What do you think?
Akira #1-38
Akira Collection
2208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
Katsuhiro Otomo
316 books909 followersKatsuhiro Otomo is a Japanese manga artist, film director, and screenwriter. For his works in Japanese see 大友克洋. He is perhaps best known for being the creator of the manga Akira and its anime adaptation, which are extremely famous and influential. Otomo has also directed several live-action films, such as the recent 2006 feature film adaptation of the Mushishi manga.
Katsuhiro Otomo was born in the former town of Hasama, in Miyagi Prefecture.
As a teenager growing up in the turbulent 1960s, he was surrounded by the demonstrations of both students and workers against the Japanese government. The riots, demonstrations, and overall chaotic conditions of this time would serve as the inspiration for his best known work, Akira. Some would argue that this seminal work is an allegory of 1960s Japan, and that one could easily substitute the year 2019 for 1969 and leave little difference in the basic story.
The animation from this period (especially the works coming out of Tokyo animation studios Mushi Production and Toei Doga, now known as TOEI Animation) were influencing young Otomo. Works like Tetsujin 28-go, Astro Boy, and Hols: Prince of the Sun would help push Otomo toward a career in animation. However, it was the films coming out of America that were driving his rebellious nature. Five Easy Pieces and Easy Rider would serve as inspiration for Shotaro Kaneda and his biker gang in Akira: rebellious youth who took too many drugs and didn't care about authority or the pressures put on them by their parents' generation.
Otomo has recently worked extensively with noted studio Sunrise with the studio animating and producing his most recent projects, the 2004 feature film Steamboy, 2006's Freedom Project and his latest project, SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers: The Next, released in 2007.
Otomo grew up a fanatic of American blockbusters, which has influenced his cinematic style throughout his huge career. He grew fond of the work of artists like Moebius, and is often regarded as the person who brought a Westernized style into manga. From the late seventies onwards, Otomo created numerous volumes of anthologies and short stories, which usually ran at 23 pages each. Serialization for Fireball was cancelled, though the premise and themes were later to appear in the Sci-Fi Grand Prix award winning Domu and Akira. Otomo later moved onto directing and creating notable anime like the film adaption of Akira, Memories, and Steamboy. His most recent manga have been the scripting of Mother Sarah and the short story Park released in an issue of Pafu last year. He has also directed several live action films, such as World Apartment Horror, Give Us A Gun/Give Us Freedom, and the 2006 feature film adaptation of the Mushishi manga.
Katsuhiro Otomo was born in the former town of Hasama, in Miyagi Prefecture.
As a teenager growing up in the turbulent 1960s, he was surrounded by the demonstrations of both students and workers against the Japanese government. The riots, demonstrations, and overall chaotic conditions of this time would serve as the inspiration for his best known work, Akira. Some would argue that this seminal work is an allegory of 1960s Japan, and that one could easily substitute the year 2019 for 1969 and leave little difference in the basic story.
The animation from this period (especially the works coming out of Tokyo animation studios Mushi Production and Toei Doga, now known as TOEI Animation) were influencing young Otomo. Works like Tetsujin 28-go, Astro Boy, and Hols: Prince of the Sun would help push Otomo toward a career in animation. However, it was the films coming out of America that were driving his rebellious nature. Five Easy Pieces and Easy Rider would serve as inspiration for Shotaro Kaneda and his biker gang in Akira: rebellious youth who took too many drugs and didn't care about authority or the pressures put on them by their parents' generation.
Otomo has recently worked extensively with noted studio Sunrise with the studio animating and producing his most recent projects, the 2004 feature film Steamboy, 2006's Freedom Project and his latest project, SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers: The Next, released in 2007.
Otomo grew up a fanatic of American blockbusters, which has influenced his cinematic style throughout his huge career. He grew fond of the work of artists like Moebius, and is often regarded as the person who brought a Westernized style into manga. From the late seventies onwards, Otomo created numerous volumes of anthologies and short stories, which usually ran at 23 pages each. Serialization for Fireball was cancelled, though the premise and themes were later to appear in the Sci-Fi Grand Prix award winning Domu and Akira. Otomo later moved onto directing and creating notable anime like the film adaption of Akira, Memories, and Steamboy. His most recent manga have been the scripting of Mother Sarah and the short story Park released in an issue of Pafu last year. He has also directed several live action films, such as World Apartment Horror, Give Us A Gun/Give Us Freedom, and the 2006 feature film adaptation of the Mushishi manga.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 28, 2015
Better progression, deeper story, more complex and substantial characters than the movie.
