Akira (1988) Movie Reaction & Review!!

In this video we are watching Akira (1988) for the first time!! This was the oldest anime we have watched so far! In 1988 the Japanese government drops an atomic bomb on Tokyo after ESP experiments on children go awry. In 2019, 31 years after the nuking of the city, Kaneda, a bike gang leader, tries to save his friend Tetsuo from a secret government project. He battles anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader until Tetsuo's supernatural powers suddenly manifest. A final battle is fought in Tokyo Olympiad exposing the experiment's secrets.
Watch Akira (1988) Here: amzn.to/3g03mQA
Watch our reaction to A Silent Voice: • A Silent Voice (2016) ...
Watch our reaction to Weathering With You: • Weathering With You (2...
Watch our reaction to I Want to Eat Your Pancreas: • I want to eat your pan...
This video is for commentary and criticism only and is not a replacement for watching Akira.
00:00​ Intro
01:12 Reaction
34:21​ Outro
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Intro/Outro Song: Always Dreaming - Same Town Forever
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[@DosCavazos]

-Watch Akira (1988) Here: amzn.to/3g03mQA -Watch our reaction to A Silent Voice: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZDXloOeeMmNiKM -Watch our reaction to Weathering With You: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6fdZJqhZdN3iKc -Watch our reaction to I Want to Eat Your Pancreas: kzbin.info/www/bejne/amPXmoqjhauaZpY -Watch our full-length watch-a-long reaction on our Patreon: bityl.co/78bL

[@Mortismors]

I think you two would really like an anime called Samurai Champloo.

[@karlluigi1987]

if you think this Movie is Gruesome,, wait til you see BOKU NO PICO, you'll get Traumatized for life..

[@thesevendeadlysins578]

Akira!!!

[@manofcultures]

if yer guys want more insights.... try youtube akira explain ... also the making animation and process .. youll be amaze... how they made the movie in the 1987-1988

[@Cassiel75]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4u7Zmucec2YmMU Would you do a vid with this clip=?

[@fxbear]

I had only been a professional animator for a couple of years when this came out. I was astonished by the work in it and really stepped up my game. This was before computers infiltrated the industry. Some scenes in this film have hundreds of objects, each needing its own timing and tracking, all done by hand. My mind is still blown by this film.

[@mikemath9508]

My favorite shot is the pan across the city, the one that could be a wallpaper.

[@jimwatson1013]

A few facts I learned about Akira way back. It was or does hold the record for most use of Colours in an animated film, since its mostly takes place at night in dark neon light lost of shades and colours are needed at the one time. Somthing animator at the time and maybe still do is avoid night time scenes due to the complexity of Colours as even darkness itself get a complex. If I recall (My mind might be wrong) if was somthing like 2000+ plus colours were used and the other fact is Akira animators apparently created new Colours in the process a few diffrent reds and such. Which as you said this is lots of individual parts put together on animation Cels hand drawn and painted then the complex layering before computers. It's not till Ghost in the shell 1995 there was a digitised Animation used in this case scan the Cels into a computer and compiled it and animated it there aswell as edited. Hence the effects and CGI being well blended in that movie. There is one aside, there was the Anime movie Venus Wars that had an obscene about of Money put Into it with the aim to be the best animated and most successful Anime movie. This is late 80s when it was started same as Akira, the Bubble economy of Japan before the Burst was big and allowed for this. Anime movies at the time were often scene as a loss with only movies of well known franchises making any money and Studio Ghibli movies a guarantee. So Venus Wars and Akira were in the same position even on their own home soil to be seen as a giant flop. Venus Wars was delayed and came out AFTER Akira, just as everyone including Japanese people took Anime movies more seriously and Venus Wars is considered an absolute flop and one of the most expensive Anime movies to that date. It is a well animated movie yet it is messy as a film. While Akira broke through and beyond despite the odds against it at the time. I enjoy that sliding door of "Success" or "Failure" able to see the two stories of a very similar thing play out in very diffrent ways. Certain demonstrates Akira just had somthing else going for it go succeed 30 years on internationally. Which with the Japanese Economy being destroyed after Akira release seeing a huge recession no one wanted to fund anime it was a huge risk and expensive. However Anime kept going in ways due to the inspiration Akira gave and the new worldwide eyes untill the next tent post Anime movie.....Ghost in the shell in 1995 which got similar global recognition and signal boosted anime and again in Japan too. Of it wasn't for Akira succeeding the landscape of anime could have been a wasteland in the 90s vs what it was. Which this is also After the other attempt at similar done in a messy way. Magazone23 which at the early Animated Original Video boom (straight to Video) with Success of Studio Ghibli early 80s saw an anime boom, Magazone 23 released and was a successes in the first Quarter of the 80s....except unfinished so some more years part 2 came out mid 80s....and Part 3 came out at the end of 80s. It was at the start middle and end of the Anime boom with Part 3 being an absolute budget mess of a release as the economy had crashed.

