Review of Akira

Those poor people who think anime are just kids cartoons. They have no idea what kinda of terror and horror can be created through anime, and that it doesn't matter if its animated or not. In fact, in animation, literally anything can happen. This is why anime has some of the best horror media can offer. And honestly, I believe that we have Akira to thank. Akira was created in 1988, and is set in Neo-Tokyo after World War III. The city is in ruins and a wasteland for criminal activity. During a gang fight, Kaneda and Tetsuo encounter strange men from the government, andTetsuo is kidnapped and used as an experiment, ultimately gaining massive telekinetic powers. Kaneda fights to regain his close friend, while the government fights to secure him. Tetsuo uses his newfound powers to prove to everyone that he is no longer weak, which results in an all-scale battle. The story is quite exciting, and the suspense is fantastic. You get a sense of grit and roughness, which in itself makes the story more real. Combined with superpowers and a future setting, the result is a wonderful experince.

For the time it was created...you know what scratch that. It doesn't matter what age this was made. The art for Akira can stand up to some of today's best animation, let alone the 80s.Being able to read their lips was a new experience for me, and personally blew my mind. Also, the design of the city is amazing and truly innovative. Aside from that, there are several scenes that show just how phenominal the art is (remember the "blob" scene).

The soundtrack, sadly, didn't stick. In fact, when there wasn't any sound, I found myself even more terrified and on the edge. This worked in a sense, but I would've liked to hear more music. As a musician, I prefer a soundtrack that drives the movie.

The characters are only a handful, but surprisingly realistic. They all have the attitude you would expect them to have in a failing world. However, even through all the chaos, they still show signs of being human, which is truly notable.

Akira was overall enjoyable, but there are some parts that are overly disturbing (again, the "blob" scene), and this at one point made it hard to watch. I would recommend this only to people who can handle very graphic violence. If you can handle it, I don't know why you haven't seen it, honestly. This is, for me, the horror anime that made horror anime what it is today, and must be watched.