Akira (manga)

AKIRA (アキラ) is a black and white serial manga or graphic novel by Katsuhiro Otomo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, the work uses conventions of the cyberpunk genre to detail a saga of turmoil. Initially serialised in the pages of Young Magazine from 1982 until 1990, the work was collected in six volumes by Japanese publisher Kodansha. The work was first published in an English language version by the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics, one of the first manga works to be translated in its entirety. Otomo's art on the series is considered outstanding, and the work is a breakthrough for both Otomo and the manga form. An identically titled anime film adaptation was released in 1988, shortening the plot, but with its structure and scenes heavily informed by the manga and its serial origins.

The manga takes place in a vastly larger timeframe than the film and involves a far wider array of characters and subplots. Through the breadth of the work, Otomo explicates themes of social isolation, corruption and power.

Otomo's Akira projects – the manga and its film adaptation – marked his transition from a career primarily in the creation and design of printed manga to one almost exclusively in the creation, direction and design of anime motion pictures and television.

Storyline
Volume 1

The book begins with the destruction of Tokyo on December 6, 1992, and goes on to briefly describe World War III and its aftermath. The story then jumps to 2030, and focuses on Kaneda and Tetsuo's gang lives, when Tetsuo suddenly gains his powers.

Volume 2

This book continues when Kaneda and the gang continue to find Tetsuo as he unleashes Akira from the cold chamber.

Volume 3

This book follows after Volume 2 as Kaneda tries to protect Akira from the military and Tetsuo. Unfortunately, Takashi, who is one of Akira's former friends, is accidentally shot, which unleashes Akira's 'wrath,' destroying Neo Tokyo for the second time.

Volume 4

This book follows after the destruction of Neo Tokyo as rebellious citizens form the Greater Tokyo Empire and worship Akira as a 'god.' The United States military becomes involved as they send an assassination team to eliminate Akira.

Volume 5

The story continues when Tetsuo is slowly consumed by his 'inner self' as he takes pills to control 'it.' Kei and Kaneda prepare to fight Tetsuo for the final showdown.

Volume 6

The story reaches its resolution as Tetsuo has been controlled by Akira and the Greater Tokyo Empire has been destroyed by Akira's rapture (and the United State military). Tetsuo and Kaneda reconcile before Tetsuo is consumed to a different universe. Kaneda, Kei, and many Neo Tokyo inhabitants begin to reconstruct the city, without the United States' assistance.

Setting
AKIRA is set primarily in 2030 Neo-Tokyo, after the destruction of Tokyo on December 6, 1992 (later revealed to be caused by AKIRA), and the subsequent start of World War III. However, the narrative occasionally explores other areas of the world of the manga.


 * Neo-Tokyo
 * The primary setting of AKIRA, it is a metropolis built on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay after Akira's destruction of Tokyo at the start of the story. It is home to many of the main characters and factions, including the army, the Resistance, and different motorcycle gangs such as the Clowns, the Capsules, the Carburetor Boys, the Wild Cocks, and the Pretty Bombers. Is later destroyed by Akira, and becomes a ruined wasteland, home to roaming gangs, the Great Tokyo Empire, and Lady Miyako's forces.


 * Old City
 * The abandoned areas of Tokyo from Akira. Of prime interest is the "Heart of Destruction', where Akira was when he unleashed his psychic powers, and later the site of his underground cryogenic resting place; and the highway into it where Tetsuo's powers are awakened by his accident with Takashi.


 * Eighth District Youth Vocational Training School
 * The school where Kaneda and the rest of his gang go to school, due to their criminal behavior.


 * Hariyuka
 * A bar where Kaneda and the rest frequent. This is the place where Kaneda first encounters Ryu and Kei during one of their meetings, is the place where Kaneda and Kei take refuge while fleeing from the army, and is where the city's motorcycle gangs meet up to take down Tetsuo and the Clowns.


 * Olympic Stadium
 * A central part of the story, it first appears under construction in the Old City to host the 2031 Olympic Games, and also to house a secret military complex (the complex where Akira is housed). It later appears late in the story as the headquarters for Akira and Tetsuo's Great Tokyo Empire, and the site of Kaneda and the Esper's final battle with Tetsuo.


