Akira: Oh Kaneda we stand on guard for thee.

First off, we'd like to warn our listeners that this movie is rated R in North America, and so some of our discussions are going to have to do with some violent or dark stuff. You have been warned.

1988's Akira is noted as one of the biggest anime movies of all time, so we decided we couldn't skip it.

Aly starts us off by telling us all about Katsuhiro Otomo. the author of the Akira screenplay as well as the manga that the movie is based on. He is an amazing Japanese artist who has brought so much talent to the fields of manga and anime.

Sarrah didn't find all that much on the animation, but she did find a ton of info on the release and reception of this film. So buckle in for some details on that!

We also discuss some more modern pop-culture that has taken influence from Akira, including a Kanye West video and the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.

So let's hop on that motorcycle and outrun the explosion of Akira!

Welcome to the future, lovely listeners!

Today we are watching the anime that started it all (allegedly): Akira from 1988!

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Neither of our hosts have ever heard or seen anything about Akira before this podcast, so this will be a very new experience.

Aly once again starts us off with the author of the original manga the film is based upon: Katsuhiro Otomo. We learn how Otomo got his start, as well as his amazing legacy in Japanese manga and film.

Sarrah goes into a little bit of detail about the animation in the film, but there wasn’t too much to find. So she really gets into the release information, this movie has BEEN places. Akira has been released on home video and theatrically almost everywhere in the world, which is pretty amazing.

There’s no Voice Cast Corner this week, but we do get to discuss some recent pop culture that has been noticeably influenced by Akira, including Stranger Things, Blade Runner, and Kanye West’s Stronger video.

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So get ready for our first rated R animated feature, and buckle in because it sure as hell deserves that R rating! Onward, to Akira!

Star Rating for Akira: 4 Stars

Voice Acting : Half a Star - The voice acting for some characters was okay, but there was nothing groundbreaking in the dub we listened to. It’s hard to judge without hearing the original voice recording, but we gave it half a star for being decent, but not fantastic.
Music & Songs: Full Star - The music was interesting and really worked with the insane visuals to take us to another world. It wasn’t your typical sci-fi music, but something entirely different. Also, points for use of silence.
Script: Half a Star - We agree with Otomo, the ending was rushed. Aly likens it to a play with four acts - the first two were great, the final act was confusing but good, the third act was just messy. There was a lot going on in this film and we didn’t feel like the movie did a great job of keeping us in the loop.
Animation: Full Star - No arguments. The detail and care given to every aspect of the animation and art was very obvious.
Style: Full Star - The rough streets of Neo-Tokyo may not be for you, but they undeniably have their own style. This was like nothing else we’ve seen.

Our Sources:

IMBd page for Akira
Wikipedia Article for Akira (film)
Wikipedia Article for Akira (manga)

Wikipedia Article for Katshuiro Otomo
Animenewsnetwork.com Article on Otomo’s medal
Forbes.com Interview with Otomo

Forbes.com Article on Akira
Slashfilm.com Article on Akira
Vulture.com Article comparing Akira with Stranger Things