It's the year 2019, thirty-one years have passed since the start of World War III. A top-secret child
with amazing powers of the mind breaks free from custody and accidentally gets a motorcycle gang
involved in the project. This incident triggers psychic powers within one of the gang members, Tetsuo,
and he is taken by the army to be experimented on. His mind has been altered and is now on the path of
war, seeking revenge on the society that once called him weak.
(Source: FUNimation)
~~~img320(http://media.animevice.com/uploads/1/15799/270971-akira_15.jpg) img320(http://www.nautiljon.com/images/anime/screenshots/00/68/20.jpg)~~~ If you have watched anime for awhile. Akira is a name that you most definitely have heard about. It has this cult following that other anime wished they could be. After watching the anime, i am not sure why that so. By no means Akira was bad, it just did not impress me as i would have liked to. Maybe i was expecting too much. If you think about it the visions and execution is simply sublime for a movie that was made in the late 1980s. Story Its bittersweet. If you have read the manga you might recognize that the anime version makes a lot of changes to the story. These changes are understandable given the time limit of the movie being close to two hours. So the changes were mandatory to make the anime feel complete. I personally don't think making a two part sequel or a trilogy is a good idea either, because the manga contains a lot of information that other than a series it would have been lackluster. If they did make a series, i would be amazed if they executed the same workmanship as this movie. So as it is, its a nice idea to curb the plot in a way that stays true to the manga but also makes it very engaging for the movie-goer. Animation Beautiful, exquisite and fantastic. One of the best animated movies ever. It makes you fall in love with it from the beginning to the end. This is by no means an easy story to animate, since everything from the characters to the background explosions and city life is always present and lively. And the animators did not get lazy in the two hours i stayed watching it. I paused several times to see if it was CGI animations because the fluidity of scenes, especially action was great. Whether it was fast paced or slow there was less blurriness and more attention was given to all the scenes with much detail that it really did not feel pure animation to my eyes. Even the characters facial expression was great. When they talked you could almost tell what they were speaking just by looking at their mouth. Unlike most anime, where they just move their mouth up and down to signify them talking. At the beginning of this review i was wondering why this anime was a renowned work and animation might just be the answer. Characters This is where i really did not like this anime version. Unlike the anime, manga had given such a prominence to the characters development. Many characters were interesting to see why they fight or love. The anime on the hand leaves this behind except for Kaneda and Tetsuo. Kei who is an important character in the manga was given next to no time in the anime. She just felt like an after thought. I really liked her in the manga so, i feel more betrayed by the anime. Some characters, if you had not read the manga first you would not have understood what was happening. They did give a visual explanation other than screen time but even that was very understated. Especially on the colonel side of things were very hazy. They did make it out to seem like he was the bad guy, it might be true but they was more to him than what was portrayed. Music I love good background music. Music ties everything together. It makes it less boring and more interesting. Akira did satisfy me but did not amaze me. The mixture of classic and Japanese folk music is nice, especially with the future setting. I like experimentation in music. It was not given more room to express in this anime. The speech, explosions and hustle and bustle of city life was given more priority. You had to remind yourself of music to hear the classic number that was being played. When you did hear it, it was nice. Conclusion Akira is a world famous piece of art. In todays world where science fiction has become a dime a dozen, Akira still stands out as one of the best. It is so true when you realize when this movie was released. I think everyone should watch Akira at least once, to truly experience the golden age of anime. It did not bring much satisfaction but i don't regret watching this true work of art. I also suggest, after the movie pick up the manga to read. The story is partly different in both mediums but enjoyable none the less.
DISCLAIMER: This review was imported from MAL. Also, I'm fully aware that I'm part of the very minor percentage that didn't enjoy this movie at all. So before anyone comes to my comments with "YOU'RE WRONG!!!111 AKIRA IS AMAZINGGG!!!", keep in mind that this is just MY opinion. There are plenty of good reviews for this movie out there, let there exist at least one that is not positive. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Akira is one of those movies that when it came out it was revolutionary, but the more it gets old, the more it's evident of how... basic it is. And I'm being very nice by just saying "basic" (because, to be honest, I really hated it). The plot is... oh man, WHAT EVEN is the plot? We have 2 hours and 4 minutes of the movie and most of the time I was lost and bored. I had to google so many times to understand what was happening, what was the objective, who was this character on screen and... oh, THE ENDING. WHAT????????!!!!! Now, to be fair, I also googled about the manga and it sounds like it is more interesting, less rushed, more "complete" and just a whole different experience from the movie. I'm still debating whether or not I'll read it, but as far as the MOVIE ADAPTATION goes: I certainly don't recommend it! The art is... not pretty. I get it: this is old, this is what anime looked like in the 80's, but still. The art didn't please me and it certainly pleased me even less when I focused on a character's mouth "moving" while they spoke (I put that word in between quotes because UGH it is so badly animated! It's like their entire face is still and only their mouths move, and barely so. I hated it.) The characters are meh. I didn't like anyone, didn't feel a connection with absolutely any of them, I can't even remember most of their names! And some of them, I have no idea why they even existed (for example, Kei. Kaneda meets her for the first time and it's like love at first sight, he's all up for getting in her pants and I'm like: okay, but do you even KNOW this girl? who is she, why is she there, what is she going to do????) I only started to actually get interested in the story in the last 20 minutes of the film. And by the end of it, I was back into being confused and unsure of what I had just watched. Overall, Akira is one of the classics that I personally don't like, but as always, I have an unpopular opinion.
The year is 2019. It’s been 31 years since a mysterious explosion happened in Japan, which somehow triggered World War 3. In the current society, a version of the city has been restored, and dubbed Neo-Tokyo, not to be confused with Tokyo-3. But as it turns out, what was supposed to be a new haven for humanity has already become dilapidated and worn down, with the new government at odds with the people, sparking violently destructive protests that are in no way helped by the scourge of anarchistic youths waging war with each other one the backs of their motorcycles. See, this is why we can’t have nice things. Two of these gangs are called the Capsules, a handful of middleschoolers with the image of a pill emblazoned on their jackets, and the clowns, a gang of… Other thugs… Who wear weird masks and stuff. Existing somewhere between The Sharks vs. The Jets and The Bloods vs. The Crips, their rivalry is a notoriously violent one, and their fights have terrorized an already restless population. In any case, it’s during one of these particular skirmishes that the Capsule Corps, led by the main character-ish young man named Kaneda, stumble upon a strange little Benjamin Button boy who inflicts another member, Tetsuo, with some sort of abnormality. The local government snatches up Tetsuo and the little geezer, and they disappear them to a secret facility to perform experiments on them. In order to rescue Tetsuo, Kaneda must work his way into a rebel faction in order to infiltrate the facility… But strange things are happening to Tetsuo, within whom a dangerous entity has begun to awaken, granting him power beyond his control… Power that attracts the interest of Button and his friends, who antagonize him in order to bring about his full potential. When Kaneda finally does manage to reach Tetsuo, what kind of reunion will await the two of them? Can Tetsuo be saved from the destiny that’s begun to develop around him, or is it too late for anybody to be saved? Akira was animated by TMS, also known as Tokyo Movie Shinsa, one of the oldest known Japanese animation studios. They’ve produced not only anime over the five decades that they’ve been in operation, but plenty of western animation from their subsidiary company Telecom. I’ve seen a bunch of Telecom’s titles, with a particular highlight being the fucking Ducktales(Ooo-Wooo-Ooo), but out of their anime work, I’m honestly not that familiar with them. They’ve produced some iconic titles that have been around for impossibly long periods of time, like Lupin(the only installment of which that I’ve seen was The woman Named Fujiko Mine) and Detective Conan, which I only saw the first season. Beyond that, any title they’ve released is either something I saw very little of, or something I haven’t seen in over a decade, so it’s kind of hard to get an accurate grasp on them in regard to their oeuvre of work. Whatever they’re like, they clearly had a ton of money to burn when they were producing Akira, and boy does it show. The animation in this movie is insanely fluid, especially for a title that was released in the late eighties. The quality is consistent throughout, but it only takes a few minutes to see that this isn’t your average production. Just as we’re dumped into the interior of a seedy, suspicious bar, we’re shown that not even such an arguably unnecessary visual as channels being changed on a TV is still given the kind of lavish treatment that would suggest that they really spared no expense with this one. To be sure, the movie then quickly moves on to one of it’s biggest highlights, the motorcycle race war… Yes, a literal race war… Between the Capsules and the Clowns, which may be one of the single most well-animated sequences in anime history. It’s several solid minutes of gritty dudes racing through town on their various models of bikes as they try to kill one another,r to varying and somewhat vague levels of success. This sequence is so fast and fluid that even the residual trails of their taillights in the night sky is beautifully present. It’s weird looking back and thinking that an anime from 1988 could look as good as this one does, but it was just as weird for the world back then, as Akira was considered groundbreaking with it’s visuals. The kind of facial animations and fluid movements it featured were unimaginable at the time, even though they’re more or less commonplace today. Most anime of the time was stiff, with limited articulation and frozen faces with moving mouths, which made this particular piece all the more breathtaking. Now, having said that, it’s kind of understandable, but I just can’t help but feel they might have gone a bit too far overboard with this achievement, as the characters’ facial expressions are so over-exaggerated that it’s kind of hard to take what they’re saying seriously at time, but that’s just a nit-pick on my part. Akira’s visual prowess doesn’t just limit itself to the fluidity of it’s animation, either. It’s also pretty well directed, with the man in the director’s chair being Katsuhiro Otomo, whom, if you didn’t know, was also the creator of the manga, so in terms of the presentation, nothing was lost in translation. His sense of direction isn’t perfect, as some of his action scenes can stray into a feeling of sensory overload, but there are moments in the government facility and especially in Tetsuo’s room that feel downright chilling with the way they’re framed. The backgrounds of Neo-tokyo are so extensively detailed that it’s almost sad how much of it you’ll miss if you’re not constantly pausing to check out the environment, with it’s variety of different buildings and gorgeous lighting effects. It almost feels like a real city, and one that you could actually imagine living in, thanks to the level of immersion it manages to hit. I’d keep going on this topic alone, but I’m struggling to find the right words to do it justice, and you kind of have to see it for yourself in order to appreciate it. Although, to be perfectly honest, my favorite thing about Akira is the music, which is uniformly unconventional in it’s orchestrations, and carries a level of depth to it that kind of evades the story itself, as composer Shoji Yamashiro, which is actually the pseudonym of Tsutomu Ohashi, and while further work of his is hard to find, Akira is his most renowned project, and with good reason. The music for Akira is stunningly powerful, full of hard percussions and haunting vocal effects, some of which tell us more about a character and their arc than the story itself does. For example, the most popular track in the movie is probably Tetsuo’s theme, which uses bells and flutes to signify the titular character’s younger-brother relationship to Kaneda, showing frustration in the beginning while slowly becoming more unhinged and unsettling as it builds up to one of the most famous vocal spike notes in anime, the infamous DAAAAAA DAAAAAAA DAAADAAA that heralds the arrival of his powers later in the film. The rest of the ost is just as creative, however. Kaneda’s theme isn’t as long or involved as Tetsuo’s theme, but the instrumentation is still like nothing I’ve heard before from an anime, as it’s decked out with lightning sound effects and shifting percussive beats that sound like they were taken from a traditional Japanese festival, complete with chants of Rasse-Ra, a chant used to welcome the summer. Other noteworthy tracks include Battle Against Clown, the battle theme for the opening gang war that somehow managed to take the sound of a guy breathing too hard and make it sound epic; Winds Over Neo-Tokyo, a tune that starts out slow and dreamy only to sound more ominous and carnival-y as it goes on; And Dolls’ Polyphony, a damn creepy track that’s used appropriately in the film, as it’s use of a female voice uttering the nonsense word “Perom” over and over again sounds like it was taken right out of a slasher movie, and that’s before the deeper male chanting starts to drown it out. All in all, I highly recommend picking up this soundtrack, whether you’re a fan of the actual movie or not. To my knowledge, there are two English dubs for this movie… An old one, which was really awkward sounding and badly acted, and a newer one that sounds a lot more natural and human. The drawback is that while the old one at least managed to fit the insane mouth movements from the characters, the newer one doesn’t even try, which in turn makes the over-animation look even more obvious and silly. I don’t really think either dub is that great, but i kind of prefer the older Streamline dub, just because it sounds more interesting, even as terrible as it was. Don’t get me wrong, the Animaze dub had a cast of much more talented and well-respected actors, and they did act out the roles a lot better than their Streamline counterparts did, but like I said, the natural sound and grounded delivery doesn’t really feel like the right fit for the movie’s style