July 22, 2019
An insane read
August 27, 2019
## [Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo](https://anilist.co/manga/30664/Akira/)
From the first Volume 1 could tell this was a much better story than was presented in the Movie. Enhanced greatly not only by the amount of detail in the story and world, but also the incredible coloring done in the version I was reading by [Steve Oliff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_O...). For the version I decided to read the Epic Comics version of the manga. While some might have issues with it being mirrored for a US audience, I found the coloring to add far more than reading it in the orignal form. And since Otomo was directly involved with the coloring and mirroring process, I don't really consider it a horrible sin or anything. And really incredible to read the story about the amount of work it was to color this manga.
Now onto the actual meat of the manga, the amount of extra content that was cut from the Movie is incredible. When I first watched the movie I was disappointed with how it progressed and what happened, but I feel I have a much better appreciation for the movie now that I have read the manga. It managed to compress a series of 2500 pages or so into a 2 hour movie. Now the manga really used this space to really build heavily on the world, characters, story, and lore of the world.
On the world building side, this really felt like it was a world experiencing massive changes and how many groups would grow from the destruction and changes occurring. Various factions working to embrace or escape appeared in the middle of the destruction, and they all had pretty well defined goals and reasonings behind their actions.
This applies nicely to the characters as well, with them all having a reason for their actions. Never did I feel like somebody was doing something that didn't make sense for them to do, it all just felt really natural. Even moments when the characters go crazy and insane, it makes sense based on what has been building and explained throughout the manga. They never had moments that I feel were out of place or completely out of place at all.
The story and how it built the lore of the world came together very nicely in something that feels satisfying. The powers that exist all make sense in the end, and things wrap up nicely into a package is rather neat. Some points I feel did get a bit rough, but that could also be me missing something while reading. Some I wish had gotten more development was the international reaction to what was happening. Some occurs at around the halfway point, but it is pretty much limited to a single faction that plays an incredible major role in the rest of the story and the occasional mention of the UN or scientific groups. But overall it kinda feels like the rest of the world wasn't really watching or worrying about what was occurring in the city.
One thing I didn't really care for though was the ending of the manga. It felt kinda odd to me that this is the choice that would be made, after all the destruction and ruin occurred. Sure you can show respect and care about the people who ended up being lost, but they really took an extreme reaction I feel that isn't going to end well. Why take a move that will cause more fighting and death after what occurred, instead of working toward peace and cooperation.
Overall by the end of this rather massive manga, I am really impressed by what I read. Thanks to the coloring it looked like something far different than I've really seen in other manga. Appearing more like a comic or graphic novel really than a manga. If you even enjoyed the movie a slight bit, I fully encourage reading the manga, just best of luck tracking down a legal version of the Epic Comics version.
#### Score: 5/5
From the first Volume 1 could tell this was a much better story than was presented in the Movie. Enhanced greatly not only by the amount of detail in the story and world, but also the incredible coloring done in the version I was reading by [Steve Oliff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_O...). For the version I decided to read the Epic Comics version of the manga. While some might have issues with it being mirrored for a US audience, I found the coloring to add far more than reading it in the orignal form. And since Otomo was directly involved with the coloring and mirroring process, I don't really consider it a horrible sin or anything. And really incredible to read the story about the amount of work it was to color this manga.
Now onto the actual meat of the manga, the amount of extra content that was cut from the Movie is incredible. When I first watched the movie I was disappointed with how it progressed and what happened, but I feel I have a much better appreciation for the movie now that I have read the manga. It managed to compress a series of 2500 pages or so into a 2 hour movie. Now the manga really used this space to really build heavily on the world, characters, story, and lore of the world.
On the world building side, this really felt like it was a world experiencing massive changes and how many groups would grow from the destruction and changes occurring. Various factions working to embrace or escape appeared in the middle of the destruction, and they all had pretty well defined goals and reasonings behind their actions.
This applies nicely to the characters as well, with them all having a reason for their actions. Never did I feel like somebody was doing something that didn't make sense for them to do, it all just felt really natural. Even moments when the characters go crazy and insane, it makes sense based on what has been building and explained throughout the manga. They never had moments that I feel were out of place or completely out of place at all.
The story and how it built the lore of the world came together very nicely in something that feels satisfying. The powers that exist all make sense in the end, and things wrap up nicely into a package is rather neat. Some points I feel did get a bit rough, but that could also be me missing something while reading. Some I wish had gotten more development was the international reaction to what was happening. Some occurs at around the halfway point, but it is pretty much limited to a single faction that plays an incredible major role in the rest of the story and the occasional mention of the UN or scientific groups. But overall it kinda feels like the rest of the world wasn't really watching or worrying about what was occurring in the city.
One thing I didn't really care for though was the ending of the manga. It felt kinda odd to me that this is the choice that would be made, after all the destruction and ruin occurred. Sure you can show respect and care about the people who ended up being lost, but they really took an extreme reaction I feel that isn't going to end well. Why take a move that will cause more fighting and death after what occurred, instead of working toward peace and cooperation.
