Akira [Blu-ray]: Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Mitsuo Iwata, Tesshô Genda, Hiroshi Ôtake, Kôichi Kitamura, Michihiro Ikemizu, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Masaaki Ôkura, Tarô Arakawa, Takeshi Kusao, Kazumi Tanaka, Katsuhiro Ôtomo, Haruyo Kanesaku, Hiroe Tsukamoto, James Yosuke Kobayashi, Ryohei Suzuki, Sawako Noma, Izô Hashimoto: Movies & TV

Mar14

Akira [Blu-ray]: Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Mitsuo Iwata, Tesshô Genda, Hiroshi Ôtake, Kôichi Kitamura, Michihiro Ikemizu, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Masaaki Ôkura, Tarô Arakawa, Takeshi Kusao, Kazumi Tanaka, Katsuhiro Ôtomo, Haruyo Kanesaku, Hiroe Tsukamoto, James Yosuke Kobayashi, Ryohei Suzuki, Sawako Noma, Izô Hashimoto: Movies & TV

Posted by admin | on 14 March, 10:07 PM

Amazon.com essential video
Artist-writer Katsuhiro Ôtomo began telling the story of Akira as a comic book series in 1982 but took a break from 1986 to 1988 to write, direct, supervise, and design this animated film version. Set in 2019, the film richly imagines the new metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, which is designed from huge buildings down to the smallest details of passing vehicles or police uniforms. Two disaffected orphan teenagers–slight, resentful Tetsuo and confident, breezy Kaneda–run with a biker gang, but trouble grows when Tetsuo start to resent the way Kaneda always has to rescue him. Meanwhile, a group of scientists, military men, and politicians wonder what to do with a collection of withered children who possess enormous psychic powers, especially the mysterious, rarely seen Akira, whose awakening might well have caused the end of the old world. Tetsuo is visited by the children, who trigger the growth of psychic and physical powers that might make him a superman or a supermonster. As befits a distillation of 1,318 pages of the story so far, Akira is overstuffed with character, incident, and detail. However, it piles up astonishing set pieces: the chases and shootouts (amazingly kinetic, amazingly bloody) benefit from minute cartoon detail that extends to the surprised or shocked faces of the tiniest extra; the Tetsuo monster alternately looks like a billion-gallon scrotal sac or a Tex Avery mutation of the monster from The Quatermass Experiment; and the finale–which combines flashbacks to more innocent days with a destruction of Neo City and the creation of a new universe–is one of the most mind-bending in all sci-fi cinema. –Kim Newman

On the Blu-ray Disc
Often described as the movie that created a mass audience for Japanese animation in America, Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira (1988) has been eagerly awaited on Blu-Ray. The film has been remastered for 1080p HD, which showcases Otomo’s flamboyant palette and the translucent colors he uses for the opulent signage of Neo-Tokyo and the trails left by the thugs’ racing motorcycles. The film probably looks better in Blu-ray than it did in its initial release as dust, dirt and scratches have been digitally removed, and the state-of-the-art sampling and bit rates reveal previously undetectable elements in the complex soundtrack. There are fewer extras than 2001 Special Edition: two trailers, two teasers, a TV commercial, and 32-page color booklet. But the clarity of the Blu-ray transfer makes it easier to read Otomo’s storyboards. Akira remains a landmark film in the history of Japanese animation and anime fandom: the Blu-ray edition is a must-have not just for otaku, but for anyone interested in animation. (Rated R: Graphic violence, violence against women, brief nudity, profanity, grotesque imagery, tobacco and drug use) –Charles Solomon

Akira,

By William C. Waltzer (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Akira (DVD)

Akira is one of those movies that you never forget. The images are extremely powerful and graphic, so that they stick with you long after the movie is over. Despite its sometimes-confusing plot line, this movie is a wonderfully written, chilling look into the future, and into humanity as a whole. The movie more or less centers around a teenage biker gang in Neo-Tokyo, thirty-years after World War III. The main characters, Kaneda and Tetsuo, are two childhood friends who are constantly in competition with each other (Tetsuo being the weaker, taunted one.) Regardless, Tetsuo still looks up to Kaneda. As the introduction moves out of the chase scene, an interesting encounter with an odd looking child (who awakens the physic abilities lying dormant within Tetsuo’s mind) truly begins the movie.

The animation quality in this movie is almost enough of a reason to buy it. The detail is incredible, umparalled even by Disney?s standards. No one background or setting is used twice, and the environment is in constant change, be it blinking lights or a person exiting a random building. Oddly enough, the Bladerunner-esque buildings throughout the movie also help to establish the feeling of urgency, and the sensation of teetering on the edge of something great, something that we cannot possibly understand. The characters also move in a realistic, smooth motion, something that is missing from many anime television shows, like Pokemon or Digimon.

