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Akira
AKIRA
1988 124 min Japan R 18+
★8.0
Animation, Science Fiction, Action
Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo
💬 Based on the comic
«Akira»
byKatsuhiro Otomo
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
Description
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath that only two teenagers and a group of psychics can stop.
Budget:
$5.7M
US Gross:
$553,171
Worldwide:
$49M
Starring
Mitsuo Iwata
Actor
Nozomu Sasaki
Actor
Mami Koyama
Actor
Awards
1 win total
Key opinion
Akira is widely regarded as a landmark achievement in animation, celebrated for its groundbreaking visual detail and profound exploration of themes like power, responsibility, and societal collapse. While its technical mastery is almost universally acknowledged, the narrative is polarizing, with some viewers finding the condensed storytelling confusing or overwhelming compared to its source material.
| Production | The film's hand-drawn animation remains a technical benchmark that stands the test of time, matching the quality of modern blockbusters. | |
| Theme | The narrative effectively examines the moral consequences of human hubris and the dangerous intersection of military power and unchecked ambition. | |
| Screenplay | The complex, dense plot is perceived as brilliant by some for its philosophical depth, but others find it incomprehensible and overloaded with unresolved lore. | |
| Pacing | The film's relentless pacing serves the chaotic atmosphere for some, but is viewed by others as an exhausting sprint that fails to allow enough room for character development. | |
| Ending | The abrupt and psychedelic conclusion is seen as a powerful, haunting resolution by some, while others feel it leaves too many narrative threads hanging. |