of facial animation, whereas the Streamline one just feels like a better fit for this world. Not to mention, as talented as the newer acting pool is, it’s not made up of the most compelling actors in the industry. The perfect example of this is Kaneda, the apparent star, who’s played by Johnny Yong Bosch, a highly talented actor who can give stellar, engaging performances when given the right material, but he has way too wide of a comfort zone, and once he’s in it, he falls right into typecasting hell. It’s a shame that he can be so boring at times, but here, he just sounds like a less interesting version of Ichigo. On a similar note, there’s Wendee Lee in the role of Kei, whose performance output is almost fifty/fifty in terms of quality, with just as many awesome roles as terrible ones, and since Kei isn’t that meaty of a character, she falls somewhere in the middle here. Michelle ruff, a personal favorite of mine, is wasted in the role of Kaori. The exception to this trend is Tetsuo, who’s played powerfully by Joshua Seth, a Digimon veteran who plays up his character’s youth and frustration, wearing his torment and rise to power on his sleeve. Either way, I’d still recommend sticking to the sub. All right, I’m going to try to keep this brief, because I don’t really have all that much to say about Akira. To give this review a little background, I’ve never read the manga this movie was based on. Honestly, I don’t read that much manga in general. My reading is reserved for books, mostly by Stephen King, while I’m passing time on my lunch break at work. Yeah, I’ve gotten into a few series, but I can probably count on one hand the amount of titles I’ve read to completion, or at least to the point of being caught up. I’m sorry, but I’d rather absorb a story visually, where it takes less time and money to do so. Having said that, it means that I was essentially going into Akira blind, and taking it completely at face value, with no source material or outside information to explain it’s story, universe or world view to me. I’m reviewing this movie in a vacuum, as any title SHOULD be reviewed, and I’m not going to do any research to augment or explain the material. A good adaptation should do that for you. So how does Akira hold up under these conditions? Well, frankly, this movie doesn’t make any fucking sense. From beginning to end, it doesn’t do any more than the bare minimum in explaining anything. To start right at the beginning, we’re told that Japan accidentally bombs itself(I won’t tell you how, as it’s a spoiler), and that this event was the spark that caused World War 3, and that the story takes place several decades after. Okay, so, how did World War 3 start? And yeah, I hear you guys saying “With that explosion,” but that’s not what I mean. How did Japan accidentally bombing itself lead to the third World War? That’s not a small detail. You know what a World War is, right? It’s a war where a group of allied nations fight against the rest of the world. Did Japan blame the explosion on another country? Who were it’s allies? Who were it’s enemies? Did it win? Did it lose? How long did the war last? How did it end? Did it even end? What was the death toll? You can’t just throw World War 3 into your narrative because it sounds cool, damn it, you have to explain that shit! Okay, here’s another one: What are people protesting about? What is the government doing that’s got the people so pissed off? What’s the conflict there? Or here, I’ll give you an easier one: Who’s the guy we see leading the Benjamin Button kid through the crowd? Did he help him escape the facility? How? Or instead, I’ll tell you what… How did Tetsuo get his powers? We see him crashing his bike right in front of Button’s face, only to have it blow up between them, hurting neither of them… i mean, sure, Button was probably able to protect himself with a force field, but the explosion happened right in front of Tetsuo, who wasn’t even scratched. Was it contact with Button that triggered his change? Is that a normal side effect of interacting with Button? Can he just do that, or was Tetsuo a special case who just happened to have dormant apocalypse inside him? Was it the experiments at the facility that changed him? Is there some piece of equipment they have that gives people apocalypse tumors? Would all of this crap have been avoided if Tetsuo were released with his friends? Or died when his bike blew up? I could throw it a bone if it had a cast of memorable characters, but guess what? I have no idea who any of these bastards are! I want to start by bringing up Kaori, because while she may not be one of the main characters, her role in the film is memorable for all the wrong reasons. She’s Tetsuo’s… Sister? girlfriend? Stalker? I have no idea. She’s barely in the movie, gets maybe five minutes of screen time, and her only big scenes are where she gets her face punched in and her top ripped off by a Clown member, and when she’s gruesomely axed off towards the end of the movie. Her only contributions to the film are suffering, dying, and adding two seconds of nudity to the film’s content rating, and it’s all so undeserved that it’s honestly kind of uncomfortable to watch. She had no reason to be in this movie. She’s not the only female character, but Kei is so underwritten that I’ve heard hardcore fans of the movie just refer to her in passing as ‘the female.’ She’s a terrorist, but why? What’s her connection to the government? What are her motivations? And it’s a sad state of affairs that I have to say this, but speaking of Kei, who the fuck is Kaneda? Why am I supposed to be rooting for this person? What’s supposed to be so interesting about him? I think he’s the leader of the Capsules, right? And he’s just… Main character material, or something? What does he want with Kei? Does he just happen to spot “ooh, female,” and decide right on the spot that he’s going to get her out of trouble and pork her? Like, half the movie he’s just trying to get laid, and when he’s not trying to guilt her into it, he’s going up against armed adults in her honor. This is coming from an asexual person, mind you, but is a random girl who doesn’t seem interested in you really worth taking a bullet for? I get the whole devotion thing, but when your life is on the line, dude, there are other fish in the sea. You shouldn’t ally yourself with literal violent terrorists over someone until you’ve at least established a relationship with them. I mean, okay, I tried to assume that he was just sniffing her ass because he thought getting involved with terrorists could help him to get closer to Tetsuo, but he would have been enacting this plan way too early for there to be a believable amount of desperation, and besides, he hounds her about turning herself in, going straight and dating him afterwards. That sounds a little counterproductive, don’t you think? And moving onto his relationship to Tetsuo, I didn’t know what kind of connection they shared until that random exposition dump at the end. Apparently they were orphans together. Up until then, I had no idea if they were friends, brothers… Even lovers could have been possible… or if Kaneda was just super dedicated to his gang members. The most fleshed out character is Tetsuo, but the only thing we get from him is his frustration over his connection to Kaneda. The changes that happen to him over the course of the film are it’s only, yes, only, source of character development. I’m sorry, but you need more than faces and names to have characters. The only real concession that I can make for Akira is that it has a really well pronounced cool factor. Seeing gang wars waged on the backs of motorcycles against a vaguely post apocalyptic setting is really cool to see, and the movie would probably be better if that were all there were to it, but it gets so involved with it’s muddled, convoluted plot that it’s impossible to know what’s going on without reading the source material or making a ton of assumptions. It’s like this huge, thousand piece puzzle where none of the pieces fit. I didn’t even bring up the other two Benjamin Button kids, as their plans involving Tetsuo are so confusing and inconsistent that I’m hesitant to even call them spoilers. But like I said, regardless of what it was they’re actually trying to accomplish, their efforts still play into the movie’s cool factor, as they manage to bring us some truly trippy and surreal visuals when they’re using their powers to attack him in his room. It’s not much, but I guess if you’re just watching Akira for spectacle and it’s gritty adult tone, I can understand the appeal. bucket Akira is available stateside in a number of different home video releases, most recently from Funimation is a very cheap DVD/bluray combo pack. Other releases are available, such as the limited edition steel case that I’m currently borrowing from a friend. The original manga has also been available in numerous printings, with the most recent being from Kodansha comics back in 2009. Each volume is still relatively cheap, or you could splurge and spend a little more money on the box set. At the very least, I’d recommend grabbing a copy of the soundtrack Cd, which is available from Milan records, and is fairly inexpensive online. I’m sorry, guys. i know this is one of the most popular anime movies in the medium, but I just can’t get into it. It’s not a terrible movie by any means… The pacing is really good, and it never gets boring. I’m the kind of guy who literally can’t stay awake through a single showing of Empire of Corpses, but I’ve never fallen asleep during Akira, which at least speaks to it having some kind of entertainment value. I understand that adapting a phonebook thick manga collection into a two hour movie isn’t an easy feat, but at the same time, I don’t want to have to look up footnotes and plot synopsis just to figure out what the bloody hell I’m watching. The version of the movie I watched had a sort of pop up feature that was designed to give you extra information at random points, but after like twenty minutes, all it had been showing me was a map and some Japanese text translations, and I was relying on THAT to try and be fair. I like movies that challenge me to figure them out, but not like this. For the animation and music alone, it deserves it’s place in anime history, but I guess I’m just not a fan. I give Akira a 5/10.
~~~Akira is one of those anime I love to say I don't like despite revisiting it all the time because of its gorgeous attention to detail. That honor to the medium that is first and foremost audiovisual, with every scene being utterly cinematic, glorifying motion to degrees unseen until decades later. Even stuff like Do You Remember Love from beloved Macross franchise can't touch this visually. ~~~ ~~~All that made me realize that I actually like the film, but I gotta say, if you approach this expecting a well written coherent script, you're fucked. It's garbage ok. Inevitably garbage since it's more compressed than a chubby in one of those pressing machines from gym, I hate those. That is not a big of a problem since it delivers so strongly on other fronts, mainly presentation, but some people didn't get over the fact Akira just couldn't work as a 2 hours movie. It also wouldn't be nearly as beautiful as it is if it were a series encompassing the manga's entirety, so yeah, it's a no win situation, for some. For me, it's whatever. What happened happened, so I enjoy its visuals and don't give a damn. ~~~ ~~~There is a philosophy to Akira, explicited in the making of by the man himself, Otomo. He says that in animation everything should move, all the time, because it's life they are animating. That is one thing you rarely see, a piece of animation where in every god damn scene things are moving. The only examples I can come up with are Ponyo from Miyazaki and Redline from Koike, both traditionalists who believe in the power of hand drawn 2D animation above anything else. Basically there are two ways of watching this: you can watch the foreground of everything, what supposedly matters, or you can watch what is behind that. Pay attention to details such as falling glass, breaking walls, force fields, flames, bullets, weight illusion, mechanical design, lightning's timing, lips sync that is the best you can get in the medium as far as I'm concerned, unusual usage of colors for a cyberpunk oriented movie (they created like tons of new colors just to get done with this shit), as well as sheer creativity which is undeniably memorable even for those who despise the film. If you claim the transformation scene is disgustingly gross, it worked. If you are like me and gets all like 'dude what the actual fuck is happening that shit is ugly as fuck' while smiling, well, it worked too. ~~~ ~~~Anyway, I think it's a pretty fun watch. Lots of shit happens, characters are mostly like fun to watch. Kaneda is a cool psycho kid and his chemestry with the lady is entertaining. It's not like they get fleshed out or anything, but at least they aren't fucking robots. Imagine watching robots doing nonsense, now that is insufferable. The insanely fluid animation made the characters organic enough that despite not liking their personalities, it's like watching real people (for the most part). Colonel is boring, but if you can withstand him you will be fine. If you end up frustrated, disappointed and shit, well, just remember: it's ok to dislike dumb shit. Just like it's ok to like dumb shit. It can be fun, it's just a matter of not giving much of a fuck and over time you might become like me, eerliy attracted to its presentation and animation cause why not?~~~
# __A newbie's review of Akira__ I'm by no means an expert in anime, i've only watched a couple so far but i always heard very good things about the movie Akira, even from people who probably never watched any other anime in their life. So, i thought, it would be a very good way to start my anime experience. Fuck yeah, it was. The protagonist of the movie is a Young boy named Kaneda, leader of a bike gang. One day Tetsuo, one of his friends, is involved in an accident and is taken by the army. The army will conduct some experiments on Tetsuo, that will lead to the awakening of some mysterious powers. I don't want to spoiler the entire movie, so this is where i will stop. Also, if i got anything wrong writing this... please let me know :) . The art in this movie is something incredible, and to think that it's now more than 30 years old is... wow. The animation, the art, the soundtrack are definitely some of the best i've ever seen in a movie. Absolutely amazing. I don't believe anybody can honestly say otherwise. An aspect that, according to what i saw on the internet, divides people is the story. I personally enjoyed it a lot. I can enjoy a slow movie, i can enjoy even a movie without a real plot if it's done correctly, but i especially enjoy slow movies with a confusing, bizarre plot, those kind of movies that lead you to search other people's opinions and theories right after you finished watching. It's probably not for everyone, but for those who like it it's a god damn masterpiece. This situation reminds me a lot of Kubrick's 2001. A lot of people hate it, saying that it's slow, confusing, it doesn't make sense, a lot of other people, me included, absolutely love it. I suspect this is the same thing happening with Akira. I'm sorry if this review comes across as a mess, but it's my first time writing one and it's a medium that i still have to fully understand. In conclusion it's a fantastic movie, with very few flaws. The only thing i can think of is that there were a couple scenes where i felt things were a little bit too slow even for me. I decided to give it a 97. Nothing is perfect, after all. P.S if you disagree with me or want to correct something that i said, feel free to contact me! I'm always happy to learn more. I will probably re-write this review once i feel more comfortable and experienced with the topic. Thanks!
