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Akira (film)
Encyclopedia
is a 1988 Japanese animated
cyberpunk
science fiction film
directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata
, Nozomu Sasaki
, Mami Koyama
and Taro Ishida
. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira
.
The film depicts a dystopia
n Neo-Tokyo in 2019. The plot focuses on biker Tetsuo Shima (Nozomu Sasaki) and his psychic powers and the biker gang member Shotaro Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata), who tries to prevent Tetsuo from releasing the dangerous psychic Akira. While most of the character designs and basic settings were adapted from the original 2182-page manga
epic, the restructured plot of the movie differs considerably from the print version, pruning much of the last half of the manga. The film became a hugely popular cult film
and is widely considered to be a landmark
in Japanese animation and filmmaking
in general.
, 2019, Shotaro Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata
) leads the Capsules, his bōsōzoku
gang, to fight against the rival gang known as the Clowns. However, Kaneda's best friend Tetsuo Shima (Nozomu Sasaki
) is injured when he almost crashes his motorcycle into Takashi (Tatsuhiko Nakamura), a small esper
. Takashi is captured by armed soldiers and Tetsuo is hospitalized. When Kaneda and his gang are interrogated, he tries to flirt with Kei (Mami Koyama
), a member of a dissident underground terrorist group before being released.
Meanwhile, Colonel Shikishima (Taro Ishida
) and Doctor Onishi (Mizuho Suzuki
) discover that Tetsuo possesses psychic capabilities similar to Akira, a young esper who destroyed Tokyo
31 years ago. Kiyoko (Fukue Ito), another esper, has visions of Neo-Tokyo's destruction, and the Colonel decides to kill Tetsuo. Tetsuo flees from the hospital and meets up with his girlfriend, Kaori (Yuriko Fuchizaki
), and they steal Kaneda's motorcycle. When Tetsuo and Kaori are confronted by the Clowns, Kaneda and the Capsules save them both. Tetsuo begins to suffer a psychic migraine, and Doctor Onishi has Tetsuo taken back to the hospital.
Saving Kei from being captured after a terrorist attack, Kaneda is led to the terrorists' headquarters and cooperates with them after overhearing their plans to kill Tetsuo. Meanwhile, Takashi, Kiyoko and Masaru (Kazuhiro Kamafuji) — another Esper — unsuccessfully attempt to kill Tetsuo. Tetsuo eventually goes on a violent rampage through the hospital, intent on killing the espers. Kaneda, Kei, and the Colonel unsuccessfully try to stop Tetsuo's rampage. Tetsuo eventually discovers that Akira is in cryonic storage below Neo-Tokyo's new Olympic Stadium
and flees again.
Kei and Kaneda are detained, but Kiyoko — using Kei as a medium
— explains that Tetsuo must be stopped, and escape. Desperate to find Tetsuo, the Colonel places Neo-Tokyo under martial law
. Tetsuo confronts and kills Yamagata (Masaaki Okura
), a member of the Capsules. He then proceeds to destroy the city as he makes his way to the Stadium, brutally dispatching the military forces who attempt to stand in his way. Upon learning of Yamagata's death from his friend Kai (Takeshi Kusao
), Kaneda follows Tetsuo to the stadium, seeking revenge. When Tetsuo arrives at Akira's cryonic dewar flask
, he defeats Kei and exhumes the Akira vault from the ground, but discovers all that is left of Akira are glass canisters filled with his remains, his body having been subjected to numerous scientific experiments.
Kaneda confronts and unsuccessfully tries to defeat Tetsuo with an experimental laser
weapon. The Colonel tries to kill Tetsuo using an orbiting space weapon
, only to sever Tetsuo's right arm. Tetsuo eventually pulls the weapon into the atmosphere
and synthesizes an artificial arm from the remains while studying Akira's organs. When Kaori arrives, Tetsuo's psychokinetic powers have begun to cause him immense pain. The Colonel explains that the espers' migraine-controlling drugs administered to Tetsuo are to stunt the evolution of uncontrollable abilities. Despite the Colonel's pleas for Tetsuo to return to the hospital, Tetsuo nearly kills the Colonel, but Kaneda confronts him. Unable to control his powers, Tetsuo's body begins to transform into a giant, shapeless mass, inadvertently killing Kaori and engulfing Kaneda.
The espers awaken Akira, who had merely grown beyond the requirement of a coherent biological form. Manifesting himself from the canisters, Akira reunites with his friends. Akira emits psychic powers, seen as a blinding ball of light that engulfs the city, which he uses to contain Tetsuo. As Akira confronts Tetsuo, the espers hurry to teleport the Colonel to safety and — over Masaru and Kiyoko's objections —Takashi jumps into the light to rescue Kaneda. The other espers join Takashi, aware they likely will not be able to return. Kaneda experiences Tetsuo's and the espers' childhood memories, including how much Tetsuo trusted Kaneda as a friend and how the children were first studied before Tokyo's destruction.
The espers remove Kaneda from the destruction and tell him that Akira will be taking Tetsuo to safety. Akira's psychic power destroys most of Neo-Tokyo, and — after disappearing — leaves a void that is quickly filled by the ocean. Doctor Onishi is killed when his research laboratory is crushed. Kaneda awakens to discover that Kei and Kai have survived, and they drive away into the city. The Colonel walks out of the tunnel that the espers teleported him to and watches the sun rising over the destroyed city. The film ends with Tetsuo coming into full control of his powers as he initiates a Big Bang
in another dimension.
experiments in the 1980s. He subsequently lost control of this power and the ensuing blast completely annihilated Tokyo
in a horrifying explosion in 1988. After the apocalyptic event, Akira was recovered and subjected to every test known to modern science, which proved unable to solve the mystery. He was dissected and placed within a cryonic chamber underneath the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Stadium
. – Kaneda is a carefree gang-leader who boasts a custom-modified motorcycle. He and Tetsuo have been best friends since early childhood. He is brash and not above teasing Tetsuo despite feeling affection for him as a younger brother. Upon rescuing Kei, Kaneda becomes involved in the activities of her group of anti-government guerrillas in hopes of locating Tetsuo. – Kaneda's best friend since preschool and the second principal subject of the story's theme. Tetsuo is shown as a black sheep in the gang he and Kaneda are part of, and quietly suffers from a deeply rooted inferiority complex
. He admires Kaneda yet at the same time strongly resents his own reliance upon him. After his psychokinetic abilities manifest, Tetsuo quickly becomes Kaneda's nemesis; he desires Kaneda's motorcycle (a symbol of status and power) and seeks to prove himself supremely powerful, without need of protection. Eventually, his power overwhelms him. – A young revolutionary whom Kaneda meets and becomes enamored with on his quest to find Tetsuo. She is a member of an anti-government faction that Ryusaku and Nezu are also involved in. Although she does not possess preternatural abilities, Kei is manipulated by the Espers as a type of medium
on several occasions., also known as simply The Colonel – The current head of the ongoing government project which was responsible for inadvertently unleashing Akira's power thirty years earlier. Appearing tough and ruthless, he is nevertheless pragmatic enough to recognize the danger Tetsuo's fledgling powers pose and cares genuinely for the three Espers under his supervision. Amongst the other government figures depicted in the film, he is shown to be the most principled, eschewing the corruption and hedonism that typifies Neo-Tokyo, adhering instead to a strict code of soldierly honour.
Ltd., Mainichi Broadcasting System
, Inc., Bandai
Co., Ltd., Hakuhodo
Incorporated, distributor Toho
Co., Ltd., Laserdisc
Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation
and animation producer Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Co., Ltd.
Most anime is notorious for cutting production corners with limited motion, such as having only the characters' mouths move while their faces remained static. Akira broke from this trend with detailed scenes, lip-synched dialogue – a first for an anime production – and super-fluid motion as realized in the film's more than 160,000 animation cel
s. The teaser trailer of this movie was released in 1987.
The film was completed and released in 1988, two years before the manga storyline officially ended in 1990. Otomo had immense difficulty completing the manga; he has stated that the inspiration for its conclusion arose from a conversation that he had with Alejandro Jodorowsky
in 1990, but Jodorowsky cannot recall what he said to Otomo. Otomo later recalled that the film project had to begin with the writing of an ending that would bring suitable closure to major characters, storylines, and themes without being extraordinarily lengthy, so that he could know in reverse order which manga elements would make the cut into the anime and thus suitably resolve the manga's various elements into a lean, two-hour story.
