What did you think of this episode?
5Loved it!
50.7%
766
4Liked it!
29.8%
450
3It was OK
12.8%
193
2Disliked it
4.2%
63
1Hated it
2.5%
38
Average 4.2
1,510 votes
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| THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE. ---------------------------------------- OK, so i just saw Akira on a tape player :P After many recommendations, and although its old-school type i liked it... (Dubbed, but hey i still saw it...) It was gruesome at parts, action-y at others, and it had a really well thought out plot! My question now is what do you think happened at the end? What happened with Akira, he was a boy which was brought back to life by the three kiddies, right?!?!? The ending still baffles me, it looked like they went to another place, wherever that may be! |
| wow great animation enjoyable movie 8/10 |
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| This was pretty good, I can definitely say I liked it. The ending confused me a bit, but then again I'm half asleep, having been up for 36 hours. Nice animation by the way. I never would have guessed this is twenty years old already. |
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Friendlysoul said: My question now is what do you think happened at the end? What happened with Akira, he was a boy which was brought back to life by the three kiddies, right?!?!? The ending still baffles me, it looked like they went to another place, wherever that may be! The story is actually very simple and gets too much flak: Akira was the uber kid, he died (first nuclear explosion in the film which set off a world war) and he was brought back by the three kiddies to take down Tetsuo who imploded and created another universe in the process. (been a while since I saw the film but thats the jist I think) I cant believe that on a major anime site this movie has so few threads and comments! |
"I'm starting to think mal is run by Xinil generating electricity on a bicycle." - idklol |
Cihan said: I cant believe that on a major anime site this movie has so few threads and comments! Honestly. This must be a joke. Such a controversial series with so many themes and so much symbolism and so much anime history discuss, and there's like... nothing here? Man, though, what a great movie. Definitely going to have to rewatch at some point. This left a much better impression on me than reading the first volume of the manga (which I found really dull). I absolutely loved Tetsuo sitting on the Olympic throne. That's an image I'll probably never forget - it's just... wow. Tetsuo's character in general is amazing, with his god-like powers and teenage pettiness. Very solid 8/10, for now. Could potentially get higher depending on if my initial impression lasts. |
naikouJan 29, 2009 12:13 AM
| Really worth the fame. |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| For my last university dissertation I analysed this anime. It was like 40,000 words or something ridiculous, but as a result I really understood the anime to a deeper level than the simple friendship plotline. There is so much going on in the film, the symbolism of the Olympic stadium in particular is interesting, you have to have a general knowledge of the last 100 years of Japanese history to be clued up on it. Basically I summised that Akira was an exploration of Japan's relationship to modernity and technology since the arrival of US warships/Meiji era, and I also agreed with Susan Napier's thoughts that the movie was a prophetic piece of fiction which came about just before Japan's economic recession and cultist subway attack, so it realised the Japanese peoples anxieties and fears of the time very well. Shit I should just try to get my dissertation published or something, I need the cash. |
"I'm starting to think mal is run by Xinil generating electricity on a bicycle." - idklol |
Cihan said: For my last university dissertation I analysed this anime. It was like 40,000 words or something ridiculous, but as a result I really understood the anime to a deeper level than the simple friendship plotline. There is so much going on in the film, the symbolism of the Olympic stadium in particular is interesting, you have to have a general knowledge of the last 100 years of Japanese history to be clued up on it. Basically I summised that Akira was an exploration of Japan's relationship to modernity and technology since the arrival of US warships/Meiji era, and I also agreed with Susan Napier's thoughts that the movie was a prophetic piece of fiction which came about just before Japan's economic recession and cultist subway attack, so it realised the Japanese peoples anxieties and fears of the time very well. Shit I should just try to get my dissertation published or something, I need the cash. I'd read it. I have a thing for long breakdowns and analysis of films. |
| First anime I seen in Japan back in the 80s. Now checking it on BD! |
| I was really fascinated by the facial expressions in this movie. I liked both of the ed songs. the first part of the ed reminded me of ghost in the shell the movie, and the second part reminded me of the music my father used to listen to. oh how nostalgic. =========== when i first started watching this movie, i thought that the plot would mainly relate to revolution and anarchy. though, nearing the end it started to get sort of confusing. and with all of its futurism and theoretic content, it completely beat my expectations. - rewatch value is high. |
| Finished it last night, it was a great watch. An easy classic. |
| It was quite amazing tbh. The art work and setting are all full of win. |
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| I just started watching it last night. Got in the first 32 minutes (commerical break...lol). From what I've seen so far, it is definately a post-apokalypic depiction of Japan, including the depitiction of the Japanese motorcycle gang of today (bōsōzoku). It was also good to see that the educational system can also fail in Japan just like in the US. Schools are more to house kids than actually teach. But since I just started the actual plotline just started also so I'll be looking to watch more tonight and get more involved with the characters. BTW, since I grew up with anime styles from the late 60s to today, the artwork doesn't effect me. IMO, Akira was cutting edge animation in '88. Just think how this would have looked if CGI was in use then...or remade today. |
