Review of Akira (1988) by Tomislav A — 17 Sep 2010

Akira is my first real experience with anime. I wanted to start with something that was a landmark of the genre and I think Akira was the right choice. The visual creativity was dazzling and I thought it was the most worthy aspect of the movie. Chaos of urban Neo Tokyo and it's protagonists were great and I really enjoyed every scene of this movie.

Storyline can be ambiguous at times and since the movie comes from the graphic novel, I think a full explanation of everything that happens in Akira should be found there. As far as the main storyline comes, it is all pretty much clear. It's somewhat a good vs. evil story with a little more depth than usual stuff we get served daily. A teenage motocycle-gang is presented in Neo Tokyo, a city in the near future that has rebuilt from the WW III in which it was destroyed by an atomic bomb. Inhabitants of that metropolis are rioting daily against the politicians that run the city. Everything is pretty-much chaotic. The leader of the gang is called Kaneda but one other member called Tetsuo has an encounter with a child that has strange powers. The superpowers gradually transcend unto Tetsuo and he slowly turns insane, unable to control it, using his power against anyone who stands before him.

Graphic novels tend to have a politically subversive message in it (V for Vendetta, Watchmen...) and Akira is not an exception. Katsuhiro Ôtomo didn't overdo it, and the political aspect isn't really in the foreground yet it tickles our thoughts from time to time.

Visually, I really had my eyes wide open from the first minute to the last because so much detail and so much imagination is found here that it constantly made me think and admire how much effort was put into this. Characters were okay, a bit different from the movies I watch regularly. I think anime genre (especially if you watch the japanese version with subtitles like me) requires some adapting and that may be the thing that can turn the viewers off it.

When I get the chance, I'm sure I will check this out again to comprehend fully everything that Akira tries to send out, and to visually witness all the little details that I missed. I can recommend Akira for everyone to see because even if you don't like the storyline and the way it's presented, I think it will be a visual feast for everyone.