What got me about this movie and kept me up at night wasn't the mindfuck. It was the art behind the movie. Tetsuo's mutation, the music, the complete dedication to Akira as an art form. And for this, I'm proud to say I've seen Akira.
I'm selling a rare art book that details the amazing work that went into making the film, from the first pencil sketches, design and story boarding to the finished product. It's called the "AKIRA ANIMATION ARCHIVES".
I'm selling this book on Ebay. This is the only one for sale outside Japan (in Japan there are only 5).
This is a collectors item for those interested in Akira, animation design or the art of anime.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
One of the reasons Otomo probably didn't do any other projects with it is because the very, very expensive film bombed in its home country. While the manga was successful and the movie had the most influence on the perception of anime ever. Kinda sad really.
@FrozenFourthSeason Please do your research. Akira is one of the highest grossing films of all time in Japan. Otomo has gone on to do 3 other films and 2 television series.
If this was a troll, you got me. If it wasn't, please go get a vasectomy as soon as possible so as not to pollute the species with your particular brand of dumb.
@joethepeacock woah woah woah man. I know there are really stupid people that dont deserve to think or live, but jesus this guy just made a mistake in facts. a simple mistake, lets not go cutting off heads where we dont need to.
As for the film covering only part of the manga, well that really is a good thing, better than trying to cover the WHOLE manga in one movie.
Now why wasn't there a sequel? Maybe Otomo liked the ambigous ending (which left Tetsuo's fate to interpretation) and the way it captured the imagination of those not familiar with the manga and it's conclusion, maybe he didn't want to spoil it with a sequel.
Or maybe he didn't think a sequel could live up to the praise and success of the original.
@joethepeacock Corrections: it isn't hand-painted animation. The backgrounds are the only thing hand-painted(witch is something common by the way) the characters and other things(tanks and such) using cell animation (there were also some computer effects in there) and also I don't recall the Japanese film industry to be in need to be saved(correct me if I'm wrong here, I just know enough companies who were doing pretty well in 1988 like studio Ghibli).
And personally I think the philosophical themes are handled pretty effectively, because the film doesn't club you on the head with it until it's incredibly obvious, like the majority of anime that features philosophical themes.
Believe it or not a lot of people prefer movies that show instead of tell, and for good reason. it's a visual medium, if all you want is plot, plot and more plot read a book.
I said it's rare not nonexistant. How does listing ONE example prove me wrong? Seriously.
And I can't take anyone seriously when they have to justify their opinion with someone else's.
I think the film handled the themes in the best way a film could and that's leave much of it to interpretation instead of wasting way too much time on exposition, which is one of anime's most crippling flaws in general.
@kingboobs20 Not really. Ghost in the Shell 2, The Borrower Arrietty? Besides, I think story and pace are more important than the animation(there are exception tough: Redline). Otherwise you could say Irate Gamer is a good reviewer for his production values. That is the main problem with Akira the movie. It tries to tell a filozofical story, but unlike the manga, it has limited time for that and as a result it suffered greatly. That's why it was negatively recieved by critics like Makigumo.
@kingboobs20 Leaving things to interpretation is one thing. Another is to leave the viewer confused. That wasn't a problem in the manga. Also look at this video(and others for that matter). The only pro argument brought up is that is has nice animation. I didn't see a video witch compliments it's plot or characters(witch I admit are above average). In the end Akira the movie is just a pretty, gory action film. Any other kind of philosophical element in the movie just end up being pretentious.
It left You confused, and I also find it funny that the only people who ever complain about the film being confusing are those who read the manga and already understand the plot anyway. While people not familiar with the manga generally don't care.
It really depends on the viewer, just as people may find the film too vague, people may also find the manga too loaded with techno babble.
@kingboobs20 I watched the movie before I read the manga. And the movie is different from the manga in a lot of ways. To put it simple, the manga>movie. That's how I see it.
Well that's fine. But being different is not a criticism. We're talking about two very different mediums that approach things quite differently, they should not be expected to be the same. I think Otomo understood that.
Being too faithful to the manga is one reason that a lot of anime is so heavy on exposition (like shonen where people just HAVE to explain how their weapon works). While anime that doesn't suffer from this tends to be original and not based on manga.
@kingboobs20 I can see where your coming from with this(nausicaa valley of the wind being different from the manga) but Akira, as a manga, had a very cinematic feel(so it would've work perfectly as a direct adaptation). I understand it did its best for a 2h movie but I can't help but feel that Akira(2000 plus pages, I remind you) should've been handled in multiple movies(Lord of the rings) or an anime series(Tales of the abyss, in opinion the most competent adaptation from Tales of series).
