Akira

Akira
by Katsuhiro ?tomo

Akira

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DVD details

Actor: Hiroshi ?take, Mami Koyama, Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Tessh? Genda
Director: Katsuhiro ?tomo
Writer: Katsuhiro ?tomo
Producer: Haruyo Kanesaku
Producer: Hiroe Tsukamoto
Producer: James Yosuke Kobayashi
Producer: Ryohei Suzuki
Producer: Sawako Noma
Writer: Iz? Hashimoto
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Japanese (Original Language), Dolby Digital 4.1; English (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Animated, Color, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 124 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-07-24
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]

DVD Reviews of Akira

DVD Review: Atrocious screen adaptation of a manga masterpiece
Summary: 1 Stars

For years I'd heard all kinds of accolades heaped on this film, running the gamut of "greatest anime ever made" to "film that changed everything." So before I even watched it, I sat down and read all 6 volumes of the original manga from cover to cover, starting from the opening sequence of Tokyo being blown up in Volume 1 to the very last scene of Volume 6.

And boy, am I glad I did, because this is probably one of the most brilliantly written and visually compelling graphic novels ever created. I know that sounds totally "fanboy", but I don't mean to be. The manga truly is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. That's not to say it's not without flaws, but that it's as close as you can get to perfection.

So imagine my shock when I finally saw this film, the so-called "best anime ever made", the one so many anime fans have been raving about. As I watched this film, I didn't feel awe and amazement, but something decidedly different-- the sense that this was probably one of the WORST adaptations of a literary work ever in the history of cinema.

Many people have defended the poor adaptation with the excuse that "there wasn't enough time to put everything from the book into the movie." But this is a straw man. The anime is not poorly adapted because it didn't cram everything from the manga into the movie. It's poorly adapted, because Otomo himself changed his original story so dramatically that it doesn't even come close to resembling the manga in any real sense. It's almost as if the screenplay had been adapted by someone who'd never read Akira a day in his life.

If you think I'm exaggerating, here are some very specific examples of how badly Otomo eviscerated his own work in adapting it to screen:

1) A majority of the events in this film never happened in the manga, and very few of the events in the manga occur in the film. Of the few incidents from the manga included in the film, they happen in a completely different context than in the manga.

2) Characters who died tragically in the book either live in the movie or die in a completely different way than they did in the manga, usually in a manner that is far less dramatic or moving

3) Kaori, the street urchin who Tetsuo's henchman randomly picked off the streets to be his slave, is his girlfriend in the movie

4) Kiyoko, Masaru, and Takahashi are vicious brats who aggressively attack Tetsuo, when it was Tetsuo who was the aggressor

5) Chiyoko doesn't exist, and neither do any of the characters associated with Miyako or Akira's "kingdom" after the destruction of Neo-Tokyo. Nezu, Ryu and other side characters are just thrown in for the hell of it. The scientists in Volume 6 don't exist, and the cigarette fiend makes a small cameo.

6) Remember how much the drugs were a part of the story? They don't figure here at all, except, once again, as a mere cameo (Kaneda wears a pill on his jacket; Tetsuo tries to score drugs off a barkeep)

The most egregious cases in which Otomo dramatically altered his story:

1) He decided he wanted to make "Kiyoko" the "wise sage" in the movie, so he destroyed Lady Miyako's character. In the book, she was the philosophical heart of the story, a central figure very similar to the Oracle character in the Matrix. In the movie, she's transformed from wise and caring sage to crazed lunatic ranting that Neo-Tokyo needs to "burn" to be purified. So whereas in the book she was a protector of people and wise sage, in the movie she's a religious nut who wants them to burn in a "rapture-like" blaze. To add insult to injury, she's given a man's voice to make her seem more crazy, and she's casually killed off along with some anonymous city rabble after two brief cameos that couldn't have lasted more than 20 seconds each.

2) And Akira? I'm not going to spoil it for you, but if you see what "Akira" is in this movie, you'll literally shake your head wondering what in the hell Otomo was thinking. The change defies logic, because in changing him so radically he essentially rewrote his own story beyond recognizability.

All of these dramatic changes would be forgivable if this new version of Akira was entertaining and well written in its own right. Unfortunately, I can't say that it is. I found it painfully boring and convoluted. Not only was the pace plodding, the screenplay was muddled to the point where even I-- who'd read the story-- had trouble following what was going on. So it definitely wasn't a compelling movie for me.

I know I'm gonna tick off a lot of hardcore fans of this movie, but I'm sorry-- as a huge fan of the manga, it's impossible for me to consider it as "the best ever" when it did such a terrible job of adapting the original story to screen. Watch it for the animation if you will, or the nostalgia of having viewed this "revolutionary anime" from when it first came out, or out of curiosity to see what the fuss is all about. But if you're a fan of the manga, I would seriously pass. It's definitely not the adaptation you hoped and dreamed for; if anything, it's the stuff that nightmares are made of.

