Akira
 

I'll just throw it out there. It's a great start to "modern" anime. It's how anime should be. The special effects are great (especially the battles involving a superpowered Tetsuo). It definately put Disney in its place.
It showed many first time anime viewers adult animation didn't need just to be funny (like in the Simpsons or Family Guy, most American animation aimed at adults fails to take itself seriously).

*praises you* this is my most favorite anime/movie in general/ everything of all time u.u. i think its time for an av and sig .

im curious about the manga. how different is it ?

I don't know, but the Wikipedia article says the manga runs until 1990, a full two years after the movie came out. That could mean extra story, which is good for diehards.
I wish more cel based animation would aspire to the qulality Akira does. Naruto could learn a lesson or two from them how to handle environments and action.

The manga opens up a whole new world to the AKIRA universe. It goes in depth of AKIRA was formed and gives a whole new light to Kaneda's gang. If you pay close attention, there are quite a few (well a hell of a lot) of differences between this six part manga and the 2 hour movie.

Yeah, the first book doesn't even scratch the surface of AKIRA, that's how detailed the Manga is. Let me see if I can dig up an old BT of the manga. It's a huge file though.

How far in the series does the anime go? I'd like to read from the cutoff (or beginning if possible) to see what happens after the movie.

im kinda curious of Kaneda and Kei(Kay) . did they get together in the manga? if you do find a bt on it. post it please.

The manga and the movie do end up somewhat similiar.

Go to isohunt --> search up "AKIRA + manga" --> select the AKIRA MANGA US BW COMPLETE with 860 MB. You'll also need "CDisplay" to view the pages.

Akira is the second anime film I saw and it fucking BLEW ME AWAY. I watched it when I was a high school freshman in 1994 (and coincidentally, I was a fucking nerd back then too.) and it was this aural and visual mindfuck that I'd never been exposed to before.

Best phrase to describe it: "culture shell-shock"

I mean, I had seen Grave of the Fireflies before that, but this was on a whole new level of animation, music-to-setting juxtaposition and graphic violence. My one and ONLY gripe about AKIRA was that it had this really fast paced begginning where you kind of had to have read the manga if you really wanted to know what was going on and I really felt, as the viewer, that I hit the ground running when I watched it the first time.

Nonetheless; AKIRA is, by far, one of my favorite anime films and will remain so for many years to come. :D

Yeah I know I was bad. Today was the first time I watch Akira... yeah! I got the original not long ago but never had time to watch it. I have to say that it's great for anime made so long ago. Plot and everything just makes you want more!!

After all it's not my favorite anime movie and I don't think it can beat Cowboy Bebop in my fav anime list. Anyway it's great movie that all anime fans NEED to see.

I never really was able to follow it properly. As a result, it didn't play a part in my discovery of anime. Sometimes I wonder if I should watch it again, but there's so much other good stuff now.

I've always liked the AKIRA manga more as well; it is, again, the sheer detail of the manga when compared to the movie is far greater. (Then again, the movie is only two hours long...)
Don't get me wrong, the movie is still equally as great in its own respects. (Plus, existentialism is fun~ Well, something like that.)

I think that AKIRA would be my first official step into anime about 1998 or so. I've seen other anime movies at that time in English dub on the Space channel here in Canada, but after renting AKIRA, I was like, HOT DAMN. Little did I know at that time that it was based off of a manga, a term which was foreign to me back then. Honestly though, I only became somewhat more familiar with anime on a regular basis probably around 2003-2004ish when my friends were talking about it. 2005 was a flipping huge year for my anime viewership though. At any rate, back to AKIRA.

KANNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEDAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

TETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOO!!!! !!!!!!!

Akira was excellent. Kaneda was nothing less of badass. Though the movie seemed weird, especially leading to the end and the end itself, I still found it quite enjoyable.

the beginning part of akira was the best introduction compare to other animes today. they just dont make'em like they used to..

AKIRA was one of the first animes I ever saw, and I loved it. I always wanted to read the manga but then at £20 or so per book... I'm not made of money >.<

There is a decently seeded torrent available if you don't mind torrents or reading on your computer.

ahh very much appreciated, S.knight

Akira is, in my opinion the anime movie standard. If you are any sort of an anime fan, you have to see this movie. Deep, involving storyline, awesome battles, and even pretty good dubbing.

Hail Akira!

I really don't know.

I respect the movie tons, but I really don't like it all that much.

At least when dubbed into English, it has to be one of the vaguest and most incoherent movies I've ever seen. Seriously, I didn't understand shit once giant teddy bears and pale blue kids started showing up.

Cut to the last scene with Tetsuo somehow flying through space.

I belive Akira is one of the most overrated animes ever. I found it boring and the art was ugly. I think it got so big just because it was one of the first animes to ever come over to the western world. Im not saying it's bad but not as godly as everyone makes it to be.

well if its about animation then some of you probably seen the large improvement that was in Steamboy. another good movie and story by Katsuhiro.

i think im'a buy the whole manga of akira cause i found a shelf-full of them. lucky me >.>. and from what i see, tetsuo looks more dangerous in it..besides the disgusting blob that he became in the movie. the manga design looks moreimpressive.

edit : also. i alwasy thought the dubbing for the movie was perfect. they took their time really well with it and chose the right actors for it. if i remember, wendy lee did the voice of Kay . not bad.

Back when akira got released it was probably more ahead of its time. The flow of the animation was very smooth and even the dubbed voices weren't bad at all.
Although it may be a little overated it can still pull off some things that anime's today cant pull off, like a really nice bike gang battle ^_^

I first saw Akira years ago, I was around 10 at the time and could not believe what I was seeing. I remember it being late at night too and walking away with a very weird feeling. To this day, I only watch Akira at like 3 in the morning and STILL walk away with a weird feeling (somewhere between satisfaction and curiosity).

Well seeing Tetsuo morph into a giant blob isn't exactly viewer friendly past midnight. *who's there*.