Again that's pretty common in adaptations. Some characters that are neccessary in literary form may not work as well in a movie. Again this movie is made by the same person who wrote the manga itself, so I think he knew what he was doing.
@kingboobs20 The fact that Otomo worked on both the manga and the movie makes me wonder how could those characters end up being below what was in the manga. Again Lady Miyako was a scared old wench(and had no relation with Nezu), while characters like Chiyoko, The Great Tokyo Empire(you know what I'm refering to), Sakaki, the Americans and Akira(one line at the end doesn't count) make no appearance. If I'm sounding like a dick or something I apologize but that's just the way I see this movie.
So it has great animation. And, that's about it. If Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was an ok adaptation of the manga, Akira the movie was for the manga what Highlander 2 was for highlander. And if I was to chose an animation film from 1988 from japan it wouldn't be Akira. It would be My Neighbor Totoro. Akira proves that Katsuhiro Otomo isn't a very good director(also look at steamboy). Sorry my friend, but you're just a fanboy. Also have you read the manga?
While this is very nice trivia, I really don't see how this is such great proof for Akira's greatness. It doesn't really do much for the endproduct. It fact if it wasn't there, it wouldn't matter at all.
George Takei is trying to save Akira from being whitewashed by Hollywood, upvote this to spread the word and send a message to the film industry that film adaptions should remain faithful to source material!
@kickassladiesman According to @Racebending on Twitter, WB is going to respond to them. I can't help but wonder if it's all pure rumor. (Robert Pattinson recently said he HADN'T been approached, for one)
They're still going to completely screw up Akira no matter how they Americanize, so I hope they ARE choosing white actors, so that the opposition doesn't lose all momentum ;)
to pastuiedada even though this is over a year comment back but anyways im beyond a fanboy to akira. i met katsuhiro otomo and have one of the orginals akira scripts hand written by again by him. did i ever say in my comments about akira 'did first' no i didnt all i said was the impact akira made. my uncle worked in the asia film industry when akira was realised so i know how much impact akira made. not saying 'did first' or doubting Nausicaa: Valley Of The Wind but impact wise that did nothing
Why I like this video is because he's not just throwing out opinion, but he's arguing his point and I agree with it absolutely. I find it so annoying that others try to put this film down because it's old. Or maybe their minds just can't take it all in, I'm seriously starting to believe this more and more.
I've never really been a big fan of this film, I've always found it to be a bit obtuse and difficult to follow (granted, I've only watched the English dub). On the other hand, I absolutely loved Spriggan, also by Katsuhiro Otomo, which is just as breathtakingly detailed and expertly animated as Akira, if not more so. They're definitely both masterpieces of animated cinema, and anyone who hasn't seen them owes it to themselves to experience both.
Akira rules in my opinion. Ever since I saw it's commercial on a cassette of "Vinus Wars", I've always been thinking about it, trying to drawl with that style and create dialogs between the characters. I saw the animated film, when I was 8 years old, loved everything in it, the energy, the thrill, the music, the art especially. Akira's concept and art are my inspiration from the moment I've seen it till today.
I have to also say that I love the details of the city in the film. Even, when I was like 8 I thoguht so haha. Such a great film and "ahead of it's time"
Hey it's just my opinion but I hated the turns this movie took. I love how it starts and hated how it ends. No one can really question the incredible effort Akira made to really change animation forever. I just hate the story. Just my opinion.
Yeah I know this film is great an all for being the one that showed that animated films could be gorgeous and mature... But I have an important question.
Where is the Ben-Hur of animated films? Don't pretend like you don't know what I mean. Where is the mature, all-encompassing 2D cartoon which looks the notion that "life is crap" right in the eye and still says, there's still something greater out there for humanity. That there's something we strive for in its suffering, and miracles do happen.
@GreyWolfLeaderTW Interesting question. I'm no film expert, but a few come to mind. There're probably better examples, but there's some elements of that in an animé called Neon Genesis Evangelion. The show's a character study in the frame of a deconstruction of the common "giant robot" genre. While the production value isn't nearly Akira, it's a very well told study and story with great direction.
But why phrase it like that? Do you doubt animation's ability to explore deep themes?
@GreyWolfLeaderTW:I don't know if it's really been made or even attempted yet. Change your comment to: Where is the mature, all-encompassing "live action movie" which looks the notion that "life is crap" right in the eye and still says, there's still something greater out there for humanity" I don't think Ben-Hur is even that. Yes,BH was that epic, larger-than-life, grand scale movie. The notion of a "Ben-Hur" of animation is intriguing. It won't come from America. Disney was close w/ Fantasia
@Dogen I can't agree more! I bought the soundtrack long before I saw the movie just based on recommendations from friends (this was around 1993, long before anime was "mainstream" in the US). I would listen to it over and over and imagine the scenes they were tied to. Once I finally got to see the movie several months later, I was simply blown away by how close my perceptions were to the actual scenes. It is probably the most intricate and complicated animated film ever produced.
