Review of Akira

Well this film was definitely an experience. It took me only a few minutes to realize the animation was superb. It really was a visual delight. The opening sequence was just the tip of the iceberg of what was in store for this one. I adore surreal movies and this bizarre ride of utterly beautiful and horrific imagery had me glued to my tv for just over two hours. The characters themselves are so-so in my opinion with the exception of Tetsuo who was at once creepy and lovely. I watched the film on adult swim also so I saw it with the new andimproved dub. As I said, the stand out was Tetsuo, but I also really liked the Colonel. Surprisingly, I didn't so much like Johnny Yong Bosch's Kaneda. It was a lot of yelling and his character was very back and forth with his emotions. One minute he was scared and the next he was flirting and laughing with Kei. It was a bit weird so I may need to sit through it a second time with the subs.

I may need to watch it again anyway because the plot was a lot to take in. It's truly an "epic" experience of a sci-fi feature. Unfortunately, I had not read the manga and have heard it explains in better detail, so I was confused in some parts. One thing I did love was the ending. The symbolism and religious undertones were flawlessly placed along the way and it was perfectly open for interpretation which I love. The music was brilliant as well and the intense violence was gorgeous. it was beautiful and dark and shocking which are things I enjoy in my movie experience.

Overall, I really liked this film. I would recommend it for sure, but go in with an open mind. 8/10 stars.