Akira Highly recommended

Publisher
Manga Entertainment
Director
Katsuhiro Otomo
Production
Akira Committee
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
125 mins
Year
1988

Akira

By Emily
26th Apr 04

If you are reading this you probably haven't seen Akira and your rather confused because half your anime/manga loving friends are saying, "Akira's the best thing to happen to anime ever you have to see it!!!" and the other half are going "Akira's overrated! It's so not as good as Ghost in the Shell and Evangelion!" So who do you believe!

Well if you aren't into anime that much then don't bother buying it because its very likely you'll only watch it once think "That was good" and never watch it again, but feel rather happy because you've stepped outside of your normal film routine and broaden your minds on the cultures of other people, so I would go to your friends house or see if its on at your local cult cinema thingy, but if you do like anime why haven't you seen it! Go out and buy it now! I don't care if its three o clock in the morning (why are you up so late anyway) go out and camp next to your nearest shop and buy it in the morning! It's a very important part of any anime collection even if you hate the film it just has to be there, but that's very unlikely because it's a great film!

Akira is great! It makes you think, but it's a very spur of the moment kind of thought so it doesn't get in the way of your daily routine, and the dubbing on the digitally re-mastered version is quite incredible, seen as though the characters actually move their lips in sync with the English words. The animation is very good for 1988 and some anime haven't even managed to reach the standard of Akira's animation in 2003 so it must be good. It's not really that hard to understand even though a lot of people seem to think it is, it's set in the future (a anime set in the future shock!) and scientist guys have been messing about with kids who have shown physic tendencies and one gets too powerful and a lot of commotion happens (really its much better than I just made it out to be, I did say basically). The plot is very mysterious but exciting, and the action sequences are surprisingly believable. Some bits in it are pretty gory so remember just because its animation d! oesn't mean it's all Disney like.

This film is excellent and if it's only piece of animation you'll ever watch it would be worth it! This is a great anime to watch for your first time, and your second and third and tenth time, but I still don't think it's the best ever in existence, remember there are a lot more out there! I am very much in love with Neon Genesis Evangelion, so try that too and loads of others but this is a good starting point because you can decide which elements of anime you like best: sci fi, horror, romantic because it's all in Akira if you look hard enough.

8/10

-- Emily 26th Apr 04

Akira Images