| What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about? |
| Was this really made in 1988? Impressive in every aspect. One of the most entertaining movies I've seen that's for sure, but it is somewhat hard to watch, not because of it's violence or fast pace, but because I couldn't really understand what was going on. I like the philosifical side of it, and how the bullied kid becomes the bully once he discovers those powers. In this sense the movie is very realistic, when someone "weak" is given such amount of power the chance of using it for "good" is very slim, instead it is more likely it will be used for revenge, fulfillment and self esteem, to the point of being consumed by it. I take it the movie is very abstract? I never understood why those kids had that old look or why the first kid was running in the beginning, but I think many of the questions are left open for the viwer to answer. It gets 9/10 from me because of it's awesome animation, chaos, fast-pace and concept, doesn't get perfect score because I couldn't completely understand it and because it never delved much on the characters apart from the main 2 protagonists (or antagonist). |
VeethornOct 21, 2009 5:19 PM
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Beatnik said: For my last university dissertation I analysed this anime. It was like 40,000 words or something ridiculous, but as a result I really understood the anime to a deeper level than the simple friendship plotline. There is so much going on in the film, the symbolism of the Olympic stadium in particular is interesting, you have to have a general knowledge of the last 100 years of Japanese history to be clued up on it. Basically I summised that Akira was an exploration of Japan's relationship to modernity and technology since the arrival of US warships/Meiji era, and I also agreed with Susan Napier's thoughts that the movie was a prophetic piece of fiction which came about just before Japan's economic recession and cultist subway attack, so it realised the Japanese peoples anxieties and fears of the time very well. Shit I should just try to get my dissertation published or something, I need the cash. That's pretty interesting. I thought the film was more about power in general as a principle - the hero, Tetsuo, wants power because he's tired of living in his "brother" Kaneda's shadow, and then can't handle it and goes on a rampage only to be humbled in the end when his own power consumes him. Tokyo was originally destroyed in the movie by science going too far by turning people into living weapons (that one scientist guy who insists upon experimenting on Tetsuo was a pretty creepy character). I absolutely loved the mind-bending end of the movie... nothing I've seen in film has come close to making such an impact on me. I don't mean to be presumptuous but it seems like your theory applies more to the manga than the film - there was way more focus on the Olympic stadium in the manga and the scenario with the US and other countries attacking Japan to capture the living weapon Akira doesn't even occur in the movie. Also, the ending of the manga, "We're the new Japan, GTFO gaijin bastards," is way more political than the ending of the anime. Personally I thought the anime worked better, it was more universal, more concise, had way more dramatic and emotional impact to me, and, I know I'm repeating myself here, but the transcendental ending really floored me. I'll never be able to watch any movie without comparing it to the experience that is Akira, and it disappoints me to see how underrated this masterpiece is around here. |
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| i'm in the process of downloading this movie after reading some of the comments on here, although i might not watch this until tomorrow while im waiting for Phantasy Star: Zero(US) for the DS to be dumped |
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| Watched this movie yesterday. I was bit cautious because based on screenshots i thought i wouldn't like the art. But, animation was so amazing that i changed my opinion right away! I mean it, the animation quality is so stunning that it makes most animes from this decade pale in comparison. Story isn't something that made me jump though. I enjoyed every moment, but i've seen better movies story-wise. All in all, totally worth the watch, really something that everyone should see at some point. |
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| this is freaking awesome... |
| great old-school anime |
| Very high rewatch value. This was great. |
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| I think Akira is one of the 'greats' that will stick in your mind for a long time. Although they had so much to put into 2 hours, the producers did an amazing job with Akira. Even more than 20 years later it still looks spectacular. For those that don't want an epic, brain-imploding piece of art, stick to watching your normal shounen anime. |
YukushiJul 23, 2010 5:57 PM
"A detoxified Akihabara would just be another electronic town!"  |
| Ok, so apart from the incredible animation that tops everything else ever, this movie had a really interesting story. Can't believe I hadn't watched it earlier. Oh and 1080p remastered version is what I watched. Soooo nice. Definitely worthy of the fame its got. EDIT: Rewatched this. Still awesome. |
5layerJun 25, 2013 3:48 AM
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| It was good. I didn't find anything gruesome though. |
| This has to be one the best anime films I've seen, and it now ranks up there with my favourites movies of all time. I can't believe some of the sheer detail and effort that went into the animation, and the fact this was made 22 years ago is even more impressive. The plot still confuses me, does Akira have access to basis of life? Is he just creation on a quantum level? I've started the mange, but I'll save my version of the film, as it, and especially the music, are so fantastic. |
kyussmanOct 12, 2010 6:33 PM
| I was excpecting a mindfuck. And that is excactly what I got. Still a little bit shocked about this one... hmm what can I say. It was good. |
| Excellent! A true classic. I can now see why it has so much respect. As everyone else was saying, the quality of the art, the music, and the animation is superb. I can't believe I'm saying this about an anime older than I am! If only there were movies of this quality coming out now. It was change the anime industry forever. |
