AKIRA (1988) Retrospective / Review
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AKIRA (1988) Retrospective / Review
Get AKIRA on Bluray goo.gl/KZEeVa
Get the AKIRA Soundtrack here goo.gl/Ey50k1
Let's Play Channel
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Get AKIRA on Bluray goo.gl/KZEeVa
Get the AKIRA Soundtrack here goo.gl/Ey50k1
Oliver Harper awesome! Made some AMVs in honor of the film.
Hi I have this on the Blu-Ray and... Thanks for Recommending it and I might do a Review of it someday.
se nota que no sabes una mierda , primero mira la pelicula de macross de 1983-1984 y despues de sacarte el culo de las peliculas de disney habla y si no entendes traduci este comentario
@TheNewyorkdragon Watching this movie on acid would freak me the F out. LOL I hope you had a friend with you. :)
I felt bad when tetsuo's girl got crushed to death by him, that part messes with me
This was the first anime I ever saw an I caught it on late night cable in like 92 at four years old. I never forgot the moment tetsuos gf got squished. That part still gets to me today.
I remember a commercial on tv for a vhs manga club used to say "Akira, It makes Blade Runner look like Disney world"
which is true lol
I absolutely remember that!!!! EPIC!!!!
I love both Blade Runner and Akira. I recommend viewing the documentary "Dangerous Days" to appreciate the challenges the makers face while making Blade Runner.
I remember that one! That's also when anime was becoming mainstream at the time.
@@guitargodthor2b😊k h
KANNNEEEDAAAA!!!
TETTSUUOOOOOO!!!!
KANEEEEDAAAA!!!!!
+Facundo Brouwer (Xanork) stfu
SAAASSUUUUKEEE!!! Oops...wrong show
ATHRUUUUNNN!!!
KIRAAAAAAAA!!!
Kai!?
KANEDAAAAA!!!
TETSUO!
K... Kira...
Sasuke?
Legend has it that Japanese people can fully communicate by just calling eachother's names in different tones.
I saw *Akira* in a theatre in Manhattan when I was 12, I’d seen the comic at Forbidden Planet (my comic store growing up) and was interested but was not prepared for what I saw... neither was anyone else there. When the film ended, the projectionist came out to a literally silent audience and asked if we’d like to see it again... no one objected. After the second viewing I still wasn’t sure what I’d just seen, all I knew was that I *_loved_* it !!!
That's Cool
Good to see another Stand Alone Complex enthusiast here. Hoping Oliver delivers a Ghost in the Shell retrospective soon.
That projectionist is a godsend
The opening montage in this video should be the official trailer.
Seriously.
Thanks Paul!
Oliver Harper You deserve it man.
***** spoiled some scenes, not the plot
I used the audio from the opening for a trailer I did for The Island.
I made a Justice Genesis AMV with the bike chase scene, check it out if curious.
Akira is the Emperor of anime movies. It's truly a sight to behold. I'm just sad that I'll never watch it for the first time again.
+TheYorkMan As in, "Castle in the Sky"?
I've always been more impressed by "Spirited Away"
Watch it on weed edibles with some high-end audio.
@green lantern that says more about you than about the movie.
come at me brah.
Actually, they are remaking it. For realsies now. The same guy that directed Thor: Ragnarok has accepted the role of director, and plans to keep the Japanese nationality.
Fun fact: The original English voice actor who played Kaneda was a Ninja Turtle, and the 2001 English voice actor who played Kaneda was a Power Ranger ._.
Wait, wasn't he Vash the Stampede.
He was a SNAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Musab The Loser He's talking about the Streamline Pictures English dub. You refer to the Pioneer English done for the re-release.
Karma Johhny Yong Bosch, as in Artemis from Sailor Moon.
Shows how western distributors thought of AKIRA at the time. They had little to no clue and just thought of it as a "violent cartoon", which explains why they concluded it to be unmarketable, as cartoons were always intended for children. Very limited way of thinking.
One of the things that I actually love about Akira is that it's difficult to get your head round but it's also so immeadiate in it's sounds and visuals and ideas and images. The film has grown with me over the numerous times I've watched it. From late night on a tiny TV to my VHS copy to a remastered DVD version (the detail!), Bluray and yesterday I saw it at the cinema (wow!). From the personality of the Streamline dub to the clarity of the Pioneer one and then it's original soundtrack with the Japanese voice actors. From being stunned by it's beauty and shocking imagery to the breakthrough of actually understanding the plot to reading the Manga to noticing new details each time and thinking about the themes and metaphysical implications. It's just given me so much.
If someone saw Akira and said they didn't like/didn't get it I wouldn't be surprised or try to convince them otherwise. Despite it's obvious merits, it's weird and confusing. I was always fascinated by it but it probably took about 4 goes before everything clicked and I fell in love it. When you take into account the ambition and scope of what they were trying to achieve, the quality of the production and the size and detail of the story they were trying to convey, the best way to describe Akira is as a miracle.
