akira anime movie review

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Extremely violent classic introduced anime to Westerners.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

This highly complex movie deals with many issues,

Since it's not always easy to tell who is doing th

This movie has incredible amounts of sci-fi violen

A young woman is shown topless in one sequence; it

Language is fairly strong, but tends to avoid "f--

The movie's most powerful and most coveted motorcy

Characters are seen smoking in the background.

Parents need to know that Akira is a landmark of anime, a superproduction in Japan, and a cult classic in the United States; it introduced many Americans to the genre. It's available in an English-dubbed version as well as a Japanese version with English subtitles; this review references the English version…

Positive Messages

This highly complex movie deals with many issues, ranging from the concept that ideas and memories are saved and passed from being to being throughout the universe, to the idea of a messiah that could save (or destroy) everything and everyone. There's also a small argument as to whether to deal with things via violence or science, but movie's overwhelming violence tends to steamroll over any other potential themes.

Positive Role Models

Since it's not always easy to tell who is doing the right thing in this story, and since nearly every character reacts to nearly every situation with violence, it can be safely said that there are no clear role models.

Violence & Scariness

This movie has incredible amounts of sci-fi violence, ranging from spectacular, large-scale battles and explosions, to angry mobs, guns and shooting and motorcycle fights. Many characters are shot, and blood is on display. A major character loses an arm. Dogs are shot. A young woman is beat up in one sequence. The movie takes place after WWIII, and shows images of a nuclear explosion. As the movie progresses, the imagery becomes more and more nightmarish, unexplainable, and disturbing (it begins with giant stuffed animals attacking a young man).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A young woman is shown topless in one sequence; it's a scene of violence rather than sexuality. In an earlier scene, a man in the background of a bar is shown kissing and groping a woman.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language is fairly strong, but tends to avoid "f--k" and "s--t" too many times, concentrating instead on a plethora of "damn," "hell," "jerk," "loser," "idiot," "piss," "bitch" and "son of a bitch," "bastard," "sick mother," "Goddamn," "Jesus Christ," "ass," and "a--hole." The word "f--k" is never spoken, but can be seen written as graffiti in a few background shots.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

The movie's most powerful and most coveted motorcycle has a "Canon" sticker on it, shown often. A Coke can is visible in one shot.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Akira is a landmark of anime, a superproduction in Japan, and a cult classic in the United States; it introduced many Americans to the genre. It's available in an English-dubbed version as well as a Japanese version with English subtitles; this review references the English version. The violence is quite incredible, with numerous battles, fights, and shootouts, with blood, and escalating into nightmarish, disturbing imagery. Language is fairly constant, but rarely escalates to the "big" words, "s--t" and "f--k." "Damn" and "hell" are used regularly. There's one scene of female toplessness (in a moment of violence rather than intimacy), and a moment of sexual groping in the background of a scene. This is essential viewing for any serious teen fans of anime, though it's one of the most intense examples. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (9)
• Kids say (31)

Based on 9 parent reviews

Too scary for kids

What's the story.

In Neo-Tokyo of 2019, post-WWIII, old friends Kaneda and Tetsuo are members of a violent motorcycle gang. During a fight with a rival gang, a strange, small boy with a wrinkled face enters the fray. Tetsuo is hospitalized, where a colonel and a doctor discover that Tetsuo has remarkable powers, recalling a mysterious entity known as AKIRA, that has lain dormant for 30 years. As the main characters navigate a complex plot filled with powerful beings, military, activists, and scientists, Tetsuo's powers grow stronger. Everything builds to an explosive, nightmarish showdown in which the future of the world hangs.

Is It Any Good?

Katsuhiro Otomo co-wrote the screenplay of Akira and directed this 1988 adaptation of his much-loved 1980s-era manga (comic book); it was a huge production that paid off enormously. When it arrived in America, it became a cult classic and introduced Western audiences to anime (Japanese animation), a genre that remains popular to this day.

Akira is extraordinarily dense and enormously complicated, and things like story and characters tend to go out the window in favor of cosmic ideas and mysteries, bizarre imagery, and astounding levels of violence. It takes full advantage of the animated medium with its sheer imagination and intensity. Indeed, to attempt these same images in a live-action setting would have been far too expensive and disturbing. Time has not yet dulled the sheer impact of the work, though, and the level of detail, movement, and fluidity is still highly impressive. It's still essential viewing for anyone interested in the genre.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the movie's violence . Does it seem to get stronger and more disturbing as it goes? How does watching super violent content make you feel?

