NoaIzumiManga Review: Akira
December 19th 2008 01:13
Tokyo, 1984: The city is destroyed by a blast of unknown origin triggering World War III. Neo-Tokyo, 2030: Out of the ashes, a new city has arisen. Streetwise teenage friends Kaneda and Tetsuo live in that city, but when Tetsuo starts developing strange powers after a motorcycle accident, everything changes. Their journey will take them to the heart of the old city and beyond, as they seek the truth of what happened all those years ago, and the secret of the monstrous being known only as … Akira.
All but the greenest fans at least know of the film Akira, and it’s probably responsible for the greatest number of people getting into anime than any other single factor. The manga may not be quite as significant to its medium’s history, but it is every bit as good.
If not better. The manga has the advantage of being a fairly long one, so it can cover a lot more territory than the movie had time for. Basically, the movie is the first half of the manga series, ending the same way the series did. The first half of the manga ends with the second awakening of Akira and the destruction of Neo-Tokyo, but then the second half deals with the aftermath of that event. The ruins of the city are full of refugees, and a new political entity has arisen, calling itself the Great Tokyo Empire. The Empire has Akira as a figurehead, but is really run by Tetsuo and his lackeys. Tetsuo is still trying to figure out the extent of his new-found powers, and everyone else from the first half is trying to figure out how to stop him. And the American military’s involved, too. If Akira is symbolic of the nuclear bomb, the ruins of Neo-Tokyo are symbolic of postwar Japan. And the last panel calls to mind the Japanese miracle of the 1960s.
The length also allows for more characterization. We get more insight into the main character Kanada, not all of it positive. Lady Miyaka, who was reduced to a cameo role in the movie (and apparently turned into a man for some reason), plays a much greater part throughout the manga. Joker, the leader of the Clown gang who was only seen in the beginning of the movie, becomes an ally in the fight against Tetsuo in the finale. Kei’s resistance group has more depth in the manga, and includes a warrior woman named Chiyoko who was cut out of the movie entirely, but is very important here. Koari, Tetsuo’s girlfriend in the movie, has about the same amount of time here, but her role is different (although her emotional importance is the same).
As with the movie, it may take more than one reading to fully understand the story, although the manga, having more space, does a better job of explaining everything. I would have liked to have seen more explanation of the resistance group, but you know enough for the story, and it’s a minor complaint. Also as with the movie, there is a fair amount of gore, although not as much, and it’s not as graphic on the black-and-white page as it is on color film. So if you want to see Akira, but are the type that’s a little put off by blood and body parts (don’t feel bad about it; I am, too), then the manga would be a good choice for you.
Great moments: Any scene with Chiyoko; she kicks ass!
Summary: Very well done, with an involved story, interesting characters, and a good amount of action. Grade: A minus
Age rating: 16 and up, for violence and gore.
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