Review of Akira

Akira is often credited with igniting the global interest in Japanese animation, making it a popular choice for viewers worldwide. I decided to check it out, and I can understand why it's considered revolutionary. However, I ended up being disappointed and bored in the end. The first half of the movie was solid. I was intrigued by the mystery up until Tetsuo went on a rampage. The character development for everyone except the protagonist was weak and lacked depth. Tetsuo's erratic behavior was not clearly explained, and it felt like a typical American movie rather than an innovative Asian import. The movie also suffered from excessiveside characters, making it difficult to keep track of and care about all of them. The plot was not adequately explained, particularly in the final twenty minutes of the movie. The ending was left unexplained, which may have been intentional, but it didn't resonate with me. The movie's theme, however, was clear to me - our dependence on technology and our disregard for its consequences pose a significant threat to the world. The message was good and thought-provoking, but the direction was sloppy, and the story was unengaging.

The animation is where most of my points for this movie went. It was stunning, with every shot displaying incredible movement and style and making for some awe-inspiring action sequences and grotesque moments. However, I have issues with the character design, especially the similarity between Kaneda and his love interest, Kei. It was challenging to differentiate between them. None of the main female characters looked female at all.

Overall, it's not a bad watch, but it's not a good one either. The film is similar to a summary movie based on a six-volume manga or a 2-cour season, which may explain why it felt so lacking. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing a complete anime adaptation soon.