Akira (manga)

Akira () is a cyberpunk manga by Katsuhiro Otomo. In 1988 an anime film based on the series was made, also called Akira. Akira is seen by the manga/anime community as an introductory to both mediums. The film was indeed the forerunner for further Japanese animation success outside of its regular domain. Moreover, it was one of the first anime's to be reviewed (and well received) by Roger Ebert.

Compared with the film, the manga is an epic which further examines its themes of social isolation, corruption and power. The manga also takes place in a larger timeframe and involves a wider array of characters and subplots.

History

The manga originally began publication in 1982 in Japan's Young Magazine and finally concluded in July 1990. The collected manga totalled over 2000 pages and was released in 6 volumes by Kodansha. In 1988, it was published for the first time in the U.S. by Epic Comics, a division of Marvel Comics. This colorized, and heavily edited English version ended its 38-issue run in 1995. An English version of the 6 volume collection was released in the USA in 2000 by Dark Horse Comics.

Plot summary

Book One

The story begins with a prologue of sorts, detailing the events leading up to the main plot. In December 1992, a unexplained but destructive explosion completely destroyed Tokyo, Japan. Believed to be the work of a new type of nuclear bomb, it leads to the start of World War III. Because of the mention of a "2000 accord" later in the story, it can be assumed that the war didn't end until the year 2000.

The story really starts over thirty years in the future, in the year 2030. Tokyo has been resurrected as the futuristic metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, which stands on a manmade island in Tokyo Bay. Shotaro Kaneda, a teenage deliquent who leads a motorcycle gang, trespasses into the "old city" - the dead ruins of Tokyo. After stopping at the "Heart of Destruction" - the giant crater left by the 1992 event, and the future site of the next Olympic Games - that the gang decides to leave to go to their favorite hangout. It's then that Kaneda's best friend, Tetsuo Shima, finds what seems to be a small child in his path. Just as Tetsuo is about to hit the child, his motorcycle explodes, leaving him badly wounded. Kaneda confronts the child, but finds that the seemingly six-year-old boy has the face of an old man, and has the number 26 tattooed to his palm. The child then disappears before Kaneda's very eyes.

It is then that a group of soldiers arrive at the crash site and take Tetsuo into custody. Kaneda and his gang are arrested, but are later released. The next day, they spend all day trying to find out Tetsuo's wherabouts, but find none.

Book Two

The second book starts where the first left off, with Tetsuo being taken away by on board a helicopter by the Colonel. Kaneda and Kei are arrested by the military. They are taken to the army's skyscraper headquarters in Neo-Tokyo and taken to separate rooms, waiting for interrogation. Tetsuo's bullet wound has healed miraculously quickly, despite the fact he was shot just hours earlier, amazing the Doctor and the Colonel. He is given intelligence tests as he recovers. Tetsuo grows out of control and the Colonel attempts to use SOL, a military satellite, to kill Tetsuo. He succeeds in only destroying Tetsuo's arm.

Book Three

We continue with SOL's continuing destruction. Tetsuo disappears in the onslaught, with Kaneda, Kei, and Akira in tow, go into hiding with an apparent relative of Kei's named Aunt Chiyoko. Neo-Tokyo is still under Code Seven lockdown, and sphere-like police robots called "Caretakers" patrol the streets, brutally blasting looters with lasers.

The Code Seven Alert ends and the government declares martial law on Neo-Tokyo. Ryu meets up with Nezu and tells him about what happened at the military compound.

The Colonel captures Kaneda, Kei, Chiyoko, and Akira. The other children like Akira goes with him and greets him. Nezu tries to kill Akira with a gun, but misses and kills Takashi. This causes Akira's "bomb" which destroys Neo-Toyko. Kaneda disappears in the bomb. When The bomb ends, Akira sits on a stone with water surrounding him. Tetsuo appears! They both rise in the air...

Book Four

It has been an unknown length of time since Akira's destruction of Neo-Tokyo, and much has happened. The ruins of the city are now split between two cult-like factions. One is led by Lady Miyako at her ruined temple, where she gives food and shelter to the teeming masses of refugees. It is here that kaneda, Kei, Chiyoko and others will rally in their fight against the other faction that has formed at the other side of the city.

The other is called "The Great Tokyo Empire," which is led by Akira seated as a purely symbolic "emperor" figure. The real power is excercised by Tetsuo who serves as prime minister aided by a fanatical lieutenant who carries out Tetsuo's orders with great zeal. Backing them is an rag tag army of ex-military/police/thugs as well as a powerful squad of telekentics trained by Tetsuo and his aide to serve as shock troops/bodyguards for the Great Tokyo Empire elite. Tetsuo also acquires a caretaker of sorts in the form of a young girl named Kaori who is the only survivor of a inadverdant psychic attack by Tetsuo during an orgy of sex and drugs.

