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IMDb > Akira (1988)
Akira
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Photos (see all 39 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
Akira (1988) -- A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.
Akira (1988) -- A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   34,454 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 41% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Katsuhiro Ôtomo
Writers:
Katsuhiro Ôtomo (graphic novel) and
Izô Hashimoto (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Akira on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 July 2001 (USA) more
Tagline:
Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E. more
Plot:
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
Be careful with this film. more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Mitsuo Iwata ... Shôtarô Kaneda (voice)
Nozomu Sasaki ... Tetsuo Shima (voice)
Mami Koyama ... Kei (voice)
Tesshô Genda ... Ryûsaku (voice) (as Tetsusho Genda)
Hiroshi Ôtake ... Nezu (voice)
Kôichi Kitamura ... Priestess Miyako / Council A (voice)
Michihiro Ikemizu ... Inspector / Council I (voice)
Yuriko Fuchizaki ... Kaori (voice)
Masaaki Ôkura ... Yamagata (voice)
Tarô Arakawa ... Eiichi Watanabe / Council G / Army (voice)
Takeshi Kusao ... Kai (voice)
Kazumi Tanaka ... Army (voice)
Masayuki Katô ... Engineer Sakiyama / Council D (voice)
Yôsuke Akimoto ... Harukiya Bartender (voice)
Masato Hirano ... Yûji Takeyama / Spy / Council F (voice)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Akira: The Special Edition (USA) (reissue title)
Akira (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Akira (Greece) (TV title) [el]
Akira (Brazil) [pt]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for graphic violence and brief nudity.
Runtime:
124 min
Country:
Japan
Language:
Japanese
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | DTS (re-release) | Dolby (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Finland:K-12 (video) (1994) | Finland:K-15 (DVD) (2004) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2003) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 | Italy:T | Hungary:16 | Netherlands:12 (re-rating) | Canada:18+ (TV rating) | Brazil:14 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2002) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M (re-rating) (2002) | Norway:15 (DVD rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16 (nf) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This was one of the first Japanese anime films to have the character's voices recorded before they were animated. While this is the typical practice in U.S. animation, in Japan the animation is generally produced first. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When the camera is far away from Akira's capsule, the nameplate is in katakana (a Japanese alphabet). When Tetsuo walks closer, it has mystically been translated to Romaji (English) characters. more
Quotes:
Yamagata: You got a bad attitude, pops. Lighten up before your arteries harden. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004) (VG) more
Soundtrack:
Tokyo Shoeshine Boy more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
139 out of 196 people found the following comment useful:-
Be careful with this film., 16 January 1999
Author: Ryuji Henderson (ryujinospam@umich.edu) from University of Michigan

*Stereotype: Akira is a gratuitous bloodbath.

Maybe, but it's also a hard-nosed societal critique. Gore fans get what they want, but they have some morality shoved down their throats, as well. Most people who hate this movie watch it with a predetermined mindset. . . It takes thought and patience to piece together its sophisticated story.

*Stereotype: Akira rocks!!

The animation equals or exceeds Disney's best, the music is awesome, and the characters are complex, but "Akira" has its flaws. Chunked together from a long pre-existing storyline and filled with gritty violence, "Akira" draws fanatics too bloodthirsty to appreciate its message, and scares away critics intelligent enough to understand it. It takes a very open mind to enjoy this movie.

All in all, be careful with this movie; it's not for everyone. Just ignore the hype on BOTH sides and judge for yourself. I recommend the subtitled version; the dub's voice actors suck and anyone who'll understand this movie is obviously smart enough to read.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Akira (1988)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What's everyone's favourite bit in the film? LastAvailableUsername
Hollow promise? fcuker_360
Far more popular in the West than in Japan. Vuduguy
Live Action casting? SurrenderToAir
changes in animation seimus006
My opinion on the 2 english dubs. horrorfan14
more

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