Very well spoken. Couldn't agree more. I watched Akira in the exact same way, myself. Still have the Limited Edition Steel Box when it was first released on DVD that I reserved at Suncoast Video (remember that?!). I didn't know they made a new dub for the DVD release, so when I turned it on I was shocked. Ha ha! The remastered Japanese audio soundtrack in the recent blu ray release is phenomenal though, I must say. And of course, it keeps getting better looking all the time.
I can't get over the pronunciation of Kaneda as "Canada".
right! it's kaa-nee-daa, you fools!
ORDOTRIO TETSUOOOOOOOO
He`s actually called by his last name, his full name is Shotaro Kaneda. I don`t know why they chose to refer Tetsuo Shima by his first name and Shotaro Kaneda by his last name.
Don't worry, I've been enjoying these reviews for a couple of weeks now, and I have noticed he says "pacifically" "nukeular" and many more mangled words, constantly... My biggest gripe with this particular one is when he says you will be "literally blown away" as I don't recall an epic gust of wind sucking me out the window and taking me to another place when I first watched this movie! How did he even survive to do this review if he was literally blown away?? How did he even finish the movie???
Maybe I'm being a little hyperbolic, but really I don't know how the Brits can manage butcher their own language so much worse than us convict Aussies! XD
This and Ghost in the Shell paved the way fro awesome anime in the west :D
and then other people mention crappy crap as responses.... original comment is hella correct. the trinity is akira, ghost and additionally nina scroll. the other crap from that era looks like fucking speed racer and only anime freaks like it.
Man... the memories watching this as a kid. This movie got me into anime. My older brother sat me down and forced me to watch it, telling me I would love it. At the time I couldn't stand manga or anime..until I saw Akira.. my life was changed forever.
listen to me hollywood, this needs to be said. if you ever...............ever try to make this movie, i will firebomb you!
they're not making this movie. they're not.
Alan Moore's Watchmen..yes the legendary graphic novel...as been put on screen in the american market. AKIRA is next and it will be full of CGI and MATRIX action scene.
+Tarkovsky Bresson Hopefully George Miller will change his mind and end up directing the AKIRA Hollywood remake; he is the one person right now that would make a Hollywood AKIRA movie great.
ajossi they're doing it lol
Romano Coombs no the fuck it is not!
the blu-ray edition makes this movie so much better
Micah Mcgaffin youre dumb
Akira is to anime what 2001: a Space Odyssey is to science fiction. They are both the pinnacle of their genre. They are both challenging. They both warrant repeated viewings. And they both attract criticisms from people who largely have no imagination. Which is perfectly appropriate, as I can't imagine how stultifyingly dismal a person you would have to be to dislike this movie.
"Mimimi everyone who dislikes this movie is stupid."
Toast4tw No. Just unimaginative and dismal.
Anime is not a genre. It is more like a medium. Akira is a landmark anime film, yes, but it is also a landmark cyberpunk film (the genre)
SunBreaker Films I would have to disagree with you. Animation in the round is a medium, surely, not Anime as a specific style or category. What you're saying is like saying spaghetti westerns are a medium in themselves. They're just a style or way of doing the same essential thing, which is film. Anime is just a category or style of animation that originates in Japan. You might as well say that Disney cartoons constitute their own medium, which is absurd.
In retrospect i agree 'medium' is a poor description, and does not reflect what i intended to express. Principally my point was to say pretty much what you have now said; 'anime' is simply a kind of japanese animation as you say. However, i maintain that it is NOT a genre. Akira and Ghost in the shell are sci-fi cyberpunk films. Conversely, Vampire hunter D, and ninja scroll are action adventure, fantasy movies. Yet, all four are 'anime' movies. Its a broader category than genre, which is related to narrative structure, characters, etc. 'Anime' as a category is more to do with the way the movie is actually made and styled, rather than the content of the movie itself. This is what i was attempting to communicate (poorly) in my first comment
I was looking for more of a deep philosophical explanation. I know all of the "facts". The movie has layers upon layers of meanings to it. No one goes into that.
+shakaama You just gave me an idea for a video, sir.
Shakaama peep renegade cut if you're still interested
Part of it was that Akira had evolved into something superior; he was pure energy. While in prison the girl explains this. She states how all lifeforms have energy and that humans have more energy than say, amoebas. Humans think and create and have high intelligence. Amoebas only consume things. If you gave the kind of energy a human possess to an amoeba, it would get out of control. All that energy for high intelligence and productivity would be put towards consumption and destruction only. Tetsuo is like that amoeba. What ever happened to him, has given him the energy of a superior being. However, like an amoeba with the energy of a human, he was unable to control it and became destructive. The military was trying to help keep him under control.
Someone else also pointed out to me that when Tetsuo transforms he turns into a grotesque baby looking figure. They said that was like him being reborn as a higher being, or at least his body attempting to.
So the main aspect was that Akira had evolved past a point of regular humans and that evolution was also destructive. I don't know if there was a 'moral' to the story as far as that is concerned or not, but it was really cool.