[@olivierannaert7603]

Still my fav anime, so impressive for that year. and the story ... and the music.

[@pigpiggypigbigpig681]

I’ve seen the film 20+ times and it still blows me away.

[@mouserr]

'infiltrated' ? seriously? guess you refuse to see cgi as true animation because your a purist, guess you want to return to a point where hand painted animation is all thats worth doing because its 'true animation' unlike that cgi nonsense that can do things hand animation simply cant do making it not true animation ... i was tgrying to get into animation when this came out, then i read the disney contract and gave up on that dream because to be a 'true animator' id have had to sign over all rights to any idea i had during the contract period ... gotta sacrifice all your IP to be a true animator right? you should be ashamed to dismiss new tools simply because you dont like them

[@MrSporkster]

I remember when this movie came out. It was a groundbreaking piece of cinema, and remains a pinnacle of industry achievement to this day. You will not see anything like it, because it is utterly unique.

[@elithornton5641]

Well spoke

[@cjpolett2055]

Yup

[@orlandookemow7517]

Preach🙏

[@mikerodgers7620]

Hand drawn.

[@butacos1388]

Yup! I totally agree. From Japan

[@gunslinger11bravo]

I saw Akira in college, it totally blew me away. I also didn't realize that the movie accurately predicted that Tokyo would be selected for the 2020 Olympics.

[@swaggerofablackteen]

🤣

[@infernalskepandaen2127]

well... about that...

[@ambrizfer7898]

@@infernalskepandaen2127 still accurate because the Olympics for sure got delayed

[@ssjwes]

@@ambrizfer7898 Because of what happened I feel it made it even more accurate not just it being held there but the delay as well. Pretty eerie.

[@acereporter73]

The legend has arrived... "TETSUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" "KANEDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

[@Bigmike130]

Kanedas little "eh" when the beam comes down while he's trying to drop a rock on Tetsuo, always makes me laugh

[@chriscorvin5077]

Remember season 4 of Rick and Morty when Morty has the death crystals? They referenced Akira multiple times in episode 1. Speaking of old anime you should check out Grave of the Fireflies it's a sad but great film.

[@TheScreamingMime]

Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat S4 E1

[@Kronical69420]

I loved how in that episode Rick uses the original dub pronunciation while Jerry uses the remaster.

[@zamhobby9662]

OH, better be prepare for that movie (Grave of Fireflies), your and heart and mind need to really really really be prepare if you want to watch it, it will break your heart into gazillion pieces....

[@emersonlopez-cruz2029]

South park also references Akira when Cartman's Dawson's creek trapper keeper turns him into the giant blob.

[@jacyo3076]

The manga is a 4000+ page masterpiece. Katsuhiro Otomo's story is even more impressive than the film's and his art is universally considered to be the best in history of comicbooks on the planet. The manga is available in 6 phone book size volumes and they are American comic size to get all that glorious detail.

[@sbatou87]

Agreed. People should read it.

[@quim5465]

ty i will

[@zerolsr2228]

This movie has 26 frams per second meaning the animators had to redraw each scene by hand 26 time to show movement. This film has several hundreds that had to be drawn by hand for this two hour film to be made. This film is literally still relevant in today's society as one of if not the greatest animated film of all time. The sad part is that this film leaves out over half of the manga content. The manga is drawn to such a level of detail it blows your mind the exact same detail that went into the background in the anime.