Overall by the end of this rather massive manga, I am really impressed by what I read. Thanks to the coloring it looked like something far different than I've really seen in other manga. Appearing more like a comic or graphic novel really than a manga. If you even enjoyed the movie a slight bit, I fully encourage reading the manga, just best of luck tracking down a legal version of the Epic Comics version.
#### Score: 5/5
December 11, 2021
There's a grandiose, sweeping greatness to Akira; it manages to tell a series of small stories intertwined with one larger, overaching narrrative. I call Akira "the world on the edge of destruction" fiction where, much like Watchmen, societal angst, fears, and collective trauma - oftentimes propogated by the threaten of imminent destruction - shows what humanity's really capable of. And, it's that that makes Akira a tense thriller for the majority of its 38 chapters.
Anyone reading Akira after watching the film will be surprised how expanded this really feels; between the presence of the titular character, the sequences involving a ruined Tokyo under Akira's watch, and more of Tetsuo's mental struggles, Akira really feels like it explores a lot of dynamics. While the pacing does occasionally slog in the second half and its numerous battles, there's always a sense that the characters are playing by the whims of these psychic demigods, making encounters tense and remarkable. The artwork is destructive and discersal, especially as Tetsuo descends further and further into madness.
And, for me, it's the dynamic of Testuo and Kaneda that really makes the work a success, though I wish they spend even more scenes together. Friends on the opposite sides of war always make for a compelling story, and Akira delivers. It's filled with so many motives, and while they don't all feel realized, the vast majority feel important. Lady Miyoko, The Colonel, Kaori, they all add to the tragic story of warfare on a destructive scale, and I dig it. I do think the ending comes off a tad lackluster, but it does bring all the forces together to play and duke it out on a chess board of impeccable scale.
Akira is a work to be celebrated for the fantastic way it molds together Japanese zeitgeists, sci-fi archetypes, characterization, and gritty artwork. It doesn't land every punch it throws, but Akira is consistently riveting, and reminds us that when humankind has the ability to do so, it will destroy itself...but fight not to every step of the way.
Anyone reading Akira after watching the film will be surprised how expanded this really feels; between the presence of the titular character, the sequences involving a ruined Tokyo under Akira's watch, and more of Tetsuo's mental struggles, Akira really feels like it explores a lot of dynamics. While the pacing does occasionally slog in the second half and its numerous battles, there's always a sense that the characters are playing by the whims of these psychic demigods, making encounters tense and remarkable. The artwork is destructive and discersal, especially as Tetsuo descends further and further into madness.
And, for me, it's the dynamic of Testuo and Kaneda that really makes the work a success, though I wish they spend even more scenes together. Friends on the opposite sides of war always make for a compelling story, and Akira delivers. It's filled with so many motives, and while they don't all feel realized, the vast majority feel important. Lady Miyoko, The Colonel, Kaori, they all add to the tragic story of warfare on a destructive scale, and I dig it. I do think the ending comes off a tad lackluster, but it does bring all the forces together to play and duke it out on a chess board of impeccable scale.
Akira is a work to be celebrated for the fantastic way it molds together Japanese zeitgeists, sci-fi archetypes, characterization, and gritty artwork. It doesn't land every punch it throws, but Akira is consistently riveting, and reminds us that when humankind has the ability to do so, it will destroy itself...but fight not to every step of the way.
April 23, 2019
Alla domanda: hai un libro o film preferito? Non so mai come rispondere. Ma alla domanda: hai un manga preferito? Posso rispondere solo con Akira. Mai lento, mai scontato, personaggi mai banali o poco sviluppati, IL manga cyberpunk per eccellenza. La tematica della guerra che ritorna (in fondo stiamo parlando di un manga di 40 anni fa, quando il muro di Berlino era ancora integro e si temeva il conflitto nucleare).
Lo consiglio vivamente a tutti e vi consiglio di leggervelo tutto d'un colpo (io credo di averlo finito in due o tre pomeriggi durante le vacanze estive). Non sarà per nulla pesante, anzi!
Lo consiglio vivamente a tutti e vi consiglio di leggervelo tutto d'un colpo (io credo di averlo finito in due o tre pomeriggi durante le vacanze estive). Non sarà per nulla pesante, anzi!
March 21, 2020
Extraordinary!
April 3, 2020
Akira for anarchy?
Anyway, haven't watched the movie, but I doubt it can beat the original. The details and enormity of the manga can not be contained in a single cinema.
Anyway, haven't watched the movie, but I doubt it can beat the original. The details and enormity of the manga can not be contained in a single cinema.
July 9, 2021
💊
Good for Health
Bad for Education
Good for Health
Bad for Education
December 16, 2022
An astonishing experience, the pinnacle of modern manga.
October 3, 2023
overall enjoyable with some epic and some slow moments, maybe a bit overhyped but still a good read
4 stars
4 stars
August 18, 2025
i wanted to give it 5 stars, but what the fuck was this ending??
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews