A landmark film that introduced much of the Western world to modern anime, AKIRA is a marvel of modern animation. Based on Katsuhiro Otomo's 2,000 page manga, AKIRA begins on July... more
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1982 but took a break from 1986 to 1988 to write, direct, supervise and design this animated film version. Set in 2019, the film richly imagines the new metropolis...
1982 but took a break from 1986 to 1988 to write, direct, supervise and design this animated film version. Set in 2019, the film richly imagines the new metropolis...
Advantages: Fabulous and detailed visuals, brilliant setting, pioneering ideas, great action sequences, £7.99 Disadvantages: Original version has unclear picture, storyline issues, no match for Princess Mononoke, violence
...match the global impact of Akira - a film that remains religiously popular amongst the anime community almost twenty years on thanks to its unique style and ability to break the general prejudice outside of Japan that animation is merely a child's pursuit; its only a shame that subsequent releases haven't built upon it more.
In 1987, Katsuhiro Ôtomo completed the film adaptation of his own epic manga, which comprised of several thousand pages. The ... ...two hour film, and does Akira prove worthy of the adoration that has for so long surrounded it?
Akira gets off to a superb start; the opening sequence depicts a mushroom cloud expanding silently outwards over Tokyo, signifying the kind of destructive force not inflicted upon Japan since the Second World War. It's a memorable beginning that's delivered with an immense feeling of style and symbolism, marking the end of the Tokyo we know and promptly ...
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Advantages: Wonderful animation, legendary status, remarkable freshness Disadvantages: Character development, a bit confusing, lots of violence, somehow disappointing
...child friendly productions of Hanna/Barbera, Akira suddenly entered the public consciousness by presenting animation that was extremely violent, had many adult oriented themes, featured more believable characters than the Flintstones and showed the world outside of Japan that animation does not automatically equal kiddies fare. The film's writer and director Katsuhiro Otomo originally set Akira as a six volume manga that began publication in 1982 ... ...Tetsuo wanting the power of Akira to himself, while other factions are also interested in controlling this power to their own advantages.
TETSUOOOOO!!!!
If anything, Akira is remarkable for the detail and fluidity of its animation. The animation of today can produce some really eye-popping visuals due to the high sophistication of today's CGI, but back in 1988 such technology was practically non-existent. This makes Akira's visuals (though lacking ...
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Advantages: The best anime you'll find. Disadvantages: Complex plot, Special features are pants
Akira is a film based on a graphic novel written by Katsuhiro Otomo. I have written an opinion on the comic and with the benefit of hindsight, I may appear to have given the film a hard time so I thought I should perhaps put the record straight.
The film (like the comic) is set in Neo Tokyo, a futuristic city built over the remains of Tokyo. The film opens years earlier when Tokyo is destroyed by a huge explosion, presumed nuclear.
The film then ... ...3. A 'make your own' Akira trailer (because we all just love trailers, don't we)
4. A link to the website (a bit of html)
5. Hidden bonus material (that I still haven't found. A clue would be appreciated)
6. A multiple choice quiz (with the chance to win.....nowt)
I'm sorry. Maybe I've been spoiled by the bounty of special features that come with the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings movies. But surely if you can fit an entire film on ...
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...more sterile & lifeless CGI), Akira is the grand-daddy of all Japanese Anime films.
I only saw it by accident on TV about four years ago. Flicking idly through the channels one night until I saw what looked liked a rather detailed "cartoon" strip, which later turned out to be the full majesty of Akira.
However, I'd missed about 30 minutes of the film and by the end I was no more the wiser as to what had happened and what it all meant. But in spite ... ...of a long-going story of Akira comics, so it's not surprising that our western eyes are a little confused with some of the sub plots & subtle Japanese spiritual & cultural meanings within the film that are never fully explained away.
The story here covers a bunch of delinquent motorbike riding teenages creating mahem through the steets of post apocalyptic Tokyo, and in particular against a rival gang who's leader is "blessed" with supernatural powers ...
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Advantages: Two 'versions' of a popular anime, relatively cheap Disadvantages: Dated and overly extravagant
...anyway.
I picked up Akira for £20 in HMV after just a scant two years of being interested in anime. I had heard all of the above and thought to myself "Right, better check this out then! Sod the price, it's supposed to be awesome!"
I want to take this opportunity to say that in no way do I actually dislike the film; I loved it in fact. But years of hype had raised my expectations far, far too high.
Akira is the no-nonsense tale of psychic potential ... ...credence to an epic. And Akira is an epic.
To my knowledge it's still around 20 quid in most retail outlets but of course you can get it second-hand, or even new on amazon for much less.
For a DVD boxset with two discs the special features are lacking, as in fact disc two just contains the same movie as on disc one; only older. Some people will enjoy watching this unedited version, but most will just be annoyed that they had to fork out for a tea ...
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A landmark film that introduced much of the Western world to modern anime, AKIRA is a marvel of modern animation. Based on Katsuhiro Otomo's 2,000 page manga, AKIRA begins on July 16, 1988, when what was believed to be an atomic bomb was dropped on Tokyo, completely destroying the city and marking the beginning of WWIII. Thirty-one years later, Neo-Tokyo has sprung from the ruins of the old city and is experiencing a prolonged period of civil unrest caused by student uprisings, political instability, and, most destructively, biker gangs. One of the members of these biker gangs, Tetsuo, is detained by the military after a near accident with a strange young boy. After recognising innate psychic ability in him, the military begins using Tetsuo as a test subject to channel Akira, a source of unimaginable power and the cause of the explosion that destroyed the original Tokyo. However, the military's plan backfires, and instead of locating the source of Akira's power, Tetsuo becomes a medium for it. Endowed with incredible psychic powers that make every one of his destructive impulses a reality, Tetsuo begins to go on a rampage that threatens to completely annihilate Neo Tokyo. Combining a complex science-fiction universe with intricately detailed animation and phantasmagoric images, AKIRA is a stunning visual experience and a disturbing vision of the future.
Professional reviews
Review: "...A phenomenal work of animation with all the hallmarks of an instant cult classic..." (New York Times, p.C12, 19/10/1990)
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