 * Miyako's Temple
 * The home of Lady Miyako and her followers. It became home to thousands of refugees after Akira's awakening, and was attacked on three separate occasions: twice by the great Tokyo Empire, and once during the final battle with Tetsuo.


 * Akira's Cryogenic Tomb
 * The facility where Akira was kept in hibernation after World War III, in a cryogenic chamber deep underground for future generations to study. The main entrance is a single-platform miles-deep elevator, which was disabled during the army's battle with Tetsuo, but was reactivated by Joker. There is also a chamber between the platform and Akira's chamber, in which a control room for Akira's chamber is situated.

Characters
Shōtarō Kaneda (金田 正太郎)
 * A teenage delinquent and the leader of a motorcycle gang known as The Capsules (briefly referred to as "The Heroics" in the anime adaptation). Kaneda is best friends with Tetsuo, a Capsule member, but that friendship is shattered after Tetsuo gains and abuses his psychic powers. Kaneda is the main protagonist of Akira. According to Akira Club, Kaneda was inspired by the boy lead from Tetsujin 28. Due to his influence on Tetsuo, Kaneda is the only regular person who without aid can physically hurt him, even after he has gained his powers. Shōtarō is voiced by Mitsuo Iwata in the Japanese version of the film, by Cam Clarke in the 1988 English version and by Johnny Yong Bosch in the 2001 English version.


 * Tetsuo Shima (島 鉄雄)
 * Kaneda's best friend, a member of Kaneda's gang, and eventually Kaneda's nemesis. He is involved in an accident at the very beginning of the story, which causes him to display immense psychic powers. He is soon recruited by the Colonel and given the designation #41. However, Tetsuo's mental instability increases with the manifestation of his powers, which ultimately drives him insane and shatters his friendship with Kaneda. Later in the story he becomes Akira's second-in-command, before he begins to lose control of his powers. Tetsuo is the main antagonist (and possible anti-hero) of Akira. Tetsuo is voiced by Nozomu Sasaki in the Japanese version of the film, by Jan Rabson in the 1988 English version and by Joshua Seth in the 2001 English version. Tetsuo is also named after a Tetsujin 28 character, Professor Shikishima's son, Tetsuo Shikishima.


 * Kei (ケイ)
 * A member of a terrorist resistance movement led by the government mole Nezu, Kei is supposedly the sister of fellow resistance fighter Ryu, though it is implied that this is not really the case. Kei and Kaneda do not get along when they first meet, and Kei at first seems to view Kaneda with contempt. Later in the story, however, the two become increasingly attracted and fall in love with each other. Kei is a powerful medium who cannot use psychic powers of her own, but can channel the powers of others through her body. She is taken in by Lady Miyako, and plays a critical role in the final battle.


 * The Colonel (大佐)
 * Sometimes known as Colonel Shikishima (敷島大佐), he is the head of the secret government project conducting research on psychic test subjects, including the Esper children, Tetsuo, and formerly Akira. Although he originally appears to be an antagonist, the Colonel is actually an honorable and dedicated soldier committed to protecting Neo-Tokyo from any second onslaught of Akira. Later in the story he appears helping an ill Chiyoko, and working with Kei. He is usually referred to by Kaneda as "The Skinhead", due to his distinctive crew cut.


 * The Espers
 * Three 'children' who are test subjects for the secret project, also known as The Numbers (ナンバーズ). They have the bodies of children but chronologically are in their late 40's. Their bodies and faces have wizened with age but they haven't physically grown, either because of their powers, the battery of tests and surgeries performed on them, the drugs used to keep those powers in check, or a combination of the three. They are former acquaintances of Akira, and survived his destruction of Tokyo. The Espers include:


 * Kiyoko (キヨコ)
 * Designated #25, Kiyoko is an Esper who is physically so weak she is confined to a bed. She has the ability to use teleportation and precognition.


 * Takashi (タカシ)
 * Designated #26, Takashi is the first Esper to be introduced when he causes Tetsuo's accident in self-defense. He has the power to use psychokinesis. He is accidentally killed by Nezu, but is resurrected in the final volume, along with the rest of the Espers.