@joethepeacock unless I missed a previous argument, I think SpruceLewis was asking an honestly curious question. Your response seemed a bit snappy. Correct me if I'm mistaken.
I absolutely love Akira and used to own a vhs copy, something happened to that copy so I bout a dvd version and was totally pissed cause all the voices were different and even some of the dialogue had changed...it was like it had been totally basterdized by someone for some reason. WTF!? I need to get another copy of the original.
Very interesting. Haven't seen the movie in years, and I don't think I understood just how great the animation was. Even from those few moments of various scenes, it makes me want to watch it again. 24 fps is amazing.
I guess that explains it. One of the most violent movies with such a large scale of oppression expressed/represented in the people of a society, I never enjoyed it. But at a developing point of view. it has more enjoyment.
I did kinda wish those drawings had more attention on them. There were other very nice pictures that flashed by in a second, and it seemed like a major waste. It's a real contrast from - you may or may not have seen this - the Metropolis animation from more recent times. It had some awesome pictures, but focused on them; and I liked that
I personally don't like Akira due to its graphic violence and other explicit contents, however that doesn't mean it isn't a masterpiece in its own right. As the creator of this video demonstrates, there is an incredible ammount of detail placed into every aspect of this movie, plus it was made at the end of the 1980s when everything else looked like crap, especially Disney cartoons >:D
but it was not the film that saved the Japanese film industry that just makes you sound like a fanboy beside most everything you mentioned that the film" did first" had already been done long before look up Nausicaa: Valley Of The Wind
yeah, it's one of my all-time favorite movies, and has been for a long time. But never did I realise the level of detail gone into insignificant layers. I better buy this on Blu-Ray.
to Aballister1987 the movie is complete. what every film, anime, tv show etc main target is leaving the people wanting more. and akira is most probably the bigsest success of that in the japanese animation industry. hands down without akira anime may not exist or be as good as it is. akira was a revolution in animation entertainment. it just a pity they r making a akira live action movie staring leonardo decarpio as kaneda they will ruin akira repuation
funny how some people hate on anime but don't realize that their is a nice taste in animation, the art, blood, violence & the best part of all which is story telling something that is not shown ever in American cartoons, now try to beat that :)
Your wrong, most of anime haves cheap animation covered by boring design where everyone looks same and beautiful. Thank God Akira is different than regular anime.
I completely agree with Sundiata17. I loved every moment of this movie because, not only was it beautiful art-wise, but it was packed full of action, comedy, and just a straight-up awesome storyline. The only downside to this was that it did not come with a prequel/sequel. I think that if they did a prequel of Akira's life with the same amazing details as this movie, it would have made this movie complete.
@reverseblade The manga does not suck. In fact that manga is actually one of the greatest manga ever created in Japan because of its attention to detail, continuous timeline, and its dense and deep multilayered meanings.
@SpectralViral That's your opinion & you are entitled to it as I am to mine. The manga sucked. The story was full of technobabble & took too long to develop any single idea, the characters were flat & un-engaging & the film only serves to further exemplify my opinion by how core themes & central characters were left out of it that were in the manga.
TL;DR? To quote Walt Disney: "A good story cannot be ruined by poor animation. But neither can a poor story be saved by the best animation."
The story was not full of "technobabble." The "technobabble" actually explains how certain things, like the kids powers, work. It also establishes a sort of in-depth exploration of japan's rapid technological advancement. The reason for its taking too long to develop is because of the nature of the entire series; it is a time line, it sets up a history before the events of what happen in little tokyo take place. Characters have more depth than most manga series I have read so far.
The June 2002 issue of Wired Magazine ranks Akira among the top 20 greatest SF films of all time and is the only animated feature listed among such films as Blade Runner and Star Wars.
I admit I'm very ignorant of the technical aspects of Akira, and animation in general, but this is amazing! What a crazy awesome movie, in so, so many ways. I live near Pittsburgh, so I hope to check out the exhibit this year. :]
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
So you are saying that because they did far too much work to the point of having wasted much effort (a whole city vista unseen except for one distant shot) makes akira the pinnacle of animation?
If you put as much effort into paying attention to what he said instead of looking for a way to be a smartass...
