released 21 feb 05 / last mod 01 jun 07 / greg goebel / public domain
* Katsuhiro Otomo's classic 1980s manga (Japanese comic) series AKIRA begins in 1992 (in some other history), with the destruction of Tokyo by some sort of completely unknown weapon, leading to the brief but very destructive World War III.
By 2030, the world has rebuilt, and a new "Neo-Tokyo" stands on the ruins of the old city. A gang of high-school biker punks, led by the hotheaded and resourceful Kaneda and including his edgy friend Tetsuo, enjoys raising hell after dark, until one night they run into a strange figure who looks like a child but is wizened like an old man, and who has strange powers. The "ancient child" is being pursued by a gang of revolutionaries, including the pretty but tough Kay, as well as the Colonel, the stern leader of an ultra-secret government project involving a child named Akira. Conflicts follow, and as Tetsuo begins to acquire powers himself, he and Kaneda part company while Japan sinks once again into chaos and everyone takes up sides.
This is only a chaser for the plot of AKIRA, which is impossible to adequately summarize in a short space. I like to consider it the WAR & PEACE of manga, since it compares in both length and its sweep of characters and story line. It is a grim, violent story; it isn't exactly horror fiction, but it has some flavor of Steven King's work, particularly THE STAND.
The story is good, but what really supports AKIRA is the meticulous and realistic artwork and characters. It was somewhat groundbreaking in representing Japanese characters realistically, even in many cases unflatteringly, instead of resorting to the idealized Eurasian cartoon figures so heavily associated with manga and anime. All the scenery and machinery is also rendered in maximum detail. However, this being a dark piece of work, nearly all the scenes appropriately tend towards the dark and drab, and the landscapes convey a vivid sense of grittiness.
AKIRA can be absolutely recommended from the production point of view. From the story point of view, it's clearly not for everyone. If you're looking for light entertainment, AKIRA won't fit the bill: it does have some humor, but overall it feels like black stormclouds rolling in with thunder and lightning, and it has a high bodycount plus plenty of gore. Like it or hate it, however, AKIRA still remains a landmark of Japanese manga.