[@dwnkaomwn3953]

If you like that anime, I'd give Perfect Blue a shot.

[@lalalarose8197]

Not sure they’d get it.

[@dwnkaomwn3953]

@@lalalarose8197 Why not?

[@nathanjackson4255]

Seconded, it's my favorite anime film.

[@stormborn9311]

also, another Satoshi Kon’s masterpiece, Paprika (2006).

[@GoatLuffy_97]

Perfect Blue is incredible but also a total mindf**k.

[@ericberlin456]

This was the first movie that brought anime to the states. In the 80s and 90s it was called Japanamation before it was called Anime lol

[@darthken815]

Haven't heard it be called "Japanimation" since I was a kid. I feel old.

[@ericberlin456]

@@darthken815 same man

[@mkvision]

I still have my Akira VHS.

[@darthken815]

@mkvision Me too.

[@IXSICNESS]

We just called it manga in the uk since it was mostly published by manga

[@sdzero]

"For 1988, the animation is not bad." There's blood in those cels. 😓

[@platinumspider7859]

I think the word she should have used was spectacular.

[@ImitationBrand]

Kacee: "Is Akira like a person or is it an entity?" People who have seen Akira before: Yes. XD

[@Trashcan_Waifu]

I once was watching this movie and my exwife joined me and this word for word the conversation afterwards. You have made ny day with this comment

[@4YrStasis]

People who have read the manga:

[@stephyworld8713]

There's a lot of WWII symbolism, with Akira being called "Little Boy", destroying the entire city like an A-bomb...

[@sagittarius420cheefie]

Lots of apocalyptic anime have a lot of WWII inspiration.

[@elpanesito3645]

I heard the whole movie talks about Japan’s absurdly fast development in technology after the “bomb” and the way it would create chaos

[@heart3140]

In the movie it says when the explosion happens that the world thought it was a bomb

[@elpanesito3645]

@@heart3140 they thought it was a bomb, but it was Akira

[@momotaro6113]

Little boy and Fatman

[@mrkncd]

The Manga crushes this Movie story wise. IMAGINE THAT. Akira (The Movie) is a masterpiece already, but imagine the manga.

[@jasonmillsom2981]

I really need to check it out

[@thesyndrome43]

It's so good; I watched the movie first when I was 12 and it got me into adult anime (I had only seen pokemon and a little bit of DBZ before this), and picked up the manga after and was blown away by how much better it was (ironically, it also got me into manga)

[@separator94]

Woah, I definitely gotta check it out then. Thanks for the heads-up!

[@SuzakuX]

Just to give people an idea of what the manga is like. Basically the movies is the first 2~3 volumes with a bunch of changes and stuff cut out. The manga has an entire second half set in the ruins of Tokyo that's like Mad Max with psychics.

[@mattyates8501]

@@SuzakuX that being said (and maybe you already know this), one of the reasons the movie captures the core of the manga as well as it does - even with a literal phone book's worth of material cut out and only telling part of the story - is because Katsuhiro Otomo, who originally wrote the manga, demanded complete creative control of the movie

[@Crespwnian]

There's two reasons why Akira is superior to many of it's modern piers, for one all of the animation is hand drawn but more notably keeping that in mind. Allot of the movie was as they say in animations "animated on 1's" meaning a fresh drawing every frame this is something that was rarely done due to being painstaking and expensive to do. Most animations are animated "on two's meaning a fresh drawing every 2nd frame)

[@fxbear]

Actually they only used extra frames in the action sequences. There’s an excellent breakdown and detailed analysis of the animation in this film somewhere here on KZbin. Should be easy to find if you want to really drill down on the occasional mistake and specifics of how it was lit and animated.

[@Crespwnian]

@@fxbear it's still something that was rarely done, even for action sequences at the time, I did watch the videos on it, it's not flawless but still way better than most of the animation of it's time and many that came after.

[@ThanatoselNyx]

Neither of those are reasons for Akira's superiority. Any movie with that isn't automatically better.

