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ohboysidd's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
steveatwaywords's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This review is the same one I am writing for all six volumes of Akira, since they comprise a single story and reading any single volume is not recommended.
First, I need to say that I appreciate fully the historical weight of Otomo's contribution to the manga genre, both for his vision of the future and many of the conventions that will later become staples of the genre. Its popularity and import is cemented in the history of its fans.
So I am writing as a relative newcomer to the genre, a real noob I admit, having read and viewed a fair amount of anime, but not really investing in manga directly.
Some observations. The work totals over 2100 pages, mostly of non-dialogue action panels, which reveal a plot that might have been told in far fewer (and has since been repeated by later science fiction movies almost ad nauseum in 60 or 90 minute episodes). Otomo spends about 90% of his time with explosions, onomatopoeia, and characters screaming their dialogue. Don't worry. Despite all of the drama (the Earth itself is, of course, in jeopardy) and pyrotechnics (nothing less than falling skyscrapers and explosions reminiscent of Hiroshima), and despite how close our characters are to these cataclysms, most everyone will survive with nary a scratch.
There is some talk of timelines and cosmos, of evolution and metaphysics, mostly in the brief downtime between battles. Unfortunately, none of these stakes--no matter how high, cosmic, spiritual, engulfing, or worthy of reflection--really matter when it comes to the next fights which are combinations of explosives and psychic blasts. (Volume 3, by the way, is the most satisfying in the actual development.)
Okay, so I will just come to my own issues, and I mean this sincerely: please, somebody, help me understand what I'm missing. Where is the meat of this? What is the reason it is well-crafted? What, beyond lots of volume and bigger explosions, is the draw? I understand some stories can just be exciting plots, but even at this level, Akira is wanting, substituting the number of characters and "sides" in the battle for complexity of situation. Volume after volume, the plot hinges on little more than who will win the next fight.
It's not that I hate this work. My rating suggests that I appreciate its place in the manga canon and its artwork, its vision of the future and its tracking of these across its sheer girth. But none of these are enough on their own for this level of fandom, so I must be missing something. Please leave me a kind comment of assistance so I can better appreciate what I experienced!
First, I need to say that I appreciate fully the historical weight of Otomo's contribution to the manga genre, both for his vision of the future and many of the conventions that will later become staples of the genre. Its popularity and import is cemented in the history of its fans.
So I am writing as a relative newcomer to the genre, a real noob I admit, having read and viewed a fair amount of anime, but not really investing in manga directly.
Some observations. The work totals over 2100 pages, mostly of non-dialogue action panels, which reveal a plot that might have been told in far fewer (and has since been repeated by later science fiction movies almost ad nauseum in 60 or 90 minute episodes). Otomo spends about 90% of his time with explosions, onomatopoeia, and characters screaming their dialogue. Don't worry. Despite all of the drama (the Earth itself is, of course, in jeopardy) and pyrotechnics (nothing less than falling skyscrapers and explosions reminiscent of Hiroshima), and despite how close our characters are to these cataclysms, most everyone will survive with nary a scratch.
There is some talk of timelines and cosmos, of evolution and metaphysics, mostly in the brief downtime between battles. Unfortunately, none of these stakes--no matter how high, cosmic, spiritual, engulfing, or worthy of reflection--really matter when it comes to the next fights which are combinations of explosives and psychic blasts. (Volume 3, by the way, is the most satisfying in the actual development.)
Okay, so I will just come to my own issues, and I mean this sincerely: please, somebody, help me understand what I'm missing. Where is the meat of this? What is the reason it is well-crafted? What, beyond lots of volume and bigger explosions, is the draw? I understand some stories can just be exciting plots, but even at this level, Akira is wanting, substituting the number of characters and "sides" in the battle for complexity of situation. Volume after volume, the plot hinges on little more than who will win the next fight.
It's not that I hate this work. My rating suggests that I appreciate its place in the manga canon and its artwork, its vision of the future and its tracking of these across its sheer girth. But none of these are enough on their own for this level of fandom, so I must be missing something. Please leave me a kind comment of assistance so I can better appreciate what I experienced!
jupton720's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
twolfeiii_writer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lacommunarde's review
challenging
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It's the graphic novel the famous anime movie is based on. And the graphic novel goes even harder on all the themes. It is magnificent.
nolansmock's review
5.0
I'm amazed at how this managed to live up to the hype surrounding it for me. That almost never happens, especially in a medium geared towards young adults. Getting back into manga this last year has been an exercise in restraint putting off reading what is probably it's most well-known import in the US, but buying all the volumes can be expensive, so it took a while until I found the 35th anniversary box for under $100. It can be done! I put it on the shelf for a while, was still holding out. I mean, could it really be that good? Yes, it is. I've never seen the movie because I'm actually not that into anime. Manga is something else entirely, a collection of still images, similar to what attracts me to photo books, but I've ended up with a VHS and blu-ray copies somehow over the years and once I finish the series, I'm looking forward to seeing the adaptation. Plenty has been said about the series already, so I'll just leave it there.
spectracommunist's review
4.0
The symphonic suite of Yamashirogumi added much grit to the vibes of neo-Tokyo in the adaptation and due to some other factors and scenes, I think the movie was better. Nonetheless, the adrenaline rush here.