AKIRA!
I'll admit it, I don't watch a lot of Anime. I know, that probably makes me a bad geek. But what can I say? You gotta be into that kind of thing and apparently, I'm not. But over the years, I've managed to find a few titles that I did like. Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D, and – best of all – Akira! Yes, not only was this the best piece of Anime I've ever seen, it managed to tell a story that still intrigues me years later. Not long ago, I watched it for what felt like the umpteenth time and found that it I still get wrapped up by its stunning visual effects, existential ideas, and its post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk theme. I tell ya, the animators spared no expense when it came to visuals, and the story-writing and direction was reminiscent of Kubrick in a lot of ways. Much of what is happening is shown, not told, and those watching it might therefore feel the need to see it more than once. But enough gushing, time to get to the review!
(Background—>):
The movie Akira was actually based on the Manga series of the same name by Katsuhiro Otomo, who was also brought in to direct the movie. The movie condensed the storyline of the six original Manga novels, but kept all of the major themes and plot elements. Much like the comic, the movie is set in Neo-Tokyo, a post-apocalyptic, dystopian future city where biker gangs rule the streets and an authoritarian government is hiding secrets about human experiments. It was well received by critics when it was first released in 1988 and has gone to become one of the top-rated animated movies of all time, and of course it attracted a cult following in the process. However, there were also some critics who panned it, claiming that it did a poor job of condensing six volumes of Manga into one two hour movie and cut corners in the process (fans of the Dune series can no doubt relate!) These critics tended to be in the minority though, with fans and critics alike hailing the end product for its visual style, its imaginings of a dark future, and its attention to detail. I, if it hasn't been made clear already, am one of them!
(Content—>):
The movie opens on a silent, birds-eye view of Tokyo in 1988, right before it is vaporized by what looks like a nuclear attack. The entire city is engulfed in light, no sound but what appears to be a strong wind. The scene then changes to what appears to be a satellite photo from orbit, where thermal images cools and the familiar shape of Tokyo harbor appears. The caption tells us this is Neo-Tokyo, 31 years after WWIII. Cue sound, a loud, panging noise that chills you to your bones! An effective opening, conveying a sense of apocalypticism and dread, making the audience at once aware that something terrible happened, and more is on the way! We then move to the streets of Neo-Tokyo where we meet the main characters of Shotoro Kaneda, the leader of a Bosozoku biker gang. They're up to their usual thing, battling the Clowns, a rival gang, and making a big mess in the streets in the process. Meanwhile, student and civilian protests are taking place and the riot police are out in full force trying to contain them, shooting them with tear gas canisters and beating them down. In between all this, a member of some underground resistance and a small child, his skin so pale its blue, are running through the streets and trying to stay ahead of the police. The three events clash as the riot cops shoot the man, the boy runs away, and one of Kaneda's gang, Tetsuo Shima – the obvious runt of the group – runs into him. Things get weird when Tetsuo's bike explodes a mere second before impact, and military choppers and shadowy figures come to retrieve the boy – some big mustached Colonel and an older, blue-skinned person leading them. Kaneda and his friends show up just in time to see Tetsuo taken away too.
This sets off the three intertwining plot elements that make up the movie. One the one hand, we have Kaneda and his friends trying to find their friend, all the while trying to survive in the hostile environment that is Neo-Tokyo. We have the resistance looking to get back into some government facility so they can free these blue-skinned kids (known as the Espers) who are clearly the subject of experiments and covert activities. And we have the Colonel, who's clearly running said facility, overseeing the experiments on these individuals, and trying to figure out what to do with Tetsuo. It becomes clear after just a few scenes that his exposure to this small child is changing him, in the psionic sense, and now they must figure out what to do about it. While it presents an interesting phenomena, there are hints that this chance encounter could bring disaster. In between all this, we get numerous snapshots of what life is like in this post-apocalyptic city, and all of it is both cool and interesting. The police are overworked trying to control a population that is beginning to become unruly after the shock and horror of nuclear holocaust and the push to rebuild. The public school system is clogged with orphans who's parents died in the war and who turn to biker gangs and deviant behavior to express themselves. And behind it all, there is the shadowy government project being run by the Colonel, who is haunted by the visions of the blue kids and a name which might be a person, a phenomena, or both… Akira. At one point, in a scene that is one part exposition, two parts foreshadowing, we are shown an underground facility where a massive cryogenic unit sits and waits. On it, in big red letters, is the name… AKIRA! Whoever or whatever that is, its clear that the blue kids have something to do it, and that the war itself was somehow related.