DVD Review: Outstanding animation, disjointed story
Summary: 4 Stars

It's easy to see why 'Akira' became one of the first anime to be really successful in the West. The dark, apocalyptic storyline was very different from the usual Japanese magical girls and fighting robots, and there was plenty of flashy eye-candy in the form of outstanding animation (for its time). However, while the style is great, the substance is lacking.

The fundamental problem with 'Akira' is that it is a 2 hour movie cobbled together from a very long manga, meaning the story is compressed and rushed almost to the point of incomprehensibility. There are so many important plot points that are skimmed over or left out altogether, and the pacing of the movie is poor. Most of the important plot points (involving Tetsuo) are dispensed with reasonably early in the film, and the entire second half is given over to Tetsuo's rampage and destruction. They should have cut this down and spent more time fleshing out the story.

Another problem is the characterisation. Since the main characters are mostly biker punks or ruthless military/medical men, there isn't exactly much room for depth and sensitivity. In fact, it's pretty two-dimensional to be honest. Kaneda is a sort of anti-hero, and he does at least show some development and growing maturity over the course of the film. Kei is probably the closest thing to a true heroine, while The Colonel has some humanity to him despite being the main antagonist.

Sure, given the flashy and action-packed nature of this anime, you can just switch off your brain and enjoy the eye-candy. On a very basic "I'm mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore!" level, the film is easy enough to follow. But to truly understand 'Akira' requires the utmost concentration, and almost certainly multiple viewings. This is the issue with the film: blood and guts action fans will probably not want to make such an in-depth investment, but the more intellectual fans might be put off by the pointless violence and brutality.

From the viewpoint of 2009, 'Akira' is arguably more important for its influence than for what it actually is. However, its historical importance is enormous, and despite its major flaws remains essential for every anime fan.

DVD Review: I guess I'm in the minority...
Summary: 1 Stars

Kaneda / 013023153899

It's always strange to come away from a movie disliking it and then see a plethora of reviews hailing it as the best thing ever. Inevitably doubt sets in, and I find myself wondering what it is that all those other people saw in this movie that I did not, but I just didn't like "Akira" at all.

Where do I start? I guess my biggest problem with this film is the overwhelming sense that important details (such as character motivation) have been blithely omitted on the grounds that "deep" or "meaningful" movies don't need such petty concerns. Tetsuo in particular seems driven by no motivation other than malevolent evil and madness and feels like a terrible rendition of a DBZ villain - he only seems interested in fighting for the fight itself, in order to be the most powerful one left standing. That kind of motivation is fine enough in a Bond shoot-em-up, but I expect more from a movie that's supposed to make me think. Kaneda, too, seems motivated not from character development or environment constraints, but merely because the movie *requires* him to behave in certain ways. It seems unreasonable that Kaneda would practically throw away his life trying to kill Tetsuo - or rather, it seems not at all unreasonable for a *movie character* to do such a thing, but a "realistic" character would seemingly take the first chance to make himself scarce... or at least consider it. Kaneda seems not even to acknowledge the possibility.

Other questions abound. Why do the strange children look so old and green, and why do they attack Tetsuo, and why do they attack him with teddy bears bleeding milk from their eye sockets? Why are all the biker kids almost completely interchangeable, dialogue and all? Why is the government willing to pour money into a super-secret super-kid project, and then only hire a handful of guards and one scientist to guard these expensively godly goblins? Why, for the love of all that is sane, are all heroines required by law to fall for the hero who is rude, largely foolish and ineffectual, and has a bad tendency to flash the words "author insert character" above his head in green neon letters?

As for the touted depth and complexity behind this movie, I was blown away with the "explanation" (courtesy of the heroine) that ants are born with less power than humans, but what if an ant was accidentally born with the power of a human? What a huge mix-up that would be! Only, I wasn't aware that it was "power" that made us humans so special - I thought it was things like arms and legs and opposable thumbs and a brain that is somewhat larger and more complicated than that of an ant. I'm told the whole thing is supposed to be a Buddhist analogy for something, but as a method to drive the story and explain the character motivation, it doesn't do the job, in my personal opinion.

I can't help but also note that for a "deep" and "meaningful" movie, this film seems to enjoy itself far too much with the rapant gore and female frontal nudity. One female character - a sweet biker groupie whose boyfriend treats her with complete contempt - seems to exist *solely* for the purpose of sexual violence being played out upon her (twice), while the heroes helplessly watch - there's a tangible feeling of voyeurism and sadism overlaying her character that made me uncomfortable, to say the least.

