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steveatwaywords's review
fast-paced
2.5
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!
nolansmock's review
4.0
I read this in a day after finishing volume five yesterday. I started the series a year-and-a-half-ago and couldn't draw it out any longer. It's hard to believe it was released over the course of eight years but I wanted to experience it at a slower pace because of that. As expected, everything goes off the rails in the final volume although not really in the ways I expected. The biggest takeaway I have, one that comes up a lot when reading manga, is that the US really traumatized the f**k out of Japan in WWII! Down to Akira sharing the name of the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima, this series is about the human capacity for destruction and everything society has built around it, about a generation born into a world reduced to rubble by those that came before.
Like a lot of long-running manga series, the ending is very symbolic, with. I also couldn't help but think of just recently watching Fast X, how a little racing crew suddenly became superheroes ready to save the world. This was just a bratty motorcycle gang in the first volume! What a trip.
Like a lot of long-running manga series, the ending is very symbolic, with
Spoiler
all the characters and some ghosts riding off into the sunset. It was a little more ambiguous than I would've liked but I don't really know how else you end this story. It would've been cool to see more of a prologue instead of ending abrubtly after the main conflict. It almost cheapens the action by not acknowledging the consequences. We already saw how this plays out in previous volumes so it doesn't give us much reason to be hopeful despite its optimistic final chapter.booksofbelwood's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
songwind's review
4.0
(I read Akira in one huge go over a weekend, so I will be cutting and pasting this review for all 6 volumes)
Akira is an epic work of science fiction sequential art. The storyline is complex and consistent. There is social commentary, ethical musing, and morality woven through an action packed storyline of science gone wrong. The "romance" portion of the story is believable as well. The two characters are drawn to one another over time, and the world doesn't stop for them to wallow in their newfound twitterpatedness.
The art is beautiful, especially the detailed cityscapes and technical drawings. The main characters were easy to recognize, regardless of their circumstances or outfits, which is not true of many manga.
My complaints about the work are small. The placement of speech bubbles, particularly when characters are shouting, was not always clear. The foreign characters were really just Japanese with funny hats on. The difference between Akira and Tetsuo at the height of their powers is never really explained.
I first became aware of the manga because I was a fan of the anime. The manga is far more complex and satisfying.
Akira is an epic work of science fiction sequential art. The storyline is complex and consistent. There is social commentary, ethical musing, and morality woven through an action packed storyline of science gone wrong. The "romance" portion of the story is believable as well. The two characters are drawn to one another over time, and the world doesn't stop for them to wallow in their newfound twitterpatedness.
The art is beautiful, especially the detailed cityscapes and technical drawings. The main characters were easy to recognize, regardless of their circumstances or outfits, which is not true of many manga.
My complaints about the work are small. The placement of speech bubbles, particularly when characters are shouting, was not always clear. The foreign characters were really just Japanese with funny hats on. The difference between Akira and Tetsuo at the height of their powers is never really explained.
I first became aware of the manga because I was a fan of the anime. The manga is far more complex and satisfying.
tinusreads's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have reached the end of my Akira journey. And i feel a bit sad that it's over now. Though the story had it's flaws, it's an awesome tale of epic proportions. Post apocalyptic stories will always be my favorite kind of genre and Akira delivers just that. A world of power and destruction with kids ruling the day. Grown ups really have no say in Neo-Tokyo.
This sixth and final volume really brings it all together and keeps a steady and exciting pace towards the end. Something that not all volumes of Akira manage to do. But i am blinded by my love for it. The ending needing some research for me to truly understand what really happened. Which probably is the point too, a bit ambiguous so the reader can fill in the blanks. Are the remaining inhabitants of Neo-Tokyo now finally free or are they ghosts? Tetsuo drifting somewhere in his own new universe.
Akira's message is clear. It's a warning for what technology and science could create but also destroy. Especially in the hands of humans. Akira is a critique on humanity and their selfish flaws. But Akira is also a story about birth, death and rebirth.
Power changes people. But there is always hope.
This sixth and final volume really brings it all together and keeps a steady and exciting pace towards the end. Something that not all volumes of Akira manage to do. But i am blinded by my love for it. The ending needing some research for me to truly understand what really happened. Which probably is the point too, a bit ambiguous so the reader can fill in the blanks. Are the remaining inhabitants of Neo-Tokyo now finally free or are they ghosts? Tetsuo drifting somewhere in his own new universe.
Akira's message is clear. It's a warning for what technology and science could create but also destroy. Especially in the hands of humans. Akira is a critique on humanity and their selfish flaws. But Akira is also a story about birth, death and rebirth.
Power changes people. But there is always hope.
almasitimii's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25