Katsuhiro Otomo is a big fan of Tetsujin-28. As a result, his naming conventions match the characters featured in Tetsujin-28: Kaneda shares his name with the protagonist of Tetsujin-28; Colonel Shikishima shares his name with Professor Shikishima of Tetsujin-28, while Tetsuo is named after Shikishima's son Tetsuo Shikishima; Akiras Ryūsaku is named after Ryūsaku Murasame. In addition, Takashi has a "26" tattoo
ed on his hand which closely resembles the font used in Tetsujin-28. The namesake of the anime, Akira, is the 28th in a line of psychics that the government has developed, the same number as Tetsujin-28.
The sound of Kaneda's bike engine was produced by compositing the engine sound of a 1929 Harley-Davidson
motorcycle with a jet engine.
Katsuhiro Otomo decried his fame and said that his conclusion of Akira was false in both the Japanese and American editions, and that he could never truly finish his epic. Nevertheless, Otomo's Akira is widely considered a masterpiece of graphic storytelling.
soon acquired an existing English-language rendition created by Kodansha
(originally dubbed for the Hong Kong
market) which saw limited release in North American theaters from late 1988 throughout 1989. Streamline is reported to have become the film's distributor when both George Lucas
and Steven Spielberg
labelled it unmarketable in the U.S. In the UK, Akira was theatrically released by ICA Projects
on January 25, 1991. In Australia, Akira was theatrically released by Island World Communications and distributed by Satellite Entertainment, later on by Manga Entertainment, then Madman Entertainment after Manga Entertainment's Australia branch merged with Madman. In Canada, the Streamline dub was released by Lionsgate (at the time known as C/FP Distribution) in 1990. In 2001, Pioneer released a new dub which was produced by Animaze and was presented in select theaters from March through December 2001.
releases included the initial Streamline Video offering (May 1991), later wider distribution by MGM/UA Home Video, and a subtitled edition from Orion Home Video
(September 1993). In the UK, Akira was released on video by Island World Communications in 1991. The success of this release led to the creation of Manga Entertainment
, who later took over the release. The original VHS release of Akira started up Manga Entertainment Australia and VHS distribution was handled by Ronin Films and Polygram until 1994 when Siren Entertainment took over all of Manga Entertainment Australia's distribution including Akira under a special license from Polygram, who handled Island's video distribution. Akira was re-released on video in 1994, and again on DVD in 2001 and distributed by Madman Entertainment
and The AV Channel. The Criterion Collection released a laserdisc
edition in 1993. Pioneer Entertainment
issued a DVD and a VHS with a new English dub (the dub produced by Animaze) in 2001. In 2002, Manga released a two-disc DVD featuring the new Pioneer/Animaze English dub followed in 2004 by another two-disc set containing the original Japanese as well as both the Streamline and Pioneer/Animaze dubs. This version did not contain standard English subtitles, only closed captioning
subtitles. In 2005, Manga Entertainment and Boulevard UMD released Akira on UMD
for the Sony PSP in the United Kingdom using an entirely new English dub, in place of the original Streamline and later Pioneer/Animaze dubs.
A Blu-ray Disc
edition of the film was released on February 24, 2009 with 5 additional minutes in North America
by Bandai Entertainment. A Blu-ray edition of Akira was subsequently released in Australia by Madman Entertainment
under exclusive license from Manga Entertainment
UK and Kodansha
. Madman has recently released a DVD/Blu-Ray combo which license is separate from the standalone Blu-Ray release because instead of the DVD version being the Manga Video UK version, it uses Madman/Manga's 2001 Special Edition DVD release which is licensed from Manga UK. The Australian Madman/Manga combo is the only Akira release in print that includes the original Streamline dub. The Blu-ray release is the very first to use the highest sampling rate currently possible (Japanese Dolby TrueHD
192 kHz because of its analog roots) and is also the first to use the hypersonic effect
(only available in this track and via a high-end audio system). As well as Japanese with English subtitles, the Blu-ray also features the 2001 Pioneer/Animaze English dub.
selected Akira as his "Video Pick of the Week" in 1989 on Siskel & Ebert and the Movies. For its wider 2001 release, he gave the film "Thumbs Up." In November 2011, the film had an 90% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
. Channel 4's 2005 poll of the 100 greatest cartoons of all time featuring both cartoon shows and cartoon movies, Akira came in at number 16. On Empire magazine's list of the 500 greatest movies of all time, Akira is number 440. It showed again on Empires list of The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema, coming in at #51. IGN
also named it 14th on its list of Top 25 Animated Movies of All-Time.
However, not all critics had a favorable opinion of Akira. Makigumo gave the film a 47% rating, noting that the film's weakness is that it tried to condense six volumes of manga into one two-hour film. "Akira is rich with ideas, but lacking in expression. It’s just not possible to cram in so many thematic elements, and then dilute them to fit a moviegoing audience and still make everything work."
Still, Akira is regarded by many critics as a landmark anime film, one that influenced much of the art in the anime world that followed its release with many illustrators in the manga industry citing the film as an important influence. The film led the way for the growth of popularity of anime
outside of Japan. Akira is considered a forerunner of the second wave of anime fandom
that began in the early 1990s and has gained a massive cult following
since then.
The Akira anime also made TIME magazine's list of top 5 anime DVDs.
The film made Terry Gilliam
's top 50 animated movie list.
The film made number 5 on Total Film
's Top 50 Animated Films list.
, and the growth from childhood to maturity both in individuals and the human race itself. Elements of Buddhist
and Christian
symbolism are also present in the film. Notable themes in the film include youth culture, cyberpunk
, delinquency
, psychic
awareness, social unrest and revolution, the world's reaction toward a nuclear holocaust
and Japan's post-war economic revival.
A second soundtrack was released featuring the original music without rerecording, but it was made into character study collages with sound effects and dialogue from the film; the recording was probably a direct transfer from the film.
Symphonic Suite AKIRA is the same version as AKIRA: Original Soundtrack, but without the voices and sound effects.
Symphonic Suite AKIRA LP track listing
Symphonic Suite AKIRA & AKIRA: Original Soundtrack CD track listing
AKIRA: The Original Japanese Soundtrack track listing
released an Akira adventure game
for the FamiCom
exclusively in Japan. Another Akira game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
was being developed as well, but was canceled during development. International Computer Entertainment produced a video game based on Akira for the Amiga
and Amiga CD32
in 1994. To coincide with the DVD release in 2002, Bandai
released Akira Psycho Ball
, a pinball
simulator for the PlayStation 2
.
had acquired rights to create an American live action
remake of the Akira film and this subject has been surfaced.
Since this was announced, a number of directors, producers and writers have been reported to be attached to the film, starting with Stephen Norrington
(writer/director) and Jon Peters
(producer). In 2008, Anime News Network reported that Ruairi Robinson would direct, Gary Whitta
would write, and Andrew Lazar
, Leonardo DiCaprio
, and Jennifer Davisson would produce the film. In late 2009, Gary Whitta
stated he was no longer attached to the film, and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby
were rumored to be taking over the script writing. In February 2010, Deadline.com
reported that Warner Brothers was in talks with Allen and Albert Hughes to direct the film. On June 17, 2010, Lazar said that a new writer had been hired and that the movie was being fast tracked. He also stated that only Albert Hughes
would direct the film, and that the first movie would be based on volumes 1–3 and the second on volumes 4–6. In April 2011, Chris Weston
stated he was working on concept art and storyboard
s for the live action Akira, but the film had not been green-lit yet. On May 26, 2011 it was reported that Albert Hughes had left the project due to creative differences. On July 14, 2011 Jaume Collet-Serra
has been announced as the new director.
Another changing source of speculation has been casting. In 2009 Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt were the rumored stars in the film. In November 2010, it was reported that Zac Efron
was in talks for the leading role, and Morgan Freeman
would take the role of Colonel Shikishima.
