IMDb > Akira (1988)
Akira
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Photos (see all 37 | slideshow) Videos (see all 4)
Akira (1988) -- A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.
Akira (1988) -- A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.
Akira (1988) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash) (Japanese)

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Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   37,524 votes
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Down 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Katsuhiro Ôtomo (graphic novel) and
Izô Hashimoto (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Akira on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 July 2001 (USA) more
Tagline:
Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E. more
Plot:
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 win more
User Reviews:
Every Anime fan have to start from a certain place. more (350 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Mitsuo Iwata ... Shôtarô Kaneda (voice)
Nozomu Sasaki ... Tetsuo Shima (voice)
Mami Koyama ... Kei (voice)
Tesshô Genda ... Ryûsaku (voice) (as Tetsusho Genda)
Hiroshi Ôtake ... Nezu (voice)
Kôichi Kitamura ... Priestess Miyako / Council A (voice)
Michihiro Ikemizu ... Inspector / Council I (voice)
Yuriko Fuchizaki ... Kaori (voice)
Masaaki Ôkura ... Yamagata (voice)
Tarô Arakawa ... Eiichi Watanabe / Council G / Army (voice)
Takeshi Kusao ... Kai (voice)
Kazumi Tanaka ... Army (voice)
Masayuki Katô ... Engineer Sakiyama / Council D (voice)
Yôsuke Akimoto ... Harukiya Bartender (voice)
Masato Hirano ... Yûji Takeyama / Spy / Council F (voice)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Akira: The Special Edition (USA) (reissue title)
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MPAA:
Rated R for graphic violence and brief nudity.
Runtime:
124 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | DTS (re-release) | Dolby (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Finland:K-12 (video) (1994) | Finland:K-15 (DVD) (2004) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2003) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 | Italy:T | Hungary:16 | Netherlands:12 (re-rating) | Canada:18+ (TV rating) | Brazil:14 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2002) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M (re-rating) (2002) | Norway:15 (DVD rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16 (nf) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This was one of the first Japanese anime films to have the character's voices recorded before they were animated. While this is the typical practice in U.S. animation, in Japan the animation is generally produced first. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Near the beginning of the film, in the street bar, the sign on the jukebox changes from "MASTAR" to "MASTER" between shots. more
Quotes:
Tetsuo: Heh, heh... what's happened to me? I must be dreaming. I feel like I can take out the world. more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Tokyo Shoeshine Boy more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
10 out of 11 people found the following review useful.
Every Anime fan have to start from a certain place., 22 December 2005
8/10
Author: Freddy from Denmark, Copenhagen

I was probably around 8, when I first saw Akira. It was my step dad who asked me if I was interested in watching this Japanese cartoon. I expected something like, my favorite children movies like The Lion King or The Land before Time.

Akira however, was something else. At the time I was to young to understand English, since it was a second language for me. But I remember what kind of an affect it had on me. It was brutal, it was hard, it was edgy. The drums and Neo Tokyo lights flew through my little body as butter, as I witnessed death, gore and sadistic killings. Something my pure and innocent eyes had never seen before. And yet I was strangely excited. I was never tough as a kid. I was a afraid of the dark and often had nightmares about all kinds of things. But Akira, despite it's mature nature, just had me in awe. When I finally re-saw it many years later, when I was an old teenager, I was still in awe.

Akira is simply a wonderful and entertaining sci-fi movie. It was what introduced me to anime, and innovation in a hole new way. If you want to start watching anime or see, what all the fuss is about, then Akira is a good place to start. Even though it's over 17 years old today, it is still a fantastic and visually stunning animation. Even if you don't appreciate animation you owe it to yourself, to check it out. It has spectacular action, motorcycle-chase-sequences, mad scientists and tons of blood and shooting.

8/10

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Akira (1988)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Im looking for very good anime films. Can any1 help? movie_music_fiend90
Live Action Akira - some points for clarification L_Ron_Bumquis
This is the first real anime film Ive seen stevexx28
the capsules terrylpeterson
Newer Movie with similar Bikes ? Drawn and CGI megaskunk
Far more popular in the West than in Japan. Vuduguy
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