There is also stuff about human hierarchy, interaction and conflict in there. (Okay thats like the entire thing). Such as: Tetsuo being jealous and angry towards Kaneda; the military overthrowing the democracy because they are slow and ineffective; or the rebels trying to break the test subjects free and fight what they see as an oppressive government, while at the same time they are being used as pawns by a power hungry baron and are actually going to bring about the destruction of the city that the military is trying to prevent.
That could be some 'moral' as well, that the colonel who seems to oppress the people and commits a coup d'tat is actually the good guy because he is trying to protect the city through the only ways possible.
Okay, I was curious and looked it up. Someone has said that it is about the conflict and morals of dealing with the destructive powers nuclear weapons have given humans. That was just someone else on the internet, but that makes sense. It could even be seen as a theme of how people handle power once they are given it and how others change their behavior towards them. -- Actually that last sentence seems to be best way to describe the entire movie: It is about the dynamics and interactions of people who's relative powers are changing and how they respond to those changes.
Excellent retrospective Sir!!! You really need to do more animation!
But it's funny you mention Kaneda was voiced by the guy who played Leonardo, as in the re-dub, he's voiced by the second black Power Ranger! :D
And Kei is voiced by the lovely Faye Valentine
Cam Clarke. He's also the voice of Liquid Snake
LiamTheGreat And Max Sterling and Lancer from "Robotech,"
He also voiced Vash from Trigun.
Rockemsockemjetpack
And Ichigo from Bleach.
I just came across your channel, and all of your videos are so well presented. I'm surprised you don't have more subscribers. Anyway, this was a great overview on Akira.
Christopher Cayco Art Thanks a lot Christopher!.
Wow, this retrospective review really blows me away. I absolutely love all the effort you have put in it, especially with the Behind the Scenes footage that I have not seen anywhere else (e.g., Japanese voice actors, Geinō Yamashirogumi). This work really has no equal in animation, as far as I'm concerned.
Also, if anyone has not read the manga yet, you owe it to yourself to do so. That story is way better and more fleshed out than the anime. I watched the anime tonight and I now have to read the manga. Just like you guys all have to. ;)
Tostigroover Thanks for the awesome feedback mate!. Means a lot! :)
I don't know that I'd say it has no equal so much as it's in that group of top animated films...for example I'd put Ghost in the Shell readily up as an equal to Akira and personally found some other lesser known stuff ("Serial Experiments: Lain" for example) on a comparable level. The big draw on this one is that it kind of carved out a niche for respectable anime as it's often the first, along with stuff like Astro Boy, that people see. It has it's weak points in that, unless you've read the comic, the story can be rather jarringly spotty. Areas the manga spent ages explaining are blown by in a couple seconds. I would be curious to see how it would have been if it had been produced as a series like Lain or Stand Alone Complex to give it a bit more space to flesh out it's story...it wouldn't have had the mass appeal a feature film did (since few western viewers are willing to spend 5 or 6 hours investing into) but it would have been a little better paced I thing.
Andrew, I literally only meant the animation: the actual drawing of this film. No other anime equals Akira's drawings, in my opinion. Sorry if I did not make that as clear as I could have.
I love Ghost in the Shell (the Stand Alone Complex-series is my favourite anime series of all time) and I quite liked Lain's story as well, but I really only meant that the quality of Akira's drawings is unsurpassed.
I completely agree with the pacing issues in the Akira anime film. If the manga was ever serialized into an animated series with the quality animation the film has, I'd probably cry of joy.
I read the manga six times. Its a magnificent piece of literature. Suck beautiful, magnificent well drawn story. Its the best seinen series of all time.
I must admit, After watching odd bits of the also-epic Legend of the Galactic Heroes ("Space War and Peace", I guess you could vaguely describe it) on TH-cam, I re-saw Akira because it was on in a bar, the framerate is incredible. It almost looks rotoscoped in some scenes.
Wow, I have to say. This is by far, the best movie retrospective/reviews I have seen here in YT or anywhere else. Sir, you have truly impressed me.
Every time I see this I'm amazed at the visual richness of this movie. Otomo is truly a Master. I wonder why in almost 30 years nothing has really come close to this production.
It is simply amazing how you managed to describe exactly how I felt watching Akira at 17 and then getting into anime. To this day I have only watched it once completely but after watching your review I am compelled to watch it again.
I saw this with a friend in a small California theater in 1989. I was quite impressed, my first anime movie.
my god dude, im just sitting here high of my own nostalgic ass while you're ejecting my FUCKING eyes with FRICKIN' gallons of sweet LSD lased nostalgia juices and everything FUCKING is wonderful. So, I see this random subscribe button pop up and im all like WHAT DA HELL MAN i gotta click that thing so bad, and I do, and no porn ad comes out my monitor so i FLIP THE_ HELL_ OUT!
Seriously though, that's a bloody awesome retrospective. Thumbs are rolling and buttons get some pressing. 10/10 pretty FUCKING EXCITED!
t-t-thank......you.....so.....much.....
haha thanks so much man.