The music in this movie is also an aspect that really stands out, with a sound all its own. With this new DVD cleanup, you can hear every bell, whistle and drum beat. It sounds more Japanese than most animes out there, and that is not a bad thing. Every single song fits the actions incredibly well, from the haunting Requiem at the end, to the oddly infectious Japanese drums in Kaneda, heard during the motorcycle chase scene and credits of the movie. Hats off to Shoji Yamashiro.

The voice acting is good, but not great. I feel that the original dubbing job used voice actors much better suited to their animated counterparts. For example, Kaneda’s original voice actor fit his attitude well, as his voice had the same inflection and as a teenage boy’s does. The new voice actor, however, sounds like an adult trying to speak like a teenager. Tetsuo?s voice sometimes sounds a little off too, as the inflection in his words do not always coincide with the action on screen There is no mention of the original script or dub however, but there is a small interview with the English voice actors of Kaneda, Tetsuo, and Kei.

The extras on this DVD are excellent, with detailed information on how the music was created, the voice actors of both the English and Japanese scripts, and it also holds about 4,500 stills from the movie and the entire movie’s storyboard. The menus are easy to follow and understand, and contain colorful backgrounds with music-sound bites from the movie.

Overall, this DVD is a must have for any Sci-fi or animation fan. It shows the best of what anime has to offer. You will never forget the magnificent story, or the unforgettable characters that make this movie a classic, inside and outside of anime.

Remember though, this movie is NOT for young children and the squeamish. If your child is under the age of fifteen, or if you do not like the sight of blood and body parts, the movie is probably not for you.

Everything Falls Down,

By Marc Ruby™ “The Noh Hare™” (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Akira (DVD)

Akira is most frequently designated as one of the seminal anime films, like ‘Ghost in the Shell,’ which have done much to define the potential of the Japanese genre. By the making of this film, ‘Akira’ was already as very popular manga (by Katsuhiro Otomo). Its theme is one that recurs frequently in anime, the good and the bad of human ‘evolution.’

Neo Tokyo is Tokyo reborn on the ashes of the devastation of the next world war. Set in 2019, the city is already large, crowded, and apparently thriving. Yet, as you look at the details of this superbly animated film, it becomes obvious that something is seriously wrong. Discontent has fueled a rising level of social violent, motorcycle gangs make war on the streets, and if one listens carefully, one hears rumors about ‘Akira, a savior who wields tremendous powers.

Kanada and Tetsuo are bike gangers, friends since childhood. When a conflict with the clown gang turns ultra-rough, Tetsuo is injured, just as the appearance of a child-like stranger brings the army down on everyone. Tetsuo is carted off to a secret facility where the ‘examinations’ trigger the development of mental powers. Enraged by years of powerlessness, and fury at his captors Tetsuo uses his powers to search for Akira, leaving a massive trail of destruction through Neo Tokyo.

Kanada, the authorities, and a mysterious group of children struggle to prevent the impending apocalypse, but it is clear from the beginning that nothing will be left unchanged in a demonstration of the risks of granting powers to those who are not ready for them

‘Akira’ is an example of the power of animation, so finely grained that, wherever the eye rests, there is something to consider. While it still relies on non-stop action to carry it through, the characters, drawn from the dark side of the city are equally vivid. Typical of anime, the film drops the viewer into a whirlwind with little or no preparation, but I don’t really think the plot of the film is particularly hard to understand. One simply needs to ride with the action, and things gradually become clear.

The Grand Exalted Poobah of anime deserves it’s praise,

By Zack Davisson “All Good Things” (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Akira (Limited Special Edition Tin) (DVD)

"Akira" is one of those exceptional moments when an art form transcends itself and becomes something greater. It is one of the few anime’s to be viewed by the "mainstream." It defines animation in the way that "Watchmen" defines comic books, "The Empire Strikes Back" defines science fiction, or "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" defines wuxia, as something to strive for and not quite achieve. It is a watermark.

That’s some pretty flowery praise, but "Akira" deserves it. Inside this movie is some of the best, most crisp and exiting animation ever captured on film. There are so many stunning moments (the battle with the clowns, the sewer race, Tetsuo’s battle with the army, Kaneda’s race to save his friend, the background of Neo-Tokyo) backed up with an exceptional soundtrack that blends techno music with traditional Japanese styles. The story line is traditional anime, with an explosive mixture of youth and technology juxtaposed with the traditional need to impose order on chaos. The characters are both righteous and stupid, heroic and annoying, competent and naive. Ah heck, just watch it!

Seeing "Akira" get this collector’s edition DVD treatment is like seeing the Mona Lisa get her own room at the Louvre. All you can say is "it’s about time."Search Amazon.com: Akira [Blu-ray]: Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Mitsuo Iwata, Tesshô Genda, Hiroshi Ôtake, Kôichi Kitamura, Michihiro Ikemizu, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Masaaki Ôkura, Tarô Arakawa, Takeshi Kusao, Kazumi Tanaka, Katsuhiro Ôtomo, Haruyo Kanesaku, Hiroe Tsukamoto, James Yosuke Kobayashi, Ryohei Suzuki, Sawako Noma, Izô Hashimoto: Movies & TV from AmAzon

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