Let's make one thing clear right off the bat: this review is gonna be positive. _Akira_ is not only my favorite anime but my favorite animated film bar none and one of my favorite films in general. Katsuhiro Otomo has crafted an animated sci-fi actioner for adults that's above reproach as a film, a rarity since the vast majority of "adult" animation fails miserably by relying on dopey sex jokes and idiotic plot rather than solid storytelling and likable characters. Otomo's film weaves together themes of friendship, honor, betrayal, the deadly consequences of playing God, gang war, espionage, corruption, and the abuse of power while maintaining a breakneck pace throughout its running time. Throw it all in a blender and you've got one of the greatest, if not _the_ greatest animated film of all time, a classic in every sense of the word. img800(https://i.imgur.com/BlX7pBE.jpg) On July 16, 1988, Tokyo was obliterated in a massive explosion, setting off World War III. In 2019, Tokyo has been rebuilt as Neo-Tokyo, a megalopolis crawling with malignant crime and governed by corrupt politicians where 16-year-old Shotaro Kaneda (Cam Clarke in the 1988 Streamline dub, Johnny Yong Bosch in the 2001 Pioneer dub, Mitsuo Iwata in Japanese) is the tough, cocky, skirt-chasing, and bullheaded leader of the Capsules, a biker gang that's currently at war with the Clowns, a band of savage rapists. Kaneda's gang consists of his friends, 15-year-old Tetsuo Shima (Jan Rabson, Joshua Seth, Nozomu Sasaki) who's like a brother to him, 15-year-old Kai (Bob Bergen, Anthony Pulcini, Takeshi Kusao), and 16-year-old Yama (Tony Pope, Michael Lindsay, Masaaki Okura) along with a few others. During a brawl with the Clowns, students are protesting and an odd-looking boy named Takashi (Barbara Goodson, Cody Mackenzie, Tatsuhiko Nakamura) with psychic powers has been abducted. After Tetsuo takes down a Clown, his bike explodes upon nearly ramming Takashi. The boys arrive to find a battered Tetsuo. The army, led by Colonel Shikishima (Pope, Jamieson Price, Taro Ishida), arrives on the scene and takes both Tetsuo and Takashi away, while the boys are arrested. At the police station, Kaneda gets 17-year-old resistance member Kei (Lara Cody, Wendee Lee, Mami Koyama) released with them, having taken an interest in her. Dr. Onishi (Lewis Arquette, Simon Prescott, Mizuho Suzuki) and his team of scientists conduct experiments on Tetsuo, prompting his escape. After Tetsuo steals Kaneda's bike to run away with his girlfriend Kaori (Goodson, Michelle Ruff, Yuriko Fuchizaki) and both are attacked by the Clowns, Tetsuo beats a Clown to a pulp before he is again taken by the army to the facility that also holds Kiyoko (Melora Harte, Sandy Fox, Fukue Ito who is credited as Sachie Ito), Takashi, and Masaru (Bergen, Mackenzie, Kazuhiro Kamifuji who is credited as Kazuhiro Kando). When Kaneda tries to find out what happened to Tetsuo, he and Kei soon find that Tetsuo, newly equipped with telekinesis, is being consumed by psychosis, and after he murders one of their friends, an enraged Kaneda resolves to stop him. img800(https://i.imgur.com/iC9Hp9a.jpg) As you can probably guess from the summary, there's enough going on in _Akira_ that it takes a few times seeing it to get everything, making repeat viewings that much more rewarding. Even with Otomo having removed much of what was in his then-incomplete manga, there's still more than enough to warrant its 124-minute length. We see Kaneda worry about Tetsuo as a true friend does, Tetsuo lose his grip on sanity and become someone else, and Colonel Shikishima struggle against dirty politicians who only care about money; it's interesting, arguably scary, to consider how much of this stuff is actually happening in the real 2019 and _has been happening for ages_. We see the dangers of playing God in the result of Dr. Onishi's experimentation as Tetsuo wreaks havoc on Neo-Tokyo which also doubles for the abuse of power and even earlier when Colonel Shikishima says that maybe they should leave that power alone. We also get glimpses at honor when Kaneda tries to curb Tetsuo from killing a Clown he's already beaten severely and with Colonel Shikishima's musings on a soldier's duty. On top of that, Otomo throws in religious fanaticism as people blindly follow Tetsuo, thinking he's “Akira.” There's more where that came from and the stakes keep rising to keep you on the edge of your seat until the endgame finishes things off with a bang. Due to Otomo and Izo Hashimoto's excellent writing skills, the film isn't overstuffed and nothing feels out of place. img800(https://i.imgur.com/ICxA5lH.jpg) The animation is stunning. All 327 colors are jaw-dropping; check out those reds. Each background is vastly detailed; the streets of Neo-Tokyo are gritty and grimy, buildings vary from excellent condition to run-down and deteriorated, we see walls and even a door with English profanity painted on them, and the sewers are as filthy as a real one while the interiors of the hospital are immaculate in contrast to the clutter and graffiti of the school the boys attend. Each character looks like a real person, with the wide array of facial expressions that entails, while clothing looks like what real people wear. The gore is also highly realistic. Let it be stated right up front that anyone without an iron stomach will want to steer clear of _Akira_. Internal organs spill out, a cop loses half of his face, and limbs are removed, which is not to mention the mutation scene akin to something out of John Carpenter's _The Thing_. With that said, the gore serves the story rather than the reverse. The attention to detail goes even further to the few animals depicted in the film; the attack dogs near the beginning and even the dog that's seen in a commercial on a TV in the background look like real dogs and the rats in the sewer look like real rats. Put it all together and it's a depiction of 2019 that looks a lot like the real thing. Another element that never ceases to amaze is the way Otomo keeps everything perpetually moving. Otomo's decision to record the dialogue first and animate every nuance of the actor's mouth is where he pulls out all the stops since this wasn't done in Japan at the time, making it even more impressive that both dubs match the animation as well as they do. img800(https://i.imgur.com/IByqADt.jpg) Whichever version one prefers, though this fan is partial to the Streamline dub - probably since it's how I first saw the film, performances excel and the film is well-scripted across the board. Clarke, Bosch, and Iwata are uniformly excellent as Kaneda, the tough, cocky and womanizing biker who cares about his friends and won't let anyone hurt them if he can help it, a lot like I was at that age; moreover, that was around the time my sister became consumed by psychosis in much the same way Tetsuo does. While some have argued against both Clarke and Bosch (usually in favor of the other) as sounding too old, I don't think that's the case with either; when I was 16, I didn't sound all that far removed from Clarke's take, having had a naturally deep voice since age 12. Another argument some have made against Clarke is that he speaks in monotone, but nothing could be further from the truth; his tone changes appropriately with the situations the character finds himself in. The same can be said of Rabson, Seth, and Sasaki as Tetsuo, though Seth lags just a little behind. With that said, this can be partly attributed to the Pioneer dub script, though it is grating that Seth often mispronounces Kaneda's name as “Kah-nee-duh” rather than “Kuh-nay-duh” or “Kah-nay-duh.” Take the scene where Tetsuo advances on the soldiers in the government hospital and Seth says, “It's no use hiding _anymore_,” while neither Rabson nor Sasaki says, “anymore.” It's not _that_ big a deal and it _can_ be attributed to the Pioneer dub script, but it takes away from his menace some. With that said, all three portray him as an abused kid who loses his sanity and despite being the villain, you feel bad for him - or at least I do since I see a lot of my mentally ill little sister there. Cody, Lee, and Koyama are first-class across the board as Kei, portraying her as tough but sensitive, well in line with how Otomo conceived her. The same can be said of Pope, Price, and Ishida as Colonel Shikishima, playing up his no-nonsense attitude and sense of a soldier's duty. Bergen, Pulcini, and Kusao are superb as Kai, one of the film's most likable characters. So are Pope, Lindsay, and Okura as Yama, the most confrontational Capsule, and this can also be said for the rest of the three casts. Long story short, you can't go wrong with any of them and each dubbed or subbed option is entertaining in its own way and tells the story faithfully enough. img800(https://i.imgur.com/qEBlAl7.jpg) Music is a crucial part of any film. _Akira_ is no exception and the Geinoh Yamashirogumi are up to the challenge, using drums, chants, guitars, gamelan percussion, and even a church organ to form the musical score. _Kaneda_ is the most recognizable, having been used in nearly every trailer. It's easy to see why; it's an exhilarating track and it's hard not to feel pumped once you've heard it. The same can be said of _Battle Against the Clowns_, _Tetsuo_, and _Exodus from the Underground Fortress_. The score mostly remains the same, with the only radically different version being the Japanese hypersonic track that Geinoh Yamashirogumi founder Shoji Yamashiro mixed in 2008 for the film's Blu-ray release. In this version, which Yamashiro mastered at 192 kHz, music has been moved around, some pieces are shortened, some are replaced with alternate versions, and the piece used during the flashback to Kaneda and Tetsuo's first meeting has been replaced with an organ, heavily altering the scene and not necessarily for the better; if you want my honest opinion, the flashback is more powerful with the original piece of music sampled from _Requiem_. That said, the entire score is incredible and I've listened to it countless times. In addition to the score itself, Otomo squeezes in _Tokyo Shoeshine Boy_ by Teruko Akatsuki during the scene at the mall where the groupies walk off from Kaneda, Kai, and Yama. Throw a head-turning sound design into the mix and you've got a terrific film that's firing on all cylinders. img800(https://i.imgur.com/6ejjwRw.jpg) _Akira_ is a fun and exciting film I could watch over and over again; as of writing, I've seen it upwards of 30 times since my first viewing. Wanting to see it ever since age 11, it knocked my socks off when I finally saw it at 18. At 30 years old, it continues to stand the test of time. It's a timeless film, just as relevant and engrossing today in 2019, if not more so than when it first dropped on Japan in 1988 and the United States in 1989. _Akira_ was one of the first anime to arrive in the western world uncut; without it, we may not have _Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind_ and many more of the best Japanese animation has to offer without a single frame removed. _Akira_ is the best animated film ever made for an adult audience and one of the best films of the 1980s, anime or otherwise. Its characters are well-drawn and feel real, it deftly handles global issues that are still at work today, its frenzied action scenes continue to thrill with repeated viewings and it's vastly quotable. Its imagery will remain burned within your psyche for the rest of your natural life and its musical score will ring inside your eardrums long after the credits roll. If you love sci-fi, love action and can stomach the violence, you should see _Akira_ at least once. Who knows? Maybe you'll like it and want to come back to it repeatedly. _Akira_ earns __my highest recommendation.__
There is no other movie like Akira. I’ve been spinning my thoughts over in my head ever since I finally got around to watching this storied classic, and that’s the conclusion I keep coming back to. Akira is singular in a way that almost no piece of media can claim. Sure, plenty of movies and TV shows are like Akira. Plenty of anime and Western media in the decades since its creation have drawn obvious influence from its iconography, themes and story beats. The legacy of Akira stretches so far, reaching into so many pockets of today’s popular culture, that it’s not unfair to say that without Akira, the landscape of storytelling today would be completely unrecognizable. Akira is everywhere. Akira is everything. Yet at the same time, Arika is completely and utterly itself. It’s a film unlike any other, an achievement and a vision that none of its inheritors have captured in quite the same way. I could tell you a lot about things Akira is like, but I could never explain to you what Akira is without sitting you down in front of the damn thing and letting you experience it for yourself. Akira isn’t The Matrix, it isn’t Ghost in the Shell, it isn’t Psycho-Pass, it isn’t Elysium. Akira is, well, Akira. And even thirty-one years later, there’s no escaping the gravitational pull of its monumental stature. But here’s a question to consider: if Akira is so singular an achievement that it can’t really be compared to anything but itself, then how the hell am I supposed to review it? This film has defined a generation of filmmaking in so many different ways, yet none of the works it’s inspired operate on similar enough levels to effectively measure their strengths and weaknesses against each other. There are absolutely dark, apocalyptic anime I like more than Akira, but with the exception of Neon Genesis Evangelion, none of them hold that same all-encompassing power of recognizing a landmark in the making. Is it fair to judge Akira against these works, when so much of what makes these works good is recycling and refining pieces of its own legacy? It almost feels like judging the likes of Anything Goes and Oklahoma against the modern musical landscape of Hamilton and Hadestown. Any way you slice it, things have just evolved so much from that starting point that there’s no way to judge Akira completely on its own merits anymore. It’s inspired so much through sheer cultural presence that the film itself can’t just be taken as a film anymore. How can I weigh it against the rest of my favorites when so many of my favorites wouldn’t even exist without it? Is it even possible? I don’t know. But as is often the case in times like this, that’s not gonna stop me from trying regardless. First, the story. For the uninitiated, Akira takes places in the post-apocalyptic future of... 2019. *Looks around* You know what, fair. Okay, okay, serious mode. In Akira’s universe, a cataclysmic event tore through Tokyo in the late 80s, an explosion that seemed nuclear and was considered the start of World War 3. In the time since then, Japan has been trying to rebuild, and we check in thirty years later in the sprawling city of Neo-Tokyo that’s been built around the crater of that epic explosion. It’s a rough, rotten, chaotic place, packed to the gills with garbage, street gangs, disaffected youth, civic unrest, social oppression, and just a whole cauldron of simmering rage right on the verge of boiling over. Our protagonists, Kanada and Tetsuou, are members of a teen biker gang that roams the streets looking for trouble, getting to scuffles with rival gangs and purging the pain of their daily existence by rushing headfirst into nihilistic, live-for-the-moment thrills. It’s the cyberpunk city by which all future cyberpunk cities must be measured, a haze of neon lights and billowing trash alike. You get a very quick sense that Neo-Tokyo is essentially acting as the world’s biggest pressure cooker, building tension in every strain and scuffle and bloody body left on the street. All it needs is one final spark to set the whole thing ablaze. And that spark comes when an otherwise ordinary brawl ends with an injured Testuo kidnapped by the military and experimented on. When Kanada finds him again, he’s got psychic powers that are starting to tear his mind apart, filling him with visions of some unknown presence named Akira. And his powers are growing, growing in size, growing in scope, growing in internal agony, transforming him from a scared, steadfast punk into a raw, bleeding nerve of vicious psychosis with increasingly apocalyptic capabilities. He sets off to find this Akira, prompting Kanada to give chase. Before he knows it, he’s been caught up in the wider conspiracy surrounding the mysterious Akira, including anti-government guerilla terrorists, previous psychic children whose bodies have