Shortly thereafter, Tetsuo manages to escape from the facility that was holding him. He finds his girlfriend, steals Kaneda's bike, and they try to B-line it out of the city. Unfortunately, some Clowns find them and begin beating the crap out of them. Luckily, Kaneda and his buds are able to intervene to save them, but clearly something's wrong. In the course of beating the crap out of one of the Clowns, Tetsuo begins having some kind of breakdown. He's obviously pissed, shouts that someday he'll show everyone who's ever treated him badly (case of foreshadowing here), and begins experiencing intense apocalyptic visions. He sees the city crumbling, his body falling apart, and hears the name Akira ringing like a shrill bell in his mind. And, wouldn't you know it, the military shows up again and hauls him away. It seems that whatever is happening to Tetsuo is beyond his control, and naturally, his friends are even more determined now to find him and figure out what's going on. Paralleling this, we get an expository scene where one of the government bureaucrats is meeting with the leader of the resistance. The two watch a public protest where a religious cult begins burning TV's and other "decadent" possessions, calling forth the name of Akira as some sort of messianic prophet. The bureaucrat gives us a rundown of how the city is beginning to rot like "an overripe fruit", and Akira is the seed that will soon fall and grow into a new order (this fruit metaphor is beginning to get a little thin!). We are still not sure who or what Akira is at this point, but its becoming quite suspenseful. The fact that the name has even trickled down to the street where restless, hopeful people have turned it into a cult of deliverance, is also a very cool idea. We see from this that at all levels of society, the name Akira is secretive and powerful, even conspiratorial.
Along the way, Kaneda finds out about the resistance and begins making common cause with them. This begins when he notices that a particular young woman that he is infatuated with has a way of showing up repeatedly wherever shit is going down. At first, he was just trying to nail her; but in time, he comes to realize that she is part of an underground cell that is looking to expose a government secret, the same one that Tetsuo is now part of. They agree that they can help each other, mainly because she and her friends can get inside the facility and they are sympathetic with Kaneda's desire to save his friend. Eventually, they succeed, but their attempt at rescue coincides with another, scarier development. Seems Tetsuo is still changing, and the process is getting beyond all control. His psionic abilities are reaching dangerous proportions, and he wants answers! He has come to see that there are others like him (the blue kids), and after a nightmarish episode where they try to subdue him, he begins stalking them back to their nursery. In the process, a number of attendees and guards try to stop him, but he makes short work of them all. Yes, Tetsuo has begun killing those who get in his way, a clear indication that he has slid into madness! Anyway, once he reaches the blue kids' nursery, they begin fighting it out with their crazy mind powers. And I don't mind saying, the effects here are not just cool, they are crazy! One really gets the sense of the psychic and psychotic, music, effect and dialogue all coming together to make the point! In the course of all this, he gleams a name from their minds. Akira! Tetsuo and Kaneda have a brief rendezvous, but Kaneda's attempts to rescue him fail. Seems Tetsuo thinks he's beyond Kaneda's help anymore, and that he's in charge and ready to show him, as promised earlier.