 * Masaru (マサル)
 * Designated #27, Masaru is physically confined either to a wheelchair or a special floating chair. He has the power to use psychokinesis.


 * Akira (アキラ)
 * The character for whom the story is named. Designated #28, Akira has immense, almost godlike psychic powers, although from outward appearances he looks like a small, normal child. He is responsible for the destruction of Tokyo and the beginning of World War III, though this was probably unintentional on his part (he is so psychically powerful that a simple act like teleporting can create a psychic shockwave able to cause destruction on a massive scale). After the war, he was put in a cryogenic chamber not far from the Heart of Destruction (the crater left by Akira's onslaught) and the future site of the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Games. Shortly after being awoken by Tetsuo, he causes the destruction of Neo-Tokyo during a confrontation between Kaneda and the Colonel's forces. Later in the story he becomes Emperor of the Great Tokyo Empire. When he first appears, we see that Akira has not aged in the decades he was kept frozen. Akira is essentially autistic; his powers have overwritten and destroyed his personality, leaving someone who almost never speaks or reacts to external stimuli. Akira was inspired by the demon from the anime adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's Saiyuki.


 * Kai (甲斐)
 * Sometimes known as Kaisuke, he is a high-ranking member of Kaneda's gang. He does not play a major role at first, but becomes more prominent later in the story. He is an anime example of the bishonen character, being well-dressed, and his facial-features resembling those of a girl more than a male.


 * Yamagata (山形)
 * A member of Kaneda's biker gang, who serves as Kaneda's right-hand-man. He is killed by Tetsuo's powers in the first tankōbon after having attempted to shoot him.


 * Joker (ジョーカー)
 * The former leader of the Clown gang, a motorcycle gang made up of junkies and drug addicts. Joker plays a small role in the beginning, but becomes more prominent much later in the story as an ally of Kaneda and Kai. He wears clown face paint and often changes the pattern.


 * Nezu (根津)
 * A parliament member who is also the leader of the terrorist resistance movement against the government. He seems to be the mentor of Kei and Ryu, and purports to be saving the nation from the corrupt and ineffective bureaucrats in power. It soon becomes evident, however, that Nezu is just as corrupt, and that all he seeks to do is to seize power for himself. He later betrays Lady Miyako, as well as various other characters, as he attempts to take Akira for himself. As the various groups fight it out over Akira, many of his private guards are killed off, and eventually the remaining few submit themselves to the military, leaving Nezu on his own. He loses Akira in the ensuing battles. When he finds Ryu in a dark corridor with Akira in tow, he attempts to kill Ryu, thinking he is a member of Lady Miyako's group all along. He misses his gunshot and Ryu in turn shoots Nezu. He fakes his death and later comes back. In one final attempt to selfishly take lives, he tries to shoot Akira, but misses, instead the stray shot instead hits Takashi (one of the three Esper children brought by the Colonel to take in Akira back to HQ) in the head, instantly killing him. Following his mistake, he was either killed by the Colonel's men, or perished when Akira destroyed the area around him. Nezu has a distinctly rat-like appearance, and the surname "Nezu" is reminiscent of the Japanese word, "nezumi," meaning "mouse" or "rat."


 * Ryu (竜)
 * A comrade of Kei's in the resistance movement, he claims to be Kei's brother, but it is implied that this is not the case. As the story progresses, Ryu abandons his terrorist roots and becomes more heroic, working with George Yamada and guiding Kaneda to Akira's chamber where Tetsuo is held up, but battles with alcoholism. In the final tankōbon, Ryu perishes when elevator debris lands on him.


 * Chiyoko (チヨコ)
 * Claiming to be Kei's aunt, she is a tough, heavyset woman and weapons expert who is involved in the resistance and eventually becomes a key supporting character.


 * The Doctor (ドクター)
 * Sometimes known in other media as Doctor Onishi (ドクター大西), the head scientist of the secret psychic research project who also serves as the Colonel scientific advisor. When Akira is freed by Tetsuo in his cryogenic lair, the Doctor fails to get inside the shelter and freezes to death.


