Review of Akira

In every medium there exist certain seminal works whose influence is beyond all doubt. They go beyond mere popularity and endure as milestones long after countless other works which might have been a big deal in their own time have long since been forgotten. In theater they are the plays of Shakespeare and Sophocles. In live action film they are the likes of 'The Godfather', 'Rashomon', and 'Lawrence of Arabia'. And in the world of animation if there is any work that has the right to stand in defiance of its successors and dare them to even equal its feats it is 'Akira'. -Story- What happens whena civilization loses its initial energy and drive and gets in a rut? Most give themselves to hedonism, a few casually meddle in things far beyond their capabilities, and none give much thought to the consequences. The world of Neo Tokyo in 'Akira' is such a world. The city is an exhausted thing convulsed and wracked from within, not even aware of what it wants or is searching for. But such a state of affairs cannot continue forever, and when hubris and happenstance unleash something new, something nobody was prepared for.... well, let's see whats behind that curtain.

'Akira' is a film that feels longer than its 2-hour run-time for all the right reasons. A lot happens here and not all of it is immediately obvious and blatantly explained, but enough of the story is straightforward that it is accessible on a basic level (although sitting down and thinking is most definitely the best way to go here). And get ready for some detailed and prolonged discussions over its meaning and themes. My personal theory is that it's about the decay, rebirth, and progress of civilization with a few statements about human nature thrown in, but I wouldn't exactly be surprised to hear radically different claims. In any event, you'll be mulling over 'Akira' long after you've finished watching it.

-Art-

The opening 5 minutes of this film are the animation equivalent of dropping the mic, and it doesn't go downhill from there. I feel SORRY for the next anime I review in the art department, how the heck are they going to look remotely good compared to this. Ridiculous levels of detail and fluidity are reached- if the age of cel animation is past this movie alone will ensure it will never be forgotten. The color palette and lighting is also excellent, 'Akira' is able to convey multiple different times of day and light sources extremely well. Being a product of the peak of the Japanese post-war miracle certainly helps the budget, but you can't just buy quality like so much rice, a stunning level of talent and effort clearly went into 'Akira'.

-Sound-

The soundtrack didn't go for techno, or rock, or anything you might associate with generic Sci-Fi. Rather, it is actually very simple, even primitive. Taiko drums, woodblocks, and simple tribal choirs are used here and to great effect. Take a look at the opening motorcycle sequence alone: it isn't a bombastic 80's 'battle' track meant to emphasize how 'radically cool' our protagonists are, but just a few voice and woodblock instruments to emphasize that the fight between two bike gangs we're watching is superficially high-tech, it's really just the latest version of some very primitive human behaviors. You could play it over 2 groups of samurai fighting in the Sengoku, or 2 cavemen slugging it with rocks out and it would fit just as well. Silence is also often used to great effect- the soundtrack knows what it's out there to do and doesn't waste time on stage just because it likes being seen. It's a toss-up whether to go with the new Johnny Yong Bosch and Wendee Lee dub or the Japanese original, though while I'm typically a dub supporter the English sub version might be slightly better (one or two Japanese voices seem to fit a bit better, and in the English dub there were a couple times when it seemed like lips and sound didn't line up just right). I understand that there's an older dub, but I've never seen it and can't speak for it good or bad- although 'old English dub' aren't exactly words that inspire confidence.

-Characters-

In a 2-hour film there are limits to how well you can develop a cast, that's just part of the medium. Still, 'Akira' does a good job with the time it's given. The highlight is Kaneda, my favorite 'delinquent' character. He's able to go from street-smart hard-case to desperately playing dumb and innocent in an instant. He's no saint, but you do get the sense that deep down he's not a lost cause. The rest of the cast gets less development but you can at least tell their basic personalities apart and nobody feels redundant or unnecessary- they work fine for a movie-length story. The cast may be the least impressive part of 'Akira' but even so it's still pretty good.

-Enjoyment-

After I first watched this film I couldn't believe that I'd taken so long to get to it. If the purpose of most anime is to create interest for the source material, well, you have my attention. You definitely need your brain on to get the most out of this film, this isn't exactly 'Ninja Scroll'.

-Overall-

It's freaking 'Akira'. The art quality boggles the mind, the sound is a daring gamble that paid off in spades, the story leaves you wanting to watch the movie again in the hope of finding even a single new detail. There's a very good reason this film is considered a cornerstone of anime. Lord Akira sits upon his Olympic throne and looks down in amusement at the champions later men have declared 'the greatest ever'. His place in the pantheon is unchallenged, and that is why 'Akira' receives only the second '10' rating I've ever handed out in these reviews.