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Akira, Vol. 1

(Akira: 6 Volumes #1)

Katsuhiro Otomo,

Yoko Umezawa (Translator)

Linda M. York (Translator)

Mary Jo Duffy (Translator)

4.38 · Rating details · 21,670 ratings · 752 reviews

The science fiction tale set in 2019 in Tokyo after the city was destroyed by World War III, follows the lives of two teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, who have a consuming fear of a monstrous power known as Akira.

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Paperback, 359 pages

Published December 26th 2000 by Dark Horse (first published September 21st 1984)

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Oct 31, 2010 ΞιsNιnΞ RΞχ~ΚαrnιFΞχ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites-sequential-art, pb-viz-kodansha-vertical, monograph-japanese-asian-art, pb-drkhrse-ksk-lbry-glry-curcol-ed, favorites-sf-fantasy-horror-crime, favorites-artbooks-and-comics, manga-gekiga-seinen-shonen, ficgenre-science-fic-spec-fic

Akira: And A Boy Shall Rule Them All... Badly. A Boy Whose Head Contains A Supernova

description

'Akira' and 'Lone Wolf and Cub' were among the first complete manga masterpieces to be published in English, and despite the mirror-imaging, were very similar to their original tankobon incarnations. Katsuhiro Otomo's SF-classic 'Akira' -- as well as it's equally brilliant predecessor, 'Domu' -- revolutionized Japanese comics. It introduced realistic, incredibly detailed artwork that merged a far more subtle ...more

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Aug 20, 2018 Coffee&Quasars rated it liked it

3.4 stars.

For fans of: hijinks; ominous foreboding.

Avoid if: you’re sensitive about being bald.

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Jul 29, 2012 J.G. Keely rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, reviewed, manga

Like many, I read comics as a child, but I was not avid--never a collector--and it was not until I became an adult and returned to comics that I began to look at what they can be, and the stories they can tell. Whatever avidity I lacked then, I have since made up for, becoming an incidental snob for European comics.

Similarly, despite my familiarity as a child with Japanese anime, it is only in recent years that I have returned to that tradition. I watched Dragonball, Sailor Moon, and Ronin ...more

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Feb 05, 2014 Sam Quixote rated it liked it

“KANEDAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!”
“TETSUOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”

That’s basically the extent of my memory of Akira, an anime movie I watched when I was 9. So I was interested to learn that it’s also a critically acclaimed comic that’s hailed as one of the finest the medium has ever created. First published in 1982, the comic predates the film by 6 years though interestingly both were created by one man, the visionary artist Katsuhiro Otomo, who was an astoundingly young 28 years old when this book was first “KANEDAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!”
“TETSUOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”

That’s basically the extent of my memory of Akira, an anime movie I watched when I was 9. So I was interested to learn that it’s also a critically acclaimed comic that’s hailed as one of the finest the medium has ever created. First published in 1982, the comic predates the film by 6 years though interestingly both were created by one man, the visionary artist Katsuhiro Otomo, who was an astoundingly young 28 years old when this book was first published, meaning he’d written/drawn this epic story at an even younger age! It’s astounding because of how accomplished the style here is and how well Otomo understands the language of comics - but I’ll come back to that in a moment.

Akira is set in 2030, a decade after a powerful new bomb destroyed Tokyo completely, leading to World War 3. Neo-Tokyo is populated with drug-fuelled biker gangs battling each other over turf, one of which our protagonists Kaneda and Tetsuo, two best friends, belong to. During a late-night race they encounter a weird young boy with the face of an old man being chased by shady government types. Tetsuo crashes his bike and is abducted by this secret army force. When he re-emerges, Tetsuo has blinding migraines but possesses incredible psychic powers – what is this secret organisation, who are these weird-looking kids, and what is Akira?

I really wanted Akira to live up to the hype but unfortunately it doesn’t. I’d forgotten the character flaws that were probably in the film but are shown here in all their disgrace. Kaneda, our “hero” is probably one of the most despicable protagonists I’ve read since “Message to Adolf Part One”, a book by another acclaimed manga artist, Osamu Tezuka. And like Tezuka’s main character, Otomo’s Kaneda is a sexual predator. After knocking up the school nurse and completely ignoring her pleas for help in deciding what to do about it, he tries to rape the only other female character in the book, Kei! What is it about Japanese artists and their appalling treatment of women?!