 * Miyako (ミヤコ)
 * Frequently referred to as Lady Miyako (ミヤコ様), a former test subject known as #19, she is the high priestess of a temple in Neo-Tokyo, and a major ally of Kaneda and Kei as the story progresses. She is also an initial ally of Nezu, and gives Tetsuo a lecture on his powers. She plays an instrumental role in the final battle with Tetsuo at the cost of her own life.


 * Sakaki (榊)
 * An empowered and fond disciple of Lady Miyako, an unseemingly fast and strong girl who is sent to battle the Espers, the military, Kaneda and Nezu in order to recover Akira. She only appears in the third tankōbon, in which she is killed by the military.


 * Mozu (モズ)
 * Another empowered girl, disciple of Lady Miyako, who later teams with Sakaki and Miki to recover Akira. She only appears in the third tankōbon, in which she is killed by Takashi.


 * Miki (ミキ)
 * A third disciple of Lady Miyako. Another empowered girl. She only appears and in the third tankōbon, in which she is killed by Nezu's henchmen.


 * The Monks
 * Aides of Lady Miyako, and to some extent, enhancers and channellers of her power.


 * Kaori (カオリ)
 * A young girl who appears late in the story and is recruited as one of Tetsuo's sex slaves, later becoming an object of his sincere affections. She also serves as Akira's babysitter. She is later shot to death by Tetsuo's Aide. Tetsuo attempts to resurrect her but fails.


 * The Great Tokyo Empire (大東京帝國)
 * A small army which rises amid the ruins of Neo-Tokyo after its destruction at the hands of Akira, made up of crazed zealots who worship Akira as an Emperor for the "miracles" he performs, though the power lies squarely with his so-called Prime Minister, Tetsuo. Disorganized and unruly, the army rejects outside aid and wars with Lady Miyako's followers, Tetsuo secretly drugs the rations distributed to its members.


 * Tetsuo's Aide
 * Known only by the title of Captain (隊長), an opportunist posing as a fanatical devotee of Tetsuo who serves him as his aide-de-camp late in the story, but secretly desires control of the Great Tokyo Empire. During the confrontation between Tetsuo and the U.S. Marines, he is caught in the crossfire and is killed by the bacterial gas Yamada uses.


 * The Birdman
 * One of Tetsuo's elite psychic shocktroops, he wears a blindfold and is frequently standing atop ruined buildings and rafters, observing and reporting on the goings-on within the Empire's turf, essentially acting as a security system. It is implied that his psychic powers allow him to sense sights and sounds from a great distance, further embodied by the all-seeing eye drawn on his forehead. He's killed by Yamada, who knocks him from his perch, causing him to fall to his death.


 * The Eggman
 * A member of Tetsuo's shock troops, a fat, short man with glasses who encounters Yamada and the Marines at Olympic Stadium. He was friends with "Birdman", and managed to use his power to crush a Marine's heart before being executed by Yamada.
 * At the end of the story, Kaneda and friends take the Empire's name and declare Neo-Tokyo a sovereign nation, expelling the American and United Nations forces that land in the city.


 * George Yamada (ジョージ山田)
 * A Japanese-American soldier who is sent on a mission to assassinate Akira and Tetsuo in the latter-half of the story, after Akira has levelled Neo-Tokyo. While an apparent protagonist at first, Yamada becomes a more sinister character as his motivations for being in Neo-Tokyo are made more clear. Yamada plans to kill the two powerful psychics with darts containing a biological poison. He is later joined by a team of U.S. Marines to carry out the mission at the Olympic Stadium after it becomes the headquarters for Akira and Tetsuo's "Great Tokyo Empire". However, the biochemical weapons fail to harm Tetsuo, who proceeds to kill Yamada.


 * Project "Juvenile A"
 * An international team of scientists who are appointed to investigate psychic events in Neo-Tokyo in the latter-half of the story. Project members include Dr. Dubrovsky, Dr. Simmons, Dr. Jorris, Dr. Hock, Professor Bernardi, and Karma Tangi.


