Akira (1988)

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

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) (as Tetsusho Genda)
Hiroshi Ôtake	...	Nezu (voice) (as Hiroshi Otake)
Kôichi Kitamura	...	Lady Miyako / Committee A (voice) (as Koichi Kitamura)
Michihiro Ikemizu	...	Inspector / Committee I (voice)
Yuriko Fuchizaki	...	Kaori (voice)
Masaaki Ôkura	...	Yamagata (voice) (as Masaaki Okura)
Tarô Arakawa	...	Army / Committee G / Eiichi Watanabe (voice) (as Taro Arakawa)
Takeshi Kusao	...	Kai (voice)
Kazumi Tanaka	...	Army (voice)
Masayuki Katô	...	Engineer Sakiyama / Committe D (voice) (as Masayuki Kato)
Yôsuke Akimoto	...	Harukiya Bartender (voice) (as Yosuke Akimoto)
Masato Hirano	...	Committee F / Spy / Yûji Takeyama / Terrorist (voice)

Storyline

Kaneda is a bike gang leader whose close friend Tetsuo gets involved in a government secret project known as Akira. On his way to save Tetsuo, Kaneda runs into a group of anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader. The confrontation sparks off Tetsuo's supernatural power leading to bloody death, a coup attempt and the final battle in Tokyo Olympiad where Akira's secrets were buried 30 years ago.

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Plot Keywords:

post thermonuclear war | cyberpunk | biker gang | gifted child | science runs amok | 

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Taglines:

2019, the year before the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Games... what did the boys see that night? What is the "Ultra-Top Secret Project" slumbering underground? The year's most controversial film has arrived!

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic violence and brief nudity

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:

JPY 1,100,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$553,171

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$80,000,000

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) DTS (re-release) Dolby (35 mm prints) Dolby Digital (2001 re-issue) Dolby (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 (VHS version)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Katsuhiro Ôtomo did not intend to adapt the series outside of the manga. However, he became 'very intrigued' when the offer to develop his work for the screen was put before him. He agreed to an anime film adaptation of the series on the grounds that he retained creative control of the project - this insistence was based on his experiences working on Harmagedon: Genma taisen (1983).

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Goofs

Kai's socks appear to change color a number of times throughout the film, often from shot to shot within the same scene.

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Quotes

Kaneda (2001 Pioneer dub): [when he claims to Ryu he knows who the new subject is] Come on... don't they say the only foolish questions are unasked ones?
[Ryu walks up to him with a mischievous look on his face]
Kaneda (2001 Pioneer dub): They don't?

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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 2001 version also includes a restoration credits roll. The credits are set to the music at the mall where the terrorist bombing occurs.

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Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: When Flanders Failed (1991)

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Soundtracks

Mutation
/"Ohjifuchi"
Performed by Geinoh Yamashirogumi

User Reviews

An animated masterpiece, without the sing-alongs of Disney fare

It amuses me that so many people are appalled by the "graphic violence" of this film when they are the ones who will turn around and glorify a movie like "Silence of the Lambs" simply because it is live-action. Akira completely dispels the myth that animation must be replete with characters who are super-deformed and randomly break into song. This is a true emotional experience the likes of which Hollywood could not duplicate even if it tried.

A gang of young motorcyclists get involved in a government plot involving the resurrection of "Akira," a force which once laid waste to Tokyo. Now, in the Neo-Tokyo of the future, the youngest and lowliest of the gang, Tetsuo, ends up harnessing this extremely destructive power and goes on a rampage of telepathic mayhem to earn the fear of those who once bullied him relentlessly. Beneath the violence in this movie lies the very touching story of this young man and his reconciliation with Keneda, his best friend.

One of the most moving scenes in the film is a flashback that shows the first meeting between the two when they were very young. Though the other kids had bullied and harassed Tetsuo, Keneda was there to stick up for his now lifelong friend. If those who watch Akira can discard their preconceived notions of what animation should be, they will find one of the most exciting, emotional, and rewarding films they will ever have the fortune of seeing.

As a special side note, I personally prefer the dubbed version, which is executed very well by a talented cast of voice actors. My favorite line in the movie belonged to the Colonel: "They don't teach tact at the academy." Though it was adapted from a huge body of manga work, Akira was executed perfectly, being directed by its original creator, Katsuhiro Otomo.