I've just saw Akira for the first time but it feels like I have nostalgia for a movie I shouldn't feel nostalgic about.
One of my fave films and you reviewed it brilliantly :) well done mate, I'd like to see you reviewing some other manga films :)
+Kieran Kaye I would love to review more Anime but there are so many 3rd party companies claiming the content. There are French and Italian companies who distribute Anime in their territories and they abuse TH-cam's content ID match system.
what's manta
what's manga
what's manga
what's manga
Whether the composer was right or not on his theories, I do believe it's impossible to hear that OST after watching the movie without getting goosebumps. Those drums and vocals mess with my brain chemistry every time I hear them.
Outstanding review, I'm glad that you reflected on how impenetrable the film can be. It can be easy to mislead people and say that it's a film for everyone, but you kept some perspective and provided a robust overview.
watched this anime in 1998, made me feel weird but in a good way. i didn't understand it until re-watching it as an adult. and i still get that child like wonder, that feeling i did when i was a kid: scared and terrified. the mind is so amazing. i dont know what to say. anime is amazing, and i recommend going through this one and all the rest from back in the day
Dude, I can't stop watching your videos. Also, I played the FUCK out of Flashback when I was younger too. These are great!
Thanks Shane!
Thanks for the review. I noticed you had completed it the other day so I watched Akira last night. It had been a long, long time since I had seen the film. Maybe about 10 years prior so I was around 15 or 16 and it was on television late at night. It was the subbed version and at the time I didn't comprehend the heavy themes and messages that were presented. Rewatching it now (with Japanese audio) it was crazy how much of the visuals, which are disturbing in some scenes, just went over my head way back then. This film definitely is a landmark within the anime community and really helped jump-started the growing popularity of anime in the west which is quite substantial now. I didn't know the amount of detail that went into the musical score so I appreciate you showcasing that on the review. Also now that you mentioned about how much of the manga they tried to cram in two hours, it's clear to me now why some of the characters really don't get a backstory along with the capsule drug that is barely mentioned at all. This makes me anxious to hunt down the manga and read it for more detail. Anyways, great job on this. Can't wait for your thoughts on Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Shell.
I hope the 2020 Tokyo olympics opening ceremony has an Akira segment.
They have to, otherwise it'll be the biggest missed opportunity in history. I do think the reason Tokyo was voted specifically was because of how important Akira is
its hard to believe that people can gather all their talent and produce something so amazing, i cant imagine what they go through but damn i want some of that motivation
and yeah this movie is in a level of god like visual presentation
Oh Akira. My dad introduced me to it with his old vhs copy of the film. I love the whole Neo Tokyo design so much. Imma go watch it again. I need to
Absolutely brilliant review, you really captured that mid 90s Uk vibe when Manga came over and and hit our generation, a rocking time to be young.
That Celtic Frost "the heart beneath" Manga trailer at the beginning of every Manga VHS with clips from all the releases and the cyberpunk collection trailer too.
I tend to view Akira now with all respect as the greatest advert for a graphic novel ever because when I finally got my hands on all six volumes re released by dark horse it all made sense to me movie wise ya know.
Anyhoo sick review, loved it, hope ya do more Manga/anime, my dad once rented us Genocyber thinking it was a harmless cartoon lol oh the 90s.
Love ya work sir peace.
Cheers dude!. Oh yes the MANGA trailer was amazing at the start of those VHS tapes!. Always got you pumped before the start of an anime. yes i will be covering more Manga/Anime this year.
Epic - I remember those trailers.I always wondered who did the music on that manga trailer and now,all these many years later,I finally know.
As always, an awesome review! I've not seen Akira for about 10 years, but this has pumped me up to watch it again! Good job, sir! :D
Mack Lee cool man! i hope you enjoy revisiting it.
Akira (1988)
GITS (1995)
Redline (2007)
Three most beautiful, uniquely detailed and illustrated anime of all time.
Ninja Scroll
When I think of Akira, it only reminds me of Eric Cartman's "Dawson's Creek Trapper Keeper".
That episode was inspired by Akira. The end scene where Cartman is absorbed by the trapper keeper and becomes one with it is actually very much like the end scene of Akira.
one of the production companies in Japan which produced Akira was Toho, the company behind the Japanese Monster franchise, Godzilla.
13:00 The soundtrack is one of the best in any movie. I have the DVD that came with the soundtrack and it was fantastic. It is very dreamlike and haunting. Reminds me of Vangelis score to Blade Runner. In my opinion, John Williams' soundtracks are not easy listening to on their own because they are sort of "glued" to the content on screen. I like him as a composer, but he is not nearly the best.
+Viva LaMinion Actually, there's a lot of Williams material that's easy and a complete joy to listen to while being completely disconnected from what's going on the screen. Not to say you're entirely wrong about the nature of its thematic and narrative complexity possibly being hindrance on a stand alone listening experience at times, BUT Williams does go out of his way to compose suites of all the major ideas for his works, so the album presentation of a lot of his scores are actually pretty solid and very accessible. It's only when you try to go further and listen to Complete Score releases that you'll often stumble into cues that are clearly more fit to accompany visuals, as you're getting the entire package.
