Tong: Akira Review

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Katsuhiro Otomo's 'Akira', set in a futuristic dystopian Tokyo, Japan, is one of the most famous and influential anime films for a reason. It transcended traditional Japanese animation boundaries and involved highly philosophical ideas and social issues. 'Akira' is a very ambitious film, and its ambition back in the late 1980's set the standard for anime films ever since.



'Akira' takes place in the year 2019, 30 years after a mysterious, apocalyptic explosion in Japan started World War III. The post-apocalyptic setting is Neo Tokyo, a steam-punk city ravaged by never-ending civilian protests and riots and over-bearing government dominance. Neo Tokyo is a place where biker gangs run amuck, where everything is trashed, and where dark secrets are kept.


The film's hero is Kaneda Shotaro, the leader of his own biker gang which consists of a few other members, such as Yamagata, Kai, and most importantly Tetsuo Shima. Young Tetsuo is the most inferior member of the gang; all his life he's relied on the help of Kaneda or the rest of the gang to help him out, or to get him out of trouble. Tetsuo lacks the leadership qualities to make him self-reliant. When Tetsuo has an accident involving a mysterious young boy, however, everything changes.

The most iconic thing from 'Akira', Kaneda's red motorcycle.
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After the accident, Tetsuo starts developing psychokinetic powers, not understanding how or why. It's soon revealed that there are three others, three children, with the same powers as Tetsuo, one of them being the mysterious young boy he got into an accident with. These three gifted children, called Espers, have more experience than Tetsuo with their powers, thus they're able to control them better.


The film involves the mystery of Akira, and who or what it is. It's slowly revealed that Akira may have had something to do with the explosion that caused World War III, and that he has some kind of connection with the three Espers. Tetsuo, with his new powers, not only goes on a rampage to find Akira, but he also goes out and kills some of the people he was closest to.


Tetsuo's powers obviously get to his head, and he assumes the role of a sort of God. This theme of "power" and "loss of control," is essential to 'Akira'. The film explores the options human beings have as they gain more and more power. There are only two ways this could end, either the power will benefit the greater good or the power will get out of hand. 'Akira' explores this theme in two main situations, involving the first explosion and the second involving Tetsuo's newly-gained powers. In both situations it doesn't end well.

Tetsuo and his out-of-control powers.
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Another extend to the theme of "control" deals with the film's depiction of government dominance over its people. Neo Tokyo is a super-strict society where its government officials are constantly controlling the actions of their citizens, where there are checkpoints to search people at shopping malls, and where the freedom of speech and the right to protest are limited. 'Akira' shows that a society like this doesn't really work, for the harder the government tries to suppress the citizens, the more chaos and uproar the citizens retaliate with, as shown by the many protests and riots depicted in the film. These protests and riots are run mostly by the youth, in particular, which brings me to the next important theme - youth rebellion. 


Throughout history, as well as in 'Akira', it's been known that the youth strive to be heard. They want their opinions recognized and to be considered. The Vietnam War protests is one of the most famous examples of this. The youth in 'Akira', as well as in real life, are mostly against war and the military, which goes directly against most governments that believe war and military power is righteous. The theme of youth rebellion is also presented in the case of Tetsuo and Kaneda, with Tetsuo wanting to be heard, wanting to be important. Tetsuo longs for the day he doesn't have to rely on Kaneda and the others, he wants to rebel from his stigma, and he ends up rebelling against not only Kaneda, but also Neo Tokyo when he gains his psychokinetic powers.

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Besides powerful messages and themes, 'Akira' also offered the world ground-breaking animation at the time of its release. Unlike most anime before it, 'Akira' featured smooth animation and actual lip-syncing mouth movements in its characters. The film's attention to detail is fantastic. The score to 'Akira' is also praise-worthy. The music in the film is simplistic, but at the same time it's very effective. The score features soft instruments that never overpower the film's scenes. And the filmmakers' decision to have certain scenes in total silence is both thoughtful and clever. Such silent scenes include the first big explosion, as well as the accident between Tetsuo and one of the Espers. When these scenes are presented in total silence, it makes them more effective. The silence of the explosion complements its breath-taking, awe-inspiring moment. And the silence during the accident makes you focus entirely on what's happening on screen.

Compare the frozen movements of 'Speed Racer' to the smooth animation of 'Akira'.

'Akira' is a great anime film. The film's ambitious social messages and animation deserve the praise and attention they've gotten, and 'Akira' is a time-lasting film. The film's insane plot, especially in its third act, makes for a truly unique experience. And so much plot is stuffed into the film's two-hour running time that one cannot get the entire experience at first watch. 'Akira' is a film that demands repeat-viewings, and it deserves so.

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Extra Note(s):

• The four head-thingies at the start of this blog is what I use as my rating scale when I review movies, as opposed to the star-rating scale. The head is a caricature a friend of mine drew of me, and I decided to use the head for my rating of movies, with each head equalling to one star, and each half a head equal to a half a star.
• A fellow classmate of mine posted a video of Kanye West's song, "Power," at the end of his blog for 'Akira'. I liked that idea, so I'm going to post a similar Kanye West song, too, that sort of relates to the theme of power in 'Akira'.