| This has to be one of the most overrated movies ever. It doesn't start badly, but it gets horrid quite soon. I don't know how I managed to watch something so ugly until the end. Ripping my eyes out would have been less painful than watching this fucked-up, long, presumptuous piece of shit. Animation is great, yes. Is it the only good thing about Akira? Yes. Is it enough to rate it 10? Hell no. |
 watching, waiting, commiserating |
RenaPsychoKiller said: This has to be one of the most overrated movies ever. It doesn't start badly, but it gets horrid quite soon. I don't know how I managed to watch something so ugly until the end. Ripping my eyes out would have been less painful than watching this fucked-up, long, presumptuous piece of shit. Animation is great, yes. Is it the only good thing about Akira? Yes. Is it enough to rate it 10? Hell no. you wouldn't understand. Its a 'guy' thing. |
| "...our faces marked by toil, by deceptions, by success, by love; our weary eyes looking still, looking always, looking anxiously for something out of life, that while it is expected is already gone – has passed unseen, in a sigh, in a flash – together with the youth, with the strength, with the romance of illusions.” - Joseph Conrad ('Youth') |
| While I wanted to watch it for more than year or so, I had different expectations about what the atmosphere would be like. Well, I didn't see this atmosphere coming. It's quite depressing look on the future. I hope it will never become reality, because I didn't like a thing in Neo Tokio. This is not to be confused with my score on the anime. I liked the anime, especially when the story pressed on. Though, the OST was getting on my nerves most of the time. Most of the characters... well I didn't like them very much. 8/10 I'd say, everything else was very well done. |
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| It was good classic movie, also I got the english dvd verson of this movie :) |
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| Do i need to read manga first to fully understand this movie? |
UrbanScythe said: Do i need to read manga first to fully understand this movie? no, in fact they are different from each other the way I've heard. The manga is much more longer and has a different story (probably because I havent really read it). The movie can be viewed independently and is not a prequel or a sequel, and stands on its own. That much I'm sure of. |
| "...our faces marked by toil, by deceptions, by success, by love; our weary eyes looking still, looking always, looking anxiously for something out of life, that while it is expected is already gone – has passed unseen, in a sigh, in a flash – together with the youth, with the strength, with the romance of illusions.” - Joseph Conrad ('Youth') |
| I think I had to high of expectations for this movie. I honestly found it to be pretty boring, but I did like the animation. 4/10 |
| Okay I have no idea what the fuck I just watched. Only thing I understand about this film is the main one. And isn't this quite violent for a film that came out in the late 1980's? Anyhow, enjoyed it. |
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| I'm with the minority here, didn't like it that much. I loved the backgrounds and the setting, but the "characters" themselves, their designs and the music was a serious letdown. 6/10. |
Mogami-kun said: I'm with the minority here, didn't like it that much. I loved the backgrounds and the setting, but the "characters" themselves, their designs and the music was a serious letdown. 6/10. Just try to watch it 20 years ago genius, so you'll understand about the characters design.... |
| I didn't quite enjoy it, but daaaaaaamn, for a movie in 1988, the animation was an absolute BEAST. But the character design was pretty bad to be honest. Heck LoGH had much better ones. I couldn't even tell Kei was a woman half the time. I never really liked the misunderstood protagonist, especially if he end up as an uncontrollable mess. Kaneda was one cool bro tho. His idiotic courage is something to behold, going against a guy who've killed dozens of nameless soldiers and scientists. |
| great music and animation. I enjoyed it even though I have no idea what the fuck happened.And I don't care to find out. It just felt like a bunch of kids blowing shit up. I'm sure it's deeper than that, but as said before I don't really care. Still amazing music and animation. 8/10 |
| I cannot believe I waited so long to watch this movie.... Amazing |
| I'm so confused |
 If you really want to fit in, just put Legend of the Galactic Heroes in your top 5 and have it be the only 10-rated anime in your list. |
| For a 1990s movie, this was epic even from the very beginning scenes. The movie is a bit violent but I do like the themes especially with the espers and involving Akira at the Olympic Stadium. The bike chasing scene with the soundtrack was also fluid and I even felt a bit of realism from the movie. Yup, dat final words at the end: I am Tetsuo Nice. 8/10. This is probably the oldest anime film I've seen. |
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| From now on I'm going to recommend this movie to the people I hate so they can also waste 125 minutes of their lives. Can somebody explain why this movie is so highly rated and unfortunately in my case recommended. |
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| Amazing animation and very enjoyable to watch. The soundtrack was weird as hell, there was one track in particular that sounded like a guy breathing lol |
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| This movie was amazing! Can't wait to watch it again & read the manga. |
| This was just as bizarre as Paprika. But, Paprika was a masterpiece...this was not. A thumbs up for the quality of the animation! Very impressive for 1988. Still, the most I can give is a 5/10. Sent with Mal Updater |
Hannah_AnaMay 7, 2013 1:13 PM
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| The animation was beautiful, even for 1988. A nice story about a young guy who was always second and let his new power get to his head. The background of political corruption, riots, and crime helps set the stage for a post war Tokyo. It was a good film but I probably won't be rewatching it. |
| -Nothing can stay unchanged. Even so, can you still keep on loving this place? -Be still my soul; when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last. |
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