When he’s not being a sexual creep, he’s getting stoned and drag-racing his motorbike through the streets - and we’re supposed to think this is awesome and cool! I realise Akira is a 6-volume story and it’s altogether possible that Otomo’s setting up Kaneda in the first book as this immature prick at the beginning of his arc and ends with him completely changed for the better, but the way the character is written doesn’t make me want to invest any more time in reading the rest of this series.

I think the story’s emotional crux is predicated on Kaneda/Tetsuo’s friendship but I never believed they were very close. You could tell they were pals, but besties? Tetsuo just seemed like another member of the gang. We never see why Kaneda would care so much about him. None of the characters are very well written either. The Colonel character is your regular army officer stereotype, the various gang members act as you’d expect, ie. like punks, and so on. They’re all pretty much one-dimensional.

There also isn’t much of a story. This 360 page book is basically a series of chase sequences between Kaneda and the resistance and the army. But who are the resistance and why are they helping free the experimental old-faced kids? Who are those weird kids? Why is Kaneda holding on to a special pill everyone’s chasing? And if it’s just a pill, why don’t they have more? Pills are mass-produced after all. I never really understood the point of the book or much of the world of the story. Besides the biker gangs and the army, there isn’t much to Neo-Tokyo, it’s just unpopulated urban sprawl with lots of empty highways and construction zones.

As weak as the story and characterisation was, I was still impressed with the storytelling style. The action is ambitious and frenetic but always clear to follow. It’s easy to see Otomo moving on from making comics to making movies later in his career as he has a strong eye for visual storytelling. He knows the importance of providing an establishing shot for a scene, when to focus on a character, when to pull back and include other characters, how to populate a panel perfectly so it’s not cluttered, and when to let a scene breathe. He knows implicitly where to put the “camera” for the best effect of a scene and how to represent different kinds of scenes – traditional panelling for dialogue/character-driven slower scenes, and more dynamic layouts/splash pages and so on for pacier scenes like chases and gunfights.

Continuing the idea of Otomo as a visual storyteller, there’s a notable lack of narrative boxes in the comic and almost nothing in the way of exposition. This is another aspect of the book I really liked, with the artist letting the reader see the story play out naturally and allowing more opportunities for the reader to engage with the story – pay attention or fall behind! I like that the story isn’t spoon-fed to the reader.

It’s surprising that someone so young could not only understand but execute such a sophisticated way of storytelling like he has in this book. It’s an expertise you tend to see in older artists but underlines how dedicated Otomo was to his craft that he must’ve started very young to develop so quickly in the way he did. I wish Otomo had had another writer do the script for him, partly to overcome the problems I’ve mentioned, or at least had an editor who could’ve tightened it up for him and maybe directed him in a more fruitful direction, because I think Akira has the potential to be the legendary comic others have said it is, but because Japanese manga is almost always long-form storytelling, it was allowed to run to 2000 pages and becomes a bit of a stagnant story to readers like me as a result.

The art itself is unmemorable and resembles a lot of generic manga. It also has the problem of the characters looking too much alike. Kaneda and Yamagata looked the same in certain scenes and during the biker fights I couldn’t tell which side was which – colour might’ve helped, assuming the gangs wore gang colours to differentiate between themselves (this is a black and white comic).

I wouldn’t dismiss Akira entirely because of its commendably ambitious sci-fi/horror story that was enormously influential and the masterful visual storytelling Otomo possesses, but it’s a book that’s difficult to like for its characters and often directionless, sometimes rambling plot. Maybe the series gets better in later volumes but based on this first book alone, I’d say this might be one of those rare instances where the movie surpasses the book (I’ll have to re-watch it to decide). Either way, I’m not particularly interested in picking up Volume 2 to find out who or what Akira is, so this book fails in delivering perhaps the most important job of a first volume: leaving the audience wanting more. ...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Brad rated it liked it

Shelves: comic-books, graphic-novel, cinematic, manga

If I hadn't seen the film version of Akira way back in the late eighties, at a midnight screening at our local Indy theatre (run by the crazy Swede my Dad hated for selling us a nicked table), and if I hadn't watched it repeatedly over the next twenty some years, I'd have read this manga this week with complete disdain. But the movie, luckily, is a masterpiece, and it is based on the full six part manga, so I have some sense of where Akira is going and what makes it worth while.

