In 1988, an animated movie was released that changed the way modern anime films are produced and created. This movie was based on a manga series by the same name, Akira. It was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Spoiler Alert: In this review, parts of the climax of the movie Akira will be discussed\; therefore, watch the movie before reading this article if one wants a blind viewing. The film is set in the year 2019 after a nuclear war took place in 1988 with the majority of the movie taking place in the city of Neo Tokyo, which is a modern metropolis on one side and a bombed-out slum on the other. It follows a biker gang lead by Shotaro Kaneda and his friend Tetsuo Shima. Tetsuo comes in contact with a government test subject with physic powers which is reason enough for the government to run tests on Tetsuo as well. Kaneda spends the majority of the film trying to save Tetsuo from the corrupt government of Tokyo. After Tetsuo is experimented on by scientists, he starts to develop psychic powers similar to the kid he came in contact with, and he goes on a violent rampage against the government that is holding him hostage. Kaneda finds Tetsuo who tries to kill the friend that wanted to save the newly made psychic.
The movie is set in the future for the time of release; however, the nuclear war affected the way everything looks throughout the picture. Highways, buildings, streets, and even the citizens themselves look rugged and beaten down from that disaster. Gangs are rampant throughout the city and openly fight in public view. The police are abusive and shoot first without cause, and the military is corrupt and barely functions because of the bureaucracy and infighting which reflects the state the city is left in after the bomb. On a side note, the movie itself is one of the best-animated movies of its time\; moreover, the city of Neo Tokyo is one of the most detailed backgrounds for a cartoon movie even compared to movies that came out in recent years.
One of the main themes of the film is the message to try to save people no matter what. Kaneda attempts to save Tetsuo multiple times from the government, and after Tetsuo becomes the main villain, Kaneda still tries to save his friend when the psychic powers become uncontrollable. Caution, spoilers ahead: at the end of the film, it is revealed that Akira was actually the first psychic to be experimented on and was the actual cause of the explosion that destroyed part of Tokyo. Akira causes another explosion and takes Tetsuo and Kaneda with the blast of energy. The psychic kids then save Kaneda from the blast which ultimately causes the children to trade places with him. This continues the theme of saving those that need to be saved whether they deserve it or not.
Akira is a masterpiece of animated cinema, and it shaped the way of modern Japanese animation for other films like it. One issue with this movie would have to be the voice cast for the American dub because the actors cast as the psychic children sound uninterested and flat. However, this issue is easily overlooked because of the things the movie does right. The characters are engaging, and the setting is vast and creative. Akira is a special movie and one that I highly recommend\; in addition, the director is planning on making a new version of Akira after he finishes his new project by the name of Orbital Era. Even though there is to be a remake, the original is one of the pioneers of modern animation, and it deserves to be revisited for years to come.

Cover Image Courtesy Of Poster Art House