[@saylosrelyks8645]

@@ThanatoselNyx Akira is the pinnacle of animation, Akira came out in 1988 and modern anime still can't compete with it, they all use cgi because it's easy and cheaper, no one hand draws anymore but the fact that all this was done in 1988 and still looks better than any modern anime speaks volumes about the film.

[@SuzakuX]

I hate when people say that anime today isn't done by hand. They still draw everything by hand, they just use tablets and computer software instead of physical media and cels.

[@toffee20]

Quite simply the best Anime ever made. We will never see this level of animation and dedication ever again.

[@jacksmith4460]

possibly the best film ever made,for sure the best sci fi, let alone animation (which is phenomenal)

[@fucku9849]

​@@jacksmith4460not the best but one of the best and the pillar of anime sci fi movies

[@Helker]

Now that u watched "Akira", u should watch "Ghost in the Schell"(the first version is my favorite and) it was what made me start watching anime back in 1999 wen i was 12 years old =]

[@tonyyul703]

Oh they need to see NINJA SCROLL first

[@franciscoramirez4179]

@@tonyyul703 ohhhhh YES!!👍👍👍

[@diegoignacio4923]

I strongly suggest Ghost in the Shell (1995) another sci Fi masterpiece 🔥🔥

[@shade01977]

A masterpiece. Never eclipsed.

[@adamisajoker]

Just for reference, when it comes to the quality of Western animation vs anime, this came out the same year as The Little Mermaid.

[@separator94]

I know, right? And they still haven't seen the Studio Ghibli films yet, like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Modern anime looks terrible in comparison to the older stuff. Once they stopped hand drawing and started using computer programs they all started looking really bad. Tons of still frames, not much movement when there is some, and an extreme lack of character and background detail. It's a shame.

[@sagittarius420cheefie]

I thought The Little Mermaid came out of a year later in 89

[@separator94]

@@sagittarius420cheefie The point was that it was during the same time of animated films. Is your life really that bad that you needed to look that up in order to correct someone you don't even know?

[@sagittarius420cheefie]

@@separator94 is your life so boring that you are so press that you had to point out all of that extra bullshit. I didn't have to look it up I literally have an Akira bathroom set with the date right on it when the movie came out. Like seriously get out of your feelings dude, all I did was make a simple statement. LOL keep your emotions intact it wasn't that serious.

[@separator94]

@@sagittarius420cheefie I feel so sorry for people like you. Get help.

[@Ragdefender]

13:05 Damn the Japanese have been looking forward to hosting the Olympics in 2020 since 1988??!! Damn no wonder they wanted it to push through despite COVID.

[@hitachiuchihamagicwand2776]

No they haven't been looking forward it since back then. It was just a crazy coincidence that Japan was selected in 2020.

[@Taromisaki666]

@@hitachiuchihamagicwand2776 You don't say! xD

[@christopher4249]

Yeah man katsuhiro otomo was really ahead of his time when it came to his work he’s the creator of AKIRA アキラ if you didn’t know.

[@FloatingOer]

Yeah but we can assume that the olympics in the movie universe would have been cancelled, just as it was in real life...

[@zerolsr2228]

When they said Big people like you should not have this power. They didn't mean a older or taller person more along the lines of someone with huge ambitions, a dark heart, someone like tetsuo.

[@cormano64]

01:54 - "For 1988, the animation is not bad. At all." This is one the best animations of all time, it's still miles better than most things produced *today*, in fact.

[@lanohuncho1045]

Like the last 2 seasons of seven deadly sins

[@Madagon367]

It's kind of hard to compare. Akira was still 99% animated by hand back in the day and cost a fortune to make for an anime feature. Don't forget it was the biggest deal in anime when it was released. With all the tools and technology today things definitely have a very different look and feel. But are the biggest anime movies today really miles behind in regards to their animation in comparison? I dunno.

[@slimbrady6691]

I think she's confusing art with animation. Lots of ppl do, no big deal.

[@DosCavazos]

Sorry if my wording was a little off, this was the oldest anime I have ever seen and I was pleasantly surprised by how great it looked since I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it. 😊 Thanks for watching! ❤️ -Kacee

[@StoryLoreStudio]

Disagree STRONGLY.

