And there have been 2 different English versions of this Anime movie.
The Original translation that was in theatres all over was done under one company that eventually went broke. That translation and the voice actors were much better then the later.
Of course watching it in the original Japanese is best if you know Japanese.
But again the voice actors give a yet different feel then the later (and first) English translation voice overs.
A later movie Spriggan which seems similar but clearly a kind of a copy of much of whats going on is nothing compared to this.
Additionally if you watch the MANGA of the same title you will get yet a different story and feel. And that is really over the top great!
Again my rating of a 10 is based off the no longer available English translation and even the Japanese version.
This movie was way ahead of its time when it came out in the Early 90's and really put to shame all the other anime, and really made American animation look like a absolute JOKE.
This movie was noted for its use of computer assistance in the animation sequences that any animator at Disney or elsewhere take for granted.
If anyone gets ahold of the ORIGINAL English version I suggest re-watching if you ended up disappointed like me when the NEW Akira re-release occurred...
It is a fun roller coaster of a ride for a movie! The ideas on Psionics, general science, and just realism is real key to its success.