What is the movie actually about? Who or what is Akira? Is the reappearance of Akira a good thing or a bad thing?

Is it possible that memories and knowledge are passed around throughout the universe? What are some of the movie's other themes?

When Tetsuo achieves his great powers, why does he immediately choose to use them for destructive behavior? What else could he have done?

What makes anime so popular? Why is Akira considered such a great example of the genre?

Movie Details

• In theaters : July 16, 1988
• On DVD or streaming : July 24, 2001
• Cast : Barbara Goodson , Bob Bergen , Cam Clarke
• Director : Katsuhiro Otomo
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Pioneer
• Genre : Anime
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy
• Run time : 124 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : graphic violence and brief nudity
• Last updated : August 1, 2023

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Akira – review

T here are certain science-fiction films, such as Blade Runner and Kubrick's 2001, that are so well realised that they can influence the genre for decades to come. Now Akira has been around for some 23 years (and is due for a Hollywood remake), we have seen how long a shadow it has cast not only over science fiction but also animation, it sits comfortably alongside those other lauded titles. Another thing it shares with them is how it always offers up something new or missed with every viewing. The plot, straightforward to some, impenetrable to others, concerns a futuristic neo-Tokyo biker gang whose lives are impacted on after an accidental collision with a secret government-run project dealing with telekinetic powers in children. Style and substance run neck and neck in this thrilling, bold landmark film that just refuses to become dated.

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Akira Reviews

Akira is one of the great anime sci-fi classics and has been influential across various forms of media.

Full Review | Jul 18, 2023

Great to look at, but more exhausting than entertaining.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Aug 31, 2022

Such an extraordinary achievement demands to be seen and seen again for re-evaluation into its deeper relevance—and to be appreciated as a landmark not just of anime but of international cinema.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 19, 2022

AKIRA is an audiovisual masterpiece that still blows me away after all these years. For two hours, the film takes us into a completely disrupted world in which destruction and ambivalence are omnipresent. A film you will never forget.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Apr 25, 2022

The opening motorbike chase is still thrilling, but the dedication to the backgrounds as well as crowds of people filling the screen, explosions happening in the distance, and a jaw-dropping sense of scope make Akira the classic that it is.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Jan 25, 2021

Akira's strangeness is very startling and sometimes bewildering. But there is a thanatonic rapture to its vision of a whole world ending and being reborn as something else.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 8, 2020

I've seen the movie four times, and this go-around my jaw was lower on the floor than ever before, somehow.

Full Review | Aug 4, 2020

It's dark and violent but, because it is so creative, it is a really fun experience. It's like Inception but way more trippy!

Full Review | Original Score: 9.5/10 | Jan 19, 2019

It continues to show the best of the genre, almost 30 years later. It would be sacrilegious to give a different rating from PERFECT to AKIRA. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jun 20, 2017

Handsome and preposterously ambitious, and even its worst narrative missteps are a factor of that ambition.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jul 4, 2015

While its typically convoluted sci-fi plotting and sprawling ensemble of characters occasionally lead it to border on the incoherent, it's hard not to be in awe of the giant hand-drawn cityscapes that make up the backdrop for the eye-popping action.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 18, 2013

Pounding away, it becomes monotonous.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 10, 2013

[Akira] is a blast and a half, a twisted dystopian parable of violence and rock and roll, Japanese-style. It's Disney on PCP, mean, rotten, psychotic, but incredibly vivid.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 10, 2013

Extremely violent classic introduced anime to Westerners.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 15, 2013

Moments that can only be captured as animation make Akira still worth watching: gusts of wind from chopper blades, ka-tooming bursts of fiery explosions, Tetsuo's visions.

