Customer Reviews

Akira, Vol. 1

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4 star:		(6)
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2 star:		(1)
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I picked up volume 1 at a store yesterday, and I've already read it twice. This is a fantastic manga. The AKIRA series stretches over 2,000 pages and 6 volumes. It's won almost every Japanese Manga award imaginable, and with good reason. It's fast paced, intelligent, well-written, with great artwork, smart dialogue, and an interesting plot. Although the pricetag may seem a little steep, don't forget that each volume is over 350 pages long. If you think that's interesting, keep in mind that this first volume barely even scratches the surface of the story, it merely sets the stage for the cataclysmic events that will follow in the other volumes. You will like this manga if you like science fiction, action, comic books, manga, have seen and enjoyed the Akira anime movie, enjoy deep plots, or are looking for something new and different. You won't like it if you're sensitive to blood and violence, find the idea of black and white comics for adults ridiculous, and have no taste. Overall, this is a great manga, and no collection should be without it.

I originally started reading Akira in the Epic/Marvel books in color in the early 90's but I never read it all the way because they never reprinted the last volume. Now, after all these years, I can actually own these milestone books and finish reading them.

No collection would be complete without them! The Akira manga is an influential work of fiction and one of the precursors of the Cyberpunk genre. Akira's influence (both manga and film) can still be felt throughout manga, comics and movies. One of the things I like the most about Akira is that the movie and the manga are not just versions of one another, but complementary works that enrich each other.

In Akira #1 we meet the main characters but we only scratch the surface of the story and who is Akira. This 360 page book is filled with action and suspense. Neo Tokyo, 38 years after world-war III, is a city with complex problems, not the least of which is the numerous biker gangs. Meet Kaneda and Testuo. These two friends will soon be engulfed in a gigantic plot mixing politics, futuristic weaponry and a mysterious foce known only as Akira.

Characters in Akira seem real beacuse of their flaws. Kaneda is brave but also a slacker. Kei is more level-headed but belongs to an extremist group.

Despite its seemingly steep price, it's worth every penny.

When I heard of Akira, people regarded as the finest Anime ever. I watched when I was 11 or 12, and it blew my mind. It was unlike any other animation I have ever watched before. Years past, and I have watched more anime. Akira didn't hold the same spot as it once did. With series like Evangelion and Cowboy bebop and movies like Ghost in the Shell and Princess Mononoke, who can blame me? Well, to celebrate the revival of Akira on the scren, Dark Horse brings the fame anime in a form most americans have never seen before...Manga! I knew there was a manga for it, but never had the chance to read it. Luckly, my friend (and fanboy in arms) ponied up the... bucks for volume one. You knowhow people say the book is better than the movie...it's so in this case. And, all things considered, it makes sense. A 2,000+ page manga cut down into 2 hours means a lot of things will be left out. It's a shame, but now comes a chance to redeem yourself...like myself. Pick this book and see what I mean. Oh, and one more thing: Tetsuo!!!!!!!

I've seen the anime of Akira. I knew the manga was long and had tons more things happening than in the anime. This still did not prepare me for reading this series!

Akira is a classic, and once you read all six volumes you'll understand why. It is a massive plot branching out further than the movie. The characters are far more developed and the story is more involved. I don't know what else to say besides, "GO BUY IT! ALL OF IT!"

For those of you who have not seen the movie, and/or are just getting into the whole anime/manga thing, pick these books up. It's a great example of what the world of anime/manga has in store for you! It also helps that the series is complete, unlike some that were cancelled ("Bio-Booster Armor: Guyver" from Viz) or are still being published ("Ranma 1/2" also from Viz) I recomend these as well.

A lot of people are familiar with the film version of Akira. Readily available in the US, it's become a keystone in many American anime collections and is revered by many as one of the best Anime films ever made.

Of course, along with the praise comes the obvious (and, in many cases, justified) complaints regarding the movie's plot and pacing. As wide in scope as the movie is, it's also exceedingly vauge on many topics, and it seems like it only offers a glimpse into something much larger as opposed to being a singular narrative in and of itself.

