Review of Akira

I was recommended this movie 7 years ago, and today I finally watched it. I thought the film was fantastic in what it set out to do. I understand it could have had greater character development, but given the format of a movie, that might not have been possible. I grew attached to those three children and wanted to know more about them. I felt sorry for Kaori, who suffered in several moments without having more depth than just being Tatsuo’s love interest. Tatsuo, who always lived in the shadow of his best friend, Kaneda, sees his life transformed and corrupted when he gains powerswhile gradually losing his soul.

The greatest charm of the film lies in its visuals, the settings, and the way the city transforms throughout the story—in this regard, the ending was spectacular. It tries to bring a political context, but it became confusing amid so much information. It’s incredible how this movie is from the 80s, and yet today we no longer see animations daring to go this far, unfortunately.