Movies - Akira

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	Movies - Akira

Akira () is a 1988 anime film by Katsuhiro Otomo. It was based on Otomo's manga of the same name. The movie led the way for the growing popularity of anime in the United States, where Akira has been considered the beginning of the current wave of anime fandom.

Thematic influences

Although most of the character designs and basic settings were adapted from the manga, the movie still manages to include several original thematic influences, most notably in the plot which was somewhat different (partly due to time and budget) from the manga. Obvious thematic influences include World War II and the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as Japanese teen culture.

Plot summary

The setting is that of Neo-Tokyo, a Tokyo rebuilt (over what is today Tokyo Bay) after World War III destroyed it. As it turns out, World War III was (arguably) started by the uncontrolled growth of the superhuman powers of a child named Akira, who was enrolled in a secret government research program. In the story's current time, 30 years after WWIII, a gang of young bikers led by the cocky Shotaro Kaneda is involved in a fight with a rival gang when Kaneda's gang's youngest member, Tetsuo Shima, collides with a mysterious child on the highway. This child has escaped from the government psychic research program. Tetsuo is then taken to the government psychic research base with the child and subjected to various guinea pig experiments. The incident with the mysterious child as well as the tests awaken Tetsuo's own latent powers, with disastrous consequences both on the personal level, as old interpersonal conflicts with his friends resurface, and on the larger level, as Neo-Tokyo is threatened by another Akira incident.

Akira, like Otomo's other work (such as Domu), revolves around the basic idea of individuals with superhuman powers, in particular psychokinetic abilities, but much of the story does not focus on these abilities themselves, but rather the people involved, social issues and politics. The social commentary is not particularly deep or philosophical, but rather a wry look at youth alienation, government corruption and inefficiency, and a military grounded in old-fashioned Japanese honor, displeased with the compromises of modern society.

In the manga, Akira is an actual character who shows up at the end of the second book, while in the movie, Akira has been dissected for study and his remains stored via cryopreservation under the site for the 2030 Tokyo Olympiad. This change has a dramatic effect on the story. In the manga, Akira and Tetsuo team up and after Akira destroys Neo-Tokyo, they set up the Great Tokyo Empire with Akira as emperor and Tetsuo as Prime Minister. The manga has many other plot differences from the film but the outcome is the same in both.

Characters

Shotaro Kaneda ( Kaneda Shōtarō) — The anthology's protagonist. Kaneda is a carefree punk who modified his bike to his own specifications. Kaneda leads his own biker gang. Upon rescuing Kei, he joins a group of anti-government guerillas who are trying to find the mysterious Akira.
Tetsuo Shima ( Shima Tetsuo) — Kaneda's best friend since preschool. After a traumatic accident becomes Kaneda's nemesis. Also, while not in the manga, in the movie he shows serious desire to possess Kaneda's bike.
Kei () a.k.a. (Kay) — A woman who Kaneda meets on his quest to find Tetsuo. She's a member of an anti-government organization that Ryu and Nezu are also involved in.
Masaru, Kiyoko and Takashi (, , ) — The three "numbers", Takashi is the one who causes the whole ordeal to begin. Kiyoko is Number 25, Takashi is Number 26, and Masaru is Number 27.
Akira () — The most powerful of the child psychics. He caused World War III. He is Number 28.
Nezu () — A mole in the government. He is responsible for Takashi's kidnapping, although he does not personally kidnap Takashi.
Kai — A member of the capsules gang, who tends to follow Kaneda around without getting too involved with anything.

Releases

The original 1988 Japanese release was from Akira Committee Production. In 1989 Orion Pictures Corporation created an English dub for the US theaters. MGM/UA Home Video released the film on VHS in 1990, Criterion Collection released the film on laserdisc in 1993, and Orion Home Video released it on VHS in 1994. Geneon Entertainment created a new English dub for its 2001 DVD release. (Ironically, MGM ended up acquiring Orion in the late 1990s.)

This was Manga Entertainment's first release in 1991 in the UK. Manga first released it on Video. In 2002 they released a two disc DVD featuring the new Pioneer Dub. In 2004 They released another two disc set but with the original Japanese as well as both the Streamline and Pioneer dubs. This can still be currently purchased through the distributor Madman which holds the Region 4 (Australia) copyrights for Akira.

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Movies - Akira

Thematic influences

Plot summary

Characters

Releases

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