Full Review | Jan 12, 2012

Plenty of superb recent blockbusters, including The Matrix, The Dark Knight, Minority Report, Dark City and Inception, are all in its debt - not to mention a fair number of shockers, like Star Wars Episode II and the most recent Resident Evil atrocity.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jun 25, 2011

Put it up there with the most astonishing animated features ever made.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 24, 2011

Style and substance run neck and neck in this thrilling, bold landmark film that just refuses to become dated.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jun 23, 2011

The cityscapes are awesome, the camerawork is dizzying. If you're new to manga, prepare to be converted.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 23, 2011

Akira is pure concentrated cinematic excellence - accept no substitutes.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jun 22, 2011

Akira (1988)

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Akira Review

01 Jan 1988

124 minutes

Katsuhiro Otomo's ingenious Akira begins as it means to go on - with a nuclear explosion that devastates Tokyo. It ends with pretty much the same, augmented by the sort of bio-organic body transmutation that would have David Cronenberg reaching for the anaesthetic and self-piercing kit.

In between these mind-blowing bookends is a sprawling, cyber-punk epic haunted by the ghost of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and obsessed with the unchecked power of the human mind and youthful rebellion. It's also a wistful depiction of a friendship changing beyond all recognition.

It's all wrapped up in director Katsuhiro Otomoís scintillating animated visuals, with not one - not one - computer-assisted shot in sight. Make Akira live action and you'd bankrupt several small countries.

For anyone who thinks manga is all about incomprehensible storylines, naked girls with no pubic hair and a myriad of monsters that invariably turn into giant penises, this will set you straight.

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We Finally Understand The Ending Of Akira

There has likely been no film more influential for the cyberpunk genre than Katsuhiro Otomo's iconic 1988 science-fiction anime  "Akira." Yet, after more than three decades, the film's philosophical finale still has viewers questioning what all of the chaos and destruction means. It's a visually frightening bloodbath with an equally frightening yet relatively open-to-interpretation message.

Set in a post-war futuristic 2019, Neo-Tokyo is a self-imploding city laden with street gangs, terrorist attacks, and violent protests. The government is corrupt and refuses to inform its citizens what is going on, which has led to the formation of resistance groups and fanatical cults. Amidst this, biker gang leader Shōtaro Kaneda's childhood friend Tetsuo Shima is involved in an accident that awakens a troubling power within him. The government realizes that the power Tetsuo has is nearly identical to that of Akira, a telepath who was responsible for the destruction of the original Tokyo in 1988.

It's a race against divine power, government corruption, and of course, the clock as everyone struggles to stop the impending collapse of their city yet again. The action builds to an unforgettable climax, but what does the ending actually mean?

The morality of nuclear weapons and secret operations

Cautionary tales about political violence don't usually culminate with a grotesque, crawling mass that absorbs an entire city. However, "Akira" uses said all-consuming, flesh-like being as a way to illustrate how becoming too powerful too quickly can be dangerous. Tetsuo is destroyed from the inside-out by this growing mass as he becomes increasingly out of control, and nothing can prevent this from happening because it's a side effect of previous wrongdoings.

It isn't a coincidence that both the singularity event and the Big Bang that follow resemble the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagaski . As outlined by writer Joe Marcynzki at Little White Lies , the film explores the morality of nuclear weapons through the lens of the children that are secretly being subjected to parapsychological tests by Tokyo's government. One way to view the parallels: the children themselves are the atomic bombs, Akira was the inciting incident, and Tetsuo can be viewed as Japan itself, struggling with whether or not to continue the cycle of violence — a government responding to a horrific attack by committing atrocities of its own.

Is it morally acceptable to hide the existence of warheads from public knowledge? Should the public be alerted to rampant, often cruel testing that is going on behind the scenes? How does a governing body reconcile with the damage that has been done by its own hand in the name of survival? "Akira" doesn't outright answer those questions, but rather leaves it up to viewers to debate the morality of such horrors.

'Big people' cannot play God

Tetsuo's inability to reckon with the divine powers is his downfall, as humans are not equipped to play God because they will only act in their self-interest. Tetsuo, an insecure, impulsive young man, almost immediately uses his power to lash out at anyone who challenges his newfound skills.

Kiyoko, one of the few children to survive the government's secret testing, expresses to Tetsuo that "big people" shouldn't possess such powerful abilities because they are impure and will only act out of self-interest. Tetsuo, unable to control the powers he has unwillingly received, sets off on a violent rampage. He denounces the existence of Akira, whom he initially sought out, and becomes drunk with power until it overtakes him. In the final moments, his former insecurity returns along with his blatant terror.

The prophetic, religious elements of the story are complex, but the battle between childlike innocence and adult selfishness is constantly at play. Children shouldn't have to grapple with the notion of playing God, either, but their purity prevents them from abusing power the way adults would be inclined to.