As a stand alone If I hadn't seen the film version of Akira way back in the late eighties, at a midnight screening at our local Indy theatre (run by the crazy Swede my Dad hated for selling us a nicked table), and if I hadn't watched it repeatedly over the next twenty some years, I'd have read this manga this week with complete disdain. But the movie, luckily, is a masterpiece, and it is based on the full six part manga, so I have some sense of where Akira is going and what makes it worth while.

As a stand alone chapter, though, Akira #1 is poor. The characters are all lame in some way, one dimensional and boring: Tetsuo and Kaneda are impossible to empathize with or like, the kids being experimented on are lame, the Colonel is all yankee action movie bluster, Kei -- the hyper-capable love interest -- has become an overdone stereotype. The action is too frenetic. The pace is unrelenting in a bad way. The dialogue, in translation, is laughable. Even the future world is suffering due to the passage of time.

Yet there is something, one thing, that redeems Akira for me. I often talk with friends about the cinematic qualities of American and British comics and graphic novels, but those books have nothing on Akira. Akira is like the missing link between the page and screen. I don't know manga, so I can't speak to whether or not this is a common feature, but Katsuhiro Otomo discards all attempts at explication. There is know "meanwhile," no "Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters," no added commentary to refresh our memories, no bits of narration to make transitions easy. Otomo is all film editor. One bit ends and the next panel takes us somewhere else. A straight cinematic cut from one piece of action to the next.

For me, it's worth reading just for that.

So even though I was super disappointed with this reading experience, I will keep reading the series. Maybe it will get better. Maybe the whole will be as good as the film it inspired. Maybe its just the most elaborate first draft screenplay/storyboard ever assembled. I'll soon find out, so I'll let you know. ...more

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Aug 26, 2018 Maria rated it really liked it

BRUH. honestly? I enjoyed this more than i enjoyed the movie. everything makes sense here, the transitions from one scene to another go smoothly (the anime has a flaw in this regard), character design works better, the characters themselves, especially minor ones, are actually given some characterization and time to develop hence the increase of the emotional impact certain scenes had on me (MY BOY YAMADA MAN. R.I.P. to MVP).
overall, very nice so far, I think that reading the manga before/after ...more

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Jun 01, 2018 Mizuki rated it it was amazing

I first watched the anime adaptation of Akira when I was an eight or nine years old kid (despite the gruesome images and the violence, the anime was still aired in daytime 'family hours' during summer holiday back then, shocking) and the whole thing really scared the shit out of me. I mean, what eight years old kid has the strong-enough mentality to handle the image of little children who look like elderly, evil looking massive teddy bear, and a teenager turns into a mother fucking monster!?

I ...more

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Jan 08, 2017 Jedi JC Daquis rated it really liked it

If you are reading this review, there might be a possibility that you may have watched the movie and probably thinking if it is just a condensed version of the manga. So I'll start my review with that. Bear in mind though that Akira has six volumes, thus I don't know the whole scope of the similarities and the differences.

So, is the manga the same with the anime? Yes and no. The manga is way more extensive than the movie. Key plot points in the comics are also there in the movie so that the ...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Nate D rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: motorcycle delinquents and manipulating politicians

Recommended to Nate D by: teen anime viewing

Shelves: comics, japan, read-in-2012

So apparently I'm doing this manga thing right now. Like many people, I was dazzled by the film version of this as a teen. Now, finally, I'm reading it, and it promises much more (welcome) development. A lot of the tropes are familiar -- post-destruction-of-tokyo, teen rebellion, ill-advised tapping of uncontrollable power -- but this distinguishes itself in a lot of ways:

-Though originally serialized like most manga, it's almost impossible to tell -- the plotting seems that cohesive and ...more

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Jul 29, 2018 Rusty Grey rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018-read, 3-stars, comics-manga, young-adult, sci-fi, dystopia, mystery-thriller, deadpool-like-anti-heroes, villains, cyberpunk

3.5 - 3.75 Stars

This is a review of this first volume . As there are only 6 volumes in this manga , I'd be reviewing each volume separately .

