Akira (1988)

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by two teenagers and a group of psychics.

Director:

Katsuhiro Ôtomo

Writers:

Katsuhiro Ôtomo (screenplay), Izô Hashimoto (screenplay)

Stars:

Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama

1 win.

Cast

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

Storyline

2019. 31 years after being destroyed during World War 3, Tokyo (now 'Neo-Tokyo') has been rebuilt and is a thriving metropolis. Shotaro Kaneda is the leader of a biker gang. His friend Tetsuo is injured in an accident and taken to a top-secret government facility. He develops telekinetic powers but decides to use them for evil rather than good. He has the same powers as Akira, the force that destroyed Tokyo in 1988, and now it appears that history will repeat itself.

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Plot Keywords:

cyberpunk | biker gang | post thermonuclear war | based on manga | anime | 

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Taglines:

2019, Neo-Tokyo: a never-ending puzzle begins. The trump card is... top secret. Film to be treated as hazardous material.

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic violence and brief nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Kaneda is at the jukebox you can see the logos of three famous classic rock bands: Cream, Led Zeppelin and The Doors.

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Goofs

The rank insignia on the Colonel's uniform changes from 2 stars to 3 stars in some shots.

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Quotes

Kaneda (1988 Streamline Pictures dub): Let's see...
Yamagata (1988 Streamline Pictures dub): [bursts through the door, causing the bartender to scoop up the pills, before going to talk with Kaneda] We've got the Clowns cornered near the expressway.
Harukiya Bartender: Hey, this isn't a dance hall, sport.
Yamagata (1988 Streamline Pictures dub): You've got a bad attitude, pops. Lighten up before your arteries harden.
[to the customer from the drug deal]
Yamagata (1988 Streamline Pictures dub): Hey, man. That stuff'll stunt your growth.
Harukiya Bartender: How many times do I have to tell you punks? At least he's a payin' customer!
Yamagata (1988 Streamline Pictures dub): Then I won't tell him what's in it, huh?

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Crazy Credits

Credits roll with Big Bang-like footage of stars and galaxies, in the background.

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Alternate Versions

The version that aired on Toonami in 2013 digitally removed the nudity from the rape scene, as well as changing a background graffiti that read "fuck you" to "buck you".

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Connections

Referenced in Last Resort (1992)

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Soundtracks

Illusion
Performed by Geinoh Yamashirogumi

User Reviews

Every Anime fan have to start from a certain place.

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

Details

Official Sites:

Bandai Visual [Japan] Official Site [United States]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

16 July 1988 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Akira: The Special Edition

Box Office

Budget:

JPY1,100,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,263, 1 January 1990

Gross USA:

$553,171

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,562,320

Company Credits

Production Co:

Akira Committee Company Ltd., Akira Studio, TMS Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1