all withered like old men and women despite being under the age of 10, the real causes behind the explosion that destroyed Tokyo 30 years ago, a religious death cult that sprung up around rumors of Akira’s existence, and the nature of human evolution itself, all spiraling around each other in pursuit of the same destination. And all the while, Testuo’s power only grows increasingly destructive, and his mental state increasingly unstable, as he desperately gropes his way towards a question he doesn’t even know why he needs the answer to. It is, in short, a lot. It’s a lot of plot, a lot of moving pieces, and overlapping story threads that all require attention. And if there’s one significant criticism I can level at Akira- the one criticism that prevents me from appreciating it as deeply as I do some of the shows that it inspired- it’s that not everything gets the space it needs to breathe. I’m aware this story was adapted down from a much larger manga, and it’s clear there’s a lot of story elements that would’ve been fleshed out in more detail in the source material. As is, though, a lot of the backstory and emotional context relies a lot more on implication than full exploration. It’s never made explicitly clear what the mechanics of these psychic beings are, what connections exist between the various characters we meet from all different walks of life, what the ultimate meaning behind Akira himself is, or what the final confrontation actually results it. Certain characters show up feeling like they should have bigger parts, and then don’t outside of connective tissue. It’s a coherent enough narrative, but it’s also a big, blobby mess packed full of elements that feel under-utilized and stakes just a couple scenes shy of truly making an impact. Frankly, though, I’m not sure what better way there would be to tell this story; considering it was written and directed by the original manga’s author, it’s clear he did his damndest to fit the most workable version of this story he could into just over two hours, and a longer running time would absolutely be overkill. This might genuinely be the best possible movie version of Akira that could ever exist, but you definitely get a sense that there’s a better version of this story somewhere. Still, focusing too much of the plot and structure feels like missing the point here. Akira didn’t become the juggernaut it is through boring mechanics. It made its impact through sheer, raw feeling. It’s a movie defined by excess, excess of plot, excess of characters, excess of clutter, excess of motion, excess of despair, excess of fury, bulging and straining at the seams of its container until it tears and releases the torrential floodwaters to drown you under. I can’t remember the last time I experienced a piece of art that felt so titanic, like I was one tiny cog in the bowels of an indescribably massive machine that blasted me with scalding-hot steam and screeched my eardrums apart with every clash of metal on metal. The experience of watching Akira is the experience of standing in the middle of a hurricane; it’s terrifying and all-encompassing and you expect your life to end at any moment, but the mere fact of you existing in that moment, in that chaos, makes you feel like a god. Coherency isn’t the point here. The point is to capture the feeling of standing on the precipice at the end of the world, feeling the cataclysm raging around you, and shouting as loud as you possibly can in defiance of it all. It is a visceral, primal scream of a film, a shriek that cuts through the darkness with no other intention than to stamp unto the heavens, “I was here.” And sweet mother of mercy, you feel that scream in your SOUL. So much praise has been given to this film’s animation in the past, and now I understand why; it feels illegal that any hand-drawn animated property could achieve this level of finesse. It’s not just that the characters are animated at a full 24 frames per second, with the same fluidity of motion as real life. It’s not just that every single environment is packed with texture and detail, down to the grime and wear on every last street corner. It’s not just that the action is wild and explosive with a million things happening every moment. It’s that the characters’ movements and fleshed out and textured with a million fucking subtleties that all pass by in the space of a second, gestures and expressions and shifting of weight all taken into account. It’s that the scenery is rendered in stunning reality that paints even the grimiest alley as a bustling expression of life, down to the garbage and dust blowing in the wind and the wisps of smoke from even the smallest fire. It’s that the cinematography and editing makes this megacity feel like a living, breathing colossus, with every last window detailed and every last building drawn to completion, and every shot is packed with so many intricately patterned structures and sidewalks that it seems impossible for limited human hands to have pulled it all together. It’s that the backgrounds all seamlessly flow between perspectives and motion, with the limited 2D perspective crafting a pitch-perfect illusion of movement through 3D space. It’s that the colors are awash in catatonic neon lunacy, painting in reds and blues and yellows and greens and browns and blacks and whites and oranges and purples all at once and filling every corner of this city with its own unique hue. It’s that the chaotic, destructive psychic battles that tear the city apart take every last speck of dust into account, detailing every last individual chunk of rubble as its own unique entity swirling around this maelstrom of smoke and debris and pipes and girders and asphalt and concrete of all shapes and sizes. And it’s that all of this paralyzing detail is on frame at once, all the time, so every last frame of this movie has more sensory overload on its own than whole seasons of anime. This is the scream of Akira, resonating through the heavens as it tears the celestial fabric apart. It’s a scream of an overstuffed and overcrowded world, overwhelmed with chaos and motion and detail and movement and cramped spaces and sensory mania, finally breaking free and destroying its very foundations with the force of its nuclear fury. It’s a film you don’t so much watch as you do suffer, letting yourself get pummeled over and over again by its unfathomable excess until the pressure breaks you in turn and you start screaming on apocalyptic fury right alongside it. The action is visceral and destructive and leaves you physically shaking at every weighty evisceration and eruption. The voice acting is raw and brutal and tears through the fabric of your mind through sheer force of will. The portentous plot expands and contracts is it delves into increasingly abstract ideas and symbolism, climaxing in a combination body horror/mindfuck that sears itself into your brain through its stunning imagery and unbearable sense of release. The moment-to-moment experience is one of staring slack-jawed as the seconds tick by and every frame is even more overwhelming than the one before. This movie bowled me over through sheer force of will. It stunned me to my core with just how much it let spill across the celluloid like blood and viscera. It is, without question, an incomprehensibly mammoth accomplishment, perhaps the most definitive vision of apocalyptic fury ever put to screen. I have no trouble believing that this was the film to jump-start a new generation of storytelling; with how utterly it demands your attention, how could it be anything less? Akira is a masterpiece in the truest sense of the word. It’s one of those works of art that you just can’t look away from, that sweeps your feet out from under you through sheer force of will and leave you in awe of the impossible feat it accomplished. Yes, it’s a lanky, bloated, overstuffed mess of a film, and many of the stories it ended up inspiring have proven themselves much more personal to me. Hell, End of Evangelion essentially uses the same tactic of overwhelming its audience through sheer force of overstuffed apocalyptic grandeur, but with a story, characters and themes that cut just as deeply as the awe-inspiring sound and fury. But even if Akira has been outdone by the status quo it ushered in, it has in no way been overshadowed. Akira remains, through thick and thin, a testament to the sheer power of filmmaking, and I’m eternally grateful to have experienced its majesty at last.
Akira is definitely one of those animes seen as a 'classic'. The animation is stunning and the colour scheme fits the cyberpunk genre perfectly. It subtly delves into topics that could've been seen as taboo for Japan. It involves slight gang culture, drug usage and prostitution and heavy sexualisation of woman. The movie depicts westernisation quite well. Japan, now, is known for being reserved, people tend to forget Japan before the second world war. As this is set after a stated 'third world war', it could be suggesting Japan's lack of progression socially. This can be seen through the anti-government groups and the heavy corrupted government in place. The movie creates a setting which we can most likely move towards, almost serving as a warning. The society in which they live in : 'Neo Tokyo" is bustling with noise and colour, especially neon lights. though very briefly, we can see westernisation everywhere, from the raunchy tv shows and night bars and such. It also shows how children of a young age , highschoolers, can be easily influenced by the thrill of gang culture. People of the setting pay no attention to this and sees is as a 'boys will be boys' attitude. This is shown in the opening scenes and when the group of boys are in school. The adults don't control them. This contrasts heavily to the fact that the government EXPERIMENTS on young children. They use them as objects and dispose of them whenever they see fit. There's two figures of authority here in this story. Science and morality. Should we dismiss human rights and disregard morals for the sake of science? It explores morality in subtle ways as well through the relationship dynamic of the two male main characters. They act as foils for each other to highlight each ones flaws. I believe they could've explored this relationship further than a few flashbacks from Tetsuo's memory. At the end of the day, morality won. Tetsuo could be seen with fractured morals throughout. He loses his composure around Kaneda, and begs for his help. Teaching the audience, that power comes at a cost. And that the only power that can save you is surrounding yourself with those you love. It's an extremeley clever way to express this. The plot was indeed unique. It relies on re-occuring motifs rather than having a set storyline. The movie was a bit confusing in this way. We are jumping between the governments perspective and the anti-government party, and a few characters I didn't understand how they contributed to the storyline. The movie zooms in on each character as if they each have an important role, and their actions are significant. However this was highly confusing. Akira is a definite 8/10 for its thrills and unique story line. It isn;t easy to forget and has left an impresionable mark on me.
~~~__Heya there! This technically is my first review so I’m sorry for mistakes and if this is a very simple review. This is my personal analysis of the movie, and if you don’t like it, it’s alright! Akira isn’t a movie for everyone, but for the people who do want to take a watch, it’s worth it in the end. Regardless, I hope you like this review of sorts! //TW + CW: death mentions + spoilers__ Akira is one of my favorite films of all time! I've watched it over 6 times, and am even considering rewatching it again. For me, the characters, plot and themes are what keep me intrigued all the way. If you've read the summary, you might have saw how I said Akira is a confusing film, which I'll delve into soon. But all in all, Akira really is a great film overall once you understand it. So basically, Akira is a 1988 Japanese animated post-apocalyptic cyberpunk action film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo based on Otomo's 1982 manga of the same name. Set in a dystopian 2019, Akira tells the story of Shōtarō Kaneda, a leader of a biker gang whose childhood friend, Tetsuo Shima, acquires incredible telekinetic abilities after a motorcycle accident, eventually threatening an entire military complex amidst chaos and rebellion in the sprawling futuristic metropolis of Neo-Tokyo. While most of the character designs and settings were adapted from the manga, the plot differs considerably and does not include much of the last half of the manga. The middle parts of the manga and onward weren't written at the time, and therefore, the rest of the movie was made up along through production. img220(https://media1.tenor.com/images/f638cc69cad20d9c3becfabaa3411fa0/tenor.gif?itemid=12094323) It might seem like production hell, but personally I think the movie has some aspects better than the manga. I've read the manga myself after watching the movie after my first time, and I felt the pacing in the movie was almost done perfectly! The beginning of the manga already goes into Tetsuo's crash, the gang meeting Takashi, and his eventual arrival to the hospital, in the first chapter. And even already on Chapter 6, Yamagata then dies by a big blow from Tetsuo, dying in Kaneda's arms. Basically in the first volume, already many points from a good portion of the film happened fast in the manga. The film does a greater job establishing those points in a normal paced manner, and gives up more time to let us process those events. But as I said in my summary, Akira is a movie that should be rewatched again and again to truly understand, and even enjoy more of the film. img220(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/44/c1/85/44c1850f64ea52cd98d5b18fc0699942.gif) The film has MANY themes placed into it. It's even a bit of a problem in the middle of the movie, since all those themes clash together and get lost and jumbled as the film progresses. The prominent theme of Akira, which is also a conflict, is Religion v Science. Its resembled in how many people in Neo Tokyo believe Akira is this all mighty god bestowed upon them, even having a whole religion based on him. On the other hand, it goes against science since Akira was a little boy experimented and toyed around with by the government and it's scientists, becoming this ultimate being. Other themes explored through the film can be the unbothered youth, government corruption, nuclear-based telekinesis, greed of power and authority, destruction, and rebirth. These themes, while being vital to the movie entirely, can almost be glossed over and such, but over each watch can become more and more prominent. img220(https://38.media.tumblr.com/8526ece8640656a080fad9fc44fcf110/tumblr_nsfudqtB5W1tcmwrwo1_r4_500.gif) NOW LET"S TALK ABOUT THE CHARACTERS, my favorite aspect of the film! I remember many of them and they became more and more memorable to me, so lets talk about the minor characters first. First we have Yamagata, who even though he hadn't had a huge role in the film or manga, was still memorable to me, especially his lil relationship with Kaisuke! AND NEXT we have Kaisuke, who is actually one of my favorite characters of all time! I really love his friendly personality and connections with the Capsules as a whole. His exaggerated expressions too make me laugh at times! Now finally, even though she's more of a main character, let's talk about Kei! I believe Kei was a very different girl written at the time, and I believe she was represented greatly. Instead of being a damsel in distress gal, she's the brute girl down the street that can kick anyone's ass! And I love it! Kei always was a optimistic and strong girl and I admired her character so much for it. Kei also had this very broken off perspective of interacting with others and only really talked with the anti-government group she was apart in, and I love her relationship with Kaneda since she grew to be more open and trusted with herself. img220(https://pa1.narvii.com/6690/c6c6eff4da620128a0a92920176c12d78089c766_hq.gif) AND NOW, the main characters, in which they're really the most interesting one's I've faced. So what I think makes Kaneda and Tetsuo different from your stereotypical protagonist and antagonist is that, they BOTH don't fit into the mold of them. (I'll explain what I mean now.) People in the real world who are painted in Kaneda's light would most certainly be called "bad guys", because he isn't your typical optimistic, bright headed guy, he is a delinquent of a gang that gets into all sorts of trouble, but over time he shows his theme of heroism. After Akira destroys Neo-Tokyo, he, Kaisuke and Kei are the only remnants of the city as a whole, and when they go back to the Great Tokyo Empire, they go to seeing these former authority figures commit worse crimes than they used to punish (since the military and police force no longer exist at this time). Typically your protagonist would rise to the occasion to work for the greater good, but really, it's in Kaneda's own way, and in the end his road to heroism is what changes his optimism and views for the better. Now for Tetsuo, he fits into a sympathetic antagonist, that even he did so wrong, he can leave a everlasting impact on you. Even though Tetsuo killed his comrades Yamagata, destroyed buildings and almost the entirety of Neo-Tokyo, his death up until the end is heartbreaking. When you know of his childhood past and how he was bullied and humiliated, how he was looked down on by many people (even including the Capsules and Kaneda), and when he noticed how much power affected him and his perspectives, I always seem to cry each time he screams out to Kaneda. And you know, your typical antagonist wouldn't have have redeemable qualities, or be fleshed out as much, but I always felt and wished that Tetsuo could've had another chance in the end. For Tetsuo, it’s up to you if you think he’s the bad guy or a misunderstood kid in the end. Hell, his death even pulled Kaneda's heartstrings too, as he held onto the last light of hope... img220(https://pa1.narvii.com/5844/82ee1b2a6b305ee85175ee2fda80315d94e2f316_00.gif) And now I’d like to talk about Akira themself. His name is plastered all over the movie, and many charecters talk about him, yet he was always a mystery to the viewer’s eyes. He also isn’t you typical antagonist either, and through his manipulation by the government and treated as a experiment, he’s been through a lot. The fact at a young age he’s already been through as a experiment, and considered an outright god is much. I think the stereotypes that these main charecters aren’t shown through gives the viewer a new experience, and for me I really liked. img220(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/aa/27/c2/aa27c272e19cf29cd97bc545fc872c50.jpg) So in its entirety, Akira has a HUGE amount of characterization and themes that tie the whole story into its (mostly) perfection! You might not notice at first, but over time, the true colors shown in this movie will come back brighter than ever once you've watched it more. I know in the end this film isn’t for everyone, and how it’s gruesome portrayal can dissatisfy a viewer, but if you do take the time to watch it’s worth it. Anyways, this is more of an analysis I wanted to speak upon on, but regardless I hope you like this review, and thank you for your time!~~~ ~~~ img220(https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/akira-pros-contras-pelicula-8-1554303944.gif?crop=1.00xw:0.932xh;0,0.0322xh&resize=480:*)~~~
__**THERE AREN'T ANY MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW, BUT THERE ARE SOME, SO VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED**__ ---- Akira is seriously unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around its themes and messages since I watched it last night, but I can’t seem to hold a firm grasp as to what the film wants its viewers to take away. Akira is a show that leaves its interpretation to its viewers; everyone will have a slightly different understanding of the film and its purpose. If you had to ask me what Akira was about, I probably wouldn’t and still won’t be able to answer that directly. I had to spend all of last night and today trying to process and deliberate my own thoughts on Akira. It’s hard to put into words my feelings on Akira. The story takes place in a post-world war Neo Tokyo, where streets are plagued with gang members, protestors, and corrupt capitalists. From the first half of the movie, you can immediately sense that Neo Tokyo has turned into a dystopian society - the government truly rules its people. Any citizen who opposes government rule faces the muzzle of a fully-loaded machine gun, ready to massacre any brave citizen that chooses to speak out against government order. Our story follows one of the many biker gangs that rule the streets of Neo Tokyo. Kaneda, the leader of the gang, and Tetsuo, Kaneda’s friend, go out for a usual midnight stroll before they run into a rival biker gang known as the Clowns. Amidst their altercation, Tetsuo faces severe injuries and is captured by the government and sent to an unknown hospital, where he would face treatment. This is no ordinary hospital, however, and Tetsuo begins to sense hallucinations and great suffering surging throughout his body. We soon learn that Tetsuo and a group of other people known as the espers are the subjects of a secret human experiment run by the government to test parapsychological capabilities within humans. Through multiple conversations, we learn that part of the government’s goal is to create and control the next Akira: the embodiment of omnipotence and power amongst all human beings. The rest of the film focuses on the parallel between Kaneda and his quest to save his friend while Tetsuo learns more-and-more about this newfound power and his overall desires. Societal hierarchy is a recurring theme in Akira. Because of the recent tax reform, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. Thus, the poor citizens of Neo Tokyo have resorted to and romanticized the idea of summoning Akira to protect the citizens from further government and military control. Cults that actively support this movement are seen throughout the film and even mistake Tetsuo for Akira, revering him as a god. Unlike the poor cultists, however, corrupt capitalists quietly roam throughout Neo Tokyo and aim to procure Akira for their own selfish desires and wants. This archetype transitions to another theme posed within Akira: children vs adults. The three main espers that appear in Akira all take on the look and personalities of anemic children. Children live simple lifestyles; they don’t desire much of anything and don’t care for doing things out of their own personal gain. This explains why the government chose to bestow these dangerous psychedelic powers to mere children: they’re simply easier to have control over and won’t act out for their own selfish desires. Tetsuo, the elephant in the room, is NOT a child however. He’s an adult just like the other corrupt and selfish adults portrayed throughout the film. Thus, he doesn’t live a simple and need-free lifestyle as a child would. Once discovering his power, Tetsuo’s selfish greed grows, and he’ll do anything to gain total omnipotence for his own convenience. The parallels created between the ideals of a child and an adult is one of the more subtle and eye-opening messages that Akira tries to convey to its viewers. Tetsuo’s selfish greed attempts to highlight the differences between self-confidence and straight-up hubris. Based on my viewing, discussion, and personal readings, I believe that Akira’s main purpose is to try to warn and portray to its viewers of the consequences that human greed, curiosity, and power hold. This is still a widespread issue across many different governing societies today. Where countries will work on funding for better nuclear technology to have military power over neighboring countries, they fail to understand the consequences and repercussions that such massive expansion and development of dangerous weapons could lead to. This directly relates to the plotline of the human-run experiments that were funded by Neo Tokyo’s government. Without having to spoil too much, Neo Tokyo became brainwashed at the mere idea of holding an omnipotent power, failing to consider the consequences that may occur should they lose control over this power. Akira’s message is clear in this sense: when creating such dangerous weapons of destruction or corrupt power, you have to make sure that you can control such power and desire. This is a clear example of the analogy that Kei gave to Kaneda when trying to describe what Akira is. If an amoeba, a simple bacteria that feed off of others, were given the power of humans, then that amoeba would be revered as a God amongst all amoeba. If the same were to happen to humans, that one human would be regarded as the ruler and God of all humans. This short yet informative conversation seems to flirt at the idea of what would happen if beings were to attempt to artificially reach a higher power, which is exactly what Neo Tokyo is doing with their corrupt experiments. Once that power goes beyond their limit, bad things will happen when no one can stop a monster that they created. With all of the fascinations, mindfucks, and new themes that Akira has introduced to me, there are also a slew of cons and imperfections within such a complex story. My first criticism has to come from the characters themselves. From my viewing, most of the main cast were all one-dimensional and forgettable, and I held no emotional ties to any of the characters in the film. The boring and basic cast made it hard for me to root for anyone or to really pick a side; nothing that these characters were truly memorable. Kei is the perfect example of my criticism; she held almost no significance to the overall plot of the story and had to be straight up controlled by esper number 25 to even hold any significance to the story. Another “critique” that I have on Akira has to be its enjoyability. This show isn’t for everyone and it’s definitely not an easy watch. Because it has such a rich and complex storyline, it’s easy to get lost, confused, and even overwhelmed for new viewers. That’s not necessarily a critique, but it’s more of a disclaimer that if you’re expecting something as simple as a high school rom-com, you’re destined to be disappointed and confused. You have to go in with an open mind and to be mentally prepared for quite literally everything. Akira is a fascinating piece of media that has aged well with time, and a cult-classic that’ll continue to twist people’s minds and teach them the consequences of overextending your bounds in terms of power. Akira wasn’t just a movie for me - it was an experience. The discussions, theories, and interpretations I was able to make of the movie for myself were extremely confusing yet extremely satisfying. I haven’t had an instance quite like Akira’s where I was so invested in other people’s thoughts and opinions to use for my own understanding for quite a long time. This movie is an out of body, once-in-a-lifetime experience and you’re truly missing out if you don’t attempt at experiencing Akira for yourself. If you have a weekend to spare, please experience Akira for yourself; I’d love to hear your own interpretations, opinions, and thoughts of the film. Thank you. Film: 9/10 Impact: 10/10 Overall: 9.5/10
Katsuhiro Otomo's core lies in the way he express and articulate. His delicate Mise-en-Scène is awesome as well, but 'how things are shown' are really important in manga and anime. It's usually called directing, and he showed innovation in this field. When you look at Otomo's works, it feels real. The liveliness feels different, and the character's facial expression moves away from being simply cartoon-like, and transitions into a more realistic facial expression. Akira is a work full of Katsuhiro's sophisticated direction. Akira's irony of the silence during the huge explosion scene at the start stands out. There are several reasons to this, first of it being that it shows that sound arrives after the explosion can be seen, and at the same time if there was such an explosion that no one would have heard it anyways. I also think it's really great that it focuses on the result where everything is gone, rather than just a huge explosion. The scene where Shotaro Kaneda stops his bike has inspired a lot of animators since then. He is showing exuberance with his directing. When Kaneda left the scene with his bike, the trail of light left by the bike again shocked people. The trail of light of a moving object can describe a sense of speed, and this was the first time this has ever been done. The message presented in this work is destruction to start everything anew. Simply called creative destruction. We anticipate new hope to bloom in the ruins after the destruction of Neo Tokyo, its society, and Tetsuo Shimata with Akira's power, which all had imperfections. After Tetsuo's death, the "white light" falling on Shotaro Kaneda's hand, and the professor's quote during the explosion of Neo Tokyo, "is this the birth of a universe?" shows that this work suggests to destroy the imperfect beings and start anew. Which at the time was very radical. The work is set as in future, but it was Japan at the time that Katsuhiro criticized. He scoffs at the appearance of trying to pursue power once again without showing signs of change in Japan, as there was a precedent of failing in pursuit of power. That is why the main character is Shotaro Kaneda, a rebel in Neo Tokyo, and Kei, a member of the resistance. They are rebelling against the imperfect society. Japanese Sci-Fi implies the perception that destruction and reconstruction circulate to some extent, but it is hard to understand why Neo Tokyo, a corrupt and slobby city, has to disappear, while it looked so beautiful. Of course if you look closely at it, it is more like a dystopia, but why would they make the city so appetizing with the lights and delicate descriptions? Because he draws imperfections so beautifully, Akira is hard to understand when trying to find the allegory of this work until the story structures and symbols are analyzed. It is difficult to see what Katsuhiro sees positively and negatively, what kind of world he aims for and avoids. The protagonists look ugly and disgusting while the villains look and feel beautiful, so it is understandable why people see this work very avant-garde