[@Sharmac77]

I feel that if otomo ever wrote the sequel it would be called kai. The story is actually about her being the first of the kind (naturally,not through the government industrial complex pushing evolution through drug experimentations) which is how the numbers girl can communicate with her through the movie. Also of note…..shes my avatar…..😁

[@lila10P]

So glad you guys watched this and enjoyed it. This was the third anime I ever saw and I highly recommend my second ever anime, Vampire Hunter D (1985). It is still one of my most faves and is sometimes forgotten about. And Kaori deserved better.

[@dorguinas]

akira was the kid.. AKIRA was the entity.. AKIRA was the energy of creation that exists in everything, and it had awakened inside akira. in the end, AKIRA created a universe for him, tetsuo and the kids, since they are in another level compared to normal humans.

[@juusan]

This influenced a lot of the Sci-Fi space to come

[@krono5el]

Had nothing but tetsuo drawings of him destroying all kinds of things in my notebooks as a kid. would watch this movie on repeat for ever, just baffled at how people could have animated such incredible art. true classic and the 4k is a must for anime fans

[@rickb7561]

Love your guys take on my favorite Anime of all time...one of the best reactions on KZbin...amazing job

[@FARBerserker]

This Movie is basically what made Anime a thing that exists in the West. AKIRA was the one big first high class ambassador movie to introduce people into drawn animated stuff THAT WAS NOT KIDS STUFF!

[@TanukiOkiyo]

The soundtrack is so amazing ! The fact that the were able to condense 5 mangas into this is an amazing feat .

[@jean-christophelebachelet5926]

Saw this movie in Theater when it was released in France in 1991, completely blew my mind at this time I was 17....

[@dripgod7749]

Omg awesome I love this anime move so much so happy you guys made a reaction video to it

[@Poss1]

Oh, good! One of the best. Now that you've seen this you'll catch its influence, see it referenced, in a lot of things. Thanks for sharing.

[@janineadrianareguengagomez3708]

as all comic adaptations, this movie tried to compact a lot of information into one single short movie and as many movies back then they allow you to discover your own opinion of what is happening instead narrating everything as if you were blind, Akira is still an animation masterpiece in both narrative and technique. I suggest you to read the comic if you can there is much more light and explained since it has a bunch of volumes to set the story. I'm so happy you reacted to this movie, my favorite in animation! hugs from mexico

[@carn9507]

Almost 30 years since I first saw that incredible film when I bought it on VHS video tape back in the early 90s here in the UK. And it's great to see it still getting new fans and still provoking discussions. And the animation still looks amazing. I highly recommend the (very long) manga it was based on which shows a different version of events (since the movie was done when the manga was only halfway through it's total run). Up to you which version you prefer but I love both for some of the same reasons and some different reasons. This anime is obviously a lot quicker to get through than the couple thousands of pages of manga but the manga also has a lot more going on too. Have a good weekend. :)

[@dismantlingamy]

My interpretation of the end has always been that Tetsuo becomes a god or pure energy and you see him forming a new universe right before the credits roll. I saw this when I was 12 years old. An army soldier I had befriended lemme borrow the VHS and I never gave it back (still have it in fact). I've bought at least 5 or 6 reissues since then and there hasn't been a single year I didn't watched it since 1990. By far my favorite anime of all time.

[@jameswalker6652]

Thanks for doing this one . One of the all time favorites saw it on the big screen at Stanford University in 94 . Great experience . Enjoy

[@CasualShinji]

Kei is a medium, that's why the kids needed her to combine their strength within her, and how the little girl could reach out to her. And while Kei's abilities on their own are barely anything to speak of they are a sign of a natural evolution of "the power of Akira", as opposed to that of the kids who had their powers laid bare through extensive experiments. That's what the kids meant when they said 'It's too much for us (humanity) to handle right now, but one day we'll manage it. It has already begun.' That last line refering to Kei.

[@Reikohino93]

I have seen Akira 10 times. In Sub and Dub That explosion in the beginning is significant to the plot. I just bought Akira English translated Manga online which Ended 2 years later in 1990 after this movie came out in 1988. Loved both of your reactions immensely! You have me subscribed!

