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Akira (1988)

R  |   |  Animation, Action, Sci-Fi  |  16 July 1988 (Japan)
8.1
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Ratings: 8.1/10 from 94,760 users   Metascore: 76/100
Reviews: 422 user | 147 critic | 4 from Metacritic.com

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.

Director:

(as Katsuhiro Otomo)

Writers:

(screenplay) (as Katsuhiro Otomo) , (screenplay), 4 more credits »
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Title: Akira (1988)

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Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mitsuo Iwata ...
Kaneda (voice)
Nozomu Sasaki ...
Tetsuo (voice)
Mami Koyama ...
Kei (voice)
Tesshô Genda ...
Ryu (voice) (as Tetsusho Genda)
Hiroshi Ôtake ...
Nezu (voice) (as Hiroshi Otake)
Kôichi Kitamura ...
Miyako / Council 1 (voice)
Michihiro Ikemizu ...
Inspector / Council 8 (voice)
Yuriko Fuchizaki ...
Kaori (voice)
Masaaki Ôkura ...
Yamagata (voice)
Tarô Arakawa ...
Watanabe / Council 7 / Army (voice)
Takeshi Kusao ...
Kai (voice)
Kazumi Tanaka ...
Army (voice)
Masayuki Katô ...
Sakiyama / Council 4 (voice)
Yôsuke Akimoto ...
Barkeep (voice)
Masato Hirano ...
Yûji / Council 6 / Spy (voice)
Edit

Storyline

Kaneda is a bike gang leader whose close friend Tetsuo gets involved in a government secret project known as Akira. On his way to save Tetsuo, Kaneda runs into a group of anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader. The confrontation sparks off Tetsuo's supernatural power leading to bloody death, a coup attempt and the final battle in Tokyo Olympiad where Akira's secrets were buried 30 years ago. Written by Tzung-I Lin <tzung@hugo.att.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Signal Traced to Tokyo! See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic violence and brief nudity | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

16 July 1988 (Japan)  »

Also Known As:

Akira: The Special Edition  »

Box Office

Budget:

JPY 1,100,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$439,162 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(70 mm prints)| (re-release)| (35 mm prints)| (2001 re-issue)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie consists of 2,212 shots and 160,000 single pictures, 2-3 times more than usual, using 327 different colors (another record in animation film), 50 of which were exclusively created for the film. The reason for this statistic is that most of the movie takes place at night, a setting that is traditionally avoided by animators because of the increased color requirements. See more »

Goofs

In a long shot of Nezu discussing Kaneda's usefulness to the resistance movement with Ryu, a passing-by couple appears to be walking towards the same set of steps that Nezu and Ryu are about to descend. However, in the next shot, the couple is walking up a flight of steps on the other side of Nezu and Ryu. See more »

Quotes

Tetsuo: A fish out of water dies, huh.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Credits roll with Big Bang-like footage of stars and galaxies, in the background. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Spriggan (1998) See more »

Soundtracks

Tokyo Shoeshine Boy
Performed by Teruko Akatsuki
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Great Animation Film
22 September 2004 | by (Volos, Greece) – See all my reviews

I only recently watched Akira (though I have heard a lot about it) and I must say I am impressed (so much that I bought the DVD). This is, beyond any doubt, one of the best animated films in existence. Visually impressive, solid direction, with a compelling story (if a little complicated), just the right amount of character development, good and very appropriate soundtrack and an extensively detailed New Tokyo, Akira manages to be as groundbreaking as it was when it was first released.

It's only drawback is that most people (including me) will probably have to watch it again (and again maybe) to completely understand the full story. Highly recommended (especially to anime fans). I give it 8 out of 10.


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