Akira, a philosophical insight into one of the most interesting movies Spoilers Set in a futuristic and corrupted city, in which its dominating authorities and technology's advancement directly influences all of the citizen's lives, Akira is in itself one of the most influential and enjoyable movies today due to its artistically pleasing design and important message regarding human condition and the usage of power in one's life. Having said that, Akira is not only a classic, but also a work of art full of philosophical aspects that sheds light on how one should properly live its life. img220(https://c.tenor.com/oXoanIPrThkAAAAC/anime-akira.gif) According to Nietzsche's thesis on will, humans possess a common desire for power as a way to satisfy their ambitions and reach their goals. In Akira, Tetsuo Shima, a seemingly passive and normal delinquent, gains the power of telekinesis that he tragically uses in order to surpass his weaknesses such as: always being saved by his friends, being passed around in his childhood and lacking a place that could be called "home". Tetsuo slowly acquires more destructive power, thus getting closer to the essence of all humans "Akira", the absolute energy that lies in everything existing in the universe, be it a fast motorcycle, a plant, or a person's self. As a result, Tetsuo's journey is clearly one of self-destruction as he ends up both killing his friends, losing his morality for reaching his goal, and being transformed in energy in the end. Ironically, Tetsuo's desire to become special, someone powerful who could stand up for himself, ended up being simply an energy among other similar elements in the universe, an insignificant existence that portrays the absurdity of reality as well as humans' powerlessness in the world. Moreover, in Akira humans are also responsible for the tragic outcome, thus the army's scientists played a significant role in Tetsuo destroying the city as they tried to control the absolute power with their technology. img220(https://i.gyazo.com/fcad9798dbe0520e409bda01cc281f7f.png) Essence precedes existence. In Akira, the power that Tetsuo slowly acquired is stated to exist in every individual up to some extent, the only difference being in the way each of us decides to use it. One of the important messages in the movies is being responsible for one's own strength, which is illustrated by Tetsuo's tragic downfall, as opposed to Kaneda surviving the final destruction and living afterward. Kaneda used the power existing in him to deal with his own friend's insanity, evolving into a better version of himself through courage and responsibility. On the contrary, Tetsuo tried to abuse his telekinesis and deny his weak personality, resulting in his death. The movie portrays human condition, each of us has a desire to become better, reject suffering, and essentially find peace in different ways. However, there are aspects such as one's own mind and hidden traumas that corrupts the soul, thus it's up to the individual to live their life. This choice presented is similar to Sartre's view that Existence precedes essence, that humans have the ability to create their own future. While it's difficult to argue all of Sartre's work in Akira because it contradicts the aspect of human nature existing in the characters, his freedom of choice is still applicable to Tetsuo and Kaneda's dynamic of using power in different ways, shaping their future differently. img220(https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/032/846/699/large/ignacio-antonio-vergara-fuentealba-nachume-arts-akirakanedavstetsuo.jpg?1607633486) Escapism in Akira. Tetsuo decided to destroy everything, thus running away from his background of being the weakest of the group, trying to escape from his suffering by abusing his power. Ironically, He returns back to his state and is in his weakest form despite having acquired the absolute power. This is represented by him screaming for help, finally accepting and even stating his powerlessness. In the end, Tetsuo only returned to the universe, portraying human's inability to oppose it. img220(https://i.gyazo.com/ae82e573ac1b199f91879e96729378cc.jpg) Additionally, a visible approach in Akira is Anti-authoritarianism, as throughout the movie numerous terrorist attacks are portrayed, while many citizens follow "Akira" in order to gain a sense of freedom that wouldn't be possible in a society dictated by the government and controlled by technology. However, is revolting against the already built society a valid alternative? Most of the rebels were killed either by the authorities or Tetsuo's powers, bringing self-destruction to themselves. Similarly, is Tetsuo free because he acquired the power to reach his goals and satisfy his darkest desires? If so, why would he regret trapping his girlfriend in his uncontrollable body? The method of throwing away your own suffering on others portrayed by Tetsuo clearly hasn't served him any good in terms of wholeness and dealing with the pain directly, which implies that sometimes one just has to accept their environment and try to coexist with their suffering. img220(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4e/94/a6/4e94a69f350a15fb8c0d4d03e16627a3.jpg) This further raises the following question: Should we blame the power or rather the user that abused it? Was Tetsuo corrupted by the strange power or was his mind's desire to exceed his condition and reject suffering in life that changed his perception of reality and morality? As we know, Tetsuo always struggled with his inability to be strong, thus the power acquired is only a catalyst, a method to express his hidden feelings of despair and self-hatred. According to Jung, that is called the "Shadow", consisting of every feeling that we suppress in life and deny. These emotions are creating our subconscious mind, dictating some of our actions and beliefs. One of the methods of dealing with the shadow is reaching spiritual wholeness, self-realization, dealing with one's deepest thoughts instead of running away from them, as it only strengthens them otherwise. " I didn't know I had this power in me", Tetsuo realizes his power at some point, but does nothing to question his own inner struggles and rather imposes them on the world. He is a tragic example of how one shouldn't deal with his problems, as running away doesn't solve anything in the end. On the contrary, Kaneda is the perfect example in this regard, as he is seen laughing after almost being killed by Tetsuo's attacks, able to make jokes even after something tragic happened. Moreover, Kaneda protected his delinquent friends and Kei from the government, he even had the ambition and sense of responsibility to deal with Tetsuo personally. Kaneda's journey portrays how one is in control of his perception of reality, humans are able to see life differently, but also to their advantage, and it's the individual's problem how he sees it. In conclusion, Akira's most important message is that it's not the problems you're facing in life, but how you deal with them. img220(https://i.gyazo.com/0f0842f3691da557f04d026b8752d29d.jpg)
Akira is a film set in a dystopian future following the lives of a group of delinquent high schoolers that probably are involved in some gang activities. Throughout the film we explore more about their daily lives and the strains in the group dynamic. Eventually they get entangled in a complex scuffle between the government, rebel groups and subjects of secret experiments that hold great potential power. Plot-wise there are certain complexities that make it difficult to follow for a first viewing experience but the main struggles between the main characters and their straining relations are obvious and easy to follow. The complex conspiracy of the government trying to hide their test subjects and the resistant group opposing the government is admittedly hard to follow but as I said previously the main plot depicting the struggles of the main characters are clear which I personally believe is more important for the bread of the overall story. Akira present and explore themes about war and corruption. These themes are more easily understood and felt if you have a decent knowledge about Japanese societies anxieties in the post World-War 2 period. Admittedly I know little to nothing about these issues and I will not even pretend to claim I understand the profound and insightful qualities about the film. I am just sharing my limited knowledge about the symbolism and narrative themes based on hearsay I consumed on the internet. If you are feeling bit pretentious and want to interpret Akira as this artistic representation and critique on culture there is an avenue for that. I personally do not delve too much into that direction to justify it is good. What I love about Akira is not about the pretentious symbolism of war or it's 'clever' and insightful plot. No. The plot is nothing groundbreaking, it is just a decent story following these boys at each others throats while being entangled with some powerful groups. What makes Akira special in my opinion is as superficial as it may seems, is purely the viewing experience. The animation is something that I do not believe many studios have the heart to replicate today. The animations are so fluid and so complex that the only anime I could think of that is equal or probably better is UFOtable that animated demon slayer. Still when comparing the consistency of sakuga level animation Akira stands out. The standard practice today of anime is to only depict sakuga when it really matters but Akira consistently throw out sakuga level animation even in the most minor of shots where it is just simply a group of people walking. One aspect that did not age very well is the color of the film which was really dull and lifeless at times which was a stark contrast of quality with the animation (to be fair a limitation of cell animation 30 years ago). But I am certain there exist a remastered version out there that nullify this issue. Some might argue that the dull colors add to the atmosphere and mood of the film but I personally disagree, I like vibrant contrasting colors most of the time. The voice acting was pretty decent nothing that stands out much but what I find really compliments the mood of film was the sound design. Tense moments are always complimented with an introduction of tense music to set the mood but quiet down to let the sound effects of explosions and gun fire take the stage. This creates a seamless immersive experience where I felt lead into the action. Many of die hard Akira fans would call it an absolute classic and justify its greatness by spouting pretentious rhetoric of how it is a commentary on social issues and Japanese society. Although I absolutely love Akira I would be completely honest I do not care about those at all, to me it is just a really well built action film with immaculate and consistent animation masterfully directed for an enjoyable cinematic experience. In conclusion Akira to me personally is best viewed cinematically, it is designed for cinemas to begin with. Viewing Akira from a laptop screen does not seem right for me. If possible at the very least watch it at night using a chrome cast or via USB file attached to a TV. At the very very least watch it at night using a desktop monitor.
Antiutopia, cacotopia, distopia, sinônimos oriundos do grego antigo 'dystopos' (lugar difícil/ruim) que descrevem e/ou representam um lugar, época ou estado mentalmente concebido em que se vive diante do completo caos, seja social, ético, político, econômico. Muito utilizada no âmbito literário, sua importância se dá pelo caráter autocrítico que possuem. Distopias despertam o ser humano para uma profunda reflexão sobre o modo pelo qual a sociedade caminha. Com isto em mente, o clássico japonês Akira (1988) nos conta sobre um Japão que, após ser destruído por uma explosão, viu sua reconstrução acontecer diante de um cenário distópico cyberpunk. No ano de 1988, o Japão é vítima de um desastre causado por uma misteriosa explosão que culminaria na Terceira Guerra Mundial. O filme nos leva a acompanhar o remanescente da sociedade nipônica, datada no ano de 2019, sob a égide de uma sociedade capitalista, democrática e brutalmente tecnológica, que reside na megalópole erguida a partir dos escombros da explosão: a Neo Tokyo. Neo Tokyo é esta cidade que alcançara o suprassumo do avanço econômico e tecnológico. Porém, estava mergulhada em caos social. Disputa de gangues motoqueiras, atentados terroristas como forma de protestos contra as ações governamentais, seitas religiosas disseminando suas ideias, instituições políticas corruptas. Tudo isto culminara em uma civilização que colapsava à passos largos. Em meio a este cenário a história nos remete ao personagem principal, Tetsuo, e seu melhor amigo, Kaneda. Ambos pertencentes a uma gangue de motoqueiros. Tetsuo acabaria por ser levado pelo exército para ser cobaia de experimentos científicos. Estes experimentos secretos eram realizados em crianças espers para o aperfeiçoamento de seus poderes psíquicos visando encontrar o Padrão Akira, um fator de desenvolvimento tecnológico. Fator este que seria encontrado no protagonista Tetsuo. O vigente texto visa comentar as principais ideias abordadas na animação. Por isto, abestenho-me de grandes spoilers ou cenas detalhadas. Dentre tantas teorias pós-modernas encontradas na história, Akira, de forma bastante enfática, exemplifica bem o aceleracionismo de Deleuze. Aceleracionismo é a teoria filosófica em os entes governamentais devem intensificar as ações e preceitos capitalistas, bem como determinados processos sócio-tecnológicos, de modo que, ao terem estes fatores ampliados, a deterioração da sociedade seria acelerada. À medida que estas mudanças sócio-tecnologicas são intensificadas pelo avanço do capitalismo, a sociedade experimenta um processo de degradação chamado desterritorialização. De acordo com esta teoria de Deleuze-Guattari, desterritorialização é o processo pelo qual as relações sociais chamadas de 'território' sofrem algum tipo de alteração, ou até a própria destruição, a partir de algum fator externo. Delleuze e Guattari compreendem o indivíduo social como um ser que sofre alterações a partir de conceitos da psique de Freud, como a líbido e a perversidade polimorfa. De acordo com esta ideia, o indivíduo possui uma forte tendência de sucumbir a estes fortes desejos ficando, assim, sujeitos a sofrerem alterações no que eles chamam de "psique materialista". Deleuze compreende o capitalismo como o fator fundamental para acelerar este processo de alteração, a desterritorialização. Ele identifica o capitalismo como este movimento que eleva o indivíduo até os extremos de seus desejos imorais influenciando, assim, no ambiente social, tomando ações que alterem, segreguem e destruam a sociedade. Para a teoria, é necessário "elevar aos extremos" uma vez que, atingido o ápice da desterritorialização em massa, com base nas tensões da psique, os indivíduos podem encontrar um novo processo de reterritorialização. Ou seja, uma nova relação social ordenada. Este processo é denomidado Anti Édipo. Em Akira isto é bem observado, uma vez que as tensões sociais estão em seu ápice. Protestos extremistas chegando ao ponto de cometerem atentados terroristas constantes, disputas entre gangues que desejam manter seu poder de dominação territorial, conflitos armados entre uma população anti reformista e a força policial. Em meio a este cenário caótico e de degradação é que uma nova relação social surgiria. Esta nova ordem surge em detrimento do avanço tecnológico. A história nos leva a acompanhar uma nova raça de seres humanos com poderes psíquicos que alcançaram um novo estágio na escala evolutiva. Crianças espers são tomadas por cobaias de experimentos de um governo que busca alcançar o ápice da evolução tecnológica. Esta representação das ideias de Deleuze, como o conceito de corpos sem órgãos, é o que direciona o processo de evolução tecnológica para além do horizonte constritivo do capital como a nova forma de reterritorialização. Akira foi uma criança esper que teve seus padrões de fator tecnológicos elevados para além do que poderia suportar. O garoto perde o controle de seus poderes e ocasiona a explosão que destrói o Japão no início da história. Enquanto que Tetsuo surge, após este processo de destruição do território, como o novo ser capaz de ter seus padrões evolutivos alterados. De modo que o jovem viria a deixar de ser um mero humano e se tornar uma singularidade tecnológica transhumanista. O show consegue representar de forma bastante fidedigna as ideias do aceleracionismo uma vez que o processo evolutivo é levado até o fim de suas instâncias. A história termina com um Tetsuo se tornando a singularidade tecnológica, ou seja, um padrão padrão evolutivo desenfreado, que conseguiria reconstruir o universo, como uma espécie de reterritorialização das relações sociais. A ilustre frase final "Eu sou Tetsuo" remete a figura deste novo ser que surge como um ponto único, singular. Como o máximo, o ápice da escala evolutiva. __A Obsolescência Programada do Aceleracionismo__ Obsolescência programada é a decisão proposital por parte dos produtores de fabricar e vender produtos de consumo de modo que se tornem obsoletos forçando, assim, que o consumidor continue a comprar as novas gerações de determinado produto. De igual modo, as muitas teorias filosóficas pós-modernas se baseiam na hipótese da obsolescência programada do ser humano. Ou seja, na ideia de que os avanços sócio-tecnológicos culminarão em uma necessária degradação moral, em virtude das paixões do indivíduo, para se obter uma nova ordem social. Em contrapartida, o psiquiatra austríaco Viktor Frankl, desenvolve sua ideia no que ele chamava de Logoterapia: uma abordagem que visa buscar um sentido por trás de todas as coisas. Sua abordagem consiste em reflexões que ele teve ao ser vítima dos campos de concentrações nazistas. Mesmo vivendo em meio ao caos e desespero que um campo de concentração proporcionava, Frankl imaginava que existisse a possibilidade de uma pessoa encontrar um sentido face aquele sofrimento. Logo no início de seu cativeiro, enquanto tivera a oportunidade de fugir dos nazistas, Frankl se lembrava dos ensinamentos que recebeu sobre 'honrar pai e mãe'. Isto dava-lhe sentido à vida, uma vez que ele não sucumbia ao desespero. Estes ensinamentos foram uma força motriz para que ele pudesse cuidar de sua família e pessoas ali próximas. Ao evitar cair em desespero ele evitava os diversos vícios da condição humana. Esta ideia natural de ceder às paixões condicionadas pela psique humana encontrada em teorias pós-modernas não poderia estar mais errada. O ser humano é dotado pela razão e é justamente a existência deste "logos" que o capacita encontrar um sentido nas virtudes e não sucumbir aos vícios de uma vida degradada. Akira consegue abordar de forma perfeita temas tão complexos. Não à toa se tornou este símbolo. Seja pelo enredo ou relevância história, Akira é indiscutivelmente uma obra-prima a ser contemplada.
