Akira

	Review by Howard Anderson © 2001 Howard Anderson

Story

On July 17, 1988, Tokyo was destroyed by a new kind of super-bomb of unknown origin. 9 hours after, World War III broke out and most of the major cities in the world were completely destroyed. 31 years after, and Neo-Tokyo now stands on the ruins of what was old Tokyo.

One night, Kaneda and his motorcycle gang have an accident with a little boy with a wrinkled face, like that of an old man. Tetsuo, one of the gang's members crashes into the boy, who mysteriously remains unhurt and then simply vanishes before his eyes. Tetsuo is brought to a Hospital, and everything seems to have normalized. But that is not at all the case: The strange boy was part of a secret military project dealing with supernatural powers. The project is lead by the "Colonel", who wants to develop human weapons with the aid of these powers. On his trail are Ryu and Kei, members of a semi-terroristic group, who want to uncover and destroy his plans. And now Tetsuo has unwillingly become a new member of the project. But his powers rise much faster than the Colonel had expected, and Tetsuo manages to find out the location of an underground freeze chamber, where the mysterium AKIRA is kept.

Akira, too, was a member of the project. But why did they put him in the freeze chamber at 0,0005 Kelvin? They were afraid of something. Something they couldn't control anymore. Something Tetsuo is going to set free very soon... And in midst of all the trouble: Kaneda and Kei.

Review

The Manga "Akira", written by Katsuhiro Otomo, was first published in 1982 in Young Magazine, and due to its enormous popularity, it was later reprinted in 6 large volumes for the insatiable populace of not only Japan, but also the rest of the world. Katsuhiro Otomo went on to handle the directorial duties on the Anime version of "Akira" in 1988, and in adapting his story for the big screen, he was faced with an insurmountable task of having to condense 2160 comic book pages into 124 minutes of film. But despite the complex storyline and the enormous amount of information that make up this epic SF actioner, Otomo was still able to create a feature film that would go on to redefine the entire world's perception of the medium of animation.

Thirteen years have now passed since "Akira" was unleashed upon the public, and still the film holds up remarkably well. The designs come off looking just as cutting edge now as they did on opening day, and the cityscape of Neo-Tokyo resonates like a cyberpunk Mekka that could just as easily have been transported from out of the novels of William Gibson or Neal Stephenson. Katsuhiro Otomo's drawing style differs to a certain extent from the traditional sensibilities of Anime, where the exaggeration of especially the eyes, but also other facial features have become a signature trademark over the years. Otomo chose instead to go in a more realistic direction in terms of character designs, with everybody rendered on a level that is much truer to the human anatomy. This is a detail that is also noticeable in later Anime titles, like Mamoru Oshii's "Ghost in the Shell", for example, which in my mind is the only other Manga adaptation to reach the high standards set by this film.

"Akira" is an adrenalin-charged and rip-roaring ride through the streets of Neo-Tokyo, packed with visuals that are guaranteed to forever imprint themselves on your retina, and accompanied by a highly energetic and perfectly composed musical score. This kinetically told story is a very graphic one that features several scenes of shocking imagery, but it is also one that comes with a powerful comment upon the inherent capacity for destruction that lies within all of us. Eleven years ago "Akira" was my initial introduction to the world of Anime, and its epic scope and tremendous on-screen power is no less impressive today.

Image

The original source print for "Akira" was digitally cleaned up and given a new high definition transfer for this release, and for the most part the 1.78:1 anamorphic image looks great, but there are certain flawed elements present that unfortunately bring down the whole. The color palette is rich and free of any smearing, but the reds have a tendency to appear very oversaturated, and there is also some very noticeable edge enhancement during certain scenes, like in chapter ten, for example, but luckily this is not a constant thing. On the more positive side, the image exhibits a stunning amount of detail and depth, the shadows and blacks appear solid, and no compression artifacts are visible. This transfer may not be perfect in all regards, but still, this film has never looked better.

Sound

Supplied with an all new English dub and a remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, "Akira" has never sounded better either. There is a great deal of directionality provided, especially across the three front channels, but the mix also reaches into the surrounds quite frequently. The bass response is more than adequate, but it's not gonna shake the foundations of your house in any way. I was also pleasantly surprised by the original Japanese Dolby Surround soundtrack, as it also had a nicely defined frontal soundstage, and managed to fill up the room remarkably well considering its age. The fidelity of the 5.1 soundtrack is, of course, superior in every way, but despite this I still think I prefer the Japanese track over the English one.

Features

The Limited Edition Metal Collector's Case that I have in my possession and the Special Edition both come with the same line-up of extra features, and I have to say, this is a very impressive package that Pioneer has put together. On Disc 1 there is a feature called the Capsule Option, and by selecting that, a white capsule will appear whenever Japanese writing is present onscreen. Then, to be provided with the translation of said writing, all you have to do is press Enter on your remote control. The THX Optimizer, by which you can calibrate you system's settings, is also located here.

On Disc 2 you'll find, among other things, the Production Report, which is a Japanese made, 48-minute documentary on the making of "Akira" dating back to 1988. It's a documentary that provide you with everything you've ever wanted to know about this production and more. Next is the Akira Sound Clip by Geinoh Yamashiro Gumi, which was also made in 1988, and is a 19-minute highly insightful featurette about the scoring of "Akira." English narration is optional. The Director's Interview dates back to the Special Collection Laser Disc from 1993, and is a 30-minute sit-down with Katsuhiro Otomo, where he discusses everything from his own personal background, to the origins and subsequently the making of "Akira." In the Production Material feature you'll find storyboards, cells and background images from thirty-six of the film's different sequences. Among the Trailers there are two Special Announcements, two Theatrical Trailers, and one TV Spot. The Restoration selection consists of three different featurettes, where the first one tackles the restoration of the Picture, the second provides some insights into the new English Voice Over, and the third sheds some light on the new English 5.1 Audio Mix. And finally, the Glossary is a wealth of information about the various persons, organizations, and props. It goes from A to Y, and it covers just about everything brought into being in the world of " Akira."

Overall Opinion

"Akira" is a modern classic in every sense of the word, and its limitless scope is a ride like none other. The story and the visuals used in the telling are nothing short of amazing, and the characters are all captivating, and some also quite funny. It has taken a long time for "Akira" to finds its way to the DVD format, but with this Special Edition the fans of the film have all been richly rewarded. This film is a must-have for any and all.