Akira is set in Neo-Tokyo in a dystopian world after World War lll . It's about two friends Kaneda and Tetsuo who become enemies after an accident gives Tetsuo psychokinetic powers .

This first volume is extremely fast paced and action packed . And the illustrations are quite out of its time . There is a political sub plot , which I feel , will become ...more

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Oct 24, 2015 Dov Zeller rated it liked it

Shelves: zombies-and-or-apocalypse, graphics-comics

I can see why this is a classic, and it has a lot going for it in terms of style, pacing, art and sheer epic-ness of story. On the other hand, the manic intensity just gets exhausting and old and it is very hard to care about the anti-heroic (to a fault?) protagonists, Tatsuo and Kaneda, who are pretty creepy and dull.

I've never been interested in material whose drama is exclusively to be found in frenetic activity. I need at least something else to draw me in besides fast motorcycles and ...more

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May 02, 2019 Michelle Curie rated it liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels, science-fiction

The story is set in Tokyo in 2019, which has been destroyed by World War III. And among this post-apocalyptic world are the lives of two street-wise teenage friends, Kaneda and Tetsuo, to change forever when paranormal abilities are beginning to wake in the latter.

I am aware of Akira being considered a classic and the anime film holding a cult status amongst fans, yet this is the first time I really engaged with the story, which has been re-released by Dark Horse Comics and made more suitable for an European audience by printing it left-to-right instead of preserving the original Japanese way of reading. I'm not a big fan of that (I'm a fan of preserving culture and artist's vision and all that), but it didn't bother me enough to not enough this.

Akira is dark, almost cinematic and an intriguing set-up. It's not necessarily gentle to its readers - even after having read a whole volume with over 360 pages I don't feel like I can truly empathize with any of the characters, as they're all jerks and it's not like I know a lot about them anyway at this point.

There's no introduction, the narrative isn't concerned with making sure you keep up, it's busy jumping forward to the next scene of action. What could be frustrating only made me engage with it more - it felt like a challenge. Everything happened to quickly though, that I am left with a lot of questions. Who are these old-faced kids? What are these pills? And who or what is Akira?

I think I mainly liked the art for nostalgic reasons. It brought me right back to my early manga-days, but objectively speaking it's rather generic, we don't actually get to see that much of Neo-Tokyo (and I was keen for some Blade Runner vibes) and a lot of the characters look similar to the degree where I would occasionally mix them up.

I'm curious to find out where this is going. Fingers crossed all the questions I am left with are carefully plotted story arcs and not lazily-told plot holes. ...more

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Jul 11, 2017 R. Kitt rated it it was amazing

4.5-5 stars

At 2:17P.M. on December 6th, 1992, a new type of bomb exploded over the metropolitan area of Japan.
9 hours later World War III began.

38 years later became Neo-Tokyo.

Several teenagers (trouble making friends) end up at the old bomb site and one of them crashes into an unknown, wrinkled looking kid with 'special abilities', and then the story gets rather crazy.

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Jan 09, 2018 Brian rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi, classics, cyberpunk

Soldier: What shall we do with him, Colonel?
Colonel (Shikishima): Bring him along. But separate him from the others. And don't let his age deceive you. He's extremely dangerous.
Katsuhiro Otoma, AKIRA 1

I read this once before, by the recommendation of a friend at work. I liked it, gave it five stars, but I could have given it more attention. In my research about cyberpunk (inspired by my love for the movie, The Matrix) I discovered the originators of the sub-genre. In America, William Gibson ...more

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Jan 06, 2019 Dennis rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, graphic-novels-comics-manga, science-fiction

I’m a little torn on this one.

I love the post WW3 future Tokyo setting.
The story takes place in 2030 (38 years after the war). Tokyo has been rebuilt, but parts of the old city still remain. The ground where the bombs hit is supposed to be used for the upcoming Olympic Games. But at this point for the most part it‘s still only wasteland. And it holds some secrets that one night the main character and his motorcycle gang stumble upon.