In February 2011, it was reported that James Franco
was in talks for the role of Shotaro Kaneda. That same month, Vulture reported that Mila Kunis
was offered the role of Kei, but turned it down in favor of portraying the Wicked Witch of the West in Oz: The Great and Powerful
. Deadline.com reported that Garrett Hedlund
, Michael Fassbender
, Justin Timberlake
, Joaquin Phoenix
, and Chris Pine
are in the running to play Kaneda, while Andrew Garfield
and James McAvoy
are rumored to be in talks for the role of Tetsuo Shima in March 2011. Deadline also reported Robert Pattinson
was in talks for a role, but he has denied any involvement with the franchise. On May 6, 2011 Keanu Reeves
was reported to have been offered the role of Kaneda, but 11 days later on the 17th of May, he was reported as having turned it down.
George Takei
spoke with The Advocate in April 2011 about the casting rumors at that time, stating that any decision to cast white actors in Akira would offend both Asians and the fans of the original manga or animated film.
A new casting call for the live-action remake of Akira has been posted on Actors Access. The call was posted on October 24, 2011, only a few days after Warner Bros. green-lighted the movie once again after years of trying. For Tetsuo, the production team is looking for a male of "any ethnicity" who is 20-25 years old and "strung out, intense, a street rat." For Ky, the casting call is looking for a female between 20-30 years old, also of "any ethnicity," who is "tough, sexy, strong willed, and street savvy." According to Variety, Garrett Hedlund is the frontrunner for the other lead role of Shotaro Kaneda.
As of November 3, 2011, Garrett Hedlund is in talks to portray Kaneda, Helena Bonham Carter
has been offered the role of Lady Miyako, Keira Knightley
has been approached for a role, Gary Oldman
was cast as The Colonel but Ken Watanabe
has instead being offered for the part. Actors Alden Ehrenreich
, Michael Pitt
, Paul Dano
, D.J. Cotrona
, Logan Marshall-Green
, Toby Kebbell
, Richard Madden
and Rami Malek
are the frontrunners to portray Tetsuo. Ezra Miller
was a frontrunner for the part of Tetsuo but denied about audition for the film. . Kristen Stewart
has been offer to played the female role of Kei.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
Katsuhiro Otomo
is a Japanese comic book creator, screenwriter and film director. He is best known as the creator of the manga Akira and its animated film adaptation. Otomo has also directed several live-action films, such as the 2006 feature film adaptation of the manga Mushishi.-Biography:Katsuhiro Otomo was...
, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata
Mitsuo Iwata
Mitsuo Iwata is a seiyū who was born in Tokorozawa, Saitama. He is married to fellow seiyū Rikako Aikawa. Mania.com praised him as "truly one of the greatest seiyū". Otakunews.com complimented him for the role of Tetsuya from Outlanders...
, Nozomu Sasaki
Nozomu Sasaki
is a Japanese voice actor. He is a client of the voice actor management firm, 81 Produce. In 1988, he voiced the well known character, Tetsuo Shima, in the movie, Akira, which was adapted from the manga of the same name. He also performed the role of Yusuke Urameshi in the popular anime adaptation...
, Mami Koyama
Mami Koyama
Mami Koyama is a veteran seiyū and J-pop vocalist who was born in Nishio, Aichi. She was once married to fellow seiyū Tōru Furuya, her co-star in Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, and Casshern Sins...
and Taro Ishida
Taro Ishida
' is a Japanese actor and seiyū from the city of Kyoto.-Career:Ishida is a chief priest at a Buddhist temple in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.Ishida is affiliated with Granpapa Production and his former stage name is '....
. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira
Akira (manga)
is a manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, the work uses conventions of the cyberpunk genre to detail a saga of turmoil. Initially serialized in the pages of Young Magazine from 1982 until 1990, the work was collected in six volumes by Japanese publisher Kodansha...
.
The film depicts a dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n Neo-Tokyo in 2019. The plot focuses on biker Tetsuo Shima (Nozomu Sasaki) and his psychic powers and the biker gang member Shotaro Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata), who tries to prevent Tetsuo from releasing the dangerous psychic Akira. While most of the character designs and basic settings were adapted from the original 2182-page manga
Akira (manga)
is a manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, the work uses conventions of the cyberpunk genre to detail a saga of turmoil. Initially serialized in the pages of Young Magazine from 1982 until 1990, the work was collected in six volumes by Japanese publisher Kodansha...
epic, the restructured plot of the movie differs considerably from the print version, pruning much of the last half of the manga. The film became a hugely popular cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
and is widely considered to be a landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
in Japanese animation and filmmaking
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
in general.
Plot
In Neo TokyoNeo Tokyo
or "New Tokyo" is a common name for a fictional futuristic version of Tokyo often depicted in manga, anime and video games and may refer to:* The fictional setting of the Akira manga and anime film* Neo Tokyo , a science fiction anthology anime...
, 2019, Shotaro Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata
Mitsuo Iwata
Mitsuo Iwata is a seiyū who was born in Tokorozawa, Saitama. He is married to fellow seiyū Rikako Aikawa. Mania.com praised him as "truly one of the greatest seiyū". Otakunews.com complimented him for the role of Tetsuya from Outlanders...
) leads the Capsules, his bōsōzoku
Bosozoku
is a Japanese subculture associated with motorcycle clubs and gangs.-Traits and history:The word bōsōzoku is also applied to motorcycle gangs, who share an interest in modifications for motorcycles, such as removing the mufflers so that more noise is produced...
gang, to fight against the rival gang known as the Clowns. However, Kaneda's best friend Tetsuo Shima (Nozomu Sasaki
Nozomu Sasaki
is a Japanese voice actor. He is a client of the voice actor management firm, 81 Produce. In 1988, he voiced the well known character, Tetsuo Shima, in the movie, Akira, which was adapted from the manga of the same name. He also performed the role of Yusuke Urameshi in the popular anime adaptation...
) is injured when he almost crashes his motorcycle into Takashi (Tatsuhiko Nakamura), a small esper
Esper
An esper refers to an individual capable of telepathy and other similar paranormal abilities. The term was apparently coined by Alfred Bester in his 1950 short story "Oddy and Id" and is derived from the abbreviation ESP for extrasensory perception....
. Takashi is captured by armed soldiers and Tetsuo is hospitalized. When Kaneda and his gang are interrogated, he tries to flirt with Kei (Mami Koyama
Mami Koyama
Mami Koyama is a veteran seiyū and J-pop vocalist who was born in Nishio, Aichi. She was once married to fellow seiyū Tōru Furuya, her co-star in Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, and Casshern Sins...
), a member of a dissident underground terrorist group before being released.
Meanwhile, Colonel Shikishima (Taro Ishida
Taro Ishida
' is a Japanese actor and seiyū from the city of Kyoto.-Career:Ishida is a chief priest at a Buddhist temple in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.Ishida is affiliated with Granpapa Production and his former stage name is '....
) and Doctor Onishi (Mizuho Suzuki
Mizuho Suzuki
' is a Japanese actor and seiyū from Manchuria. He is a drop-out of Kyoto University.-Film:*Dun-Huang *Kaabee *Makai Tensho...
) discover that Tetsuo possesses psychic capabilities similar to Akira, a young esper who destroyed Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
31 years ago. Kiyoko (Fukue Ito), another esper, has visions of Neo-Tokyo's destruction, and the Colonel decides to kill Tetsuo. Tetsuo flees from the hospital and meets up with his girlfriend, Kaori (Yuriko Fuchizaki
Yuriko Fuchizaki
is a veteran Japanese voice actress and stage actress from Tokyo. She is a graduate of the College of Fine Arts at Nihon University a member of the talent agency Re-max. From 1987 to the beginning of 1989 her roles were credited under her real name - the reading is unchanged.Fuchizaki's roles...
), and they steal Kaneda's motorcycle. When Tetsuo and Kaori are confronted by the Clowns, Kaneda and the Capsules save them both. Tetsuo begins to suffer a psychic migraine, and Doctor Onishi has Tetsuo taken back to the hospital.