The attention to detail in an animated film was UNPRECEDENTED prior to Akira. This approach to detail was in every aspect of the movie, and not just a detailed vista in the background of one scene.
Films like Rock and Rule (1983) not only show attention to detail but utilized computer technology to get effects never before seen. The cityscape of Ohmtown is gorgeous and they use the whole thing. I'm not arguing that akira is a bad movie, even though I think it is. I am however saying that the idea of too much work = good work is logically unsound.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
I completely agree. Having worked on animations myself, I feel that to spend days painting an in-depth and detailed cityscape only to use it in a barely discernible background layer is a waste of money, not 'attention to detail'.
Yeah, it's all about money. I'm sure they could have had it animated by underage children chained to a light box in some poor developing nation and saved a lot of money! Why do those silly Japanese worry so-much about quality? They could make much more PROFIT if they just cut corners.
LMAO waste of money. you are a waste of life.... honestly.... are you really putting up a "why put in the effort" argument when you say you have worked on animation? yah your right lets just skip the hard work and put a DoF blur on there, that'll be fine AND more cost efficient... go work for Michael Bay...
You're an idiot, it's called simply loving your craft and doing it for the art. That you're somehow trying to turn that into a bad thing shows that you have a serious bias.
The little things are the most magical moments in movies for me.
Highly detailed animation isn't unique to Akira though. A lot of golden age animation was expertly crafted, before the 60s when everything got really cheap.
@Zenderquai No, they really did animate the at the same FPS that a live action movie was shot. They busted their butts making it and the results speak for themselves.
Even today the movie holds up with the finest animated films ever put out, including stuff by Miyozaki.
:) I have no dispute about its place in motion-picture history, or the creative impact and influence. Indeed it's part of the reason I got into the games industry.. But, alot of the animation is prepared at 12fps - most animé is; in fact it's arguable that it's a defining feature. Some cheap animé is only 6 or 8 frames per second.
From what I can tell, every scene featured in this video was prepared at 12 frames of cel per second.. ? I'll check on the dvd, but am pretty sure.
They switch between ones and twos throughout the whole movie. Sometimes it's just the background moving on ones, other times everything does. Akira isn't completely animated on 24 fps if that's what you're referring to, meaning they didn't redraw every single character for every new frame. I think the only feature film to do that is "The Thief and the Cobbler". But Akira is shot on 24 fps, since something is always moving in every shot.
@sacredgeometry Dis they do that for all the cel animation back then or was Akira unique in this aspect too? You wouldn't mind sharing a link to that info, just in case?
@scytheslash its an animation technique, most animation uses combinations of 1's, 2's and more depending on how fluid the motion needs to be. Its mainly a cost things because it cuts down on artists work load and in the old days also cell. Ideally animating frame by frame looks alot better. Its just so labour intensive. That said animae is famous for its shoddy animation i think the average for anime is 4s so thats only 6 individual frames a second.
@scytheslash thanks! Actually that makes a lot of sense...just thought Akira would also bust that rule...... is there any animation that uses actual 24fps?
@scytheslash sorry didnt see this comment, lots of animation does, most modern animation does cause its easy to do it but disney features tend to be all made on ones. You can tell by the fluidity of the movment.
@scytheslash ps if you are into animation check out richard williams "animators survival kit" he has a dvd box set covering the same things in his book its pretty much the most comprehensive animation learning book and if i remember right he goes over the benifits of using 1's and 2's
@Zenderquai lol, yes one of the biggest budgeted animation films of all time, surely at least back then, would have shitty 12 fps. they would even take that much time to draw and paint everything so intricately just to stop short of quality at 12. come on now, have you seen the film? if it was 12, you would be able to tell
@variously2 The Film was *SHOT* at 24, but the *ANIMATED* elements are a mixture of 1s (24fps) and 2s (12fps) - depending on various production compromises: Budget, Time, Manpower, Whether the action on-screen is fastmoving, slow moving, large on-screen, small on-screen, foreground/background elements. Sometimes 24fps is simply not the most effective method. Akira is wonderful, but the techniques are a mix - don't let emotion over something distort facts!
@Zenderquai yeah i did some research after posting that about shooting at 24 but using doubles and triples. but still, i''d think akira was 24 actual frames throughout but i guess it wasn't always necessary. is that what you mean by effective as in not needed?
@variously2 by 'effective' I meant that it isn't always necessarily conducive in achieving a certain amount of work in a certain amount of time, by a certain amount of people.. Every motion picture production has to be budgeted over time for a number of contributors, and actively choosing to do 12fps for aspects of a 94-min feature saves huge amounts of time.