~~~__Akira is not only a work of art but a true pioneer in Japanese animation industry.__~~~ __Note:__ I have yet to read _Akira_ because I want to purchase the complete set. Though, I have experienced some works of _Katsuhiro Otomo_ and others who worked on _Akira_. Hope to keep this review a little in-depth since its my first review. Also, I won't go into the story details so __it's a non-spoiler review!__ ~~~img220(https://www.icegif.com/wp-content/uploads/icegif-6649.gif) ~~~ __A HIGHLIGHT ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE__ As an aspiring animation student and an admirer who was first introduced to anime through _Studio Ghibli's 'My Neighbor Totoro'_ at a very young age in theatres, __I was thrilled and encaptivated in sudden awe when I saw _Akira___ as a teenager. I have seen it 3-4 times by now and I'm always __amazed how it holds up even after 35 years!!!__ It is surely ahead of its time and among many reasons that compelled me to purse animation. It also inspires me to be a director like _Katsuhiro Otomo._ ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/Chh6M.gif)~~~ __A BROAD VIEW ON ITS SUCCESS AND IMPACT__ So, when I say "it had an impact", imagine that _Akira_ explosion in your head. __*KA-BOOOOOM!**__ _Akira_ was released in 1988, around this time period - Japan saw an economic growth and the rising global popularity was a perfect opportunity for its success, which __established animation as a significant and profitable business.__ It has inspired many artists and filmmakers because of its celebrated landmark achievements. It pushed the boundaries of what was possible in hand-drawn animation. _Akira_ had a high budget of approximately 1.1 billion yen (around $10 million USD) and was considered __the most expensive animated film__ at that time. Therefore, it's __still impactful as a ever__ in anime industry and the growth of Japan. ~~~img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/0e024e691eafbc2240a71200553967f0/a2ac9ed34312f417-ed/s540x810/146762de84eb2d2232c63ee6cee09dbdfc9dc156.gif)~~~ __A LOVE LETTER TO ASPIRING ANIMATORS AND FILM-MAKERS__ This film wouldn't have been a success if it didn't have the right people who were passionate enough to embark on this ambitious film. __Let me emphasis again that this Film was all hand-drawn!!__ _Katsuhiro Otomo_ drew about 783 scenes for its storyboard, apart from just taking from his own manga. __Ultimately, around 2,122 shots with level of detail and intricacy in every frame.__ The animators paid close attention to every aspect of the animation, from the movement of the characters to the smallest details of the background art. __The animation is fluid and dynamic, with a sense of energy and intensity that is rarely matched in any medium.__ Incredible use of color and light featuring a vivid and striking color palette, with bold hues and intense contrasts that add to the dystopian atmosphere. __The animators also used lighting and shading to great effect, creating a sense of depth and texture that enhances the film's visual impact.__ The film features a range of dynamic action sequences, including motorcycle chases, gunfights, and explosions, and each of these scenes is expertly choreographed and animated. __They took lot of inspirations from real world to make it look realistic.__ The film's use of motion and movement helps to create a sense of visceral excitement and tension, and it is one of the key reasons why the film remains so popular among fans of anime and action movies. The attention to detail and realism creates a sense of immersion. ~~~img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/6214d362d93da24c1a4a3401c2bdc9d7/tumblr_ncw8ptniCl1sqr7kvo1_500.gif)~~~ __MY FINAL THOUGHTS ON AKIRA__ __What _Akira_ has achieved in animation is just truly remarkable! __ The film's attention to detail, fluidity of movement, use of color and lighting, and commitment to realism all combine to create a work of animation that is both technically impressive and emotionally resonant. ___Akira_ remains a benchmark even for today's animation standards__, and it continues to inspire me. TBH, ___Akira_ is an almost 10/10__ but I can see how _Akira_ __might be psychologically dark or confusing at first__ and also, no such thing is perfect because there is always some room for improvement like a few human mistakes while making the art. Animation is Hard. ~~~img220(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/00/69/f70069774fa4ca5063a745cf4214d504.gif)~~~ ~~~( P.S. Still waiting for _upcoming Akira anime_ and _Orbital Era_ )~~~
Cyberpunk: dystopian futuristic science fiction, neon lights, complex ideas, and a certain style of music that I've always loved. One of the best examples of both written fiction and film of this genre is Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 anime film _Akira_, based on his own manga series of the same name released in 1982. Showing a beautiful spectrum of animation, neon colors, and trippy music, I find this animation is one of the best examples that "just because something is animated, doesn't mean it's for children." ~~~img600(https://wallpaperaccess.com/full/6997459.png)~~~ _Akira_'s story takes place in the futuristic city of Neo-Tokyo, in a dystopian version of 2019, where it shows the power breakdown or relationship and psychological telekinetic powers between the teenage Shōtarō Kaneda, leader of a bike gang known as The Capsules, and his childhood best friend Tetsuo Shima, the latter of which gains these supernatural abilities after a motorcycle accident during a gang rival battle. The film's plot deals with their friendship through these challenging times, and how militarism and dystopian society handles these events. Supernatural events, human experimentation, psychological trauma, and even fun laser beams are shown in this one-of-a-kind animated feature. The first time I watched this was at the beginning of this year. My roommate, who knows a lot about film and anime, recommended we watch this movie, as she said it's one of the best-animated movies of all time. So, we sat down one January afternoon and watched, and man, it left a huge impact on me. I remember the first ten minutes of the movie - for those who have watched it, you know the opening I'm talking about - was so freaking amazing. My older brother had gotten me the manga for Christmas two years ago, and I had just finished the first one, so I was curious about what made the anime so much more amazing, and man, without a doubt, the animation and the soundtrack is what stood out for me the best. The anime revolves around two main characters, as stated above. First is Kaneda, a sixteen-year-old bike gang leader. While he acts cocky, tough, and rebellious on the outside, I found him to be quite a funny little dork a lot of the time, and I grew to love his character in many ways. He's seen as facing the main problems, and the main antihero - his best friend - with bravery, but also determination - almost to the point of being plain stubborn about it. And it makes me smile just watching him and all his dorky antics. Also, the fact that he has that badass red leather jacket - that, yes, I bought after watching the film - and everything else he wears is red, it's just such a cool look for his character. ~~~img500(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/904/131/6ff.gif)~~~ Kaneda's best friend Tetsuo takes on as the film's antagonist. But really, he is more of an antihero, or, in my real opinion, more of the unfortunate victim of the militarism and scientific experimentation of the anime, and the story's byproduct showed that through his character. He's an example of giving someone destructive power in the wrong hands. Pretty much, his ego boost doesn't help him, so he has to learn to play God in a different way. However, his character shows that he's impulsive, rash, and a big superiority complex, showing he clearly doesn't like to be over-shadowed by his best friend. The baby boy has a lot going on for him, and in the end, his character really does present itself very well, as you don't really know who you should be rooting for as the hero and the enemy. ~~~img500(https://64.media.tumblr.com/ce7505805c9426a24a0cc4fde309de0e/tumblr_oqzop3y3Z21w0ii2ho1_1280.gif)~~~ Visually, the anime is absolutely beautiful to me. Even though it's not as fleshed out or lacks eye-popping colors as in, say _The Stranger By The Shore_, the contrast of the bright red of Kaneda's character, or the neon lights showing throughout Neo-Tokyo, or the absolute _beauty_ of the animation that shown. Smooth transitions, complex styles in the telekinetic powers, the small details, emotions in the character's faces, and let's not forget the infamous "Akira slide" that's been replicated throughout many media now, make the movie an experience that I never forgot. I honestly wish I could experience this movie for the first time just for the animation and visuals alone. ~~~img600(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e6/6a/e1/e66ae1a6557e56e9b7031206b8042165.gif)~~~ ~~~img500(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/71/71/fb/7171fb00885caf0063e83b6b7a781914.gif)~~~ ~~~img500(https://media1.giphy.com/media/12CSpwCtoy1Vfy/giphy.gif)~~~ ~~~img500(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5b/74/7f/5b747fe117ac4764dc437afcd0b2ed81.gif)~~~ ~~~img500(https://media.tenor.com/Hfr05L11tDMAAAAC/transformation-akira.gif)~~~ Just like the animation, the voice acting is incredible. All the characters drive their lines with such emotion and have such an impactful voice that really adds depth and feeling to their characters. _Akira_ is one of those few animes where I actually don't mind watching the English dub at all - however, we do _not_ mention the horrible 1989 dub. You can't convince me it exists and is canon. Mitsuo Iwata and the 2001 counterpart of Johnny Yong Bosch deliver their lines as Kaneda very well, portraying him as the serious but dorky bad boy we all know and love. >"Now you're king of the mountain, aren't ya, but it's all garbage!" Tetsuo's voice actors of Nozomu Sasaki or 2001's Joshua Seth absolutely nail his character almost to the damn microfiber of his being. You can sense the rage, hatred, betrayal, and confusion in his voice, as well as the power that's gotten to his head, and not knowing how to handle things correctly. >"Kaneda, you've always been a pain in the ass, y'know. You've been telling me what to do since we were kids. You always treat me like a kid. You always show up and start bossing me around, and don't you deny it!" In the soundtrack department, I think honestly is what makes this movie from amazing, to absolutely god-like. Shōji Yamashiro and Geinoh Yamashirogumi had this under control totally. Kicking off the amazing ten-minute start as the motorcycles race down the highways in a brawl as the theme of "Kaneda" starts playing, mixed with different soft drums and distant chanting really sets the ominous and mature mood to the movie. "Battle Against Clown"'s deep, ensnaring hyperventilating that comes after "Akira" sets the very serious tone to the first few minutes, and while some might find the music repetitive, I think it's more about adding the experience to the movie than the actual music itself. And even the well-known "Tetsuo", played at the hyper-most climax of the movie, with loud, impactful preaching-like singing that screams raw power really pulls the watcher deep into the immersion of the anime, and I think that's what was most important. At the end of the day, I really enjoyed watching _Akira_ the very first time I watched it. Granted, it's pretty different from the manga. How much can you cram from a thick collection of six huge mangas into a two-and-a-half-hour movie? Not much. However, granted Katsuhiro Otomo gave the okay over the entire project, and you can tell it was also his vision and version of his story shortened. Watching it was very impactful, beautiful, and fun for me. I encourage everyone to watch this movie not only if you're an anime fan, but if you're an animation or film fan in general. I think it's a very important movie to watch. Do I think that the manga did stuff better? Yes. Do I think that Kaneda and Tetuso should've just dated to get rid of all that tension between them and the whole situation could've been avoided? Yes - but that's just my personal ship that doesn't mean shit. However, it was a deeply impactful, and very meaningful film. One that I like to share with everyone, because it holds a special place in my heart, and many others, and keeps the lights in our hands glowing. ~~~img500(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9f/96/2e/9f962eec53542f16c5026d768deb6aca.gif)~~~