 * Caretakers
 * Robots built by the Army to fight off invaders and contact survivors in the event of a nuclear war; they are introduced in the third tankōbon during martial law after Tetsuo frees Akira dispatching rioters. Later in the story, the Colonel uses a Caretaker to transport Kiyoko to Lady Miyako's Temple, and later another Caretaker is heavily modified to become Kaneda and Kai's assault vehicle on Olympic Stadium.

History
Otomo had previously created Fireball (1979), an unfinished series in which he disregarded accepted manga art styles and which established his interest in science fiction as a setting. The setting was again used the following year in Domu, which was awarded the Science Fiction Grand Prix and became a bestseller. Otomo then began work on his most ambitious work to date, AKIRA. Inspired by both the American movie Star Wars and the Japanese animated series Tetsujin 28, Otomo created a work centred in the emerging cyberpunk tradition. The story launched in 1982, serialised in Japan's Young Magazine, and concluded in July 1990. The work, totalling over 2000 pages, was then collected and released in six volumes by Kodansha. Concurrently with working on the series, Otomo agreed to an anime adaptation of the work provided he retained creative control. This insistence was based on his experiences working on Harmagedon. The film itself was released in Japan in 1988, and to Western audiences from 1990 through 1991.

In 1988, the manga was published in the United States by Epic Comics, a division of Marvel Comics. This colorized version ended its 38-issue run in 1995. The coloring was by Steve Oliff, hand-picked for the role by Otomo. Oliff persuaded Marvel to use computer coloring, and Akira became the first ongoing comic book to feature computer coloring. The coloring was more subtle than that seen before and far beyond the capabilities of Japanese technology of the time. It played an important part in AKIRA's success in Western markets, and revolutionised the way comics were colorized. Also of note in the Marvel version are various "tributes" to Akira in the form of "fan-art" from American comic industry talent such as Dave Gibbons and John Romita. Delays in the publication were caused by Otomo's retouching of artwork for the Japanese collections. It was these works which formed the basis for translation, rather than the initial serialisation. The Epic edition suffered significant delays toward the end of the serial, requiring several years to publish the final 8 issues. Marvel planned to collect the colorized versions as a 13-volume paperback series, and teamed with Graphitti Designs to release six limited-edition hardcover volumes; however, the collected editions ceased in 1993, so the final 3 paperbacks and planned sixth hardcover volume were never published. A new edition of Akira was later published in paperback from 2000 to 2002 by Dark Horse Comics, and in the UK by Titan Books, this time in black and white with a new translation although Otomo's painted color pages were used minimally at the start of each book as in the original manga. This version is thought by some to be closer to the original serialisation than the Marvel/Epic translation. A partially colourized version was serialised in British comic/magazine Manga Mania in the early to mid '90s.

The serial nature of the work influenced the storyline structure, allowing for numerous sub-plots, a large cast and an extended middle sequence. This allowed for a focus on destructive imagery and afforded Otomo the chance to portray a strong sense of movement. He also established a well-realised science fiction setting, and through his art evoked a strong sense of emotion within both character and reader. The work has no consistent main character, but Shotaro Kaneda and Tetsuo Shima are central protagonists.

Themes
AKIRA, like Otomo's other works (such as Domu), revolves around the basic idea of individuals with superhuman powers, especially psychokinetic abilities. However, these are not central to the story, which instead concerns itself with character, societal pressures and political machination. Motifs common in the manga include youth alienation, government corruption and inefficiency, and a military grounded in old-fashioned Japanese honor, displeased with the compromises of modern society.

Jenny Kwok Wah Lau writes in Multiple Modernities that Akira is a "direct outgrowth of war and postwar experiences." She argues that Otomo grounds the work in recent Japanese history and culture, using the atomic bombing of Japan during World War II, alongside the economic resurgence and issues relating to over-crowding as inspirations and underlying issues. Thematically the work centres on the nature of youth to rebel against authority, control methods, community building and the transformation experienced in adolescent passage. The latter is best represented in the work by the morphing experienced by characters.