Wasn't that good. and this video is pretentious as fuck. Bladerunner did everything this tried to do, better.
iRULEYAY 3 days ago
This video is simply fantastic! favorite line "i can do this with one picture and 6 seconds of video." and you did just that sir!
420Otaku 1 week ago in playlist Favorite videos
it's definitely the best movie ever. + otomo made the entire manga first and then did all the storyboards holy shit
kautle 3 weeks ago
Best atmosphere ever. Deus Ex tried to catch but only for the first half of the game.
ZidaneTribal93 1 month ago
What got me about this movie and kept me up at night wasn't the mindfuck. It was the art behind the movie. Tetsuo's mutation, the music, the complete dedication to Akira as an art form. And for this, I'm proud to say I've seen Akira.
Juraga2 1 month ago
I'm selling a rare art book that details the amazing work that went into making the film, from the first pencil sketches, design and story boarding to the finished product. It's called the "AKIRA ANIMATION ARCHIVES".
I'm selling this book on Ebay. This is the only one for sale outside Japan (in Japan there are only 5).
This is a collectors item for those interested in Akira, animation design or the art of anime.
On Ebay search: "Akira animation Archives"
PM if your interested.
daystar140 2 months ago
Welp, time to watch this movie already. I've seen the poster at my college in the equipment room.
Datelesswonders 2 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
One of the reasons Otomo probably didn't do any other projects with it is because the very, very expensive film bombed in its home country. While the manga was successful and the movie had the most influence on the perception of anime ever. Kinda sad really.
FrozenFourthSeason 5 months ago
@FrozenFourthSeason Please do your research. Akira is one of the highest grossing films of all time in Japan. Otomo has gone on to do 3 other films and 2 television series.
If this was a troll, you got me. If it wasn't, please go get a vasectomy as soon as possible so as not to pollute the species with your particular brand of dumb.
joethepeacock 5 months ago 22
@joethepeacock woah woah woah man. I know there are really stupid people that dont deserve to think or live, but jesus this guy just made a mistake in facts. a simple mistake, lets not go cutting off heads where we dont need to.
ReasonForNo 2 months ago 2
@joethepeacock Yea, too bad its people like you who get anal-discomfort over every little detail, that are the true cancer of the human species.
iRULEYAY 2 months ago
gobsmacked
parhhesia 6 months ago
As for the film covering only part of the manga, well that really is a good thing, better than trying to cover the WHOLE manga in one movie.
Now why wasn't there a sequel? Maybe Otomo liked the ambigous ending (which left Tetsuo's fate to interpretation) and the way it captured the imagination of those not familiar with the manga and it's conclusion, maybe he didn't want to spoil it with a sequel.
Or maybe he didn't think a sequel could live up to the praise and success of the original.
kingboobs20 6 months ago
Also comparing Akira to Highlander 2 is just stupid, not to mention a low blow.
kingboobs20 6 months ago
@joethepeacock Corrections: it isn't hand-painted animation. The backgrounds are the only thing hand-painted(witch is something common by the way) the characters and other things(tanks and such) using cell animation (there were also some computer effects in there) and also I don't recall the Japanese film industry to be in need to be saved(correct me if I'm wrong here, I just know enough companies who were doing pretty well in 1988 like studio Ghibli).
MrPolistiren 6 months ago
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@MrPolistiren
And personally I think the philosophical themes are handled pretty effectively, because the film doesn't club you on the head with it until it's incredibly obvious, like the majority of anime that features philosophical themes.
Believe it or not a lot of people prefer movies that show instead of tell, and for good reason. it's a visual medium, if all you want is plot, plot and more plot read a book.
kingboobs20 6 months ago
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kingboobs20 6 months ago
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@MrPolistiren
I said it's rare not nonexistant. How does listing ONE example prove me wrong? Seriously.
And I can't take anyone seriously when they have to justify their opinion with someone else's.
I think the film handled the themes in the best way a film could and that's leave much of it to interpretation instead of wasting way too much time on exposition, which is one of anime's most crippling flaws in general.
kingboobs20 6 months ago
Sadly animation like this is just too rare nowadays, at least as far as cell animation is concerned.
kingboobs20 7 months ago
@kingboobs20 Not really. Ghost in the Shell 2, The Borrower Arrietty? Besides, I think story and pace are more important than the animation(there are exception tough: Redline). Otherwise you could say Irate Gamer is a good reviewer for his production values. That is the main problem with Akira the movie. It tries to tell a filozofical story, but unlike the manga, it has limited time for that and as a result it suffered greatly. That's why it was negatively recieved by critics like Makigumo.
MrPolistiren 6 months ago
Comment removed
kingboobs20 6 months ago
@kingboobs20 Leaving things to interpretation is one thing. Another is to leave the viewer confused. That wasn't a problem in the manga. Also look at this video(and others for that matter). The only pro argument brought up is that is has nice animation. I didn't see a video witch compliments it's plot or characters(witch I admit are above average). In the end Akira the movie is just a pretty, gory action film. Any other kind of philosophical element in the movie just end up being pretentious.
MrPolistiren 6 months ago
@MrPolistiren
It left You confused, and I also find it funny that the only people who ever complain about the film being confusing are those who read the manga and already understand the plot anyway. While people not familiar with the manga generally don't care.
It really depends on the viewer, just as people may find the film too vague, people may also find the manga too loaded with techno babble.
kingboobs20 6 months ago
@kingboobs20 I watched the movie before I read the manga. And the movie is different from the manga in a lot of ways. To put it simple, the manga>movie. That's how I see it.
MrPolistiren 6 months ago
@MrPolistiren
Well that's fine. But being different is not a criticism. We're talking about two very different mediums that approach things quite differently, they should not be expected to be the same. I think Otomo understood that.
Being too faithful to the manga is one reason that a lot of anime is so heavy on exposition (like shonen where people just HAVE to explain how their weapon works). While anime that doesn't suffer from this tends to be original and not based on manga.
kingboobs20 6 months ago
@kingboobs20 I can see where your coming from with this(nausicaa valley of the wind being different from the manga) but Akira, as a manga, had a very cinematic feel(so it would've work perfectly as a direct adaptation). I understand it did its best for a 2h movie but I can't help but feel that Akira(2000 plus pages, I remind you) should've been handled in multiple movies(Lord of the rings) or an anime series(Tales of the abyss, in opinion the most competent adaptation from Tales of series).
MrPolistiren 6 months ago
@kingboobs20 Also a lot of character were missing while others...(let's say I'm not pleased with Lady Miyako's character in the movie).
MrPolistiren 6 months ago
@MrPolistiren
Again that's pretty common in adaptations. Some characters that are neccessary in literary form may not work as well in a movie. Again this movie is made by the same person who wrote the manga itself, so I think he knew what he was doing.
kingboobs20 6 months ago
@kingboobs20 The fact that Otomo worked on both the manga and the movie makes me wonder how could those characters end up being below what was in the manga. Again Lady Miyako was a scared old wench(and had no relation with Nezu), while characters like Chiyoko, The Great Tokyo Empire(you know what I'm refering to), Sakaki, the Americans and Akira(one line at the end doesn't count) make no appearance. If I'm sounding like a dick or something I apologize but that's just the way I see this movie.
MrPolistiren 6 months ago
Comment removed
kingboobs20 6 months ago
I will say it was beautiful, but not an entertaining movie.
JaggarZF 7 months ago
I think katsuhero otomo (can't spell it) is a good director, he just threw a lot of unneeded scenes and characters in akira.
RSSpeacemaker 7 months ago
So it has great animation. And, that's about it. If Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was an ok adaptation of the manga, Akira the movie was for the manga what Highlander 2 was for highlander. And if I was to chose an animation film from 1988 from japan it wouldn't be Akira. It would be My Neighbor Totoro. Akira proves that Katsuhiro Otomo isn't a very good director(also look at steamboy). Sorry my friend, but you're just a fanboy. Also have you read the manga?
ThePolistiren 8 months ago
maybe its just the fact that im not so hot on anime, but i never found this movie that appealing when i saw it with my ex (she was a huge anime fan)
Mecha120 8 months ago
thats awesome. Dont feel bad for the artist if you did. True artists don't get attached to their art work ;)
thiessen35 9 months ago
this must of took like 10 years to make
WREQUIEM 9 months ago
@WREQUIEM No it did not
InfinityWard312 8 months ago
@InfinityWard312 20
WREQUIEM 8 months ago
@WREQUIEM Dude no just no lol
InfinityWard312 8 months ago
While this is very nice trivia, I really don't see how this is such great proof for Akira's greatness. It doesn't really do much for the endproduct. It fact if it wasn't there, it wouldn't matter at all.
bierbuik 9 months ago
@bierbuik If anything I think it's proof of the director's attention to detail.
NeocentricHybrid 9 months ago
George Takei is trying to save Akira from being whitewashed by Hollywood, upvote this to spread the word and send a message to the film industry that film adaptions should remain faithful to source material!
kickassladiesman 9 months ago
@kickassladiesman According to @Racebending on Twitter, WB is going to respond to them. I can't help but wonder if it's all pure rumor. (Robert Pattinson recently said he HADN'T been approached, for one)
They're still going to completely screw up Akira no matter how they Americanize, so I hope they ARE choosing white actors, so that the opposition doesn't lose all momentum ;)
TheBilly 9 months ago
thnx to this we get dragon ball, megaman, and many great animation
XTruth 9 months ago
Saw your stream at the Edmonton Comic and Toy Show. Interesting stuff!
