Akira (film)

Akira (Japanese: アキラ) is a manga and 1988 anime movie by Katsuhiro Otomo. In general, it is considered a classic of both genres. Further, the movie version is credited with starting the anime trend in America and actually revolutionizing the medium.

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 Kaneda is involved in a fight with a rival gang when the 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.

Related Topics:
Tokyo - World War III - Kaneda - Tetsuo Shima - Psychic

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Akira, like Otomo's other work (such as Domu (A Child's Dream)), revolves around the basic idea of humans 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.

Related Topics:
Domu (A Child's Dream) - Psychokinetic

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In the manga, Akira is an actual character who shows up at the end of the second book, while in the movie Akira has died and his remains are stored in frozen animation. This change has a dramatic effect in story. 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.

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