Akira

Rating:
Summary: A must have, the definition of an excellent anime.
Review: As far as i'm concerned this is the movie that blew the lid off of anime feature films in the U.S. So for newcomers, to story or genre, I recommend this title above all else. Based on the excellent manga by (director) Katsuhiro Otomo, it is an alternate version of the story told in those comics (which was actually better than this gem but would make for too long a film). Kaneda ( who is owner of the coolest fictional motercycle ever created; check the McFarlane Toys flyer that comes in the case for an idea) and Tetsuo, two teenage friends from the gritty streets of Neo-Tokyo and members of a violent biker gang, are the main focus. Their story begins when, during a gang turf skirmish, they encounter a military unit on an abandoned freeway,and more importantly when they encounter the secrets the military is desperate to protect. Akira is definatly mature in nature and presentation,the story is more disturbing than most first time viewers think. It takes no prisoners and is extremely brutal and grizzly at times, but it is the pinnacle of this type of entertainment. For vets who've seen it on vhs a hundred times and haven't touched it in years I recommend you revisit this edition. The remaster is top-noch, english dialouge has been retranslated to better fit the original screenplay, and, to me, makes the script come across much better. The extra disc, not anything extrodinary, has a extensive pic-and-paragraph glossary plus the basic interviews and behind the scenes elements of which some, in this case,were interesting to me. I am definatly glad I own this one and most mature anime fans will be too.

Rating:
Summary: this version is thoroughly disappointing
Review: The original movie "Akira" that came out in the 80's is, in my opinion the greatest animated film ever created. It has so many things going for it. The animation is fantastic, along with great music and sound effects including a unique, gripping, action packed story line.

My friend lost my tape of the original movie a couple of years ago, and when I saw the "Special Edition" DVD version of the movie, I was excited to say the least. I got home and watched the movie as soon as I could, and after the first 30 minutes, not only was I extremely disappointed, but I was upset. Whoever decided to re-dub this movie and change the sound is a complete idiot. The movie has lost all of the lines and sound effects that made the original tape so great. If you bought this movie originally on VHS more than 10 years ago, do not buy this version. You will be sorely disappointed, wishing you had the old version on VHS to watch.

Rating:
Summary: Free at Last!
Review: As the owner of the Criterion Collection Akira laserdisc, which was the definitive edition for many years, the only area where I felt needed an upgrade was the color separation and contrast of DVD. With the Special Edition metal tin, my heart was racing with excitement that Pioneer had delivered me into the next generation of quality for Akira. Then I caught the great film on a digital projector in Burbank. I can't describe the anguish that I was feeling. The English dub from the theatrical release was displaced with a second rate production devoid of passion.

Probably the most heinous omissions from the film: "Oh no, not that way!" when one of the Clowns takes an off-ramp and blows up moments later, "Scumbag!" as a riot policeman drills a rioter with a tear gas can, "Do it now!" the Colonel growls to gain passage into Akira's subzero chamber. Replaced with absolutely nothing, no dialogue whatsoever. I found myself screaming at the screen. What some people don't understand is that the original English dub has become a part of entertainment history. Samples have been used in many songs and to replace it entirely is tantamount to blasphemy. I'm sure some Japanese purists feel the same way, but they should not have released Akira with an English dub if they felt so strongly. "You neanderthal pile of crap!" "Cretan scumbag!" Such choice dialogue cannot be easily replaced.

Being in the post production business myself, I undertook a project to extract the original dub from the two laserdiscs and then encode the audio into AC-3 tracks over the admittedly good quality of the remastered video. There were complications, but in the end with the help of a fellow engineer, I prevailed. It was like magic...DVD remastered video married to the original English dub. Free at last!

Rating:
Summary: Bad comic book storyline movie
Review: I didn't like it. Katsuhiro Otomo has gone too far on this movie based on his graphic novels. Sure it has great animation but the only one thing that hurts the movie to me is Kaori(Tetsuo's Girlfreind) gets killed in it. The reason I didn't like that is the characters that get killed in the graphic novels also get killed in the movie including Kaori. I never liked all his works (except Metropolis) and I think he's a real monster when it comes to uncomfortable storyline and plot.

Rating:
Summary: Trendsetting post-nuclear anime is a classic
Review: Known as the breakthrough anime film that helped the genre reach transpacific shores, and a film that broke Japan's box office records, beating out Return Of The Jedi, Akira spawned many series inspired by it, many of them taking place in nihilstic post-nuclear settings or characters named Tetsuo.