Amazing! great work. Now you should really do Ghost in the Shell next! Keep up the good work.
Cheers man. In my recent Patreon video. I discussed future reviews of Ninja Scroll and...Ghost in the Shell!.
Oliver Harper
Well now that makes me happy. I'll watch that video. Cheers :)
Oliver Harper Cowboy Bebop the Movie please :-)
Oliver Harper
Ghost Please!
Adrian Dezendegui Yeah! Cowboy Bebop!
"At the time, what probably took people by surprise was its violence and adult themes. It was a rare thing in the West, seeing blood and violence to this extent and is essentially a cartoon not to be aimed at kids."
Time for that Watership Down (1978) Retrospective :P
Iv never seen a movie that had so many characters with complete arcs its insane the amount of detail.
Great review Oliver! Funny how a music video from youtube got me interested in watching this amazing animated film. The ending still blows my mind away.
The dub sounds horrible, just watch it with subs.
Nice review Oli, this is simply a fantastic piece of art. I'm not sure I agree entirely with your take on the flashback scenes at the end - for me it adds to the otherworldliness of Akira's appearance. Also, seeing the boys as children makes you realise just how far their relationship has come. Anyway, just my two pence worth.
I liked hearing about the history and production of Akira. You did a great job on that. A great retrospective for a great movie.
This film kicked ass when I first saw it. I have the soundtrack and it's been on my playlist for a while now.
THANK YOU for giving a shout out to that fantastic live action 'fake trailer' that was put together. If that can't convince a major studio that Akira can be filmed as a faithful live action adaptation I don't know what could.
here is hoping that George Miller changes his mind and decides to direct AKIRA.
Yea, that actually blew my mind how well put together it was. Pretty much professional in my opinion. Especially the shots of the holographic billboard adverts in the beginning. Nether looked better than the ones In Spielberg's A.I., if you know what I'm referencing...
+Brandon Dozier woah, 1st time hearing about this. My god, that would be insane. Perfect choice. I feel like James Cameron could also do it justice, or maybe even Neil Bloomkamp (spelling). District 9 director, you know what mean..
Absolutely. I was also blown away by how well they cast Kaneda and Tetsuo, the facial expressions they pulled were right out of the pages of the manga/frames of the movie. I keep my fingers crossed that something will come of this.
I will never get why we need live action versions. They are as unnecessary as remakes.
If we only knew that it never gets better then this and ghost in the shell.
You put so much effort into this, telling the story, and the history, you deserve a medal!
while watching Akira you tell yourself "this can't possibly get any stranger" and then it does several times after that...and you look at your drink and wonder if there is a connection
Princess Mononoke is another great video, love studio ghibli
About time! :)
The Genesis / Mega Drive game was released as a prototype awhile back. It's... interesting.
this is simply amazing for a crazy fan like me...
Zack Lee Glad you enjoyed it Zack!
Geinoh Yamashirogumi is a group, not a singular person(a rather large and diverse group of people actually). And disagreed about the soundtrack. It is very much enjoyable on its own. Most of the songs are cut down in the movie and the full length songs take you on an experience. It's a shame you didn't go more into the soundtrack, it's quite interesting in how he composed it and the variety of instruments involved. In fact the entire history of how he/they compose their music is pretty interesting. In fact they have done various things which were quite progressive in how they constructed their music and was very experimental, far more so than the whole hypersonic thing would lead you to believe. It, along with a couple few soundtracks are ones I can consider listening to on their own without takingthe movie into consideration(sans soundtracks with sung vocals).
People should really check it out if they're into experimental or world music.
THIS IS THE GREATEST CLASSIC ANIME MOVIE OF ALL TIME AND NO MATTER WHAT THE NOOBS WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ANIME SAY IT WILL NEVER CHANGE PERIOD!!!............
2019 and 2020 are extremely important dates relevant to this movie, which mentions the Olympics.
9+1= 10. 10x2= 20.
8+8 = 16. 16 flipped is 19.
Throughout the movie Tetsuo (with a hint of psychic glimmer) is slowly but surely drawn to Akira, which means the brightness of intellect, to become intelligent. Eventually he becomes a psychic monster of such magnitude he starts to behave like The Thing and must re join / become silenced by pure energy. Keeping him on notice is his former mentor and group leader, Kaneda.. which is a traditional name used possibly as a pun on "Canada."
I just finished watching this movie 2 hours ago. I'm shocked to speechless. It's amazingly wonderful with really intense and fluid actions, the mindblowing imagination, and the philosophy I haven't quite captured but been deeply fascinated by. All in all, now I want to know most is what on earth Akira is, is there a clear answer? In the middle you see that it's been told to be sort of ultimate energy from the beginning of the universe, but at the end it seems to me to be the result of some human experiment. I don't know how these two are connected.