The Colonel and more men attempt to stall Tetsuo, but he kills even more people, destroys the nursery, and flies from the facility (much to his own surprise). Kaneda and Kei are taken prisoner and stuck in a cell, where Kei begins to explain to Kaneda exactly what they think Akira represents: Evolution. Essentially, the power that drives single cell organisms and reptiles to evolve into spaceship-making, atom-splitting humans is still at work. Harnessed in the human genome is a ton of energy that is just waiting to manifest itself in freaky powers, the kind that Tetsuo and the Espers demonstrate. Kei begins to become distant as it is made clear that one of the Espers, the young girl, is speaking through her. She explains that in the past, this process went horribly wrong, but someday soon, it would become a reality and their kind would exist freely. Kaneda is totally lost, but Kei wakes from her dream-like state to reveal the door is now open. Seems the Espers are pulling strings to make sure the two of them get out. With the help of voiceover, they even say that they plan on using the girl to stop Testuo. Kaneda is made aware of this when he hears the Espers voices calling to Kei, who begins walking away (on water, no less), leaving him behind and angry as hell. Caught between a friend who's gone rogue and has even murdered members of their old gang, and the Espers who are using his would-be girlfriend, he decides to set out on his own to find Tetsuo and end him!
Back to Tetsuo, who's been stalking the streets and killing at will as he makes his way to another secret facility where, as we know from earlier, Akira is housed. This is without a doubt one of the best parts of the movie, as the street people, many of whom are part of the cult that worships Akira, have become convinced that Tetsuo IS Akira and begin to follow him like a messiah. They all die, naturally, as Tetsuo's is forced to fight his way through soldiers and his powers cause untold amounts of collateral damage. When he finally reaches the facility, just outside the uncompleted Olympic Stadium (bit of a side story to that one), he runs into Kei again and they fight. Not so much "they", more like the Espers fight Tetsuo through them. But he beats them/her, breaks into the facility, and realizes the truth. As soon as he cracks open the cryogenic seals that hold Akira, the Colonel shows up and begins to explain via a megaphone: the facility was holding the remains of a boy, a boy named Akira. He is what caused Tokyo's annihilation in 1988, as he was an evolutionary curiosity that evolved beyond anyone's control. After the explosion which stated WWIII (since everyone thought Tokyo was under nuclear attack), his remains were sealed away for future study. That's all! No secret conspiracy, no all-encompassing answers to his questions, just a bunch of test tubes and with tissue samples in formaldehyde. Naturally, the government has been trying to prevent the same thing from happening again, hence why they hold the blue kids in a sealed location and why they've been holding him too. Tetsuo is phased, but Kaneda shows up again and the two get into another confrontation. A fight ensues where Kaneda employs a laser and Tetsuo uses his freaky powers. The government jumps in with their orbital laser satellite that manages to critically injure Tetsuo by blowing off his arm. However, the kid proves beyond their control again, and flies into orbit where he takes over the satellite and then crashes it.
A lull follows as the Colonel and his forces lick their wounds, Tetsuo fashions a new arm out of random machine parts, and Kaneda, Kei, and the last remaining member of his biker gang keep each other company. Some time later, they all meet up inside the stadium. The Colonel urges Tetsuo to come home, but he refuses. He is once again losing control and its beginning to show in his body, which is sprouting amorphous blobs for appendages. The Espers show up and begin praying to the remains of Akira, hoping to get some kind of instruction of what to do about Tetsuo, or some deliverance. Tetsuo's girlfriend is also drawn to the stadium, but she soon dies as Tetsuo's body consumes her and begins to become a total, massive amorphous blob. Kaneda shows too, shooting his laser and trying to bring Tetsuo down, but the attempts appear in vain. Even Tetsuo is being killed by his own abilities now. And the scientists watching it all are stunned when the queer instruments they have to measure psionic abilities go off the charts and begin to show the Akira readings. And then, in a blinding burst of revelation (destructive, apocalyptic, revelation!) Akira appears to the Espers and begins to consume the city again. Kaneda risks his own life to save Tetsuo, but the Espers decide they will save him by sacrificing themselves. A mind-blowing scene follows as Kaneda is consumed by light, sees all kinds of destruction and hears the Espers voices, and sees moments in Tetsuo's and the Espers lives. He also gets a chance to say good-bye to his friend, who appears to have become a disembodied ball of light. Might sound cheesy, but trust me, its awesome to behold. All the more so because you're not being told what's happening, you gotta figure it out on your own.
