Akira

Overview

One of the best-known examples of contemporary Japanese animation, this cyberpunk adventure takes place in the post-apocalyptic city of Neo-Tokyo. A teen-age boy is exposed to a mysterious energy source and develops telekinetic powers that place him at the center of a conflict that may destroy the world.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/12/2013
UPC:	0704400094194
Original Release:	1988
Rating:	R
Source:	Funimation Prod
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:04:00
Sales rank:	539

Special Features

The 25th anniversary edition includes all three audio tracks: the remastered Japanese (2009), the original english (1988), & the remastered english (2001).; ; Extras include:; Original trailers; Original commercials; U.S. trailer (2013); Trailers

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Mitsuo Iwara	Kaneda (Japanese Version)
Nozomu Sasaki	Tetsuo (Japanese Version)
Mami Koyama	Kei (Japanese Version)
Taro Ishida	Watanabe (Japanese Version)
Mitsuo Iwata	Actor
Hiroshi Ôtake	Actor
Kôichi Kitamura	Actor
Michihiro Ikemizu	Actor
Masaaki Ôkura	Actor
Kazumi Tanaka	Actor
Masayuki Katô	Actor
Masato Hirano	Actor
Cameron Clarke	Kaneda (Streamline English version)
Jan Rabson	Tetsuo (Streamline English Version)
Lara Cody	Kei (Streamline English version)
Masaaki Ohkura	Yamagata (Japanese Version)
Tony Pope	Yamagata (Streamline English Version)
Barbara Goodson	Kaori (Streamline English Version)
Yuriko Fuchizaki	Kaori (Japanese Version)
Yôsuke Akimoto	Store Owner (Japanese Version)
Yasuko Ohno	Girl C (Japanese Version)
Takeshi Kusao	Kai (Japanese Version)
Bob Bergen	Masaru (Streamline English Version)
Drew Thomas	Ryu (Streamline English Version)
Jimmy Flanders	Actor
Stanley Gurd, Jr.	Actor
Barbara Larsen	Actor
Lewis Lemay	Actor
Simon Prescott	The Doctor (Animaze English Version)
Tessho Genda	Ryu
Mizuho Suzuki	Doctor
Tatsuhiko Nakamura	Takashi No. 26
Sachie Ito	Voices
Kazuhiro Kando	Voices
Tsutomu Tatsumi	Actor
Shoji Yamashiro	Composer

Technical Credits

Katsuhiro Otomo

Katsuhiro Ôtomo

Izô Hashimoto

Katsuhiro Otomo	Director,Screenwriter,Producer
Shunzo Kato	Producer,Producer
Sawako Noma	Executive Producer,Producer
Ryohei Susuki	Producer
Katsuhiro Ôtomo	Director,Screenwriter
Izô Hashimoto	Screenwriter,Screenwriter
Ryohei Suzuki	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Anime has had a devoted following since its beginnings, but it didn't have much crossover appeal in the U.S. until Akira came along. The drawing style was always respected for its distinctive characteristics -- the large soulful eyes, the expressive color, the jagged representation of fantasy worlds. But it fell short of true sophistication, since many of the drawings had the herky-jerky quality that comes from animating fewer backgrounds or character movements than necessary for a seamless flow, usually for reasons of speed or poverty. Akira represented a fully realized anime film, both smooth in its appearance and coherent in its narrative, and the result was to awaken the affections of fans outside the anime kingdom. It's a thoroughly unsubtle film, with big explosions, mystical platitudes, and hysterical emotions, but it is also visually glorious in a way that far outdistanced its predecessors. Akira is never going to win converts beyond a certain age -- the overblown, angst-ridden plot, which stretches on for over two hours, is best lapped up by wide-eyed teenagers. But this brash, brave effort to bring anime to the outside world is remarkable in how well it achieved that goal, and how greatly it exceeded the modest expectations of its brethren.