Synopsis
Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E.
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.
1988 ‘アキラ’ Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
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.
Haruyo Kanesaku Shunzo Kato Yutaka Maseba Hiroe Tsukamoto James Yosuke Kobayashi Sawako Noma Yoshimasa Mizuo Ryôhei Suzuki
Akira Committee Company Ltd. Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) Sumitomo Corporation Toho Company, Ltd. Studio Fuga Studio Aoi TMS Entertainment Kodansha Bandai Entertainment Inc.
AKIRA
Man, I watched this film so many times when I was younger.
In fact, you could say I watched A Keira Knightley.......
I'm sorry.
94/100
An aggressive tour de force of influential animation, tangible world-building, inferiority complexes, biker gangs, giant teddy bears, and overwhelming sequences of violence. It stays burrowed in your psyche, ruining a certain, seemingly simple nerve and, in the blink of an eye, shifting perspective and rendering previous knowledge meaningless. Strangely enough, this is only the second time I've seen Akira, with the first being my "initiation" (age 11) via a dubbed VHS copy, but I can't imagine spending more than a year away from this film ever again. It's a horrifyingly grandiose tragedy piece, melding flesh and metal, revolutions and minuscule angst, mind and body, rubber and pavement into a Nuclear aftermath of neon and rubble. In spite of its countless influences (Metropolis, 2001, A Clockwork Orange to name a few), there's nothing quite like it.
"The future is not a straight line. It is filled with many crossroads. There must be a future that we can choose for ourselves."
Akira is one of the most important Japanese animated films of all time, and not simply because of the technical landmark it achieved in hand-drawn animation. It is an attempt to speak about one of the most unspeakable tragedies in human history, and to deal with the nature of atomic power and with historical change as such. The narrative begins with an image of a massive explosion devastating the city of Tokyo, but while the location is different and a title card claims that this is the beginning of World War III, there's no mistaking the…
Probably the most galvanic and visceral example of a nation's collective psychic fallout since Honda's GODZILLA. Simultaneously dreading and anticipating a return to power.
kaneda and tetsuo should have just fucked it would have gotten rid of a lot of the tension between them
Neo-Tokyo. A giant-ass explosion. A crotch-rocket battle with the Insane Clown Posse. Suicide by cop. Ryu without Ken. Weird looking kids with cool powers. Student riots. Fuck is fuck in any language. Super-powers that make Carrie look like a Telekinesis Smurf. Oh Kaneda. Anime boobs. A barkeep's last pour. A determined general. Blowing a lot of shit up. Showdown at the Olympic Stadium with your best friend. A huge fuckin teddy bear. Attack of the giant arm. Becoming something you sure as fuck never dreamed of. A wild-ass visual adventure that is a must see for anyone who is Anime-curious.
A bloated storyline, & a lengthy runtime that can be felt at parts undoubtedly hold back Akira from being fully exceptional, although this animated feature does still shine enough in quite a few sections to make it a moderately adequate time for the most part.
The absolutely striking animation looks/visuals plus the vast scope of 'Neo-Tokyo' throughout, and the film's reasonably mature content are certainly the notable highlights of this one for sure as it takes care of those particular elements relatively fine.
Some solid action as well, and I can see why this was highly influential for modern anime in the end, too.
Where do I even start? How each scene is so meticulously set up? How the amount of devotion invested in bringing neo-tokyo to life is clearly shown in the amount of attention paid in drawing each rock, each debris, each tiny detail? How the film depicts life in this cyberpunk world without using a single line of exposition, yet the viewers can still grasp the idea as if they've been living there for years? This is a film that should be studied down to every frame by anyone who has even the slightest interest in animation.
Akira literally rocks. I started watching while sitting in an upright position, but when the credits rolled I realized I was hanging on the ceiling fan. Not a surprise, for a film that starts with a nuclear explosion.
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh
Hold your jaw.
Mesmerizing animation, excellent action and pacing, and, in good sci-fi fashion, manages a plot which works both on its own and as a larger metaphor.
Some of the best animation I’ve ever seen. The action is pretty great. I wish there were more motorcycle scenes. Not one of those movies where I need to see it again to understand it, but I would to see the last thirty minutes
An animation masterpiece, and excellent cyberpunk narrative with a profound message.
This movie was fascinating to watch. I can't belive it's a late 80s animated film.
I liked how it had so many twists and turns. Just when I thought I understood it, there was something new.
However, this is a film that requires a re-watch to really enjoy it. Will definitely do that soon.
Probably will have to watch again one day. Looked great, it just didn’t hold my attention at all woops
it was a beautiful sci-fi. the soundtrack, the animation (but i have to admit, i hate the big-chin-and-forehead thing) is just spot on. absolut classic!!
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