AKIRA

Over the next little while, I'm going to be taking a look at Katsuhiro Otomo's masterpiece manga AKIRA.  Today, we'll start with it's best known incarnation though, one of two films that broke open the anime market in the west.


Hindsight is an awkward thing.  At the time Akira came out, it was mind blowing.  Using animation to tell a story like this was unheard of in the west.  The films opening scene's alone must have been a shock to the system for anyone. (I'd love to have seen the reaction of someone who went to this expecting a kids animated picture only to have the intense violence of the first act kick off)  Blood is on ample display and our protagonist's are dark, violent youths in a motorcycle gang that would probably make the sons of anarchy nervous.

But in the light of 2013, when anime is a relatively well known genre and we've had pieces like Death Note, Madoka and Evangelion, Akira hasn't aged well.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to be praised about it.

The animation is stunningly beautiful, with action scenes eminently watchable.  Tetsuo's rampage through Neotokyo is still one of my favorite bits of cinema and a moment I would kill to have had the opportunity to see on the big screen.  The soundtrack is also glorious and utterly unique.  The cyberpunk dystopia of the city doesn't seem the right place for this organic and almost primitive music, but the more you watch, the more it works.  The opening piece is one of the best pieces of film score ever laid down.

But the flaws are fairly evident.  Kei's explanation of Akira's powers is particularly bad and it's pretty clear where the translations have had to bend and twist in order to fit the lip movements of the animated characters, resulting in some truly awkward lines.

The ending is also pretty terrible.  Had I been in charge, I would have had Kaneda kill Tetsuo after his discovery of Akira's remains.  Their final confrontation is the emotional high point of the movie and the scene's that follow afterwards give a major sense of ending fatigue.  Also, they don't make a great deal of sense and make few attempts to explain what is happening, which is unfortunate since it's not that hard.  The manga spends a great deal more time on the overall story but not this ending, yet ultimately it makes much more sense there.

It's still absolutely essential viewing for any anime fan and probably any sci fi fan.  It's one of the genre codifiers for cyberpunk and an amazing showcase of animation's potential.  Kaneda and Tetsuo are both wonderful character and the film keeps you invested in their story for the vast majority of it's runtime.  It's a shame about the ending, but not one that spoils the film.

Posted in: Akira, Anime, Anime Review, Kaneda, Movie, Movie Review, Tetsuo