The nihilism of Neo-Tokyo in 2019 is a place wracked by civil disobedience, anti-government terrorists, political paralysis and corruption among the ruling Supreme Council, police crackdown on political dissidents, members of a doomsday cult calling for a purification by fire, and the youth biker gangs consisting of alienated youths.

Tetsuo is a not so significant member of such a gang, only visible because of his friendship with Kaneda, a youth who has sort of been an older brother to him, always helping him out of scrapes and coming to his rescue. In chasing and beating up members of a rival group of bikers called the Clowns, so-called because of the masks they wear, Tetsuo has an accident and a run-in with a tiny wizened creature, who it turns out is one of three children with psy powers. Tetsuo is taken to a secret hospital, where he is experimented on by the scientists there. He breaks free though, his latent psychic powers awakened by his encounter with the child.

The chief government scientist is simultaneously intrigued and fearful of the powerful potential within Tetsuo. "Maybe we shouldn't touch that power-the power of God. But we have to. We have to touch it and control it." However, the colonel, a stern military figure who is more cautious and is protective for the safety of the three psy-powered children, warns the scientist not to be reckless and to have Tetsuo killed if he can't be controlled. The colonel seems to be the only capable government official portrayed. He wants stability and he isn't too crazy about what neo-Tokyo is, but he wants to be able to control things without them getting out of hand instead of the politicians in the Council who only bicker among themselves on dwindling budget funds and are only in it to remain in power.

However, there is an underlying resentment and anger within Tetsuo, not only because he is a disaffected youth, but he has been bullied, with Kaneda always coming to his rescue, and that itself turns into resentment against his benefactor. But there's also an underlying wish to be somebody, marked by the scene where he is poked fun of when he is sitting on Kaneda's powerful red motorbike, whose futuristic design is another hallmark of the movie. And the pent-up rage and frustration has very destructive repercussions. Kaneda himself becomes involved with Kei, a female revolutionary whom he manages to save twice and thus thinks they should have a connection.

Many of the themes that pop up in anime come out here. The opening scene of a brilliant white globe of light engulfing Tokyo in 1988 is a reminder that Japan was the only nation that had an atomic bomb dropped on it. And the rebuilt Yoyogi Stadium, where the 2020 Olympics is to be held in the movie, is a reminder of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the stadium, symbolizing the renewed Japan that rose from the ashes of WW2.

The devastating scenes of destruction, particularly the havoc wreaked upon neo-Tokyo accomplishes much that a live action film couldn't, but it's the hallucinatory sequences involving giant teddy bears bleeding milk and Tetsuo's final transformation into a hideous pulsating being that are the visual highlights of the film, which can either repulse or fascinate the viewer.

Series like Speed Racer, Tetsuan Atomu (Astro Boy), and Kimba the White Lion may have led the pack in the early days of anime, but Akira was the one that pushed the anime genre into full prominence.

Rating:
Summary: A must have for anime fans
Review: Need i say more, Akira is one of the animes most anime-connoisseurs swear by. Heck, this might probably be the first anime most anime-connoisseurs watched. Powerful, graphic, and yet another existential action anime. A classic work of art, and no anime collection is complete without this one.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Anime Titles to Date.
Review: Akira is one of those movies that you never forget. The images are extremely powerful and graphic, so that they stick with you long after the movie is over. Despite its sometimes-confusing plot line, this movie is a wonderfully written, chilling look into the future, and into humanity as a whole. The movie more or less centers around a teenage biker gang in Neo-Tokyo, thirty-years after World War III. The main characters, Kaneda and Tetsuo, are two childhood friends who are constantly in competition with each other (Tetsuo being the weaker, taunted one.) Regardless, Tetsuo still looks up to Kaneda. As the introduction moves out of the chase scene, an interesting encounter with an odd looking child (who awakens the physic abilities lying dormant within Tetsuo's mind) truly begins the movie.

The animation quality in this movie is almost enough of a reason to buy it. The detail is incredible, umparalled even by Disney's standards. No one background or setting is used twice, and the environment is in constant change, be it blinking lights or a person exiting a random building. Oddly enough, the Bladerunner-esque buildings throughout the movie also help to establish the feeling of urgency, and the sensation of teetering on the edge of something great, something that we cannot possibly understand. The characters also move in a realistic, smooth motion, something that is missing from many anime television shows, like Pokemon or Digimon.

The music in this movie is also an aspect that really stands out, with a sound all its own. With this new DVD cleanup, you can hear every bell, whistle and drum beat. It sounds more Japanese than most animes out there, and that is not a bad thing. Every single song fits the actions incredibly well, from the haunting "Requiem" at the end, to the oddly infectious Japanese drums in "Kaneda", heard during the motorcycle chase scene and credits of the movie. Hats off to Shoji Yamashiro.