Tetsuo's self-realization

As the decaying remains of Neo-Tokyo crumble under Tetsuo's epic destruction, water fills in the ruins as though the city never stood there. The impurity has been washed away and replaced by something clean. And Tetsuo is ... gone?

After being pulled into a separate dimension, both Tetsuo and Kaneda undergo what could be considered spiritual transformations. Kaneda, who is rescued by the espers, experiences each of their childhoods and sees the testing, as well as his friendship with Tetsuo. He re-enters reality back in Neo-Tokyo, where he mourns his friend and leaves the city.

Tetsuo, on the other hand, is saved by Akira himself. He reemerges in a new universe, where Akira will guide him on how to control these telekinetic abilities. His closing declaration of "I am Tetsuo" implies that he now understands the extent of his godlike powers. He has transcended into a new existence; with the right guidance, perhaps his power will no longer perpetuate the cycle of destruction that began with Akira. Or maybe it will go on to destroy another society.

There is much to grapple with in the ending of "Akira," and the discussion will likely carry on until the years-in-the-making live-action remake is finally released.

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Reviews for Akira (7.47)

1. - thatanimesnob ootomo katsuhiro akira is regarded as one of the most famous anime movies of all times, hailed for its cinematography and historical importance as the title that showed the west how animation can be far more... home twitter - approval: 82.4% (11 votes).

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Comments (11)

2. - mrsatan Ootomo Katsuhiro Okay I have never read the manga, but I love this movie. It is definately a very intellectual film, it pushes the bounderies of being too confusing, but after a second viewing all becomes cl... Home Twitter - Approval: 60.2% (19 votes)

Comments (20)

3. - dae666 Ootomo Katsuhiro I have just watched Akira again after so many years. It was awesome! Definitely a masterpiece. Now I`ll tell you why... *drools* Yet I feel uneasy writing a review about such a famous... Home Twitter - Unrated

Comments (1)

4. - sickhippie Ootomo Katsuhiro I feel the need to start this off with a bit of clarification. While I have been watching anime for over a decade now, I did not watch Akira until about 2 years ago. I have just watched it a... Home Twitter - Unrated

5. - sandip Ootomo Katsuhiro (This review is admittedly terrible, and I shall be overhauling it with a rewrite in the future.) Technically very impressive, especially for its time, it`s easy to see why Akira is amongst ... Home Twitter - Unrated

Comments (3)

6. - iwalkfire Ootomo Katsuhiro Alright, besides all my silly reviews, I would like you to take this one seriously, I want to get an honest comment from each and every person who reads it (almost!). To sum up the plot, its... Home Twitter - Unrated

Comments (4)

7. - fleeman Ootomo Katsuhiro Akira is many things; it`s the bar that all anime is compared to, a trail blazer for all anime into the western world, it`s visually stunning and a great starting block for all anime fans to... Home Twitter - Unrated

Comments (2)

8. - Singan Ootomo Katsuhiro With its dynamic action, grand scale and incredibly detailed animation, Akira is often claimed to be a milestone in the history of anime. However, there`re two crucial aspects it lacks to be... Home Twitter - Unrated

Comments (0)

9. - seamot Ootomo Katsuhiro All sorts of cryptic spoilers ahead. A 25 years anniversary essay / review. So here we are, in the year of two-thousand-and-thirteen. Is that still too early or way too late to carry ... Home Twitter - Unrated

10. - fullmetalcowboy ootomo katsuhiro critic`s log - earthdate: december 3, 2012. review #25: akira the time has come, this is my 25th review and i have a special movie to talk about. i will now review the 1988 landmark anime fi... home twitter - unrated.

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1988 ‘アキラ’ Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo

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.

Mitsuo Iwata Nozomu Sasaki Mami Koyama Tessyo Genda Koichi Kitamura Yuriko Fuchizaki Masaaki Okura Takeshi Kusao Kazuhiro Kamifuji Tatsuhiko Nakamura Fukue Itô Yuka Ôno Hiroshi Ôtake Kazumi Tanaka Masato Hirano Masayuki Katô Michihiro Ikemizu Tarô Arakawa Masami Toyoshima

Director Director

Katsuhiro Otomo

Producers Producers

Shunzo Kato Ryohei Suzuki Yoshimasa Mizuo

Writers Writers

Izo Hashimoto Katsuhiro Otomo

Original Writer Original Writer

Editor editor.

