The Impact of Akira: A Manga [R]evolution

by Rémi Lopez

A global manga phenomenon in the early 1990s, Akira is a futuristic depiction with apocalyptic elements set in a Neo-Tokyo on the brink of civil war. Katsuhiro Otomo's work is a graphical and narrative treasure trove, confronting the revolutionary views of a disillusioned youth with the danger of scientific progress spiraling out of control. This book provides the social and historical context of Katsuhiro Otomo's manga, which is reflected in its themes, and is intended to help the Western reader get a better grasp of this major Japanese comic book's essence.

Genres: Manga, Cyberpunk, Essays, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 2021

Reviews

[Frédéric]

Yet another brilliant analysis from Rémi Lopez.

Ever wondered why Akira is considered as a landmark in both manga and anime? Like there is a before and after Akira in themes and ways to do manga. Like Akira greatly contributed to popularize and to give credibility to manga outside Japan.
Well, look no further pilgrim. All the answers you’re looking for are here.

A thorough review of Otomo’s career is followed by in-depth analysis of the manga/anime: the main themes are explored through different ways: the books of older mangakas who often lived through WWII, the revolutionary context of the late 60’s, the bosozoku phenomenom...

Clear, concise and engaging, a must-read on one keywork of the manga culture

[Dan Newland]

I really enjoyed this, and learned a lot about Japanese Manga and Japanese culture.

Full review: https://www.comicbookyeti.com/post/th...

[Othy]

This book unfortunately falls into the space between an homage and a study. The background information on the manga and film is generally good, but the analysis is skewed by the author's love of both - which is too bad. Lopez clearly loves Akira, but he is enamoured by the mystique of it so much that he considers everything notable and revolutionary. He often assumes his opinion is shared by everyone or, oddly, that his ideas are notable because they are written down. The translation is also a bit overworked, though this isn't Lopez's fault. In the end, there is fun stuff in here, but it isn't a very successful study.

[Cole Drake]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Learning so much about the inspirations to Akira, and then what inspired everything after Akira, from not only the genre of cyberpunk, but to how it helped the transition of anime to the west once Marvel got it's hold on it, and how it's still a timeless classic to this day, Lopez writes quite an interesting in-depth essay on one of my favourite works of all time.