I always loved the movie, but never really looked into it's production.
wacko992 10 months ago
mindblowing
MicahBuzan 10 months ago
to pastuiedada even though this is over a year comment back but anyways im beyond a fanboy to akira. i met katsuhiro otomo and have one of the orginals akira scripts hand written by again by him. did i ever say in my comments about akira 'did first' no i didnt all i said was the impact akira made. my uncle worked in the asia film industry when akira was realised so i know how much impact akira made. not saying 'did first' or doubting Nausicaa: Valley Of The Wind but impact wise that did nothing
evisumodel 10 months ago
Why I like this video is because he's not just throwing out opinion, but he's arguing his point and I agree with it absolutely. I find it so annoying that others try to put this film down because it's old. Or maybe their minds just can't take it all in, I'm seriously starting to believe this more and more.
FrettingCajarot 10 months ago
I've never really been a big fan of this film, I've always found it to be a bit obtuse and difficult to follow (granted, I've only watched the English dub). On the other hand, I absolutely loved Spriggan, also by Katsuhiro Otomo, which is just as breathtakingly detailed and expertly animated as Akira, if not more so. They're definitely both masterpieces of animated cinema, and anyone who hasn't seen them owes it to themselves to experience both.
akumacornflakes 11 months ago
They hand drew the building in 1:50?
How is that possible? It looks 3D.
ShinFuYux 11 months ago
Akira rules in my opinion. Ever since I saw it's commercial on a cassette of "Vinus Wars", I've always been thinking about it, trying to drawl with that style and create dialogs between the characters. I saw the animated film, when I was 8 years old, loved everything in it, the energy, the thrill, the music, the art especially. Akira's concept and art are my inspiration from the moment I've seen it till today.
cyberneticchaos 11 months ago
I have to also say that I love the details of the city in the film. Even, when I was like 8 I thoguht so haha. Such a great film and "ahead of it's time"
SIHELL 1 year ago
best shit EVER!
SIHELL 1 year ago
Hey it's just my opinion but I hated the turns this movie took. I love how it starts and hated how it ends. No one can really question the incredible effort Akira made to really change animation forever. I just hate the story. Just my opinion.
DickLodge68 1 year ago
Man whytheinternet your crazy i guess you never saw akira then
josht466 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
looks like a shitty cartoon
whytheinternet 1 year ago
@whytheinternet say what
riotofdablood 1 year ago
@whytheinternet you just look like a shitty person in general
SpectralViral 1 year ago
Yeah I know this film is great an all for being the one that showed that animated films could be gorgeous and mature... But I have an important question.
Where is the Ben-Hur of animated films? Don't pretend like you don't know what I mean. Where is the mature, all-encompassing 2D cartoon which looks the notion that "life is crap" right in the eye and still says, there's still something greater out there for humanity. That there's something we strive for in its suffering, and miracles do happen.
GreyWolfLeaderTW 1 year ago
@GreyWolfLeaderTW Interesting question. I'm no film expert, but a few come to mind. There're probably better examples, but there's some elements of that in an animé called Neon Genesis Evangelion. The show's a character study in the frame of a deconstruction of the common "giant robot" genre. While the production value isn't nearly Akira, it's a very well told study and story with great direction.
But why phrase it like that? Do you doubt animation's ability to explore deep themes?
NemoMentisson 1 year ago
@GreyWolfLeaderTW:I don't know if it's really been made or even attempted yet. Change your comment to: Where is the mature, all-encompassing "live action movie" which looks the notion that "life is crap" right in the eye and still says, there's still something greater out there for humanity" I don't think Ben-Hur is even that. Yes,BH was that epic, larger-than-life, grand scale movie. The notion of a "Ben-Hur" of animation is intriguing. It won't come from America. Disney was close w/ Fantasia
SolarTiger 1 year ago
Well... I appreciate it. Akira is a fantastic and revolutionary film both as a work of animation and science fiction in general.
bozzutoman 1 year ago
Brilliant. The soundtrack of this movie alone has more fine tuned emotion than the majority of Hollywood films.