Takeshi Seyama

Cinematography Cinematography

Katsuji Misawa

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Yoshio Takeuchi Hiraoki Sato

Additional Directing Add. Directing

Takashi Nakamura

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Sawako Noma

Art Direction Art Direction

Toshiharu Mizutani

Composer Composer

Shoji Yamashiro

Sound Sound

Keiji Muraki Susumu Aketagawa

MBS Sumitomo Corporation TOHO Studio Fuga Studio Aoi Kodansha Bandai Entertainment Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Releases by Date

07 may 1991.

• Theatrical limited

06 Nov 1998

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• Digital 16 Netflix
• Digital 16 Prime Video
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• Theatrical 12
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South korea.

• Theatrical 15 Re-release
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• Theatrical limited 15 Stockholm International Film Festival
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Popular reviews

Review by Jay ★★★½ 16

*to the tune of hips dont lie* akira akira

Review by ScreeningNotes ★★★★★ 59

"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…

Review by SilentDawn ★★★★★ 11

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.

Review by adambolt ★★★★

well how are they going to have the olympics now

Review by Willow Maclay

Accidentally got way way too stoned before turning this on and didn't have the mental faculties to read the subtitles so I spent the entire movie just looking at this thing. Have you ever just LOOKED at Akira????? Holy shit

Review by karen h. ★★★★★ 3

that finale is still one of the most terrifying things i've ever seen in my life

Review by matt lynch ★★★★★ 1

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.

Review by oleff ★★★★½ 10

what the hell

Review by ❀ Chadwin ❀ 5

I really just didn’t know what was going on 90% of the time.

Review by san ★★★★ 1

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

That moment when your ego boost doesn’t help you in Neo-Tokyo so you have to play God elsewhere by creating your own universe.

Review by James (Schaffrillas) ★★★½ 26

Tetsuo the Iron Man

Review by rai ★★★ 6

take a shot every time kaneda says “tetsuo” + every time tetsuo says “kaneda”

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About 31 years after World-War III, even after slowly crawling from the ashes of the fallen capital of Tokyo, people have now begun to live in hedonism and there looms a growing social recession. Between the student protestors and anti-government aggravators, the religious fanatics and the politicians that are either lining their own pockets or thinking only of their future careers, there really seems to be nothing else to do but watch civilization fold over itself. But in the darkness that is societal atrophy shines a brilliant light, the light known as Akira. Does Akira hold the key to the restoration of Japan to its former greatness? Or is it simply the destroyer in the dusk that need not be let out from Pandora's box?

If you haven't seen the movie since Streamline/Orion's older releases, do yourself a favor and see this movie again in its new and improved form. The experience is THAT different.

Deduct two stars you think it's impossible to do the manga (which I haven't read) justice with just a 2-hour long movie. — Dominic Laeno

Recommended Audience: There wasn't too much profanity in the dubbed version, which surprised me a bit. There are some pretty violent scenes interspersed throughout the flick, though, and the last third of the movie will no doubt spook little kids. They wouldn't understand it, anyway.

This ‘80s Anime Movie Inspired All of Your Favorite Sci-Fi Movies

The effects of this groundbreaking anime can still be felt in sci-fi projects today.

The Big Picture

• Akira revolutionized anime and inspired generations with its groundbreaking animation and thought-provoking storyline.
• Set in a dystopian future, Akira 's impact on pop culture is unparalleled, influencing iconic sci-fi projects like The Matrix and Stranger Things .
• The film's legacy transcends time, showcasing the transformative power of anime and solidifying its place in the world of science fiction.

The origins of science fiction can be traced back hundreds of years . On film, however, A Trip to the Moon (1902), directed by legendary filmmaker Georges Méliès , is considered to be the first sci-fi ever made . Since then, the sci-fi world has seen a tremendous shift worldwide, especially involving the multi-billion-dollar Japanese animation industry. During the '80s and '90s, anime reached an unforeseen peak that sparked the attention of Western audiences, but one mind-blowing movie changed the course of animated movies for decades.

Akira (1988) is the groundbreaking, animated cyberpunk film based on a 1982 manga of the same name. Katsuhiro Ôtomo , who wrote the original manga and directed the movie, created one of the most influential science-fiction animations of all time. The film helped shape the future of modern-day sci-fi culture with its innovative animation techniques, unconventional storyline, and unprecedented ambition. Akira might seem outdated now, but its impact inspired generations of artists, and even some of the most beloved sci-fi movies we treasure today, altering pop culture forever.