[@michaeltabor4176]

Ahhh Akira. My first introduction to anime was in the early 90's when a friend brought over this and Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend (yeah... I know). If I recall we had a drinking game where we took a drink every time someone said "He's got a gun!"

[@PureMetalBanzai]

The best art ever to make it to the screen. Absolutely BRILLIANT art

[@pabloesco2007]

every time i watched again this movie, i'm amaze by the quality of the story of course but the animation too for 1988 , it's sumptuous. The OST of this movie is really good too.

[@Ostnizdasht206]

I remember first seeing Akira in like 5th grade back in 98. Love this movie.

[@davidmichaelson1092]

A ground breaking movie. It really changed anime. The scene with the kid screaming and all the glass in the nearby building shattering and falling where you can see every shard of glass was when I was sucked in. This is a movie that jumps in, never really explains, and just leaves you to hang on for the ride. I was there for it.

[@zerolsr2228]

This movie is so iconic. One example of just how iconic and how much it has done is Kanada during his battle with the other biker gang when he slid his motorcycle and it sparked. This anime started that and it has been copied so many time in several show like batman the animated series for example and many more.

[@andrewjacksonbr]

They evolved into pure energy, the shows you the beginning of humanity’s evolutionary growth to the 4th dimension. “Akira” is 😎

[@brom00]

Anime hit the US shores long before the 80's. I remember watching shows like Kimba, the White Lion and Speed Racer as a kid in the 60's.

[@mathero09]

Oh my god, that's awesome! My favourite anime movie!

[@Wrencher_86]

I know a lot of reactors go for the sub to get the "original" experience, but if you re-watch this, give the remaster dub a shot. It's good. Really good.

[@Kronical69420]

I was a fan of the original sub which is how I first saw it. Make less sense but personally I think the voice actors are better.

[@crescendyr8438]

@@Kronical69420 Which is pretty rare. I've never watched it in Japanese.

[@crescendyr8438]

There is a subset of people who shame people for enjoying anime in English and many reactors cave to these bullies. Blind Wave does not cave.

[@darthduck7827]

my favorite anime movie of all time

[@captainomega6315]

I am so proud of you guys for watching this it's a classic

[@ProHero86]

This was the second anime movie I ever saw I think I was like 13

[@Supermario19001]

I wasnt born yet and im 30

[@cuzidodgebullets6797]

It was my first anime. Followed by ninja scroll and/or ghost in the shell

[@scottfrenz]

Great reaction and video. Glad you liked the movie!

[@user-hk6fu5fn2c]

I love u guys! More movie reactions pls😁

[@Silvist]

Akira is one of the first movies I saw that was my "gateway" into anime. One of my classmates during freshmen year of HS played a bit of it during a speech he made around anime. Little did I know until later that Gijoe/transformers/voltron/thundercats were all basically anime of the 80s as well :P

[@talesfromthehoodtv503]

This is my favorite anime of all time,it actually feels like a real movie

[@magicalminty6203]

I'm glad you guys are doing Akira, it's a real classic. Here's a fun challenge, go back and rewatch season 4 episode 1 of Rick and Morty, and try to count how many Akira references are in it.

[@TOKYOTOYBANZAI]

Great reaction to a great film! You guys should definite re-watch it with full surround audio. It had one of the most unique soundtracks of any film ever.

[@PuppetDungeon]

It's worth checking out the graphic novels, as this is pretty much a summary of what goes on in the full story.

[@Mviews-hb4ib]

I have a floppy disk in my attic with an animation I made in very early 90s of the police coming to the scene where he head butted the clown . Those days we had to draw pixel by pixel and hope to god you don’t leave a pixel gap somewhere when using full .. I’m 40 now . Happy memories thanks for the reaction

[@tazm2480]

Every time I see anything dealing with Akira I always say man it would be so awesome to have a bike like them I mean just look at that baby, imagine if everyone had something like that? light trails everywhere

[@workingtowardit9298]

I first saw this anime in 1988. It played in a Laemmle movie theater, I think in Santa Monica, it was a midnight show, I was 18. The animation blew me away, it was all hand drawn (this was before computers killed the art form), I will always love this movie.