Introducción Cuando alguien como yo reseña una película de culto como Akira no está muy seguro de si podrá sacarle todo lo que le gustaría. Existen cientos de reseñas sobre el filme de Katsuhiro Otomo en mi idioma y es más que probable que muchos me superan con creces. Seguro que hasta habrá alguno que la analizó plano a plano, sin intentar perder el más mínimo detalle. Sin embargo, creo que debo dar mi propia opinión sobre este título, sin dejarme intimidar por el trabajo de otras personas. Al fin y al cabo, mi intención no es elaborar una tesis que deje pasmado a todo el mundo. Akira fue un título más que importante dentro del anime. En su producción, se invirtieron más de mil millones de yenes, convirtiéndolo en la película de animación japonesa más cara de la historia. Muchas grandes empresas relacionadas con el anime colaboraron para dar vida al proyecto como Kodansha, Bandai o Tokyo Movie Shinsha. No obstante, su recaudación en taquilla fue muy inferior a lo que se esperaba y las compañías implicadas lo pasaron mal con este fracaso inesperado. La reacción internacional, en cambio, fue diferente. La recaudación fue mucho mayor de lo que se esperaba y, como principal efecto, los occidentales empezaron a interesarse de verdad por el anime. Parte del éxito en Occidente se debió a la excelente animación que mostraba este título. A diferencia de otras series o películas animadas, se prescindió de utilizar técnicas de animación limitada y otros recursos para ahorrar tiempo y dinero. Como resultado, exhibe una fluidez y detalle pasmosos. En ningún momento, de sus más de dos horas de duración, se notan altibajos en la calidad general. En pocas palabras, no tenía nada que envidiarle a las producciones de Disney o Ghibli. Me habría gustado leer la opinión de Hayao Miyazaki, ya que todos conocemos su faceta perfeccionista. Trama y Desarrollo El filme también supo sorprender al público internacional por su argumento. Su historia entra dentro de los estándares del subgénero de la ciencia ficción conocido como cyberpunk. Durante los años 80, este subgénero empezó a ganar mucha popularidad con películas occidentales como Blade Runner (1982). No obstante, el anime también estaba desarrollando sus propios títulos a mediados de los 80 como Black Magic M-66 (1987) o Appleseed (1988). Ambas, por desgracia, poseían poco tiempo para desenvolver su trasfondo y se centraban más en la acción. En cambio, Akira tuvo tiempo de presentar mejor las características que definen al subgénero: protagonistas pertenecientes a las capas bajas de la sociedad (Kaneda y Tetsuo), el escenario urbano (Neo Tokio), la existencia de gobiernos represivos (gobierno japonés), la presencia de movimientos antigubernamentales, el tono pesimista y serio, etc. La película se toma su tiempo en retratar los graves problemas políticos y sociales por los que pasa esta sociedad urbana. Desde manifestaciones y protestas de colectivos desfavorecidos, pasando por pequeños conflictos causados por bandas de motoristas, hasta enormes altercados violentos que provocan una respuesta aún más violenta por parte de las fuerzas gubernamentales. El propio consejo de ministros está ahogado por la falta de dinero, las quejas y la incapacidad para controlar los disturbios. Sin duda, este futuro es poco halagueño. Pero también encontramos otra novedad: los espers, usuarios de poderes psíquicos muy poderosos que en la película reciben un número como nombre. Si en otras obras del género el ejército investiga la tecnología androide, aquí ellos experimentan con este tipo de sujetos para saber hasta donde pueden alcanzar sus poderes. En el caso de Kaneda, este empieza a sufrir alucinaciones terroríficas. De ser él estaría muy asustado porque su vida literalmente está cambiando de una manera incontrolable. Otro aspecto muy impresionante -en toda la magnitud de la palabra- serían las escenas de acción y destrucción. La película está repleta de ellas. Simplemente no puedes quedarte indiferente ante tal magno espectáculo. La práctica totalidad están protagonizadas por Kaneda y Tetsuo. El primero más por sus carreras de motocicletas y los enfrentamientos con la policía. El segundo sobresale más por los momentos donde desata su poder como psíquico. En esas ocasiones estára asesinando a muchos soldados o causando una destrucción sin límites. Véase, por ejemplo, el choque con el ejército en la ciudad. Ahí la metrópolis se vuelve un polvorín y un caos absoluto, ya que los ataques de los dos bandos están haciendo colapsar edificios, carreteras y puentes. También podría hablar del combate entre Tetsuo y Kaneda, pero se me haría largo. En cualquier caso, la película no se corta en mostrar imágenes de gran violencia con personas desangrándose o su interior esparcido. Lo que sí es reprochable es como la película parece perder un poco el punto con la acción, ya que se enfrasca en escenas de destrucción interminables. No obstante, Akira no es la obra perfecta que muchos “expertos” quieren vender. Para empezar, hay que partir de que es una adaptación del manga con el mismo nombre, el cual es mucho más largo. Por ese motivo a Otomo no le quedó otro remedio que sintetizarla en menos de dos horas. No es nada fácil adaptar algo de un medio a otro cuando las condiciones y exigencias son tan distintas. En particular, el resultado no fue totalmente satisfactorio por varios motivos. En primer lugar, está el hecho de que no se llega a profundizar en ningún aspecto de todos los presentados. Evidentemente no se puede esperar que una película responda a todas las cuestiones, pero sí debería abordar una o más, dependiendo de sus intenciones. Aquí había varias opciones. Atendiendo a la sociedad, podría haberse centrado más en el movimiento antigubernamental y revolucionario que buscaba un cambio en Neo Tokio. Y en la cara opuesta observar como lidia el gobierno y el ejército con esa situación delicada. Otra idea a la que podrían haber dado más cuerpo sería el propio Akira y el poder que encarna. Mismamente el ejército estaba obsesionado con explicar ese poder y utilizar en su favor una vez avanzaran lo suficiente en la investigación. Pero cualquiera de esos caminos se desviaría demasiado del hilo argumental de la película. Y peor aún, ¿dónde encajaría el personaje de Kaneda? Si habéis pensado en ello, tenéis razón. Sin embargo, aquí Kaneda tampoco sale bien parado. Él no tiene una relación muy directa con los experimentos, el trasfondo social u otros temas. Su importancia radica en su conexión con Tetsuo. Por eso la mejor opción habría sido establecer de manera adecuada la relación de amistad y rivalidad que existía entre ambos. Y digo consolidar mejor porque en los primeros momentos de la película no se hacen suficientes esfuerzos en dar a entender todos los aspectos de su relación. Por ejemplo, la amistad parece casi unilateral por parte de Kaneda, ya que este se preocupa por la seguridad de su amigo e incluso intenta rescatarlo tras ser recluido en el laboratorio. En cambio, Tetsuo no parece importarle lo más mínimo esta amistad. En su lugar muestra desde el principio una obsesión por superarlo a cualquier costo. Y el asunto se hace más evidente cuanto más degenera su estado mental, matando o atacando a sus antiguos compañeros por discrepancias infantiles. Tampoco se explora a detalle este complejo de inferioridad de Tetsuo respecto a Akira. Desconocemos los puntos en que esa envidia y sentimiento de inferioridad se transformaron en odio y frustración. Sin embargo, me satisfacen algunos detalles como la obsesión de Tetsuo por obtener la moto de Kaneda, como un símbolo de su posición de líder. Cabe decir que la película intenta arreglar algunas cosas hacia el final, con un par de flashbacks de su infancia, pero el daño ya estaba hecho y para ese punto Tetsuo es un villano con pocas dimensiones y detestado por el espectador. En cuanto al resto del elenco, siento decir que está bastante por debajo de estos protagonistas tan cuestionables. Sin duda, este grupo de personajes es variado si nos fijamos en aspectos como sus edades, sexo, nivel educativo, profesión o dedicación, funciones, etc. Tristemente todos son tratados de forma demasiado superficial para conocerlos en profundidad. Su caracterización flaquea mucho hasta el punto de que se les dan rasgos genéricos propios de la función que ocupan, pero sin matizar más. Personajes como Kei, Ryu o Nezu pasan sin pena ni gloria a pesar de que son relativamente importantes. En el caso de Kei, casi se puede decir que es una herramienta argumental sin ninguna personalidad definida, sirviendo como interés amoroso e instrumento de los niños psíquicos.
(Originally Reviewed on Letterboxd) This kid came in, fucked everything up, and then left in an overly-dramatic fashion, much like what happens whenever I end up going anywhere myself. This movie's more relatable then I thought it would be. For the longest time, I was never into anime, or any of what the genre had brought us over the years. I had briefly watched some anime things back when I was a kid whenever it would appear on TV, like Pokémon, Beyblade, Bakugan and so on, but aside from those things, the entire sub-genre was pretty much alien for me for most of my life. As I grew older, I learned more about the sub-genre, as well as all of the series in it that were considered to be high art, and others that were...... not quite on the same level, which got me interested in seeing what else this genre had to offer outside of that. Over the past year or so, I have been trying to slowly get into the sub-genre, watching plenty of stuff just out of the whim, and I have enjoyed my time with it, but I haven't really gotten into any anime films, aside from a few based on franchises I already knew about. So, I figured I would go ahead and get a brief start on that by checking out one of the most praised films from the entire sub-genre, Akira. I hadn't seen this movie before today, but I had heard about it, whether it be through references through other media or from some general online discussions, but I still didn't know too much about it. Apparently, it's considered to be one of not just the best anime films ever made, but also one of the best films ever made in general, with it influencing so many other pieces of media over the years, and again, with it being referenced EVERYWHERE. It has certainly had an impact on fiction, that's for sure, but I didn't wanna go in with too high of expectations, so I went in mildly optimistic, and yeah, I can certainly agree that it is a fantastic movie. I wouldn't say it is one of the absolute greats, even if that may just be a me thing, but it is clear that there was a lot of love poured into this, and everything it does it does almost flawlessly, to the point where I had a wonderful time with it, and can see now why so many people have sung its praises over the years. The story isn't one that is all-too original nowadays, but it is one that is masterfully crafted together, with so much going on and so many little details to catch onto that it really warrants multiple viewings for you to catch everything and see the bigger picture at play here, the characters are really enjoyable, with not all of them getting as much time in the spotlight as I had initially thought they would, but it does make sure every single character gets just as much screentime as they need to, and the way they go about living in this crazy world is really interesting and entertaining to watch, the voice acting is pretty good, with there being some pretty good voices behind a lot of the characters here, but it does somewhat lean into that problem a lot of anime dubs have, where the performances can get a little too try-hard for me, or even with some line deliveries just not being good at all, but most of the rest of it is still very well done, the animation is SPECTACULAR, with it all having aged wonderfully over the past 30+ years, and all of the detail and effort put into not just the movements and the action sequences, but also the locations these characters find themselves in is fantastic to say the least, and all of these elements come together in wonderful harmony to make for one of the most expertly crafted animated films that I have ever seen in my life, which is something I heavily admire even when typing this review now. With all of that being said though, I wouldn't say that I loved it as much as probably many others do, not enough to call it an absolutely flawless masterpiece, and to be honest with you.... I have no clue why. It could be because of what generally happens with hype, where you can give so much of it to one particular product that it ends up not being as good to others because they went in with humongous expectations, or it just may be because I just didn't like it as others. Whatever the reason though, I can still say that it is probably the best anime movie that I have ever seen in my life so far, way better then most of the other ones that I have seen, and it is one of the best animated films to come from this era. From the themes that it touches on, to the wonderful animation and the grimy, yet wonderful designs of the locations, to the characters, to almost everything about it, in a way that I can't properly describe. Must be why this review is probably the most confused mess of sentences that I have ever written in my life, but then again, that's just all of my reviews, so it fits right alongside everything else. Overall, despite some imperfect elements like the voice acting and how I didn't find it to be a masterclass of this genre, this is still a fantastic film nonetheless, one that has definitely earned its reputation and then some, and one that manages to achieve everything that it sets out to do, while also being very compelling and engaging all at the same time. I would definitely recommend it for those who love other films from this particular sub-genre, or just for anyone in general, because while I wouldn't say that everyone would feel as strongly about it as others, I'm sure there will definitely be plenty for you to like about it, or even to appreciate as a general viewer. It's just a shame though that, from what I have seen and heard, we probably aren't gonna be getting any of those other Akira projects that they have teased, such as that live-action film or the anime TV series they are making based on this series........... then again, that is probably a blessing in disguise more then anything else.
img220(https://legendary-digital-network-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/12204705/akira-slide.jpg) >"They forgot all shame and honor, cast off the civilization and science we had created, and shut the lid of the Pandora's Box they themselves had opened." Going into Akira, the only thing I knew was the bike and that this was one of the best anime films ever released. And it lived up to those expectations with flying colors, knocking my expectations out of the water. The characters were all solid and organic and despite the large cast, I felt like the time dedicated to the ones that were important got plenty of screen time and attention. The setting did its purpose with flying colors, feeling bigger than the characters and not to mention getting me the feel of what a real Cyberpunk is, having only known Cyberpunk 2077 before this. img220(https://i.imgur.com/enfw4eu.gif) The music was phenomenal, adding to the movie with immersion more than just how it makes you feel which is greatly thanks to the Gamelan inspired soundtrack, which I still have not yet heard anywhere else. The animation quality is crazy and you can see it clearly despite the movie being made in the 80s. I wasn't expecting the story this movie was going to tell but that wasn't a bad thing. In fact, I found it to be much more interesting and uncomfortable than expected. It had me watching with my eyes glued to the screen, genuinely entertained and wowed by the level of detail that went into making this a truly unforgettable movie experience. img220(https://media.giphy.com/media/H7hA1KCnCwzPq/source.gif) SPOILERS AHEAD: The only issues I had with this movie was the one scene that showed nudity, feeling like it was just checking off the box since it was a one-and-done-deal. The ending also was a little jarring, taking you out of your full immersion and asking you to extend your disbelief as it continues to get stranger. To be fair, I know that the manga also is very strange but I felt the jump from grounded cyberpunk with slight elements of mysticism to going fully into mysticism and whatnot can be jarring when you aren't expecting it in this adaptation. img220(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/69/99/df/6999dfb2f829a807f75817756e277eeb.gif) Nevertheless, the movie adaptation of Akira is very loosely based off the original manga series, but allows those readers a fresh and familiar story all at the same time while being a very interesting first experience to anime-only viewers. It's a film that stands the test of time, with its amazing animation, stellar voice acting, towering world, gripping story, and unforgettable soundtrack. I can't recommend Akira enough to others.