Akira
Edit
What would you like to edit?
 

Akira

Alternative Titles

Japanese: AKIRA
English: Akira
More titles

Information

Type: Manga
Volumes: 6
Chapters: 120
Status: Finished
Published: Dec 6, 1982 to Jun 11, 1990
Genres: Action Action, Award Winning Award Winning, Sci-Fi Sci-Fi
Theme: Gore Gore
Demographic: Seinen Seinen
Authors: Otomo, Katsuhiro (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 8.661 (scored by 4533945,339 users)
1 indicates a weighted score.
Ranked: #682
2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #91
Members: 137,212
Favorites: 6,659

Available At


Resources

8.66
Ranked #68Popularity #91Members 137,212
Add to My List
Volumes: /6
Chapters: /120

Synopsis

1988: It is World War III. Tokyo is decimated by a mysterious black explosion, unmatched in magnitude.

2019: Fast forward 31 years. Neo-Tokyo, hastily built on the ruins of old Tokyo, is a sprawling cityscape of neon extravaganza. It is a fusion of towering skyscrapers and cutting-edge technology that is permeated through and through with an explosive, hyper-violent cocktail of biker gangs, poverty, and revolutionaries. In this derelict metropolis live Tetsuo Shima and Shoutarou Kaneda, two bikers who are the best of friends and the fiercest of rivals, despite being affiliated with the same gang. Desperate to prove himself as Kaneda's equal, Tetsuo unwittingly pulls a stunt that culminates in the awakening of a cryptic existence that threatens to change both the face of Neo-Tokyo and the lives of those who call the city their home—the awakening of a government secret simply known as Akira.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Background

Akira won the 8th Kodansha Manga Award in the General category in 1984, the Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material in 1993, and was nominated for the Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work in 2002.

The series was published in English by Marvel Comics under the Epic Comics imprint as 38 fully colorized trade paperback volumes from 1988 to 1996. It was one of the first manga to be translated in its entirety. The publisher later collected into the series 10 volumes although incompletely. Dark Horse Comics republished Akira in its original six-volume format from December 13, 2000, to March 27, 2002. Kodansha Comics USA currently holds the license and republished the series from October 13, 2009, to April 12, 2011. The publisher later rereleased the series in a 35th-anniversary box set; the set contained six hardcover volumes in the original right-to-left reading format for the first time, as well as the artbook Akira Club. The manga was also published in Brazilian Portuguese by Editora Globo based on Marvel Comics' release from December 1990 to March 1998.

Characters

Chiyoko
Supporting
Kai
Supporting
Yamagata
Supporting
Kaori
Supporting
Kiyoko
Supporting

Reviews

Jul 27, 2016
I almost feel bad that, upon re-assessment, I found the classic "Akira" to be so flawed. The source material for the first anime I ever saw, I remembered pouring through these volumes the first time Dark Horse re-released them in their giant phone books. While my maturation of taste has definitely not rendered "Akira" unreadable by any means, I can't help but feel that there is just so much potential for this to be something that it ultimately failed to be.

Let's get started with the good:

The art for this entire series is impeccable. The character designs are spot-on, but what most impresses me are the ...
Aug 19, 2022
Mixed Feelings
InformativeInformative
Well-writtenWell-written
Oh boy. Re-reading this was eye-opening. It's been on my personal favourite list for decades, it was the first anime and manga I ever saw, so it'll always have a special place in my heart. I rewatched the movie on 4K bluray recently and it holds up well. The Akira Club artbook is also gorgeous. The manga though...

I'd recently bought all 6 volumes (the long-selling English ones by Kodansha), and was excited to re-read them for the first time since the late 1990s, but after reading one volume I was shocked to feel that nothing meaningful had happened. Despite the fact that the story is ...
Sep 12, 2019
If Akira was published today, I very much doubt it would get a fraction of the praise it now gets (even if it was updated to the "present time").
The good about this manga has already been told extensively, so I will talk about the bad.

Kaneda, one the main characters, is a normal human being, yet somehow he can wrestle with Superman, outsmart Batman, and overcome the Fates and the angels of Death. Additionally, he drives the fanciest motorcycles (and is the best rider, obviously), and gets the girl (another obviously, as all good heroes are supposed to get the girl). By the way, Kaneda is ...

Interest Stacks

Recommendations


Recent News

Katsuhiro Otomo Unveils 'Orbital Era' Anime Film, New 'Akira' Anime Adaptation

Katsuhiro Otomo Unveils 'Orbital Era' Anime Film, New 'Akira' Anime Adaptation

Prolific manga author and director Katsuhiro Otomo announced a new anime film titled Orbital Era at his Anime Expo panel on Thursday. The title marks Otomo's th...read more

North American Anime & Manga Releases for October

North American Anime & Manga Releases for October

Here are the North American anime & manga releases for October Week 1: October 3 - 9 Anime Releases Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibougamine Gakuen - Mirai-hen Comp...read more


Recent Forum Discussion

Poll: Akira Chapter 87 Discussion
supersayen - Nov 1, 2010
6 repliesby BartCreator »»
Jun 1, 7:32 PM
Poll: Akira Chapter 120 Discussion
linkjoker - Apr 17, 2017
17 repliesby almightybismarck »»
Feb 19, 8:18 AM
Poll: Akira Chapter 116 Discussion
GurschachX - Dec 6, 2023
1 repliesby almightybismarck »»
Feb 19, 8:06 AM
Poll: Akira Chapter 113 Discussion
GurschachX - Dec 6, 2023
3 repliesby almightybismarck »»
Feb 19, 2:50 AM
Akira ending
Jacky08 - Feb 14
3 repliesby Jacky08 »»
Feb 16, 12:59 PM

Recent Featured Articles

The Top 14 Series With The Best Manga Artwork Ever

The Top 14 Series With The Best Manga Artwork Ever

Manga that is rich in creativity, story and detail, draw us in, keep us hooked, and leave us wanting more. Let's take a special look at the series which have the most amazing artwork in all of manga.

by Rhiannone-10

824,715 views

The Top 10 Mature Manga

The Top 10 Mature Manga

Manga comes in all flavors and for all age groups. We're about to uncover some of the best mature manga which is just right for those in their late teens. Get ready to enter the world of seinen manga!