After reading some of the reviews, I suspect that "Akira" might be one of those movies that you have to be part of the 'in-group' in order to properly understand and appreciate it. And that's fine - it's not my place to start demanding explanations, character motivation, development, or basic plot elements over special effects and in-group backstory. But if you're not already a part of the Akira fan base, and are an outsider like me, then be aware that you may end up as frustrated and irritated by this movie as I was. Then again, Roger Ebert apparently liked this film well enough, so it's entirely possible that I'm just in the minority.

DVD Review: the best sound in a blu ray
Summary: 5 Stars

i was hoping for less dust specs and such on the blu ray but the sound more than makes up for this. akira in blu ray looks great but i remembered how much better the step up to dvd from vhs was and thought the bd would do the same. everything you have heard about the japanese audio is true, it fills up my room in ways that have me looking up and down not just side to side.

this was my first dvd purchase years ago and am happy to own this on blu ray

DVD Review: Akira Blasts into Blu-ray
Summary: 5 Stars

I am an anime freak, own 100s of series - I LOVE this movie, was highly anticipating the blu-ray, but just let me say - Bandai, you suck. I was on preorder for this to get the exclusive first press with the booklet and sleeve. So what do I get 10 weeks LATE? The average-joe version. Definitely NOT worth the $40 I paid.

Movie looks and sounds the best it ever has but the total lack of extras - no 20th+ anniversary special extras or anything seems a waste of the blu-ray's capacity and a cheap ca$h grab on Bandai's part.

So I am both glad to have it and ticked-off with it at the same time.

I would say if you totally love this movie then it is just barely worth it, otherwise just rent it.

Description of Akira

In 1988, the landmark Anime film AKIRA, by director Katsuhiro Otomo, defined the cutting edge of Anime around the world. By today's standards, Akira remains the pinnacle of cel animation and retains the explosive impact of its highly detailed animation and its intensely violent saga of power and corruption. Neo-Tokyo has risen from the ashes of World War III to become a dark and dangerous megalopolis infested with gangs and terrorists. The government seethes with corruption and only maintains a token control over the powerful military that prevents total chaos and hides the secrets of the past. Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda plunge into Neo-Tokyo's darkest secret when their motorcycle gang encounters a military operation to retrieve an escaped experimental subject. Tetsuo, captured by the military, is subjected to experiments that make him a powerful psychic, but, unfortunately for Neo-Tokyo, Tetsuo's powers rage out of control and he lashes out at the world that has oppressed him! Nothing can stop the destructive forces that Tetsuo wields except possibly the last boy to destroy Tokyo. Insert: 1) Black BRC response card (regular version).

2) Todd McFarlane Toy Insert (limited to 300,000 total inserts) * Anime masterpiece first time ever on DVD for North American release! * Created and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Special Features: * Digitally re-mastered including High Definition film transfer, High Definition restoration. * THX Certified * New English dialogue, new 5.1 mix (on the English audio only), scene access and more. * Disc 2 contains supplementary materials including "Akira" Production Report, "Sound Clip," director's interview, trailers, production materials, Restoration of "Akria", and "Akria" glossary. * Widescreen format (1:78) and enhanced for widescreen TV's (anamorphic). Akria The Special Edition (DVD9, 2 discs)

Artist-writer Katsuhiro ?tomo began telling the story of Akira as a comic book series in 1982 but took a break from 1986 to 1988 to write, direct, supervise, and design this animated film version. Set in 2019, the film richly imagines the new metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, which is designed from huge buildings down to the smallest details of passing vehicles or police uniforms. Two disaffected orphan teenagers--slight, resentful Tetsuo and confident, breezy Kaneda--run with a biker gang, but trouble grows when Tetsuo start to resent the way Kaneda always has to rescue him. Meanwhile, a group of scientists, military men, and politicians wonder what to do with a collection of withered children who possess enormous psychic powers, especially the mysterious, rarely seen Akira, whose awakening might well have caused the end of the old world. Tetsuo is visited by the children, who trigger the growth of psychic and physical powers that might make him a superman or a supermonster. As befits a distillation of 1,318 pages of the story so far, Akira is overstuffed with character, incident, and detail. However, it piles up astonishing set pieces: the chases and shootouts (amazingly kinetic, amazingly bloody) benefit from minute cartoon detail that extends to the surprised or shocked faces of the tiniest extra; the Tetsuo monster alternately looks like a billion-gallon scrotal sac or a Tex Avery mutation of the monster from The Quatermass Experiment; and the finale--which combines flashbacks to more innocent days with a destruction of Neo City and the creation of a new universe--is one of the most mind-bending in all sci-fi cinema. --Kim Newman

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