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 a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.

'Akira' Came Out During the Golden Age of Anime

Set in the metropolis of 2019 Neo-Tokyo, Akira tells the story of a biker gang called "The Capsules" 30 years after the Japanese government dropped an atomic bomb on the city. Lead biker Shotaro Kaneda ( Mitsuo Iwata ) and his friends get entrapped in a secret government project involving children. Kaneda's childhood friend, Tetsuo Shima ( Nozomu Sasaki ), suddenly gains supernatural, telekinetic abilities after a motorcycle accident, leading him on an existential path of destruction. As Kaneda tries to save his friend from the corrupt and incompetent government, he faces money-crazed politicians and psychotic scientists while learning about the dangers of technology that could lead to the annihilation of humanity.

Around the mid to late '80s, anime was a relatively unknown medium. Akira woke the world to the power of animation, and since then, no other anime has reached the seismic effect Katsuhiro Ôtomo's cyberpunk masterpiece has had on the industry. Akira looks and feels drastically different from what anime has transformed into today. The film emerged during the Golden Age of anime. Japanese animators began to realize the potential the industry had in reaching all kinds of audiences and experimental stories (meaning more violent, sexual, and emotional content) were taking over the spotlight . This period gave birth to iconic films like Angel's Egg (1985), Appleseed (1988), and My Neighbor Totoro (1988).

At the time of Akira 's release, there was nothing like it around. Most of the animation in the '80s was known to be fully hand-drawn, with Studio Ghibli being the renowned tyrant of Japan's market. When Akira 's animators came together, they sought to break the limitations anime provided audiences. Akira hired one of Studio Ghibli's lead animators , Makiko Futaki , onto the team. Futaki was only one of 68 key animators who helped make over 150,000 animation cells . This surpassed the benchmark of films like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and was incomparable to the styles of '80s Disney films.

'Akira' Redefined the Limitations of Animation

The animation boundaries Akira cracked were thanks to its massive budget of over 700 million yen (initially believed to be 1.1 billion yen ). The results of the animators' transcendent work resulted in the animation flowing like liquid. Every scene in Akira is packed with gorgeous movement; everyone and everything is moving, whether it is a flashing light or the tiniest facial expression. There's never a still moment. The complex animation is so detailed it creates the chaotic atmosphere that Akira 's dystopian story revolves around .

Beyond the stunning visual effects, Akira 's iconic legacy lies in its moving storyline, which has many Westernized footprints; Ôtomo borrows from Stanley Kubrick 's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Ridley Scott' s Blade Runner (1982), among others. Akira weaves together themes such as political corruption, sacrifice, warfare, scientific power, and friendship. Thematically, the movie was way ahead of its time. It emphasizes the aftermath of a struggling, war-torn society that brings out the darkest truths of human greed and technological advancement. By centering the narrative around a bunch of kids, the audience easily becomes spellbound by Tetsuo's thought-provoking challenges on his philosophical journey . Although the world of Akira is saturated with punky city landscapes and advanced technology, the plot envelops you with profound life messages that resonate with our ever-growing reality today.

It's astonishing to believe that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg famously turned down the offer to bring Akira to the United States a year before its successful release in Japan . The sci-fi thriller paved the path for other creators to level with the story's detail-oriented blueprint, grossing over $2 million dollars internationally. The groundbreaking animation became a cult classic and touched the hearts of dozens of modern filmmakers, playing a critical role in the future of anime as a respected art form that could rival Hollywood's biggest features.

From 'Akira' to 'Princess Mononoke': 10 Most Visually Stunning Animated Movies

‘akira’ inspired sci-fi classics from ‘the matrix’ to ‘stranger things’.

Akira inspired a wave of anime to follow in its footsteps, such as Ghost in the Shell and Cowboy Bebop . Countless auteurs have cited Katsuhiro Ôtomo's landmark as their model for their sci-fi epics; without Akira , The Matrix , Looper , and even Stranger Things wouldn't exist in their current forms. Stylistically, these films have borrowed the best elements from Akira. For The Matrix , visual director John Gaeta was influenced by Akira 's fluidity for the action scenes, particularly the famous bullet time effect . He favored using overlapping imagery to make the characters move at an unnatural pace. At the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, Keanu Reeves also expressed that Neo and Tetsuo share a similar psychokinesis ability. Furthermore, it's clear that The Matrix 's gritty post-war cyberpunk and warring plot points pay homage to Akira.