The narrative doesn’t dig too deep, but it hints at bigger ...more

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Dec 19, 2018 Lashaan Balasingam (Bookidote) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, read-in-2018, manga

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

It’s hard to not have heard about Akira. It is the first manga series to have ever been fully translated into English and to have propelled the medium into great fame almost instantaneously. With a cult-classic revolutionary animated adaptation of the manga created by the writer and illustrator of the franchise himself in 1988, it didn’t take long for Katsuhiro Otomo’s visionary grasp on visual story-telling to be praised by everyone to this You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

It’s hard to not have heard about Akira. It is the first manga series to have ever been fully translated into English and to have propelled the medium into great fame almost instantaneously. With a cult-classic revolutionary animated adaptation of the manga created by the writer and illustrator of the franchise himself in 1988, it didn’t take long for Katsuhiro Otomo’s visionary grasp on visual story-telling to be praised by everyone to this day. The impact of this franchise on a whole generation and on pop culture around the world is undeniable and rarely does anyone dare discredit its contribution to the growth of both manga and anime today. Although the movie condenses all six volumes into one flawed masterpiece, the manga takes the time—which is sort of ironic to say—to flesh out more of the setting, the events and the characters. And with Akira (Vol. 1), Katsuhiro Otomo achieves a remarkably beautiful, frenetic and suspenseful post-apocalyptic story that will dig its claws deep into you and hold your attention throughout the whole ride.

Akira (Vol. 1) is a story set after the detonation of a nuclear explosion in Tokyo on December 6th, 1982. With the start of World War III, a new city called Neo-Tokyo is hence born. In 2030 AD, this city is overrun by biker gangs with violent and dangerous behaviours who center their core business around drugs. One of these gangs is formed around Kaneda and Tetsuo who will go down as key characters throughout this series. On a rowdy night filled with adrenaline, a race among them leads to an incident where a young boy with an old man’s face stood in their way. It is from this moment forward that the story takes a turn towards science-fiction grounds and drags the readers on a page-flipping course in search of immediate answers as to what is going on. From secret organizations to psychic powers, Akira (Vol. 1) is nothing you’ve ever seen before as it is the first step towards huge change for manga and anime.

The first striking element about this volume that needs to be addressed is how manipulative and addictive the structure is. It is an extremely-light on dialogue story that heavily focuses on action sequences, especially bike chases, and there is only a limited amount of panels per page that beautifully capture the most intense moments of each scene. With the incredible artwork that brings out the most meticulous details of the ruined setting and the frenzied story-telling that pumps so much adrenaline into your blood as you try to decipher what is going on, you don’t realize how quickly you flip through the pages and finds yourself immersed in this post-apocalyptic and futuristic universe. Not to mention that Katsuhiro Otomo doesn’t take you by the hand as he tells this story. The pieces of the puzzle slowly crawl out of the ruins of Tokyo and further tease the readers of what the story is all about. In fact, the biggest question that torments the reader is who or what Akira is, and that’s what I loved about this first of six volumes. It throws you around maniacally without any care for your understanding, yet you love every second of it.

The characters in this story are intriguing in their own rights, but there was still more fleshing out that could’ve been done before or during this volume. Tetsuo’s and Kaneda’s friendship is one that should’ve been further explored before the game-changing moment took place. Their relationship plays a big role in some of the confrontations that take place and the emotional impact wished for these moments weren’t as powerful as they could’ve been if the reader had more knowledge of how close they actually were. There is also the introduction of a secret organization and their mission that is teased here, but there development wasn’t as necessary as the tease in itself was enough to keep me hooked for what they have planned in the long run. A resistance group is also however introduced and they were even more mysterious than the evil organization which sort of bugged me considering that they seemed like the good guys, yet you have no clue what they really want. At least one thing’s for sure, Katsuhiro Otomo knows how to get you hooked. His artwork alone does the job.

Akira (Vol. 1) is a wild and mysterious look at a post-apocalyptic and futuristic world where a surge in psychic powers among people announces the beginning of something terrible.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/ ...more

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Nov 13, 2018 Calzean rated it it was ok

Shelves: graphic-novel, author-japan, culture-japan

Lots of action based in a Tokyo post WWIII. The Government is up to something, there is a gang trying to stop something and a band of juveniles who are taking something. I assume this is the first in the series that will get better and better with the first one leaves a lot of dangling questions.

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Dec 01, 2011 Petros rated it really liked it

VALUE SECTION: 10/10
Analysis: Historical Value 3/3, Rereadability 3/3, Memorability 4/4

Amongst the most classic manga titles of all times, Akira has passed in history as one of the best dystopian/apocalyptic titles of all times, not only because of its detailed artwork but also because of its themes, angst-ridden characters, and grotesque action/transformation scenes.