Well, Akira fans, your boat has come in. The original Japanese Mangas (comics) are now available in the US, and to those unfamiliar with the works of Mr. Otomo, brace yourself. This is the world of Akira as it was originally concieved, and the result is simply breathtaking. If you thought the movie lacked scope, wait 'till you get ahold of these books.

The futuristic story of Akira revolves around several factions - government, anti-government, spiritual, political, and more - all struggling against each other in an attempt to unearth a secret that started the third world war. That secret is a child, Akira, subjected to tests and adjustments by a government project to bring his latent psychic abilities to their full potential. Now, he is gifted with a complete attunement to the ebbs and flows of all the energies in the universe...And the ability to control them. He is the ultimate evolution of humanity, and the most dangerous and uncontrollable weapon ever unearthed by science. After an unleashing of his energy sets off World War III, he is locked deep underground at absolute zero, kept asleep until modern science can figure out a way to deal with him.

I won't get into the story for anyone who doesn't know it (it's significantly expanded and altered when compared to the movie version). For anyone expecting a graphic novel version of the events in the movie, however, you're going to be surprised. Many of the characters that made simple cameo appearances in the film, such as Joker or Lady Miyako, are now key characters who play major roles in the unfolding plot. Other principles, such as Tetsuo, are altered slightly in order to fill their original roles.

Tetsuo is not the runt of the biker group, as he was in the movie. In fact, he's much more agressive and dark in the comics, and the deep friendship between Kaneda and Tetsuo that was evident in the final scenes of the movie is replaced with an intense sense of rivalry. You get the impression that, rather than Kaneda defending Tetsuo in the early years, they've been bucking heads for a long time. For his part, Kaneda seems to have lost some intelligence and gained some coarseness, but since the focus of the story no longer rests on his shoulders alone, this fits very well (though you do want to smack him sometimes.)

Kei is similar to her movie counterpart, at least in the first novel, though Ryu is much more prominent in his role. The Colonel has a fantastic charatcer development that was only hinted at in the movie, but you'll need to get the books that come later in the series for that.

The first book follows the plot of the movie pretty well, and while it has several additions added in, those who have seen the movie will feel right at home. The second book in the series is the same way. It's starting with book three that things become radically different from anything in the movie, but the first two are important in that much is clarified, and after reading them you can go back to the movie and notice things that you might have missed the first time around.

A note on the artwork and translation: The artwork is top notch, but in the first book the style is quite different than the later installment. The characters look fairly rough to begin with, Kei and the Colonel in particular, though they fall into their usual forms fairly quick. Otomo's astounding attention to detail shines through from the very first panel, however, and the cityscapes are simply breathtaking.

The artwork is flipped to accomodate english readers, and it's sometimes a little weird as the flow gets interrupted in spots. The translation is also pretty accurate. The dialouge isn't the greatest prose ever written or anything, but it's a far better translation than one might expect.

It's worth noting that the books have not been edited in any way, as should be expected. Still, this regulates it to the 13 and up crowd, at least. The violence is quite bloody and frequent (the Akira series is known for frequent exploding heads), so concerned parents might want to pass this series up. There's also rampant profanity throughout the book, which (oddly) gets more prominent as the series progresses (by book 5, the F-word is thrown out on a regular basis, in book 1 it appears once.) There is also a fair amount of nudity, mostly upper female but some male as well, so if that sort of thing worries you, take note. It's a series meant for mature readers, and while Kudos should go to Dark Horse for not butchering it, don't fall under the common American assumption that, because it's a comic, it's therefore kiddie stuff.

This series is a true landmark in science fiction storytelling, and I highly reccomend it to anyone who's ever wanted to read a thought provoking, action packed, and genuinely startling story that will keep you turning the pages until you hit the back cover.

This is only the first book, and chances are, once you read this one, you'll wind up buying the other 5.

I did!