Kaneda then reappears outside the ruins of the city next to Kei. The Colonel has also survived, having found shelter in a nearby tunnel when the apocalyptic light show began. Clearly, they are the survivors of this apocalypse, and it is to them that the responsibility to rebuild once more falls. The Espers end things by reiterating their final message, how things are changing, and though the world may not be ready, someday it will become a reality. "It has already begun…" By it, of course, they mean the next leap in human evolution, where we will evolve beyond flesh and blood bodies and become unrestrained forces of pure consciousness, with all kinds of freaky psionic abilities!
(Synopsis—>):
Okay, I'm feeling mind-blown just recounting all this. Like I said before, this movie did things right, relying on a show-don't-tell philosophy, stunning visual effects that demonstrate the psychedelic and existential themes very well, an attention to detail that was unsurpassed, and a great combination of music, sound, visuals and dialogue to top it all off. That being said, the movie can also be a bit daunting at times, as the action sequences and dialogue can get a little drawn out. But for the most part, this is effective in that it conveying the right feel and attitude. After all, death, destruction and confusion are not neat and tidy, they are painful and demoralizing! One would expect scenes or urban destruction and civil strife to cause all kinds of negative feelings, so I can only say that Katsohiro's direction was realistic in that respect. Speaking of realism, the movie showed some very obvious insight that can only come from a culture that has experienced the scourge of nuclear holocaust directly. All throughout the movie, there is a sense of destruction and horror that was always laid on but never gratuitous, in my opinion. Unlike your average disaster movie, the destruction in Akira wasn't some cheap attempt at action-porn, it was downright realistic! One would expect that those who experience earthquakes on a regular basis and were the only people to ever experience a nuclear attack on their own soil would know these things!
Also, the religious themes – the coming of the messiah and the End of Days. This too was done in a way that was colorful, intriguing, and even comical at times. The way the people of Neo-Tokyo turned the name of Akira into a cult of apocalypticism, complete with ascetics, street revelers, and funky gurus was nothing short of bang on in my opinion. And the scene where Tetsuo manages to kill a whole bunch of his followers demonstrated the absurdity and irrationality of this form of death-worship very well. At one point, an odd-looking guru, complete with a pompadour haircut, John Lennon sunglasses and prayer beads is being carried by a procession behind their would-be messiah, declaring how he will "cleanse the filth from their souls". Next, they come to road-block on a bridge where soldiers start shooting at them. Tetsuo then destroys the bridge, sending the guru and everyone else plummeting to their deaths, flailing and screaming. In addition, Tetsuo's rise from the runt of the litter to a psionic, psychotic powerhouse is also poignant, calling to mind concepts like Nietzsche "Will to Power". The themes of youth culture, cyberpunk, and social deviance were clear througout, worked into just about every scene with a thorough touch. And of course the the explorations of existence and psychology that came with all evolutionary stuff. Like with most things in this movie, these point are conveyed through images and dialogue, not said outright.
One big weakness I will mention though: I've since seen two versions of the movie, the original VHS release that was available back in the 90′s, and a more recent version which was clearly dubbed in Japan. The Japanese dubbed one is actually more faithful to the original dialogue, but my advice would be to get the version that was dubbed by Hollywood studios. The translation was better, and the dialogue and voices more effective and less cheesy. Don't know what it is about Japanese voice actors, but the men sound too gruff and the ladies too high-pitched! Also, in what I am assuming was the original Japanese script, the dialogue was also remarkably less subtle. If you can see both versions and compare for yourselves, you'll see what I mean.
But other than that, this movie is an enduring classic for me. Its appeal is cultish, its style awesome, and its effects stunning even though they are over twenty years out of date.
AKIRA
Entertainment Value: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Direction: 10/10 (Yo!)
Total: 9/10
