In a gaming magazine I read about anime, japanese style animation with adult themes and great stories. And it has come to Sweden. In a shop I find a few imported VHS-tapes, I buy a few and Akira is the first one I watch.
It cannot be overstated how much this movie really blew my mind. It was a cartoon, but it had violence and blood and a deep and interesting story. The animation was detailed and fluent and the music was fantastic.
But how well does it do today, after the initial shock?
Story:
The story is interesting enough and has a few tricks up its sleeves. It's not the most cerebral story ever and it's not terribly original, but it works well and it holds on to you.
Art:
There is really nothing about the art I can complain about. When I still had it on VHS, I actually replayed a short scene where a smoke bomb goes off just to see how good it looked. Sure, I've seen a lot of movies having the same quality since, but few of them are as good in presenting an overall mood as Akira. The palette really works for this movie.
Sound:
Most sounds in the movie are good, but not anything you notice a lot. But the music - the haunting music. It is perhaps one of the greatest soundtracks I've ever heard. It fits in so well with the movie and is yet outstanding on its own. Few other soundtracks even get close to this.
Character:
The characters are believable, but they may seem a bit bland at times. But this is not a movie primarily about characters. It may seem to be a movie about Kaneda and Tetsuo, but that plot only serves to carry the bigger questions found in the movie. The characters aren't the greatest ones ever made, but they're good enough.
Enjoyment / Overall:
I've always enjoyed watching this. A good pacing, an interesting story, nice visuals and fantastic music all adds up to a great movie. It led me into the world of anime and manga and to a certain degree, it has shaped my life.
Perhaps a few lines can be written about how it compares to the manga. In short, it doesn't. They are two different (although similar) stories with the same characters. Both are great and can be enjoyed on their own. They don't go together or complement each other, but that is no reason to skip out on either.
