Ah, Akira. The anime adaptation of this manga is famous for many reasons (some good, some bad). But if you’re like me, this was probably one of the first anime movies you ever saw.
Akira is a bit of a mind-bending anime, having equal parts violent biker gangs, young-bodied but artificially-aged psychokinetic kids, social revolts, government collapse, military takeovers, trippy dream sequences, and major apocalyptic overtones. Watching it is a bit of a ride, but in my opinion an enjoyable one.
A word of warning though: Akira is not for the faint-of-heart; it can be a bit squeamish at times. This is not a G or even PG rated anime, to say the least.
Nevertheless, Akira is a masterpiece to behold. Despite its age, it still holds up quite well (visually speaking) with modern works – with incredibly detailed animation and backgrounds (some of which are only visible for a second). The amount of work that went into this film is absolutely astounding.
Although the story is not necessarily ground-braking (for a good laugh, check out the famous Thumbnail Theater version of Akira – part one and part two) it is still a spectacle worth watching. If you consider yourself an anime fan, you owe it to yourself to watch Akira (if you haven’t already).