ART SECTION: 8/10
Analysis: General Artwork 2/2, Character Figures 1/2, Backgrounds 2/2, Readability 2/2, Visual Effects 1/2

I ...more

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Jan 03, 2019 Morgan rated it really liked it

Shelves: borrowed-read, borrowed-comics

I feel like if I had the full series this would be a full five star review. This volume I'm giving four because it ends abortively and I don't have the other volumes. At times I thought the translation was a little choppy too. I have seen the movie and liked that better. Hopefully some day I'll get to read the whole thing.

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May 06, 2015 Rebecca McNutt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This strange sci-fi dystopian manga takes place in Neo-Tokyo, a thriving city built from the ruins of Tokyo after World War Three. But Tetsuo and Kaneda, two punk teens in a biker gang, find themselves caught up in government corruption, scientific experimentation, paranormal power and frightening secrets when they encounter the obscure truths of Akira.

Just who or what is Akira? Well, this first volume is much more detailed than the 1988 animated film adaptation, to say the least, and it was ...more

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Aug 05, 2016 Andrew rated it really liked it

Shelves: comics, manga

The "edgy" antisocial vibe hasn't aged particularly well, but the art is timeless. Otomo draws bodies in motion better than any other cartoonist I can think of, and the extended chase sequence in the middle of this volume is an absolute masterpiece. I'm excited to keep reading this series, and hoping it develops more of the political/moral/emotional weight that's hinted at underneath the layers of nihilist chic.

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Sep 04, 2018 Michael Sorbello rated it liked it

Not too into it. The action is great, but so far that’s the only thing I’m impressed with. None of the characters had a chance to develop or catch my interest.

I don’t know what the plot is supposed to be about. Too many whacky hijinks for such serious subject matter. Too vague and a little too heavy on foreshadowing.

I’ve never seen the film, but I’ve heard some pretty fantastic things about this series. I’m willing to read on.

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Jul 10, 2019 amanda ✧ rated it liked it

lit rally reread the whole thing in the subway. fun.

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Oct 24, 2007 Andy Karlson rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: post-apocalypticists

What I learned from this book: Psychokinesis is rad, but don't do drugs in a vain attempt to control your burgeoning powers: it'll only make things worse.

This ...I can't even call it a comic book--its 6 books take up more than a foot of my shelf space--this epic tome is almost too much to write about. It encompasses at least two Apocalypses, it grapples with huge themes and issues, leaves the reader to do much of the heavy lifting, demands multiple readings, and is just insanely detailed and ...more

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Dec 27, 2018 Jesús rated it really liked it

Shelves: comics-canon-review

[Comics Canon Review]

For many comics readers who grew up outside of Japan in the ‘80s, Akira was our introduction to manga (though, admittedly, we didn’t have much choice back then since it was one of the few English translations of manga to stay in print outside of East Asia). It was a big deal. Reading it now, it’s impossible to separate Akira from its context or from its equally impactful animated counterpart. All that I can really say is... it’s good?

This first volume is mostly ...more

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Apr 02, 2019 Eva rated it it was amazing

Shelves: manga-comics

I honestly can’t find anything to speak negatively of in Akira.

Without going into much detail, the plot starts off with telling the story of unruly teens in a bike gang living in the futuristic Neo-Tokyo, 30 years after World War III during which some huge strange bomb exploded in Japan. One of them has a crash because of some weird kid with psychic powers. Their lives get thoroughly fucked by this in the long run.

The story was incredibly gripping and fast paced. Huge props to Otomo for making I honestly can’t find anything to speak negatively of in Akira.

Without going into much detail, the plot starts off with telling the story of unruly teens in a bike gang living in the futuristic Neo-Tokyo, 30 years after World War III during which some huge strange bomb exploded in Japan. One of them has a crash because of some weird kid with psychic powers. Their lives get thoroughly fucked by this in the long run.

The story was incredibly gripping and fast paced. Huge props to Otomo for making all the characters look distinct and talk and behave differently. Even if you forget someone’s name, you know who they are. I’m stressing this because it’s something that’s been missing from other manga I’ve read in recent times, and it really helps making the story not confusing.