***** Well like he said the plot was crushed due to the amount of stuff that was in the manga. But if you read the manga(it's a read worth while) it doesn't even thoughtfully explains what he is but what one of the essential characters of the book describes to tetsuo that akira is the imbodiement of the universe. Akira was a human experiment along with a group of 30 people(kids?) who were gifted with psychic powers(hence the name given Espers) at birth.
I just watched this 2 days ago, i haven't seen it for years, i forgot everything about it., how the story goes, what was it about. what an amazing film. theres so much that wasn't told. this could of carry on as a series.
You should do Ninja Scroll and GITS next! I feel like this is the highest level of animation ive ever seen aside from some of Miyazaki's films. Nothing has even come close which is sad because animation in the west has gotten even worse and lazy. I just dont like how people treat it as a kids medium only but Japan treats it like it can be for anyone.
Btw im going to be that guy and say its pronounced cow-ree not kay-o-ree :P
Perfect Blue is an amazing film but I meant animation only. PB cuts a lot of corners with its animation as does most anime. You'll never see Akira level animation again unless its Miyazaki cause its takes more time and money to animate moving backgrounds as opposed to just having static backgrounds which you see in most anime. Satoshi Kon's most well animated film is probably Paprika, that has some beautiful animation.
I think the flashbacks to the psychic test subjects' childhoods being part of the ending rather than happening earlier is valid for trying to depict a form of afterlife, at least in the form of an elaborately stretched last few moments of life. It is like the use of memories and flashbacks in Solaris, where the eliciting of memory evokes death and the possibility of afterlife, in which characters get to see their own and their loved ones crucial memories in perfect clarity, resolving relationship issues and enabling self-knowledge. American Beauty made this idea the central theme and explicit conception of afterlife - the eternal replaying of the best and happiest moments in one's life (which I think would grow boring, and is also exclusively narcissistic - being essentially an enclosed isolation in which no-one and nothing else exists but you). But to evoke merely the possibility of afterlife, without explicit definition I think it works well, as a moment of realisation during transition to the putative space-time of paradise which no earthly media can be expected to accurately portray.
I have a question: How is your footage of Akira so clear? There is 0 film grain on screen and it looks damn near digital animation. Did you edit the movie?
Jerry I haven't made any adjustments to the picture. Its from the recent Blu Ray release.
I was working as an English teacher at the time Akira came out in Japan. I saw it at a late night showing in Nagasaki, Japan. I was really impressed with the movie - although I can't say I followed all of the story at the time. I later bought the comic series to try to figure out more of the story. I had already become a fan of Japanese animation - especially the films from Studio Ghibli like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Raputa - Castle in the Sky. But if I hadn't seen Akira I probably wouldn't have continued to have an interest . From that time on though I have followed Japanese animation and continue to find it entertaining and thought provoking.
really great review. did you ever buy manga from machine shack back in the 90s ?
May be the world's most elaborate animation
I saw Anime Facts- 107 Akira Facts, and this is almost the same things they say in that video, but with more content and better explained. I hope Cartoon Hangover didn't copy this video, cuz that would suck and take away any credibility they(or whoever does something like that)have.
I remember seeing this in '91 at the cinema....mind blowing. I'll never forget that experience.
Nice work Oliver.
What a ridiculous idea it is to try and make a live version of this
One of the most visually stunning and well drawn movies I have ever seen
in the Streamline version of Akira, Kai was voiced by Bob Bergen who later voiced most of the Looney Tune characters including the greatest Looney Tune Character of all, Porky Pig.
+Ryan Kadlec And The Second Dub features a Former Power Ranger actor Johnny Yong Bosch.
I think it was only released in two theatres for one week, so all in all not too bad US box office.
The Bunny stuffed animal in this movie reminds me bit of thumper from Bambi
Great video, always fun to see Akira given some love. One addition I would make: while this movie was famous for its "pre-scored" soundtrack, it was not the first anime movie to record its dialog before the animations are drawn. Isao Takahata used pre-scoring for all of his films. This was a technique that went back to the days of Toei Doga in the 1950s and 1960s, I must presume. This was also likely a necessity in the television series of the 1970s such as Lupin III and Heidi, Girl of the Alps.
I heard that the buildings in the opening bike scene were actual physical card board layers
One of the best things about the movie was the fact the characters actually appeared to be Asian compared to 99.9% of anime characters. It always amazes me how people get angry when a white person is picked for a live action anime movie due to the fact the majority don't appear to be Asian (Naruto for example). This is a movie that says Asian people are the main characters and should really be used as an example how more anime artists should make their characters appear more Asian in general.
Manga/Anime is an Japanese culture. even sailormoon with the blond hair is viewed as Japanese by the Japanese.
so when they make a movie and whitewash it, yeah people kinda hate it. cause of the setting (ghost in the shell is in tokyo and the obvious names of the characters being japanese) makes it a thing that people get pissy over. then there is the fact minorities never really get any shine. especially asians as the quite silent minorities that in the west dont get any recognition or have been the bud of jokes and ar seen lesser/infuriour. so when we whites go ahead and do an iconic movie/anime/show whatever and we skip the asians and make the leading roles white i understand the anger.
