Review of Akira

Akira is in the pantheon of greats. Akira walked so Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop could fly. It struck me as beautiful, thoughtful, and unique, but not exactly a masterpiece. It is worth a watch as the themes hold up today; roles in society, societal decay, power/powerlessness, greed and futility. For a late 80's animation film, it is top tier and holds up well today. The reasons why it didn't blow me away is perhaps because it has aged and fans have come to know a far superior form of anime. There is still a lot from these older animations that anime today is lacking, likethe detail in every scene and quick but effective style/world building. I am not sure if it is still amongst the greats, but you should definitely watch it for yourself and decide how you feel about it. It isn't extremely cerebral and is very gory, keep that in mind.