[@stephyworld8713]

Wow I didn't expect you to react to this Anime, Cyberpunk classic 🥳 let me grab some popcorn

[@markodarkman1061]

Glad you watched this anime movie, it was the most expensive Japanese animation production at the time , it is landmark of Japanese animation and it is a pivotal film in the cyberpunk genre .

[@vvaleddy]

Great reaction guys!

[@aylitrwygtctw37]

Akira saved Anime, without them it would have died in the 80’s one of the most important movies in animation history.

[@aylitrwygtctw37]

Akira at the time was also the most expensive animated movie ever created. It also used the most colors in a movie ever. It heavily influenced Ghost in a Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Metal Gear Solid, The Matrix, Inception, Stranger Things, parts of Star Wars, CyberPunk 2077, many Kanye West, MJ and other songs as well. Without this movie much of what we watch today would not exist which is crazy! Also you all hit the nail on the head. Kaneda created a new universe and became a God, but it is left into interpretation. That is the most common theory though

[@shannonpage6665]

Correction: One of the most important movies in Film history!

[@zegh8578]

Akira is based on a huge, gigantic manga (I deeply encourage you both to read it, on your own time - it is enormous, but fully worth it!) the author of the manga *is* the director of the film, and as you can imagine - thousands of pages of manga simply cannot be condensed. Instead, the anime is a re-imagining of the manga, made specifically to fit the timeframe and medium of a full length feature; this is why *some* of the story elements can feel a bit strange, unexplained or out of place - cus they kind of are, and had to be. Either way, the result is astonishing - an animation to truly go along with the manga - two masterpieces from the same author!

[@darthken815]

The best anime. Period. Nuff said.

[@BFromAcrossTheStreet]

Great reaction! If you want to check out a couple more classic anime films they’re some made by 2 directors that I love and are some of my favorites that I watched early on in my anime journey. Yoshiaki Kawajiri - Wicked City (oldest-1987), Ninja Scroll (classic), and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (personal favorite) Satoshi Kon - mind bending genius: Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers (holiday classic), and Paprika (Inception was inspired by this film) Also Ghost in the Shell, movie and series

[@Flagsitta]

I grew up with this and Fist of the North Star, my favorite anime movie.

[@ironmanTetsuoTV]

I asked my mum for Akira for my Birthday and I got Fist of the North Star and Legend of the Overfiend instead (Akira was sold out)... I don't think she really understood what she was buying me but I've been a massive fan ever since.

[@kateennis9000]

@@ironmanTetsuoTV oh good lord, Overfiend? You poor dear! That movie was traumatizing.

[@sagittarius420cheefie]

What a coincidence I just got my Akira bathroom set in the mail today. Well I got the shower curtain a week ago but the rest of the set came today. Can't wait to put it up.

[@ramslucas5140]

The end when it said "I am Tetseo"...is the new Akira...like sorta a new testiment...

[@taylornorth]

First time I saw this movie when I was young I remember laying in bed and staring at the ceiling for like 20 mins

[@GoatLuffy_97]

I hope both of you give Akira another watch or two because it is quite dense. It tells an abridged (very abridged) version of the manga. In fact the manga wasn't even finished when the mangaka directed this.

[@walther007]

This movie was ground-breaking for it's anime and sound when it came out. Just out of this world for it's day. Holds up very well even today. The only thing that really touches it is the Orig Ghost in the Shell which came out 7 years later. Love this movie. For English translations, I prefer the original one from Pioneer although it's not as precise as the newer one. Just has a great tone to it.

[@3DJapan]

Not bad? The animation is some of the best I've ever seen. And I'm an animator!

[@sleuthentertainment5872]

The first anime film that blew heads up around the World Never was done and will be done something like this Katsuhiro Otomo masterpiece

[@kancionsinziztema23]

awesome movie jeje i see little wait for more good móvies please!! So genial

[@ssark7632]

This is one of first Anime's I saw. A friend lent it to me. I almost said "Nah" right then. But kept watching and now see the genius about this movie. It's high-class art! Cowboy Bebop is an anime you should watch. Personal favorite! ;-)

[@mikemath9508]

the plural of anime is anime baka-sama

[@alcor7104]

The funny thing about anime is, while most people think Akira is old, there's an *extremely* popular anime that's even older. It's called *Dragon Ball.* The manga first came out in 1984, came out on TV as anime in Feb 1986. An even older one that's also known worldwide was Astro Boy. Came out way *waaay* back in 1952 as manga, and the first anime series was aired in 1963.