Lonely Fat Guy
I don't because most anime characters DONT LOOK ASIAN! Look at Naruto, he looks like a white kid, or a host of other characters, Its as stupid as some African country drawing Caucasian looking people, then claiming they're Africans and not white people. Granted Akiras characters do look Asian overall so its no excuse to use a white person in a movie. Back in the early 90s, I remember introducing a friend of mine to anime, and his first question was it was coo, but why did all of the characters look white and not Asian? I'm sorry, if the majority of people think they're white, then the man who made the character is a fool to claim they look Asian. I was stationed in Korea for four years and also have been to Japan and I'm yet to see any of them look like the characters. Especially if you throw them in a live action movie. Of course theres exceptions like mai from fatal fury.
i understand you, im the same here! sailormoon is a blond haired blue eyed girl. but for japanese who make the anime/manga they think differently , for them the blue blond haired kid is japanese unless its stated otherwise. that the setting doesnt play in that imaginary version of japan. i also had my wtf moment when i found out about it. thats why ghost n the shell gets that backlash cause it plays in neo tokyo with a character with a japanese name.
ralph richardson One of my favorite manga, Detective Conan, really falls into this pit. Just as you get accustomed to those Japanese characters who look so western, they introduce a whole bunch of white American characters. 😄
This is such as fake fucking controversy. Entirely media created bullshit. "Oh my god I can't belive an American adaptation of a book has american actors in it."
I first watched on VHS before the DVD was released so I didn’t have the option of original Japanese audio with English subtitles and was forced to hear it with the absolute worst translation. When it was remastered in 2001 it was like a completely different story to me. One perfect example of what the original translation gets wrong is when the military responds to the escape and uses Masaru‘s powers to find Takashi. In the proper translation you hear Masaru say “he’s to the west” in a childlike voice that sounds appropriately concerned with his fellow Esper... but the first dub replaces his voice with that of an adult. In that version Masaru says “this chapter is finished” in a menacing way that makes it look like he’s is in charge of the military and is mercilessly hunting down Takashi. Due to the aged appearance of all the sealers you might be inclined to believe he is some adult, perhaps a dwarf. He looks and sounds like a villain, especially in his hover chair. Even with repeated viewings I was always confused why the Esper were all friends when one of them appear to be commanding the squad that captured the other against his will. I did not realize that he was being forced by the military.
Another place where the translation completely fails is where Kei and Kaneda discuss what is happening with Tetsuo. They use the example of an amoeba that is granted unlimited power that it would not know what to do with other than to consume everything. Without understanding that Tetsuo was granted a similarly disproportionate power that he was not prepared to handle, the entire movie is just a series of bizarre images.
I also had the benefits of two different subtitle translations that worked together to fill in their deficiencies. I strongly believe that Westerners should first watch in English with subtitles then watch in Japanese with a second set of subtitles. It took several viewing but when it clicked for me, it was because I had finally pieced it together from those sources.
That said, if I could burn every copy in existence with the original dub, I would. It’s absolutely terrible and ruins any chance you might have of understanding the movie your first time through.
Considering that the script was written and performed before the animation was even started I'd say that the original dub is the more accurate and superior version.
How can anyone give this video a thumbs down? Was fantastic.
Great video. AKIRA got me into Japanese animated movies.
great review but IMO the 2001 dub was total shit I liked the stream line dub wayyyyyy better! this gets my like tho and great backstory!
Yeah! Leonardo was great as Kanada! Those new voices seem to be a bit more vanilla. I guess that was what they were going for.
yea. the streamline dub is the best.. its actually scary how well the voices suit the characters... like the fat psychic kid who looks like a green eric cartman...
the 2001 dub is trash.
ANNRKEE666 The Pioneer dub tried too hard to mimic the original Japanese acting, and it doesn't translate properly, resulting in flat performances. The Streamline dub has slightly inferior script translation, but the characterization was adapted to Western archetypes (Kaneda sounds like the Western style of a punk teenager), and acting is more memorable
David Curry
very well put and i agree with it 100%
I worked for Streamline in 1996 as a modelmaker for Carl Macek's Modelworks division. Carl took a lot of heat for his dub. The hardcore anime-Cartoon/Fantasy Organization people were critical of the translation and the General constantly growling.
Streamline didn't have the resources to distribute the film widely. Only a few prints were struck and the film played in art film movie houses city-by-city. In Chicago, it played one art film house one week then the same print was transferred to another theater in the suburbs the following week before being transferred to another Midwestern city (this practice is known as "bicycling.")
I've known about this film for what seems forever, and never watched it. But with your review Oliver, I think I'm going to have to finally track it down and hope I understand it! LOL Thanks for the review. =)
Another amazing film retrospective, I remember watching this back in the day on VHS and I also remember when it was being played at a local independent cinema for quite some time. I also love Fist of the North Star. Ninja Scroll & Ghost in the Shell, was Fist of the North Star ever in widescreen? I've only ever seen it in 4:3 ratio.
