I won’t sugarcoat it: Ai City is the kind of anime that sharply divides its audience. Some will love it. Others will utterly despise it. And which camp you fall into depends on a deceptively simple question: why do you watch anime? Are you here for a clear, straightforward narrative? For atmosphere, visuals, and music? Or for a balance of both? Your answer more or less decides your verdict. Released in 1986, Ai City is a movie adaptation loosely based on the manga of the same name. It’s based on the cyberpunk sensibilities of its era. You will find neon-drenched cityscapes, urban decay, shadowy power structuresand more, all while blending in ESP elements reminiscent of psychic sci-fi manga like Akira, which had already been serialized years before Ai City hit the screen.

The film is directed by Mashimo Kōichi, a creator with a long résumé across OVAs, TV series, and TV specials in various roles. Here, though, he genuinely nails it, at least for most of the runtime. Ai City delivers some genuinely impressive sequences (especially for the mid-80s before Akira could change the landscape of the animation) and a narrative structure that pulls you in fast. For roughly the first two-thirds, the film is gripping: psychic-powered humans known as Headmeters, clandestine organizations vying for control, and lawless streets glowing with neon colors as biker gangs and thugs tear through the city.

The chase scenes, of which I counted at least three, are a standout. They’re fluid, energetic, and stylishly animated. While some quieter moments are less detailed, the overall balance works in the film’s favor, resulting in a consistently engaging experience. The cast of characters is surprisingly strong too; even the comic relief never feels intrusive or annoying.

Things get complicated in the final third. A cascade of twists radically recontextualizes the story and introduces new themes and questions with almost no warning. For some viewers, this narrative swerve will feel like a betrayal, undermining everything that came before. But this circles us back to the opening question. If you’re the kind of viewer who values coherence, closure, and clean answers, Ai City may leave you frustrated.

Personally, I appreciated the ambition even if it left me scratching my head. I’m firmly in the “visuals first, story later” camp, and on that level Ai City delivers strongly. If, however, you dislike stories that invite interpretation rather than provide resolution, this might not be the city you want to visit.

Story: 1.5/2
Direction: 1.5/2
Animation: 1/2
Characters: 1.5/2
Music: 1/2
Bonus points: 1/2

Final score: 7.5/10