Saving Kei from being captured after a terrorist attack, Kaneda is led to the terrorists' headquarters and cooperates with them after overhearing their plans to kill Tetsuo. Meanwhile, Takashi, Kiyoko and Masaru (Kazuhiro Kamafuji) — another Esper — unsuccessfully attempt to kill Tetsuo. Tetsuo eventually goes on a violent rampage through the hospital, intent on killing the espers. Kaneda, Kei, and the Colonel unsuccessfully try to stop Tetsuo's rampage. Tetsuo eventually discovers that Akira is in cryonic storage below Neo-Tokyo's new Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece stadium of the Summer Olympic Games. Traditionally, the opening and closing ceremonies and the track and field competitions are held in the Olympic Stadium. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words Olympic...
and flees again.
Kei and Kaneda are detained, but Kiyoko — using Kei as a medium
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
— explains that Tetsuo must be stopped, and escape. Desperate to find Tetsuo, the Colonel places Neo-Tokyo under martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
. Tetsuo confronts and kills Yamagata (Masaaki Okura
Masaaki Ōkura
is a Japanese voice actor from Kumamoto Prefecture attached to 81 Produce. He was formerly attached to Aoni Production and Sigma Seven.-Television animation:*Astro Boy *Battle Fighters: Garō Densetsu 2...
), a member of the Capsules. He then proceeds to destroy the city as he makes his way to the Stadium, brutally dispatching the military forces who attempt to stand in his way. Upon learning of Yamagata's death from his friend Kai (Takeshi Kusao
Takeshi Kusao
is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production.Among his many roles, he is best known as the voices of Future Trunks , Hanamichi Sakuragi , Lamune , Ryo Sanada , Cless Alvein , Yukimura Sanada , and Dororo is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production.Among his many roles, he is...
), Kaneda follows Tetsuo to the stadium, seeking revenge. When Tetsuo arrives at Akira's cryonic dewar flask
Dewar flask
A Dewar flask is a vessel designed to provide very good thermal insulation. For instance, when filled with a hot liquid, the vessel will not allow the heat to easily escape, and the liquid will stay hot for far longer than in a typical container...
, he defeats Kei and exhumes the Akira vault from the ground, but discovers all that is left of Akira are glass canisters filled with his remains, his body having been subjected to numerous scientific experiments.
Kaneda confronts and unsuccessfully tries to defeat Tetsuo with an experimental laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
weapon. The Colonel tries to kill Tetsuo using an orbiting space weapon
Space weapon
Space weapons are weapons used in space warfare. They include weapons that can attack space systems in orbit , attack targets on the earth from space or disable missiles travelling through space...
, only to sever Tetsuo's right arm. Tetsuo eventually pulls the weapon into the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
and synthesizes an artificial arm from the remains while studying Akira's organs. When Kaori arrives, Tetsuo's psychokinetic powers have begun to cause him immense pain. The Colonel explains that the espers' migraine-controlling drugs administered to Tetsuo are to stunt the evolution of uncontrollable abilities. Despite the Colonel's pleas for Tetsuo to return to the hospital, Tetsuo nearly kills the Colonel, but Kaneda confronts him. Unable to control his powers, Tetsuo's body begins to transform into a giant, shapeless mass, inadvertently killing Kaori and engulfing Kaneda.
The espers awaken Akira, who had merely grown beyond the requirement of a coherent biological form. Manifesting himself from the canisters, Akira reunites with his friends. Akira emits psychic powers, seen as a blinding ball of light that engulfs the city, which he uses to contain Tetsuo. As Akira confronts Tetsuo, the espers hurry to teleport the Colonel to safety and — over Masaru and Kiyoko's objections —Takashi jumps into the light to rescue Kaneda. The other espers join Takashi, aware they likely will not be able to return. Kaneda experiences Tetsuo's and the espers' childhood memories, including how much Tetsuo trusted Kaneda as a friend and how the children were first studied before Tokyo's destruction.
The espers remove Kaneda from the destruction and tell him that Akira will be taking Tetsuo to safety. Akira's psychic power destroys most of Neo-Tokyo, and — after disappearing — leaves a void that is quickly filled by the ocean. Doctor Onishi is killed when his research laboratory is crushed. Kaneda awakens to discover that Kei and Kai have survived, and they drive away into the city. The Colonel walks out of the tunnel that the espers teleported him to and watches the sun rising over the destroyed city. The film ends with Tetsuo coming into full control of his powers as he initiates a Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
in another dimension.
Characters
– The titular character. Akira was a young boy who developed transcendent psionic, god-like abilities when serving as a test subject for secret government ESPExtra-sensory perception
Extrasensory perception involves reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses but sensed with the mind. The term was coined by Frederic Myers, and adopted by Duke University psychologist J. B. Rhine to denote psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairaudience, and...
experiments in the 1980s. He subsequently lost control of this power and the ensuing blast completely annihilated Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in a horrifying explosion in 1988. After the apocalyptic event, Akira was recovered and subjected to every test known to modern science, which proved unable to solve the mystery. He was dissected and placed within a cryonic chamber underneath the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece stadium of the Summer Olympic Games. Traditionally, the opening and closing ceremonies and the track and field competitions are held in the Olympic Stadium. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words Olympic...
. – Kaneda is a carefree gang-leader who boasts a custom-modified motorcycle. He and Tetsuo have been best friends since early childhood. He is brash and not above teasing Tetsuo despite feeling affection for him as a younger brother. Upon rescuing Kei, Kaneda becomes involved in the activities of her group of anti-government guerrillas in hopes of locating Tetsuo. – Kaneda's best friend since preschool and the second principal subject of the story's theme. Tetsuo is shown as a black sheep in the gang he and Kaneda are part of, and quietly suffers from a deeply rooted inferiority complex
Inferiority complex
An inferiority complex, in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. Such feelings can arise from an imagined or actual inferiority in the afflicted person...
. He admires Kaneda yet at the same time strongly resents his own reliance upon him. After his psychokinetic abilities manifest, Tetsuo quickly becomes Kaneda's nemesis; he desires Kaneda's motorcycle (a symbol of status and power) and seeks to prove himself supremely powerful, without need of protection. Eventually, his power overwhelms him. – A young revolutionary whom Kaneda meets and becomes enamored with on his quest to find Tetsuo. She is a member of an anti-government faction that Ryusaku and Nezu are also involved in. Although she does not possess preternatural abilities, Kei is manipulated by the Espers as a type of medium
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
on several occasions., also known as simply The Colonel – The current head of the ongoing government project which was responsible for inadvertently unleashing Akira's power thirty years earlier. Appearing tough and ruthless, he is nevertheless pragmatic enough to recognize the danger Tetsuo's fledgling powers pose and cares genuinely for the three Espers under his supervision. Amongst the other government figures depicted in the film, he is shown to be the most principled, eschewing the corruption and hedonism that typifies Neo-Tokyo, adhering instead to a strict code of soldierly honour.
- The Espers – , and – Akira's fellow psychic test subjects. They exhibit a variety of paranormal powers which they use to influence the course of events to the best of their ability. While individually of lesser strength than Akira or Tetsuo, their combined effort proves decisive in the story's final confrontation. Physically, they resemble children with wrinkled faces, white hair and blue-green skin. – A government mole for the resistance movement, and member of Neo-Tokyo's parliamentary executive council. Responsible for Takashi's abduction by the resistance and supplying intelligence to the underground, he is nevertheless corrupt and unprincipled, and quickly turns against his earstwhile revolutionary allies in a fit of paranoia during the Colonel's coup. – One of the most prominent members of Kaneda's gang. He often chides Tetsuo playfully, resulting in his death when Tetsuo's powers begin to emerge. – Another member of Kaneda's gang, Kai plays a minor supporting role in the eventual battle against Tetsuo. He is close friends with Yamagata and they remain together when the gang breaks up, being one of the only members to survive. – Tetsuo's girlfriend. She stands by Tetsuo even though he treats her rather harshly in the hopes of appearing tough to his friends. When Tetsuo begins his rampage through Neo-Tokyo, she follows him, and when his powers manifest and cause his body to warp and expand to grotesque proportions, she is engulfed in his flesh and crushed by his organs.