Ever see the theatrical version of Akira? Like that? Good. But it doesn't really matter. I am, like most people who wrote these reviews, a big fan of the movie, because I saw it first. Of course, I didn't have access to the comic book epic version. First off, the book is quite a bit different than the movie. The same themes are expressed, but way more clearly than in the movie, due to the fact that Otomo could use more pages to explain it since he didn't have to compress his story into a 2 hour movie. The themes are also expressed at different times, in different ways. The action is completly different, and the book contains many characters not included in the movie. The most stand-out thing for me so far, had to be in the second book though. I don't want to give anything away, so let's just say that Akira himself plays a far more concrete role than he did in the movie. Anyway, the first 2 have been ridiculously awesome, you'll want to read them again and again. I'm sure the next 4 will be great too, and I can't wait until late july for the DVD release of the theatrical version. Note: if you want an easier time reading this, see the original dub of the movie first, it will give the characters in the book far more realistic personalities, and you'll be able to more closely identify with the story's protagonist- Kaneda.

Amazing? Yes, definitely. I got this book only a few short days ago, and I've read it three times and am already into the fourth reading. It's quick paced, proves that automotive chases can work in the comic medium. It's funny, intelligent, awestriking. If you've seen the anime and liked it at all, you owe it to yourself to see the entire (or the beginning at least) story. If you've seen the anime and didn't like it, pick the book up and give it a try. I'm sure you'll be amazed at it.

A great manga that any enthusiast should check out. My only pet peeve is that the format is flipped. I guess that would draw in more casual readers but it bothers me to no end that everyone is left handed. Then I constantly mentally flip all of the artwork around in my head to imagine what it was originally drawn like.

I don't see a point in reviewing each novel individually, and anyone looking to purchase volume 1 will likely want to purchase the rest of the collection as well, so this review is for volumes 1-6.

When I watched Akira for the first time I was completely blown away, though I must admit that I really had very little idea of what was actually going on. Well, little did I know at the time that the movie was in fact an attempt at cramming almost 2000 pages of graphic novels into a 2 hour movie. I still consider Akira the movie a remarkable 2 hour experience, but after reading the graphic novels the movie seems more like a preview to the graphic novels, which offer far more depth and enjoyment.

In case you are new to Akira, the basic plot of the story is about how underdog Tetsuo Shima obtains mysterious telekenetic and psychic powers after getting into a motorcycle crash. A secret government organization then abducts him and performs experiments, and we learn that Tetsuo is not the only one with strange powers. Meanwhile, his friends and fellow motorcycle gangstas led by Kaneda search for him. But, with his newfound powers Tetsuo doesn't need saving, and after escaping chaos begins to ensue, as he finds his powers growing at an alarming rate, which causes him to lose his grip on reality. Akira is a classic story about how a young man is overwhelmed when he becomes gifted with such immense power.

The plot and character development are both far more deep and involving than the movie. For instance, a good portion of the graphic novels take place in a post-apacolyptic sense after a large portion of Tokyo is destroyed, none of which is actually in the movie. Also, the character devlopment is better in the novels, obviously because there is far more time for them to develope. For example, the love interest between Kei and Kaneda. With all the explosions and crazy psychic powers, there was little time to explore the relationship between the two. But, the novels extend far deeper and one of the most satisfying aspects of the novels is seeing this relationship develope.

All in all, if you liked Akira the movie but felt there was something missing, you should definitely check out these novels. Even if buying novels 1-6 will set you back about $100, it is well worth it, because Katsuhiro Otomo could have easily made 6 movies with how much material is contained within each one.

Most readers who first come across this book were more then likely first exposed to this epic sci-fi tale by way of the excellent 2 hour animated movie. Those that actually make the commitment to read through this 6 volume, 2000+ page magnum opus of graphic storytelling are in for one heck of a ride. Don't let this 360 page bad-boy's size scare you off - Katsuhiro Otomo's crisp storytelling and fantastic artwork literally flows at 100 m.p.h. giving you a smooth and intense reading experience. Before you know it you'll be finished with this first volume and scrounging up the scratch to buy the rest of the books in this series.

Vol. 1 of, 'Akira,' sets the tone for the rest of the series at breakneck speed. For those of you enamored with the film you'll truly enjoy and appreciate the heaping portions of additional backstory and characterization that the original 'book' series provides. But perhaps most important of all is the stunning visuals of Otomo's fluid and highly detailed black & white drawings. The sheer amount of detail is breathtaking and will have you coming back for repeated reads just to appreciate the visuals. A must read for fans of the movie or of sci-fi in general.