The Duffer Brothers admitted in an interview that Akira was an influence for Stranger Things. Eleven ( Millie Bobby Brown ) inherits her supernatural powers from a government experiment just as Tetsuo obtains his abilities . The "hospital" playroom, where Eleven discovers her mind control gifts, emulates the same concept of the children in Akira being held against their will in captivity. Dr. Martin Brenner ( Matthew Modine ), is similar to Doctor Onishi ( Mizuho Suzuki ) as they are greedy and obsessed with scientific power. More so, both projects tell the story of a corrupt government pushing kids into life-threatening, monstrous situations; Stranger Things and Akira' s similarities are uncanny.

Rian Johnson , director of Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi , stated he was inspired by Tetsuo for his creation of Cid ( Pierce Gagnon ). In Looper , Cid is a young boy who loses control over his telekinetic abilities. More importantly, the most famous scene TV shows and films imitate from Akira is the famous " Akira Slide." This one moment lasts no more than a few seconds, showing Kaneda stopping his bike in a sliding effect. Movies like X-Men Origins: Wolverine , Nope , and shows like Batman: The Animated Series , Pokémon , Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Adventure Time , and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have all utilized the Akira Slide throughout the decades .

There's no denying the legendary reputation Akira holds within the world of science fiction. The timeless film stands as proof of the transformative power of anime that continues to persist today and Akira 's innovative animation techniques and emotional storytelling will always be a spectacle to look back on year after year.

Akira is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Watch on Hulu

Screen Rant

Akira toriyama's unmade dream project proves he was more forward thinking than some think.

If Dragon Ball’s Akira Toriyama had been given the opportunity to run his own anime production, he would have crafted a story unlike any he told.

• Toriyama's interest in animation goes beyond Dragon Ball, as he revealed his desire to create an anime for all ages and audiences.
• COWA! (1997-1998) and Sand Land (2000) showcase Toriyama's attempt to craft stories that appeal to a wide range of audiences.
• Despite his success with Dragon Ball, Toriyama sought to create works that emphasize friendship, trust, and universal themes of good vs evil.

Over the years, Akira Toriyama has endeavored to give the Dragon Ball fandom insight, understanding, and perspectives on the story, its characters, and himself, that are not readily found in the manga. In an October 1995 interview, the last of his "Super Interview" series, which was translated and posted to Kanzenshuu , Toriyama - among other topics - discusses his interest in and fascination with animation.

When a manga, like Dragon Ball , reaches a certain level of success and popularity, one of the next steps in its evolution is an anime adaptation. However, while the story is the same, since manga and anime are completely different mediums, the original manga creator rarely heads and is sometimes completely uninvolved in, the anime productions. But, as Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama revealed, this doesn't mean that the original manga creator is not interested in the adaptation or, more importantly, not interested in anime in general.

In the interview, Toriyama stated that while his role in the Dragon Ball anime series was largely relegated to the role of advisor, he did, on occasions, have some direct input into the production, such as being tabbed to design several characters, including Bojack and Brol. Even more interesting in his conversation, however, were his thoughts on anime in general.

How Akira Toriyama's Art Style Revolutionized The Manga Industry

Toriyama wanted to make the ultimate crowd-pleasing anime.

Referring to a previous Kanzenshuu Super Interview , where he spoke about the unlimited possibilities that animation gives to an artist to create, Toriyama admitted to wanting to do an original anime story that everyone could enjoy.

I think “a work that young and old, boy and girl alike can enjoy would be nice”. - Akira Toriyama

Coming from the creator of a legendary manga that caters to teenage boys and young men, and is published in a magazine - Shōnen Jump - whose title literally refers to its target audience as adolescent boys, Toriyama's answer is quite surprising. It certainly raises eyebrows to see the master of a "macho" martial arts and battle manga like Dragon Ball wanting to produce an anime that caters to a wide range of audiences.

On the other hand, and more importantly, Toriyama's interest in making an anime for all audiences is also quite telling of his mindset towards the manga and anime industries at the time. It reveals and highlights Toriyama's very forward-thinking and progressive attitude - a refreshing contrast to the traditionally conservative Japanese shōnen manga and anime industry.