Voice cast
| Character | Japanese | English [Streamline] (1990) | English [Pioneer/Animaze] (2001) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shōtarō Kaneda | Mitsuo Iwata Mitsuo Iwata Mitsuo Iwata is a seiyū who was born in Tokorozawa, Saitama. He is married to fellow seiyū Rikako Aikawa. Mania.com praised him as "truly one of the greatest seiyū". Otakunews.com complimented him for the role of Tetsuya from Outlanders... |
Cam Clarke Cam Clarke Cameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices... |
Johnny Yong Bosch Johnny Yong Bosch Johnny Yong Bosch is an American actor, voice actor, martial artist, and musician.He may be best known for portraying Adam Park in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and being the English voice of Ichigo Kurosaki in the hit anime series Bleach, Vash the Stampede in Trigun and Lelouch Lamperouge in Code... |
| Tetsuo Shima | Nozomu Sasaki Nozomu Sasaki is a Japanese voice actor. He is a client of the voice actor management firm, 81 Produce. In 1988, he voiced the well known character, Tetsuo Shima, in the movie, Akira, which was adapted from the manga of the same name. He also performed the role of Yusuke Urameshi in the popular anime adaptation... |
Jan Rabson Jan Rabson Jan Rabson is an American actor and voice actor.Rabson was born in East Meadow, New York. Jan's voice has been heard on thousands of commercials, films, TV shows and animated films and series... |
Joshua Seth Joshua Seth Joshua Seth Freedman is an American entertainer and voice actor. He was born in Kent, Ohio and attended the New York University film school. He has voiced dozens of well known anime characters and is sometimes credited as "Jeremiah Freedman", but has retired from voice acting in 2005... |
| Kei | Mami Koyama Mami Koyama Mami Koyama is a veteran seiyū and J-pop vocalist who was born in Nishio, Aichi. She was once married to fellow seiyū Tōru Furuya, her co-star in Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, and Casshern Sins... |
Lara Cody Lara Cody Laura Ann Cody , better known as Lara Cody, is an American voice actress. She also goes under the name "Deanna Morris." She is best known for her role for playing "Rosemary" in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots.-Anime:*A Little Snow Fairy Sugar -... |
Wendee Lee Wendee Lee Wendee Lee is an American voice actress. While she has done voice work for many video games as well as several episodes in the Power Rangers franchise, she is particularly prolific in the dubbing of anime. As of April 2009, with 223 credits to her name, she has more credits in this medium than any... |
| Colonel | Tarō Ishida Taro Ishida ' is a Japanese actor and seiyū from the city of Kyoto.-Career:Ishida is a chief priest at a Buddhist temple in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.Ishida is affiliated with Granpapa Production and his former stage name is '.... |
Tony Pope Tony Pope Anthony Pope , also known as Anthony Mozdy, was a voice actor.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was known for providing the voice of Furby, as well as the voice of Newton Gimmick and other voices in the popular toy series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin in the 1980s.-Death:He died on February 11,... |
Jamieson Price Jamieson Price Jamieson Kent Price is an American voice actor.Price was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is most well known for his deep and booming voice and can be heard in numerous anime shows and video games. He is also known as Taylor Henry and James Lyon... |
| Doctor | Mizuho Suzuki Mizuho Suzuki ' is a Japanese actor and seiyū from Manchuria. He is a drop-out of Kyoto University.-Film:*Dun-Huang *Kaabee *Makai Tensho... |
Lewis Lemay | Simon Prescott Simon Prescott Simon Prescott Born in Brooklyn,New York 26 May 1936;has many Stage,TV & Film credits...also has many V.O. credits including Japanese Anime Cartoon Series and Video games; He has also voice-matched and dubbed many Foreign & Domestic films.-Anime:... |
| Ryūsaku (Roy) | Tesshō Genda Tessho Genda is a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."... |
Steve Kramer Steve Kramer (actor) Steven M. Kramer is an American voice actor for many anime titles. He has also done voice acting for various Power Rangers series in the past, with the best-known of those roles being the voice of Darkonda in Power Rangers in Space. His wife, Melora Harte, is a voice actress... |
Bob Buchholz Bob Buchholz Bob Buchholz is a voice actor, writer, story editor, and voice director. He is also known as Robert Wicks, Robert Buchholz, Bob Bucholz, Robert Bucholz, and Robert Wickes.- Anime roles :* Akira - Ryu... |
| Masaru | Kazuhiro Kandō | Bob Bergen Bob Bergen Robert "Bob" Bergen is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Porky Pig , and formerly hosted Jep!, a kids' version of the popular game show Jeopardy!Bergen was born in St. Louis, Missouri... |
Cody MacKenzie |
| Takashi | Tatsuhiko Nakamura | Barbara Goodson Barbara Goodson Barbara Goodson is an American actress known mostly for her versatility in voicing original and dubbed cartoons. She is voted one of the ten best women to do the voices for young males in cartoons... |
Cody MacKenzie |
| Kiyoko | Sachie Itō | Melora Harte Melora Harte Melora I. Harte is an American voice actress. In addition to voice acting in anime, she also adapted and directed several anime dubs... |
Sandy Fox Sandy Fox Sandra Marie "Sandy" Fox is an American voice actress who has had numerous roles in various animated cartoon and Japanese anime series, and video games.... |
| Kaori | Yuriko Fuchizaki Yuriko Fuchizaki is a veteran Japanese voice actress and stage actress from Tokyo. She is a graduate of the College of Fine Arts at Nihon University a member of the talent agency Re-max. From 1987 to the beginning of 1989 her roles were credited under her real name - the reading is unchanged.Fuchizaki's roles... |
Barbara Goodson Barbara Goodson Barbara Goodson is an American actress known mostly for her versatility in voicing original and dubbed cartoons. She is voted one of the ten best women to do the voices for young males in cartoons... |
Michelle Ruff Michelle Ruff Michelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril... |
| Yamagata (Yama) | Masaaki Ōkura Masaaki Ōkura is a Japanese voice actor from Kumamoto Prefecture attached to 81 Produce. He was formerly attached to Aoni Production and Sigma Seven.-Television animation:*Astro Boy *Battle Fighters: Garō Densetsu 2... |
Tony Pope Tony Pope Anthony Pope , also known as Anthony Mozdy, was a voice actor.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was known for providing the voice of Furby, as well as the voice of Newton Gimmick and other voices in the popular toy series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin in the 1980s.-Death:He died on February 11,... |
Michael Lindsay Michael Lindsay Michael Lindsay is a voice actor. Lindsay has also been credited under the name Dylan Tully. Lindsay was born in Washington, D.C. but moved at a young age to New York... |
| Kai | Takeshi Kusao Takeshi Kusao is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production.Among his many roles, he is best known as the voices of Future Trunks , Hanamichi Sakuragi , Lamune , Ryo Sanada , Cless Alvein , Yukimura Sanada , and Dororo is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production.Among his many roles, he is... |
Bob Bergen Bob Bergen Robert "Bob" Bergen is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Porky Pig , and formerly hosted Jep!, a kids' version of the popular game show Jeopardy!Bergen was born in St. Louis, Missouri... |
Matthew Mercer Matthew Mercer Matthew Mercer is an American voice actor, script writer, and independent film maker.-Biography:... |
| Nezu | Hiroshi Ōtake | Tony Pope Tony Pope Anthony Pope , also known as Anthony Mozdy, was a voice actor.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was known for providing the voice of Furby, as well as the voice of Newton Gimmick and other voices in the popular toy series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin in the 1980s.-Death:He died on February 11,... |
Mike Reynolds |
| Miyako | Kōichi Kitamura | Steve Kramer Steve Kramer (actor) Steven M. Kramer is an American voice actor for many anime titles. He has also done voice acting for various Power Rangers series in the past, with the best-known of those roles being the voice of Darkonda in Power Rangers in Space. His wife, Melora Harte, is a voice actress... |
William Frederick Knight William Frederick Knight William Frederick Knight, sometimes credited as William Knight, William Frederick, or Frederick Knight, is a voice actor who has lent his voice to the English dubs of many anime series and several video games... |
| Inspector | Michihiro Ikemizu Michihiro Ikemizu is a Japanese voice actor from Kanagawa Prefecture and a graduate of Waseda University who works for Aoni Production.Among his other roles, he has performed the characters Onsen-Mark , Isao Ohta and Kinnikuman Super Phoenix .-TV anime:*Ashita no Joe 2 *Attacker You!... |
Bob Bergen Bob Bergen Robert "Bob" Bergen is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Porky Pig , and formerly hosted Jep!, a kids' version of the popular game show Jeopardy!Bergen was born in St. Louis, Missouri... |
Steve Staley Steve Staley Steve Staley is a voice actor who is also known as Steve Cannon. He is represented by Arlene Thornton & Associates.When he is not working in the booth, he teaches a voice acting class at Kalmenson & Kalmenson in Burbank, California.... |
| Eiichi Watanabe | Tarō Arakawa | Jan Rabson Jan Rabson Jan Rabson is an American actor and voice actor.Rabson was born in East Meadow, New York. Jan's voice has been heard on thousands of commercials, films, TV shows and animated films and series... |
Skip Stellrecht Skip Stellrecht Skip Stellrecht is a voice actor who is also known as Henry Douglas Grey.- Anime Roles :* .hack//Liminality .... Guard B... |