I see in the comments below that there is talk about the old Manga trailers on the VHS tapes, I think you should do a retrospective on Trailers. I really used to love the film compilation trailers that studios used to put on there VHS tapes, especially the FOX trailers. I don't seem to find trailers these days as exciting as the trailers of the past. I especially used to love the dude who always seemed to do the deep voiceovers on the tapes.
"Predator" (All Time Greats) VHS Opening Trailers UK Retail Cassette
20th Century Fox Widescreen Collection Trailer (1993) from VHS
Twentieth Century Fox Selections (1995) Promo (VHS Capture)
I love how the trailers are mixed with different films all merged together, unlike how now all you get are the usual theatrical trailers cut and pasted from the cinema. You would see a really cool scene in the old trailers and then wonder which film it was from, Lol.
As a kid I didn't like this film. But now I know how great it is.
i got the dvd in a manga magazine with a free dvd i felt so lucky to have it at the time ten years ago.. i was amazed.
I got to say that 2001 dub is very satisfying to hear then the streamline cheesy dialog
Has anyone ever thought of the ironic symbolism of the capsule symbol on Kaneda’s back and his name sounding like Canada, and that Canada has free healthcare.
This movie‘s soundtrack! Incredible.
Another worthy one to add to your Retrospecitve collection! Yeah it can indeed be confusing at some points, only on my second watch I realised that Ryu and the colonel where NOT the same guy (they look and sound so alike!).
I just found your series. These videos are so well done! Thank you for your hard work, it is very appreciated
Thanks Kyle!
I was lucky enough to see a 25th Anniversary big-screen cinema re-release of this at a Picturehouse cinema last year. It was absolutely mind-blowing to watch on the big screen, it was in Japanese with remastered English subtitles (and made considerably more sense because of this), and some of the details that I failed to spot on the small screen made the film even more of a pleasure. If anyone gets a chance to see this film on a big screen then I would highly recommend it.
Good review but irritating to see website address through entirety of video...
Akira has to be the greatest movie of all time. Amazing to watch once but I’ve seen it 7 times and everytime I see something I don’t remember
The greatest anime movie of all times. 31 years after, its still mind blowing!
I have the 2 disc special edition on DVD because Akira is one of the best movies of all time!
I look at anime now and I think, _"Where did we go wrong"._
It's like anything. The good stuff is niche or too new to have its popularity and marketing realized and exploited yet. Look at Star Wars, for example.
where did you get your info from? IM doing a research paper on akira and need more references. btw! YOUr video has been a huge help!
I have to say, the Streamline Pictures dub of Akira is pretty laughable. I barely made it through the first few scenes on my Blu-ray before changing it.
I don't know what drugs some of these older fans of Akira are on when they say they prefer it to Pioneer's dub or the original Japanese, but... I think I want some, if it changes your perception of reality that drastically.
I think both English dubs are hard to listen to-- the Pioneer dub less so-- and it would be nice if they made a definitive dub for a 30th anniversary Bluray in a couple of years
I've rarely heard an English dub of an anime that doesn't make me squirm in my seat. I don't doubt the efforts of the English voice actors, but I'd rather read subs 99% of the time than listen to an awkwardly translated script, voiced unnaturally.
I'm not a huge anime fan, but I've played more than enough JP video games with great English voice acting. Bad dubs are a problem with the companies localizing the anime and not a problem with anime itself. Akira is well known and respected and should get a decent English dub. The 30th anniversary (a couple years before the real-life Tokyo Olympics prophesied in the story) is a good excuse to do it
I heard Taika Waititi might make a live-action AKIRA, but knowing him he'd probably make Tetsuo a comedy jobber like he did with Loki in Thor: Ragnarok (yeah I didn't like that movie very much, can you tell?)
Still not getting why people keeps saying the movie is a condensed version of the comics. The movie just covers Tome 1 of 6, everything else (75% of the story) is totally different including SPOILER ALERT that Akira is reborn and not just a pile of organs, Tetsuo running a country, blowing the moon, the praying lady being one of the kids etc... etc.. In any case, great movie, great Soundtrack, nothing to do with the comics.
If the main stream studios ever produce this film in live action and refuse to cast an Asian lead, it will be nothing short of typical Hollywood racist 'WHITEWASHING'. There are thousands of qualified and talented Asian actors along in L.A. that could easily fulfill this role. This is very plausible as the Ghost in the Shell live-action adaptation has cast Scarlett Johannssen as the lead 'Motoko Kusanagi'. Utterly typical and I will refuse to watch a whitewashed Akira just as I am refusing to watch the whitewashed Ghost in the Shell.
I'm a huge fan of your retrospective reviews, your mix of analysis, opinion, clever editing, and research is absolutely mind-blowing. This and Highlander 2 are my favorites.
Cheers Whitney for your support and feedback!
Fantastic been waiting all week for this review!