After Dragon Ball, Did Toriyama Finally Get The Anime He Wanted?

Also, if possible, if I do a comic myself first before it becomes animation, I’d like to make it so that it’s easy to convey the work’s feeling when it’s animated. By drawing it myself, I’d be able to tell whether it’s enjoyable or not; a one-shot would be fine, so I’d like to draw it. - Akira Toriyama

This is not to say that Toriyama was not up to the task of bringing his vision to life. In fact, in two works he completed after the conclusion of Dragon Ball in 1995, and then after the debut of Dragon Ball Super in 2015, Toriyama comes as close as possible to crafting a story that everyone can enjoy. He also had that personal input that he believed would allow him to get the right feel for the story.

The first is COWA! (1997-1998). The series follows the adventures of three monsters and a human on a quest to obtain a cure for a sickness that is decimating the monsters living in the village near a human city. The second, and more well-known work is Sand Land , which was originally published in 2000, and most recently adapted into an anime for Disney in 2024. Sand Land follows three characters from a perpetually drought-stricken village in their quest to find a new source of water and freedom from the King, whose hoarding of water has done untold damage to the village and its inhabitants.

Both series tell classic "hero's journey" stories that emphasize the friendship, trust, and camaraderie that develops between the team during the quest. Both also include those universal themes of good versus evil, courage, growth, transformation, and empowerment that - as Dragon Ball 's Toriyama wanted - appeal to audiences across ages, genders, and cultures.

Sources: Kanzenshuu ( 1 ), ( 2 )

Dragon Ball

From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

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News Tsukiuta Franchise's Rabbits Kingdom the Movie Anime's Trailer Streamed

The official YouTube channel for the Tsukiuta. franchise began streaming a trailer for the Rabbits Kingdom the Movie anime film on Friday. The video previews the theme song "Rabbits Kingdom -Versus-" from the in-franchise units Six Gravity and Procellarum.

The anime stars:

• Yūki Kaji as Kakeru Shiwasu
• Kōsuke Toriumi as Hajime Mutsuki
• Toshiki Masuda as Koi Kisaragi
• Tomoaki Maeno as Haru Yayoi
• koyomi from Sakuramen as the singing voice of Arata Uzuki
• KENN as Aoi Satsuki
• Shōta Aoi as Rui Minazuki
• Wataru Hatano as Kai Fuzuki
• Tetsuya Kakihara as You Hazuki
• Takashi Kondō as Yoru Nagatsuki
• Kenshō Ono as Iku Kannazuki
• Ryōhei Kimura as Shun Shimotsuki
• Shintarō Asanuma as Lapin, a minister of the Black Rabbit Kingdom
• Kaoru Marimura as Kalavinka, the Queen of the Bird Tribe
• Tatsuhisa Suzuki as Rōen, King of the Wolf Tribe
• Shinnosuke Musashi as Mousse, King of the Mouse Kingdom

The film was previously slated to open in December 2023 but was delayed to early summer 2024 due to "various circumstances." The film's staff includes director Masayoshi Ozaki , scriptwriter Ryūichirō Itsumi, storyboard artist Akiko Nakano , chief animation director Taeko Satō , art director Minoru Akiba , original character designer Jiku , and animation studio Studio Sign .

The film is the first project in the 10th anniversary celebrations for the franchise. The film adapts the fifth stage production, which told a "what-if" story taking place in a "country somewhere."

Tsukiuta. THE ANIMATION is the television anime of a music and original drama CD series about anthropomorphized months. The project centers around the Tokyo idol unit Six Gravity (composed of characters representing December to May) and the sibling rival unit Procellarum (composed of idols born in Western Japan and representing June to November).

The first television anime season premiered in Japan in July 2016. Funimation streamed the series as aired in Japan, and then offered it on Blu-ray Disc in September 2017.

Tsukiuta. THE ANIMATION 2 premiered in October 2020. The anime was originally scheduled to premiere in 2019, before being delayed to April 2020, and then again to July 2020, before a final delay to October 2020. Funimation streamed the anime as it aired in Japan.

The anime is part of a larger Tsukino Talent Production (TsukiPro) franchise.

Sources: Tsukiuta franchise's YouTube channel , Comic Natalie

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