During this time the two sides clash repeatedly as upsets in the Great Tokyo Empires power structure (brought down by Tetsuo's determination to sever his addiction to the drugs which keep his awesome powers in check) leads to open war on Lady Miyako.

After a foiled kidnapping attempt of the child psychics in the care of Kay and Chiyoko, Tetsuo's Lieutant forms a rag tag army backed by a squad of psychics and marches on Miyako's temple. The following battle is rife with bloodshed and destruction as the Great Tokyo Empire penetrates the temples interior massacuring monks and refugees alike as they seek the child-like psychics in Miyakos care. After a tense showdown, Kay and Miyako are able to repel the invaders and all seems well for the time being.

Enraged at their humiliating defeat, Tetsuo's Lieutenant vows "We're going back there in ONE hour!" Regrouping and arming themselves with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, a second attack is launched that forces Kay and Miyako to seek refuge in a fortified temple tower where the encounter Tetsuo who by this point is in immense pain from drug withdrawel. Tetsuo demands drugs from Miyako who rebukes him harshly.

At that same moment, the Colonel who has come to the temple to deliver one of his former child psychics to Lady Miyako for proper medical care, is waylaid by a squad of the Tokyo Empires soldiers (led by a thug speaking only in rhymes). Discovering the ailing psychic in his care, they demand his surrender but not before the Colonel unleashes his secret weapon.

Prior to his journey, a former government scientist rigged a remote control trigger that allows the bearer to onleash the awesome power of the SOL weapon system on it's intended target. The Colonel brings it to bear on his aggressors with devstating results. Cutting through the sky, the laser bolt completely obliterates a massive section of the battlefield throwing attackers and defenders completely off balance.

Tetsuo, witnessing the blast, is thrown into a massive state of panic which in turn triggers a massive psychic exertion. A "hole" is torn in the sky from which portions of the skyscrapers that were consumed by Akiras blast that destroyed Neo-Tokyo begin to crash down. Falling among this rubble can be seen numerous living people including KANEDA! The young man miraculously lands safely while nothing but destruction fills the scene around him.

When the smoke clears, the battle is over. Miyakos temple has survived the chaos, the Great Tokyo Empire is in full retreat and all settles into relative calm for the time being.

From the rubble emerges a dazed and confused Kaneda who simply utters...

"Is it over?"

Book Five

The American naval fleet lingers outside of the ruins of the city, where an international team of scientists (including one from the Soviet Union) meet up on the fleet's flagship aircraft carrier to discuss and study the recent psychic events in Neo-Tokyo. They decide to name their project "Juvenile A," in reference to Akira. Lady Miyako decides to use Kei to destroy Tetsuo, but Kaneda finds out, and in a reckless decision goes off to kill Tetsuo before Kei.

Book Six

Tetsuo increases in power, causing him to mutate into a huge grotesque, swelling, bio-mechanical monster. He begins to destroy Neo-Toyko once again, but Akira absorbs the telekenetic energy and stops Tetsuo, causing him to turn back into human form.

Kaneda and his motorcycle gang start a new country, and as depicted in the book's closing pages, Tokyo is rebuilt from the rubble.

Additional material

A short story called 'Candy Flower Napalm', written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Terry Shoemaker, was published in Akira #38 of the Epic Comics' release. The story retells Lady Miyako's dream she had whilst laying in a coma. The dream is a vision of the future (told in the books, seeing as this vision occurred in the past) and shows, amongst other stuff, Tetsuo, the use of drugs and destruction.

Themes

Power

Akira, like Otomo's other work (such as Domu), revolves around the basic idea of individuals with superhuman powers, in particular psychokinetic abilities, but much of the story does not focus on these abilities themselves, but rather the people involved, social issues and the political ramifications of their existence. The social commentary is not particularly deep or philosophical, but rather a wry look at youth alienation, government corruption and inefficiency, and a military grounded in old-fashioned Japanese honor, displeased with the compromises of modern society.

Awards

The series has won a great deal of recognition in the industry, including a nomination for the Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work in 2002.

Book references

Akira, Volume 1 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1569714983 Release: December 2000
Akira, Volume 2 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1569714991 Release: March 2001
Akira, Volume 3 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1569715254 Release: June 2001
Akira, Volume 4 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1569715262 Release: September 2001
Akira, Volume 5 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1569715270 Release: December 2001
Akira, Volume 6 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1569715289 Release: March 2002

References

Dutch comic information magazine Zozolala

External links

AKIRA 2019: Katsuhiro Otomo's Manga Akira, review and information.
An Introduction to Akira
Akira manga review at Mangareviewer.com
Blue Blade Akira
Chris and Dave's unofficial Akira webpage The story 'Candy Flower Napalm' can be found here

Cyberpunk | Science fiction manga | Science fiction comics | Dark Horse titles | Epic Comics titles

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