| Mitsuru Kuwata | Yukimasa Kishino Yukimasa Kishino is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni Production. He is also active in the theatrical entertainment field and is the chairman of his own theatrical group, Gekidan Kishino Gumi... |
Bob Bergen Bob Bergen Robert "Bob" Bergen is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Porky Pig , and formerly hosted Jep!, a kids' version of the popular game show Jeopardy!Bergen was born in St. Louis, Missouri... |
Jonathan C. Osborne |
| Yūji Takeyama | Masato Hirano | Eddie Frierson Eddie Frierson Edward Davies "Eddie" Frierson is an American voice actor and stage actor who is also known as Christy Mathewson, Ted Richards, and Eric Frierson Edward Davies "Eddie" Frierson (born November 22, 1959) is an American voice actor and stage actor who is also known as Christy Mathewson, Ted Richards,... |
unknown |
| Army | Kazumi Tanaka Kazumi Tanaka was a male voice actor from Suginami, Tokyo, Japan. He was the younger brother of Ryouichi Tanaka and was affiliated with Aoni Production at the time of his death. He was best known for his roles in Dragon Ball Z , Galaxy Cyclone Braiger and Zawazawamori no Ganko-chan... |
Steve Kramer Steve Kramer (actor) Steven M. Kramer is an American voice actor for many anime titles. He has also done voice acting for various Power Rangers series in the past, with the best-known of those roles being the voice of Darkonda in Power Rangers in Space. His wife, Melora Harte, is a voice actress... |
Kurt P. Wimberger |
| Harukiya Bartender | Yōsuke Akimoto Yosuke Akimoto is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is currently attached to Mausu Promotion. He is a graduate of the Hosei University business school.-Television animation:*Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple *Angel Heart... |
Bob Bergen Bob Bergen Robert "Bob" Bergen is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Porky Pig , and formerly hosted Jep!, a kids' version of the popular game show Jeopardy!Bergen was born in St. Louis, Missouri... |
John Snyder |
Production
AKIRA Committee was the name given to a partnership of several major Japanese entertainment companies brought together to realize production of Akira. The group's assembly was necessitated by the unconventionally high budget and ambitious scale of the cinematic project, intended to achieve the desired epic standard equal to Otomo's over 2,000 page manga tale. AKIRA Committee consisted of publisher KodanshaKodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
Ltd., Mainichi Broadcasting System
Mainichi Broadcasting System
is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...
, Inc., Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
Co., Ltd., Hakuhodo
Hakuhodo
is Japan's second largest advertising agency, with gross sales of approximately 700 hundred million yen. It has its headquarters at Akasaka Biz Tower in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo....
Incorporated, distributor Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
Co., Ltd., Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation
Sumitomo Corporation
Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide trading company , and is a diversified corporation. Sumitomo is headquartered in the Harumi Island Triton Square Office Tower Y in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan...
and animation producer Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Tokyo Movie Shinsha
, formerly known as , is a Japanese animation studio, founded on October 1946. One of the oldest and most prominent anime studios in Japan, it has also produced numerous animated series airing in other countries such as France, the United States, and Italy. The company currently uses "TMS...
Co., Ltd.
Most anime is notorious for cutting production corners with limited motion, such as having only the characters' mouths move while their faces remained static. Akira broke from this trend with detailed scenes, lip-synched dialogue – a first for an anime production – and super-fluid motion as realized in the film's more than 160,000 animation cel
Cel
A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate...
s. The teaser trailer of this movie was released in 1987.
The film was completed and released in 1988, two years before the manga storyline officially ended in 1990. Otomo had immense difficulty completing the manga; he has stated that the inspiration for its conclusion arose from a conversation that he had with Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky, known as Alejandro Jodorowsky, is a Chilean filmmaker, playwright, actor, author, comic book writer and spiritual guru...
in 1990, but Jodorowsky cannot recall what he said to Otomo. Otomo later recalled that the film project had to begin with the writing of an ending that would bring suitable closure to major characters, storylines, and themes without being extraordinarily lengthy, so that he could know in reverse order which manga elements would make the cut into the anime and thus suitably resolve the manga's various elements into a lean, two-hour story.
Katsuhiro Otomo is a big fan of Tetsujin-28. As a result, his naming conventions match the characters featured in Tetsujin-28: Kaneda shares his name with the protagonist of Tetsujin-28; Colonel Shikishima shares his name with Professor Shikishima of Tetsujin-28, while Tetsuo is named after Shikishima's son Tetsuo Shikishima; Akiras Ryūsaku is named after Ryūsaku Murasame. In addition, Takashi has a "26" tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ed on his hand which closely resembles the font used in Tetsujin-28. The namesake of the anime, Akira, is the 28th in a line of psychics that the government has developed, the same number as Tetsujin-28.
The sound of Kaneda's bike engine was produced by compositing the engine sound of a 1929 Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
motorcycle with a jet engine.
Katsuhiro Otomo decried his fame and said that his conclusion of Akira was false in both the Japanese and American editions, and that he could never truly finish his epic. Nevertheless, Otomo's Akira is widely considered a masterpiece of graphic storytelling.
Theatrical
Akira was released by Toho on July 16, 1988. The film set attendance records for an animated film in Japan. Fledgling North American distribution company Streamline PicturesStreamline Pictures
Streamline Pictures was an American media company that was best known for its distribution of English dubbed Japanese animation. -Founding:Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1988, Streamline Pictures was one of the first North American companies that was created primarily for the intention of...
soon acquired an existing English-language rendition created by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
(originally dubbed for the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
market) which saw limited release in North American theaters from late 1988 throughout 1989. Streamline is reported to have become the film's distributor when both George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
and Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
labelled it unmarketable in the U.S. In the UK, Akira was theatrically released by ICA Projects
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
on January 25, 1991. In Australia, Akira was theatrically released by Island World Communications and distributed by Satellite Entertainment, later on by Manga Entertainment, then Madman Entertainment after Manga Entertainment's Australia branch merged with Madman. In Canada, the Streamline dub was released by Lionsgate (at the time known as C/FP Distribution) in 1990. In 2001, Pioneer released a new dub which was produced by Animaze and was presented in select theaters from March through December 2001.
Home media
VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
releases included the initial Streamline Video offering (May 1991), later wider distribution by MGM/UA Home Video, and a subtitled edition from Orion Home Video
Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures Corporation was an American independent production company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists. Although it was never a large motion picture producer, Orion...
(September 1993). In the UK, Akira was released on video by Island World Communications in 1991. The success of this release led to the creation of Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
, who later took over the release. The original VHS release of Akira started up Manga Entertainment Australia and VHS distribution was handled by Ronin Films and Polygram until 1994 when Siren Entertainment took over all of Manga Entertainment Australia's distribution including Akira under a special license from Polygram, who handled Island's video distribution. Akira was re-released on video in 1994, and again on DVD in 2001 and distributed by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
and The AV Channel. The Criterion Collection released a laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
edition in 1993. Pioneer Entertainment
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
issued a DVD and a VHS with a new English dub (the dub produced by Animaze) in 2001. In 2002, Manga released a two-disc DVD featuring the new Pioneer/Animaze English dub followed in 2004 by another two-disc set containing the original Japanese as well as both the Streamline and Pioneer/Animaze dubs. This version did not contain standard English subtitles, only closed captioning
Closed captioning
Closed captioning is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information to individuals who wish to access it...
subtitles. In 2005, Manga Entertainment and Boulevard UMD released Akira on UMD
Universal Media Disc
The Universal Media Disc is an optical disc medium developed by Sony for use on their PlayStation Portable handheld gaming and multimedia platform...
for the Sony PSP in the United Kingdom using an entirely new English dub, in place of the original Streamline and later Pioneer/Animaze dubs.
A Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
edition of the film was released on February 24, 2009 with 5 additional minutes in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by Bandai Entertainment. A Blu-ray edition of Akira was subsequently released in Australia by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
under exclusive license from Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
UK and Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
. Madman has recently released a DVD/Blu-Ray combo which license is separate from the standalone Blu-Ray release because instead of the DVD version being the Manga Video UK version, it uses Madman/Manga's 2001 Special Edition DVD release which is licensed from Manga UK. The Australian Madman/Manga combo is the only Akira release in print that includes the original Streamline dub. The Blu-ray release is the very first to use the highest sampling rate currently possible (Japanese Dolby TrueHD
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby TrueHD is an advanced lossless multi-channel audio codec developed by Dolby Laboratories which is intended primarily for high-definition home-entertainment equipment such as Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. It is the successor to the AC-3 Dolby Digital surround sound codec which was used as the...
192 kHz because of its analog roots) and is also the first to use the hypersonic effect
Hypersonic effect
The hypersonic effect is a term coined to describe a phenomenon reported in a controversial scientific study by Tsutomu Oohashi et al., which supports the idea that although humans cannot consciously hear sounds at frequencies above approximately 20 kHz, the presence or absence of those...
(only available in this track and via a high-end audio system). As well as Japanese with English subtitles, the Blu-ray also features the 2001 Pioneer/Animaze English dub.
Reception and legacy
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
selected Akira as his "Video Pick of the Week" in 1989 on Siskel & Ebert and the Movies. For its wider 2001 release, he gave the film "Thumbs Up." In November 2011, the film had an 90% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Channel 4's 2005 poll of the 100 greatest cartoons of all time featuring both cartoon shows and cartoon movies, Akira came in at number 16. On Empire magazine's list of the 500 greatest movies of all time, Akira is number 440. It showed again on Empires list of The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema, coming in at #51. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
also named it 14th on its list of Top 25 Animated Movies of All-Time.
However, not all critics had a favorable opinion of Akira. Makigumo gave the film a 47% rating, noting that the film's weakness is that it tried to condense six volumes of manga into one two-hour film. "Akira is rich with ideas, but lacking in expression. It’s just not possible to cram in so many thematic elements, and then dilute them to fit a moviegoing audience and still make everything work."
Still, Akira is regarded by many critics as a landmark anime film, one that influenced much of the art in the anime world that followed its release with many illustrators in the manga industry citing the film as an important influence. The film led the way for the growth of popularity of anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
outside of Japan. Akira is considered a forerunner of the second wave of anime fandom
Fandom
Fandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...
that began in the early 1990s and has gained a massive cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
since then.
The Akira anime also made TIME magazine's list of top 5 anime DVDs.
The film made Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
's top 50 animated movie list.
The film made number 5 on Total Film
Total Film
Total Film is a British film magazine published 13 times a year by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and offers film, DVD and Blu-ray news, reviews and features...
's Top 50 Animated Films list.
| Source | Reviewer | Grade or score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anime News Network | Bamboo Dong | Overall (dub): A Overall (sub): A- |
DVD/Movie review of Limited Edition Metal DVD Case |
| AnimeOnDVD | Chris Beveridge | Content: A Audio: A+ Video: N/A Packaging: A+ Menus: A+ Extras: A+ |
DVD/Movie review of Special Edition |
| THEM Anime Reviews | Raphael See | 4 out of 5 | Movie review (1 of 2 reviews) |
Themes
The film explores a number of psychological and philosophical themes, such as the nature of corruption, will to powerWill to power
The will to power is widely seen as a prominent concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. The will to power describes what Nietzsche may have believed to be the main driving force in man; achievement, ambition, the striving to reach the highest possible position in life; these are all...
, and the growth from childhood to maturity both in individuals and the human race itself. Elements of Buddhist
Buddhist symbolism
Buddhist symbolism is the use of Buddhist art to represent certain aspects of dhamma, which began in the 4th century BCE. Anthropomorphic symbolism appeared from around the 1st century CE with the arts of Mathura and the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, and were combined with the previous symbols...
and Christian
Christian symbolism
Christian symbolism invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas. Christianity has borrowed from the common stock of significant symbols known to most periods and to all regions of the world. Religious symbolism is effective when it appeals to both the intellect and...
symbolism are also present in the film. Notable themes in the film include youth culture, cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
, delinquency
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
, psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
awareness, social unrest and revolution, the world's reaction toward a nuclear holocaust
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
and Japan's post-war economic revival.
Soundtrack
AKIRA: Original Soundtrack was recorded by Geinō Yamashirogumi (芸能山城組). The music was composed and conducted by musical director Shoji Yamashiro. It features music which was additionally rerecorded for release. "Kaneda", "Battle Against Clown" and "Exodus From the Underground Fortress" are really part of the same song cycle – elements of "Battle" can be heard during the opening bike sequence, for example. The score is generally sequenced in the same order that the music occurs in the film. The North American version featured extensive production notes by David Keith Riddick and Robert Napton.A second soundtrack was released featuring the original music without rerecording, but it was made into character study collages with sound effects and dialogue from the film; the recording was probably a direct transfer from the film.
Symphonic Suite AKIRA is the same version as AKIRA: Original Soundtrack, but without the voices and sound effects.
Symphonic Suite AKIRA LP track listing
- "Kaneda"
- "Tetsuo"
- "Ohjifuchi"
- "Exodus From the Underground Fortress"
- "Requiem"
Symphonic Suite AKIRA & AKIRA: Original Soundtrack CD track listing
- "Kaneda" – 3:10
- "Battle Against Clown" – 3:36
- "Winds Over Neo-Tokyo" – 2:48
- "Tetsuo" – 10:18
- "Doll's Polyphony" – 2:55
- "Shohmyoh" – 10:10
- "Mutation" – 4:50
- "Exodus From the Underground Fortress" – 3:18
- "Illusion" – 13:56
- "Requiem" – 14:20
AKIRA: The Original Japanese Soundtrack track listing
- "Kaneda" – 9:56
- "Tetsuo 1" – 12:36
- "Tetsuo 2" – 12:33
- "Akira" – 7:56
Video games
In 1988, TaitoTaito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
released an Akira adventure game
Akira (video game)
is a Visual novel adventure game based on the 1988 animated movie version of Katsuhiro Otomo's manga of the same title. It was released in 1988 by Taito for the Nintendo video game console exclusively in Japan...
for the FamiCom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
exclusively in Japan. Another Akira game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
was being developed as well, but was canceled during development. International Computer Entertainment produced a video game based on Akira for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and Amiga CD32
Amiga CD32
The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year...
in 1994. To coincide with the DVD release in 2002, Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
released Akira Psycho Ball
Akira Psycho Ball
Akira Psycho Ball is a 2002 digital pinball game based on the popular 1988 Akira anime film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. It features the original theme song and storyline....
, a pinball
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
simulator for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
.
Live action film
In 2002, talks that Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
had acquired rights to create an American live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
remake of the Akira film and this subject has been surfaced.
Since this was announced, a number of directors, producers and writers have been reported to be attached to the film, starting with Stephen Norrington
Stephen Norrington
Stephen Norrington is a British film director whose credits include Death Machine and the comic book adaptations Blade and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Life and career:...
(writer/director) and Jon Peters
Jon Peters
Jon Peters is an American movie producer.-Early life:Peters was born John H. Peters in Van Nuys, California, the son of Helen , a receptionist, and Jack Peters, a cook...
