Review:
The year is 2019, 31 years ago Tokyo was destroyed in
an explosion that began World War III. The city is now rebuilt but society is
breaking down, anti-government protests and terrorism are becoming increasingly
commonplace while violent biker gangs roam the streets at night. When one of
these bikers, Tetsuo, hits a small wizened figure bearing the number 26 on it's
palm a chain of events are set in motion that will change the face of things to
come, and not just within the film. Akira changed the anime world, few other
productions could claim to have had such an influence or sparked such an
increase in popularity.
Watching the film you can see why. Based on the early part of Otomo's manga Akira portrays a living city in which the protagonists are initially only small parts
and it's this feeling of a real world around the central plot that makes Akira.
Visually Akira has aged well, the animation holds up against (and on occasions surpasses) that of anime produced much more recently. Yes, the art is good but the
sound is definitely part of what sets it apart from the competition. The music is fantastic , each piece summing up the situation on-screen beautifully,
Doll's Polyphony sends shivers down my spine even now. And to top all that off it has not one but two good(!) English language dub.!
Final Comments:
To put it simply Akira is something akin to the Star Wars of anime. Ask any random grouping of anime fans what got them hooked and 9 out of every
ten are likely to answer with one word 'Akira'. A key piece of history that's still very much watch-able today.