[@crescendyr8438]

This was my first too. It's still my favorite movie to this day. I think the second anime I saw was Vampire Hunter D. Then was Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Shell. My uncle would get me Anime and that's how I got into it. On another note, first JRPG was Secret of Mana.

[@maimunavenzant7581]

From what i remember this movie was actually made when the manga wasn't finished yet so its why the ending is a little vague. Also its a really long manga so alot of things are rushed through or skipped, and why some of it is a little confusing.

[@crescendyr8438]

It's a pretty clear ending.

[@christismellow]

Perfection!!🙌🙌

[@Wyklow]

Anyone notice @ 13:06 ish when they mention the Tokyo Olympics "next year" which would be 2020?

[@maxdon2001]

Great reaction!

[@Jhood3b]

this was the anime movie that got me into animes. absolute classic

[@realcourte]

Bought the "VHS" ear;y 90ies... Must have seen it a LOT and still fun to watch some details :)

[@madmonkey40]

Akira is crazy and more abstract than most, not for kids at all...never expected you'd go there given your previous choices. Seems you've really become fans of the genre if you're open to such classics. For better or worse, anime was much more hardcore back in the day...you guys still just scratching the surface and it's interesting to see where you go next.

[@tmenke88]

I think I watched this movie when I was very young and just discovering anime. I didn't remember/understand the plot but it was so fascinating. I watched Princess Mononoke during this time as well and I highly recommend it. The visuals are amazing and the story isn't quite as confusing as this but still very captivating. Adult swim/Toonami on cartoon network was soo good during this time period as well. DBZ, Gundam Wing, Big O, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Rurouni Kenshin, Yuyu Hakusho.. So so good. I highly recommend them all.(Yuyu Hakusho is still one of my favorites to this day if you like fighting shows)

[@bioneotokyo1]

Always been a massive fan since I saw it in the early 90s. I always include Neotokyo in my usernames because of it.

[@morgansteward1359]

“I think that happened” 😂😂😂

[@aidinexmachina4232]

Would definitely love to see you guys react to some classic Miyazaki films, or Perfect Blue!

[@porflepopnecker4376]

1988 animation wasn't just "not bad", but infinitely better than today's animation which is tainted by CGI. Cel animation such as this is the result of great imagination and painstaking artistry which is often quite beautiful. This is true for animated features going all the way back to Disney's SNOW WHITE.

[@zachariousmccool5768]

This movie is a technical marvel. It is responsible for bringing anime to the west. Even after all these years it still looks incredible and is a huge ambitious project. Pray for the poor soul who wants to make a live action remake of this.....definetly a huge challenge and undertaking.

[@TheKnicks2012]

Perfect Blue and Grave of the Fireflies are MUST watches

[@AddSerious]

The Manga that this is based on was not at the point that this ended yet, so the story is different in the last portion here. Tetsuo survives what you see at the end of the movie. He then starts to take over Neo Takeo, he starts giving the mass public the drugs they used to make him

[@Rejeckted]

This is peak anime. Edit: There was/is an anime show in development, this film was completed before the source material was finished. I hope they release it or provide an update soon.

[@hoon_sol]

*_In an in-depth interview with Forbes in 2017, Otomo revealed: "In terms of Kaneda's bike in 'Akira,' the initial inspiration was the lightcycles from 'TRON' designed by Syd Mead. However, they are wide, so I halved them and used that as an initial basis."_*

[@gustavolourenco5709]

I felt sorry for Kaori...

[@dwnkaomwn3953]

Yeah, she didn't deserve that end.

[@RangKlos]

As iconic as the anime is, it is still only a tiny fraction of the original manga.

[@helloworld-sl2lw]

I love how you guys were so invested and followed along the storyline so well 👏 👏 👏