The settings are very well presented, with the scenarios speaking for their own little stories. Takes me back to watching Blade Runner or playing some sections of Deus Ex: HR, although I’d say Neo-Tokyo never felt as oppressing and dystopian as the settings from those 2. Either due to the youth of many characters or the sunny weather. No one ever considered giving up, everyone strode forward in their paths without much complaint.

The art style looks gorgeous, even in plain black and white. Many comics benefit from their coloured versions but Otomo shows here great use of contrast, lines of action, and just general spatial awareness, so I never felt wanting for some colours to aid me in my reading.
One might even say the coloured version detracts from the original feel of the manga. It certainly doesn’t feel the same. But you should look at both versions and decide for yourself.

Going back to Otomo’s great composition skills, I must say it’s been a long time since I read a comic where NOT ONCE did I get confused about action scenes! Everything flows incredibly well, not just for close quarters action but also during the bike scenes, even when the characters were driving like rats in a maze.

He also manages to do great storytelling without any text. Granted, this is an action story, but the various climaxes are very well delivered just via visuals.

I know I rambled too much about the art but I want to stress that Akira has a definite cinematic feel to it. It's not a story that should be told in text alone. I'd say it's one of those works that can't be separated from its medium. It's not really Akira without the pacing of turning pages, and it's not Akira without the visual impact from 2-page landscapes of eeriely silent destruction. ...more

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Apr 24, 2017 Lisa rated it liked it

3.5 stars
I haven't read any Manga before so this is new to me and it did take a bit of getting used to - I did get a bit lost in places. I think I need to pay more attention to the pictures rather than relying on the words for all the info as I would normally.
I enjoyed it though and will order volume 2 from the library right now!

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Jul 10, 2018 Yash Sinojia rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller, dystopia, sci-fi, have-watched-adaptation, manga

The symphonic suite of Yamashirogumi added much grit to the vibes of neo-Tokyo in the adaptation and due to some other factors and scenes, I think the movie was better. Nonetheless, the adrenaline rush here.

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Jun 07, 2017 L. McCoy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: action, srp-2017, crime, borrowed, comics-and-graphic-novels, creator-owned, sci-fi, reviewed, favorites, manga

Oh. My. Gosh. I have a new favorite manga! So I just finished reading the first volume of Akira (this) and it's considered a classic manga. Now, I expected it to be similar to the movie (which is also awesome and definitely worth your time) but wow, it's a lot different and even better! So good! Amazing artwork and action scenes! Great story and interesting characters. If I had any complaints it's that my local library probably won't let me keep it :)

Must read! 5 stars!

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Oct 14, 2016 Michael Finocchiaro rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels

One of the genre-defining classics of manga, Akira is 100% adrenaline rush cover to cover. Beautifully drawn with fascinating characters, it is the unavoidable stop on your road to anime goodness!

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Tertulia de cienc...: Tertulia de diciembre - Akira	1	1	Jul 01, 2018 08:27AM
Book Review: Akira, Volume 1	1	7	Oct 31, 2017 11:25AM
IGGPPC Iggle Book...: January 2016 Manga: Akira, Vol. 1	3	13	Jan 26, 2016 11:17AM
Manga Manga Manga: Akira	2	9	Apr 01, 2015 02:48PM
Live action soon....NO. Thoughts?	25	54	Jul 18, 2014 03:56AM

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About Katsuhiro Otomo

Katsuhiro Otomo

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Katsuhiro Otomo (大友克洋, Otomo Katsuhiro) is a Japanese manga artist, film director, and screenwriter. 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 Katsuhiro Otomo (大友克洋, Otomo Katsuhiro) is a Japanese manga artist, film director, and screenwriter. 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. ...more

Other books in the series

Akira: 6 Volumes (6 books)

Books by Katsuhiro Otomo

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Trivia About Akira, Vol. 1

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Quotes from Akira, Vol. 1

“Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter...No Women's Bathroom” — 8 likes

“What a disgrace! They were afraid...ashamed...they chose to conceal it...they buried the roots of a Great Civilization...they lacked the courage to go further...and turned their backs on what science had to offer them...and tried to seal away forever the hole they had torn open with their own hands.” — 7 likes

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