Susan Napier has identified this morphing and metamorphosis as a factor which marks the work as postmodern; "a genre which suggests that identity is in constant fluctuation." She also sees the work as an attack on the Japanese establishment, arguing that Otomo satirizes aspects of Japanese culture, in particular schooling and the rush for new technology. AKIRA's central images, of characters aimlessly roaming the streets on motor bikes is seen to represent the futility of the quest for self-knowledge. The work also focuses on loss, with all characters in some form orphaned and having no sense of history. The landscapes depicted are ruinous, with old Tokyo represented only by a dark crater. The nihilistic nature of the work is felt by Napier to tie into a wider theme present in Japanese literature of the time.

Reception
The series has won a great deal of recognition in the industry, including the 1984 Kodansha Manga Award for best general manga. It was also nominated for the Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work in 2002. In her book The Fantastic in Japanese Literature, Susan Napier described the work as a "no holds barred enjoyment of fluidity and chaos". The work is credited as having introduced both manga and anime to Western audiences. The translation of the work into French in 1991 by Glénat "opened the floodgates to the Japanese invasion." The imagery in AKIRA, together with that of Blade Runner formed the blueprint for similar Japanese works of a dystopian nature of the late 1990s. Examples include Ghost in the Shell and Armitage III. Akira cemented Otomo's reputation and the success of the animated feature allowed him to concentrate on film rather than the manga form in which his career began.

The movie led the way for the growing popularity of anime in the West, with Akira considered a forerunner of the second wave of anime fandom that began in the early 1990s. One of the reasons for the movie's success was the highly advanced quality of its animation. At the time, most anime was notorious for cutting production corners with limited motion, such as having only the characters' mouths move while their faces remained static. Akira broke from this trend with meticulously detailed scenes, exactingly lip-synched dialogue — a first for an anime production (voices were recorded before the animation was completed, rather than the opposite) — and super-fluid motion as realized in the film's more than 160,000 animation cels.

Adaptations
While most of the character designs and basic settings were directly adapted from the original 2,182-page manga epic, the restructured plot of the movie differs considerably from the print version, pruning much of the last half of the book. The film Akira is regarded by many critics as a landmark anime film, one that influenced much of the art in the anime world that followed its release.

A graphic adventure game based on the animated movie adaptation was released in 1988 by Taito for the Famicom console. The video game version has the player in the role of Kaneda, with the storyline starting with Kaneda and his motorcycle gang in police custody. In 1994, a British-made action game was released for the Amiga CD32, and in 2002 Bandai released a pinball simulation, Akira Psycho Ball for the PlayStation 2.

Legacy

 * In various interviews with the U.S. edition of Shonen Jump, Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto has cited the Akira manga and anime as major influences, particularly as the basis of his own manga career.
 * Acclaimed anime director Satoshi Kon was credited for some of the artwork in the Marvel editions of Akira.

Book references
Volume 1 only was also available in a limited edition hardcover version with nicer stock paper as an exclusive to Barnes and Noble.


 * AKIRA, Volume 1 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1-56971-498-3 Release: December 2000
 * AKIRA, Volume 2 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1-56971-499-1 Release: March 2001
 * AKIRA, Volume 3 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1-56971-525-4 Release: June 2001
 * AKIRA, Volume 4 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1-56971-526-2 Release: September 2001
 * AKIRA, Volume 5 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1-56971-527-0 Release: December 2001
 * AKIRA, Volume 6 : Publisher: Dark Horse ISBN 1-56971-528-9 Release: March 2002

In 2009, Random House started releasing the Akira volumes under their license.
 * AKIRA, Volume 1 : Publisher: Random House ISBN 1-93542-900-0 Release: October 13, 2009
 * AKIRA, Volume 2 : Publisher: Random House ISBN 1-93542-902-7 Release: June 8, 2010
 * AKIRA, Volume 3 : Publisher: Random House ISBN 1-93542-904-3 Release: July 13, 2010
 * AKIRA, Volume 4 : Publisher: Random House Release: November 9, 2010
 * AKIRA, Volume 5 : Publisher: Random House Release: January 11, 2011
 * AKIRA, Volume 6 : Publisher: Random House Release: April 12, 2011