Akira

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At the time of writing this I am on my fifth read of Akira. This review includes pros, cons, and some trigger/content warnings for the book.

Pros:
The art is nice I guess
The fast pace is enjoyable
Volume 2 is really good
Enjoyable and threatening villain
Fun characters
Some really cool body horror
Strong female characters
... Very well done fight scenes

Cons:
Handles rape really poorly (Multiple characters dating their rapist/attempted rapist)
Volume 3 has a weak villain
Character motivations tend to be unclear a lot
Characters lack depth
Despite being fun, the characters aren't likeable. I found myself many times throughout the book cheering for the protagonist to get beaten
Has many confusing moments that don't get explained like the end of volume 4

Trigger/content warnings:
Sexual assault (Once in volume 1 and a bunch in volume 4. None of the sa scenes contribute to the plot so all those scenes can be skipped without losing the plot)
Drug addiction and dependency (Mainly present in volume 1 and volume 4. Can't be skipped without losing the plot)
Graphic violence (Practically every volume. Shows up too much to be avoided)

This was the most boring manga I have ever read. If it wasn't for my horrible compulsion to finish reading what I started, I never would have seen this out to the end. The last volume kind of picked up the pace a little bit, but it wasn't good enough to save the rest of the horrid storyline. There was no point in the story where I thought "man I wonder what happens next?". The main characters are bland, compulsive, uninspiring, and frankly, stupid.

Why is this manga so highly rated? The bikers theme? The cyberpunk elements? The cool hardcover physical set?

Reading this manga ... was a massive waste of time. Steer clear.

Finishing Akira left me breathing a huge sigh of relief, not satisfaction. There's no getting around it, the manga is shockingly bad given its repute. Akira felt like one gigantic action sequence without ever stopping for a breath. It reminded me of the Æon Flux short "War," only extended into an insufferable 120 chapters. It was a huge chore following the paneling, and simply action for the sake of reaction ad nauseum. Characters ranged from forgettable to erratic, and the lore of the Akira world was nonexistent beyond its synopsis. Do not expect anything more than detailed backgrounds of destruction and rubble here.