Reviewed by: James Zhang
Ratings:
Genres: Action, Adventure, Horror, Science-Fiction
Year: 1988
Series Length: Movie

This has been shown at least thrice on SBS, so it appears this is still widely regarded as a good intro to anime.

The story begins with Neo-Tokyo some years after World War III (1999 in the movie), and the streets are filled with gangs and activists. Kaneda is the leader of a high school biker gang, and they have more than their fair share of inter-gang fights.

Tetsuo is the childhood friend of Kaneda who admires his self-confidence while loathing his popularity. He is sick of being the weakling, the sidekick who can only follow in Kaneda's footsteps.

A mysterious force manifests itself in Tetsuo – giving him unnatural powers that are of interest to the military. They capture Tetsuo and Kaneda goes to rescue him, embroiling himself with a revolutionary group in the process…

Akira is a mature and interesting anime that is overshadowed by pessimism. It explores the societal conflicts that mirror those in our current world, and what uncurbed power in any single entity can bring about. We see this through the egotistic Kaneda, the Gestapo-like authority of an all-powerful military, the riotous mood in revolutionary circles, and the socially suppressed Tetsuo who lashes out at his oppressors with uncontrolled ferocity.

Akira struck me with its use of choral music – from something resembling monastic chants to synchronised panting. It's got a distinctive eeriness to it.

From start to finish a mysterious and alluring film with too many loose ends, leaving one more confused than satisfied.

Notes: I watched this on laserdisc a few years ago, and more recently on DVD. There appears to be a significant remark that is missing or altered in the DVD version. I remember Tetsuo saying something like: 'Anybody could be 'Akira', all they needed was a guinea pig,' in the laserdisc version.

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