(producer). In 2008, Anime News Network reported that Ruairi Robinson would direct, Gary Whitta
Gary Whitta
Gary Whitta is an English screenwriter, author, game designer, and video games journalist. He is known as the former editor-in-chief of both the UK and US editions of PC Gamer magazine and contributor to gaming magazine, ACE....
would write, and Andrew Lazar
Andrew Lazar
Andrew Lazar is an American film producer and graduate of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.-Filmography:*Assassins *Unforgettable *Bound *10 Things I Hate About You...
, Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
, and Jennifer Davisson would produce the film. In late 2009, Gary Whitta
Gary Whitta
Gary Whitta is an English screenwriter, author, game designer, and video games journalist. He is known as the former editor-in-chief of both the UK and US editions of PC Gamer magazine and contributor to gaming magazine, ACE....
stated he was no longer attached to the film, and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby
Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby
Mark Fergus and Hawk Otsby are American screenwriters, known for their work on Children of Men and Iron Man. Their other work includes First Snow, which was also directed by Fergus, and rewrites on Cowboys & Aliens.-External links:...
were rumored to be taking over the script writing. In February 2010, Deadline.com
Deadline.com
Deadline.com, part of Jay Penske's PMC, is an online magazine, founded and edited by Nikki Finke.-Publication:The site is updated several times a day, with the infotainment industry as its focus.-History:...
reported that Warner Brothers was in talks with Allen and Albert Hughes to direct the film. On June 17, 2010, Lazar said that a new writer had been hired and that the movie was being fast tracked. He also stated that only Albert Hughes
Hughes Brothers
Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes , known together professionally as the Hughes brothers, are American film directors, producers and screenwriters...
would direct the film, and that the first movie would be based on volumes 1–3 and the second on volumes 4–6. In April 2011, Chris Weston
Chris Weston
Chris Weston is a British comics artist who has worked both in the US and UK comics industries.-Biography:Weston was born in January, 1969 in Rinteln, Germany, and lived in various countries as a child...
stated he was working on concept art and storyboard
Storyboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
s for the live action Akira, but the film had not been green-lit yet. On May 26, 2011 it was reported that Albert Hughes had left the project due to creative differences. On July 14, 2011 Jaume Collet-Serra
Jaume Collet-Serra
Jaume Collet-Serra is a Spanish film director and producer.Collet-Serra is most famous for the 2005 remake House of Wax, and 2009's Orphan...
has been announced as the new director.
Another changing source of speculation has been casting. In 2009 Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt were the rumored stars in the film. In November 2010, it was reported that Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
was in talks for the leading role, and Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
would take the role of Colonel Shikishima.
In February 2011, it was reported that James Franco
James Franco
James Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author, painter, performance artist and instructor at New York University. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s...
was in talks for the role of Shotaro Kaneda. That same month, Vulture reported that Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis
Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
was offered the role of Kei, but turned it down in favor of portraying the Wicked Witch of the West in Oz: The Great and Powerful
Oz: The Great and Powerful
Oz: the Great and Powerful is an upcoming 2013 fantasy film directed by Sam Raimi for release in 2013. The film, adapted from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is intended as a prequel to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz...
. Deadline.com reported that Garrett Hedlund
Garrett Hedlund
Garrett John Hedlund is an American actor known for his roles in the films Friday Night Lights, Four Brothers, Eragon, Country Strong, for his role as Patroclus in the movie Troy and as Sam Flynn in the film Tron: Legacy.-Early life:Hedlund was born in Roseau, Minnesota, the son of Kristine Anne ...
, Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
, and Chris Pine
Chris Pine
Christopher Whitelaw "Chris" Pine is an American actor. He has appeared in the romantic comedies The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and Just My Luck , as well as the action films Smokin' Aces and Unstoppable . In 2009, he portrayed James T...
are in the running to play Kaneda, while Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield
Andrew Russell Garfield is an American-English actor who has appeared in radio, theatre, film, and television. His early roles include the films Lions for Lambs, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and Boy A, which garnered him the 2007 BAFTA Television Award for "Best Actor".Garfield achieved...
and James McAvoy
James McAvoy
James McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in 1995's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until the early 2000s. His notable television work includes State of Play, Shameless, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune...
are rumored to be in talks for the role of Tetsuo Shima in March 2011. Deadline also reported Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson
Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson is an English actor, model, musician, and producer. Born and raised in London, Pattinson started out his career by playing the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...
was in talks for a role, but he has denied any involvement with the franchise. On May 6, 2011 Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
was reported to have been offered the role of Kaneda, but 11 days later on the 17th of May, he was reported as having turned it down.
George Takei
George Takei
George Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
spoke with The Advocate in April 2011 about the casting rumors at that time, stating that any decision to cast white actors in Akira would offend both Asians and the fans of the original manga or animated film.
A new casting call for the live-action remake of Akira has been posted on Actors Access. The call was posted on October 24, 2011, only a few days after Warner Bros. green-lighted the movie once again after years of trying. For Tetsuo, the production team is looking for a male of "any ethnicity" who is 20-25 years old and "strung out, intense, a street rat." For Ky, the casting call is looking for a female between 20-30 years old, also of "any ethnicity," who is "tough, sexy, strong willed, and street savvy." According to Variety, Garrett Hedlund is the frontrunner for the other lead role of Shotaro Kaneda.
As of November 3, 2011, Garrett Hedlund is in talks to portray Kaneda, Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
has been offered the role of Lady Miyako, Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
has been approached for a role, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
was cast as The Colonel but Ken Watanabe
Ken Watanabe
is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. To English-speaking audiences he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
has instead being offered for the part. Actors Alden Ehrenreich
Alden Ehrenreich
-Life and career:Ehrenreich was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Sari, is an interior designer, and his stepfather is an orthodontist. He was raised in Reconstructionist Judaism...
, Michael Pitt
Michael Pitt
Michael Carmen Pitt is an American actor and musician. Pitt is best known in film for his role in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers, and in television for his portrayal of James "Jimmy" Darmody in the hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire.-Personal life:Pitt was born in West Orange, New Jersey, the...
, Paul Dano
Paul Dano
Paul Franklin Dano is an American actor and producer. He has appeared in films such as L.I.E. , The Girl Next Door , Little Miss Sunshine , There Will Be Blood , and Where the Wild Things Are .-Early life:Dano was born in New York City, the son of Gladys and Paul Dano...
, D.J. Cotrona
D.J. Cotrona
Donald Joseph "D.J." Cotrona is an American actor.-Early life:Cotrona was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father works for a recycling company and his mother is a teacher. He was studying to be a lawyer at Northeastern University in Boston; however, after doing a summer internship at a law...
, Logan Marshall-Green
Logan Marshall-Green
Logan Marshall-Green is an American actor best known for his roles in Dark Blue, The O.C., 24, and Traveler.-Early life:...
, Toby Kebbell
Toby Kebbell
Tobias Alistair P. "Toby" Kebbell is a British actor.-Life and career:Kebbell, the fourth of five children, was born in South Elmsall, on the A638 between Doncaster and Wakefield, Yorkshire, but grew up in Nottinghamshire...
, Richard Madden
Richard Madden
Richard Madden is a Scottish stage, film, and television actor, known for his work in theatre and for his roles in both film and television.- Background :...
and Rami Malek
Rami Malek
Rami Said Malek is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the gay teenage next-door-neighbor, "Kenny" on the FOX comedy series The War at Home; for his role as Merriell "Snafu" Shelton in the HBO miniseries The Pacific; and for his role as the pharaoh Ahkmenrah in the feature films...
are the frontrunners to portray Tetsuo. Ezra Miller
Ezra Miller
- Early life :Miller was born in New Jersey. His mother, Marta, is a modern dancer. His father, Robert S. Miller, was senior vice president and managing director of Walt Disney Company's adult book publishing division, Hyperion Books. He has two older sisters, Saiya and Caitlin.Miller was trained...
was a frontrunner for the part of Tetsuo but denied about audition for the film. . Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Jaymes Stewart is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga. She has also starred in films including Panic Room , Zathura , In the Land of Women , The Messengers , Adventureland and The Runaways .- Early life :Stewart was born and raised in Los...
has been offer to played the female role of Kei.
External links
- Akira Japan official website
- Akira North American official website
- BlueBlade Akira (English-based fansite)
- Akira 2019 (English-based fansite)