film adaptation hit theaters in 1988, finishing in 1990. Otomo himself even directed the movie. What sets this film apart from other anime is that it is animated at 24 FPS (frames per second) and it shows the characters lip-synching, meaning that the voice acting had to be recorded before the animation. While this is normal for a Western animated feature, this isn't for anime; animation is mostly limited and audio is recorded after animation. Because of this, the film was the most expensive anime production until Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away in 2001.

The first scene of the film shows a large explosion in Tokyo in the year 1988, wiping out the entire city. The cause of that explosion will be revealed later. From the ruins a new city is built, Neo Tokyo.

Tetsuo looking at Kaneda's motorcycle

Set in the year 2019, Akira tells the story of Kaneda, the leader of a teenage motorcycle gang called the Capsules. One night as they fight another gang known as the Clowns, one of their members, Tetsuo Shima, runs into a strange kid while on the road and injures himself. Tetsuo is taken to the hospital, and Kaneda and friends are taken into custody and interrogated the next day. Afterward, Kaneda befriends Kei, a girl he met there. While Tetsuo is in the hospital for his injuries, he is also subject to various experiments by the government since he has begun manifesting psychic powers similar to three mysterious children collectively known as the Espers, one of whom Tetsuo met on the highway.

The Espers. Left to right: Masaru, Kiyoko, Takashi

Kaneda during the interrogation

Kei

Tetsuo manages to escape the hospital a while later. He steals Kaneda's motorcycle and rides off with his girlfriend Kaori. Kaneda and gang go off to find him and end up fighting off some members of the Clowns.

Tetsuo beats the crap out of one of the Clowns.

Once the ordeal is over, Tetsuo is found by the government and taken back to the hospital. One night he has a trippy hallucinatory experience involving the Espers. He escapes the hospital again, leaving carnage in his wake.

The Espers playing as a teddy bear, a rabbit, and a car

Tetsuo goes on a rampage.

Tetsuo escapes the hospital.

Tetsuo goes on a rampage in Neo Tokyo while looking for a boy named Akira who was the most powerful Esper. In response, Kaneda joins up with Kei and her colleagues who are involved in an anti-government organization known as the Resistance in order to stop Tetsuo.

One thing that is evident when watching this movie is that the animation is amazing. At 24 FPS, the animation is smooth and pleasing to the eye, adding weight to scenes like the trippy hospital experience with Tetsuo and the film's climax. The backgrounds are also something to behold as they are both highly detailed and aesthetically pleasing.

Kaori

The characters are interesting as well. Kaneda is the typical good guy, and Kei is the kick-butt female love interest. Tetsuo is a multi-layered and complex character; you really feel bad for him even when he goes berserk in the latter part of the film. The rest of the cast are hit or miss; they're either not developed enough or they don't have enough screen time. Akira himself is more of a concept rather than a person.

Another thing that comes up when people discuss this film is its graphic content. This contains copious amounts of violence and brief nudity in one scene. People are shot, bodies are dismembered, and buildings collapse. This definitely isn't a family picture.

Kanedaaaaaaaaa!

Tetsuooooooo!

Akira is a must-see film for fans of animation and cyberpunk. One can understand why it was and is popular; it has great visuals, intriguing characters, and a mature storyline that contrasts with typical animated fare in the West.

Quality Rating: 8/10
Content Rating: 16+