The voice acting is good, but not great. I feel that the original dubbing job used voice actors much better suited to their animated counterparts. For example, Kaneda's original voice actor fit his attitude well, as his voice had the same inflection and as a teenage boy's does. The new voice actor, however, sounds like an adult trying to speak like a teenager. Tetsuo's voice sometimes sounds a little off too, as the inflection in his words do not always coincide with the action on screen There is no mention of the original script or dub however, but there is a small interview with the English voice actors of Kaneda, Tetsuo, and Kei.

The extras on this DVD are excellent, with detailed information on how the music was created, the voice actors of both the English and Japanese scripts, and it also holds about 4,500 stills from the movie and the entire movie's storyboard. The menus are easy to follow and understand, and contain colorful backgrounds with music-sound bites from the movie.

Overall, this DVD is a must have for any Sci-fi or animation fan. It shows the best of what anime has to offer. You will never forget the magnificent story, or the unforgettable characters that make this movie a classic, inside and outside of anime.

Remember though, this movie is NOT for young children and the squeamish. If your child is under the age of fifteen, or if you do not like the sight of blood and body part, the movie is probably not for you.

Rating:
Summary: War of the English dubs, Streamline wins!!
Review: The Pioneer version of Akira is the worst ever made so far, they butchered it by replacing the original dub with the crappy one. Its dumbed down so anyone can enjoy it, only smart and appreciative Akira fans should enjoy this anime. The acting was played through and lifeless, the characters sounded annoying as well. My example is Kaneda, thats Kuh-nay-duh, not Kah-nah-dah!! In the Streamline one, Kaneda was voiced by Jimmy Flinders, who voiced Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That Kaneda sounded cool and tough. In the Pioneer one, Kaneda was voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch, who voiced Vash from Trigun. That Kaneda sounded like a p*ssy. Plus, the certain dubs have the characters corellated with other cartoon characters with the same voice. Who is a more respectable cartoon character, Leonardo or Vash? Exactly, Leo is much more respectable than Vash. Leo kills his foes and acts tough, Vash doesn't and acts like a little girl!! Kay's Streamline voice was much better than her Pioneer one. Kay was voiced by Wendy Lee, who voiced Faye from Cowboy Bebop. The Streamline Kay sounded great, the Pioneer one sounded annoying. The Espers' Streamline voiced were much better because they fit their actual age, Maseru's was the best out of the three. In the Pioneer one, they sounded like kids when they weren't. The way the names were pronounded has changed too, they try to sound politically correct. Just listen to the way they say Kaneda and Akira, god I wanna smash my DVD player!! It was bad enough that Pioneer changed the original dub, but replacing the excelent voices with substandard voices from Trigun and Cowboy Bebop is a crime against humanity!! The guy responsible for the re-dub deserves to be killed!! You won the battle SharpX13, but you lost the war!! I stand triumphant on your pile of rubble that supported this crappy version of Akira!! You should be killed not just for supporting the Pioneer Akira, but also for saying Vash is better than Leo!! Leo could kill Vash with ease!! For those grumbing about this crappy version of Akira, grumble no more. If you want the Streamline Akira on DVD, go to amazon.co.uk and order the Akira "Ultimate Collection" DVD. Just make sure you have a regionless DVD player, if you don't, get one!! This Akira not only has the original dub, its also in widescreen!! If you do this, you'll be as happy as you were before the Pioneer atrocity. You won't regret my advice!! Happy hunting!!

Rating:
Summary: Depth in anime...
Review: To do the lengthy Akira graphic novel series complete justice would require a Peter Jackson-like effort in a series of movies. Nonetheless, this anime does a decent job of taking us into the world of Neo Tokyo. Much oif the overall story is missing, but I did love the direction of this film.

I saw this movie when it was first released in the US years ago and even today I still fondly recall those flashback scenes of Tetsuo and Kaneda growing up together, best friends always, yet doomed to their tragic conflict.

I'm the kind of fan who always opts to watch anime in the original Japanese with English subtitles. You get more of the intended emotions from the voice actors that way I find.

Past editions of Akira in English were down right boring because of the dubbing. The new edition is better, but I still prefer to watch it in Japanese.

Rating:
Summary: Some things shouldnt be changed
Review: I must say that whilst all the options for the dvd are great, the change in the english voice acting wasn't done for the better. The original english voice acting had much better quality than the new version. Plus the new english acting didn't mix well with the original soundtrack and sounds. It sounds just slightly off. Really took away the enjoyment of it for me. Some things should NEVER be changed. Hopefully I can find an unchanged version of the dvd.