Dogen 1 year ago 32
@Dogen I can't agree more! I bought the soundtrack long before I saw the movie just based on recommendations from friends (this was around 1993, long before anime was "mainstream" in the US). I would listen to it over and over and imagine the scenes they were tied to. Once I finally got to see the movie several months later, I was simply blown away by how close my perceptions were to the actual scenes. It is probably the most intricate and complicated animated film ever produced.
morganvachon 1 month ago
@morganvachon It's quite simply incredible! : )
Dogen 1 month ago
@morganvachon Definitely! : )
Dogen 1 month ago
Good video, I agree!
Bossafro 1 year ago
site isn't loading...
variously2 1 year ago
@variously2 nvm, it's fine. nice site.
variously2 1 year ago
@SpruceLewis: how the hell would someone with your lack of spelling or grammar skills even know what a school project would look like?
joethepeacock 1 year ago 9
@joethepeacock unless I missed a previous argument, I think SpruceLewis was asking an honestly curious question. Your response seemed a bit snappy. Correct me if I'm mistaken.
Blanketsify 1 year ago
did u do this for like a school project or somthin?
SpruceLewis 1 year ago
I absolutely love Akira and used to own a vhs copy, something happened to that copy so I bout a dvd version and was totally pissed cause all the voices were different and even some of the dialogue had changed...it was like it had been totally basterdized by someone for some reason. WTF!? I need to get another copy of the original.
IamInayan 1 year ago 3
Very interesting. Haven't seen the movie in years, and I don't think I understood just how great the animation was. Even from those few moments of various scenes, it makes me want to watch it again. 24 fps is amazing.
bloodironbeer616 1 year ago
great video.
1 problem - Ryu is pronounced "Ree-you" and not "Ri-you"
Frellyouall 1 year ago
Such a masterpiece can only be appreciated in the theater...
zentotoro 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
that backdrop should have been much less detailed; this sounds more like poor planning and sloppy art direction than obsessive craftmanship;
its wasted time, effort, and money, in the end;
not that i dont admire the patience, talent, and discipline, of the artists
eyhexs 1 year ago
@eyhexs
I agree. It always bothers me when there's and over obsession with production details when unaddressed holes in content are never sorted out.
manchutango 1 year ago
I guess that explains it. One of the most violent movies with such a large scale of oppression expressed/represented in the people of a society, I never enjoyed it. But at a developing point of view. it has more enjoyment.
Sarahmint 1 year ago
This movie is amazing. Everyone, even people who don't like animes, should watch this movie.
kvltizt 1 year ago
@kvltizt i dont like anime
pokorn9898 1 year ago
Your a good guy - I understand your point. It really is to throw pearls before swines though..
Flaksting 1 year ago
I saw this movie so long ago, I barely even appreciated it.
I'm gonna go watch it again. Thanks guy : )
AnonymousUbiquity 1 year ago
Akira doesn't matter because of the animation,it matters because of the actual story about it.
The whole part about going crazy and getting insane powers.There is a message in this for all of you.
Urdalibertine 1 year ago
I did kinda wish those drawings had more attention on them. There were other very nice pictures that flashed by in a second, and it seemed like a major waste. It's a real contrast from - you may or may not have seen this - the Metropolis animation from more recent times. It had some awesome pictures, but focused on them; and I liked that
Zareste 1 year ago
nice explanation!
biohax 1 year ago
yea. Akira was so awesome its hard to fully comprehend.
The4LA2Baker0 1 year ago
I personally don't like Akira due to its graphic violence and other explicit contents, however that doesn't mean it isn't a masterpiece in its own right. As the creator of this video demonstrates, there is an incredible ammount of detail placed into every aspect of this movie, plus it was made at the end of the 1980s when everything else looked like crap, especially Disney cartoons >:D
kigunonomiko84 1 year ago 2
Akira is in my netflix queue thanks to this video! I look forward to seeing it.
VforVideo 1 year ago
take a cold shower dude
Flinty88 1 year ago
thank you, you made me love this awesome movie even more!
Adhemar05 1 year ago
Akira is pretty much the best thing ever made.
senorsquiid 1 year ago 2
It's so awesome that you're doing this. =) The artwork in this film is so wonderful and detailed
sophiemichele 1 year ago
Nausicaa is a classic movie
ATiredDogsMouth 1 year ago
yeah it's probably my favourite animated film next to Akira. the manga is also very good.
iriejoe 1 year ago
get your facts straight
I love The Movie
but it was not the film that saved the Japanese film industry that just makes you sound like a fanboy beside most everything you mentioned that the film" did first" had already been done long before look up Nausicaa: Valley Of The Wind
pastuiedada 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
this needs to be longer!!!
txdx 1 year ago
Comment removed
txdx 1 year ago
wow dude .... wow
: o
yeah, it's one of my all-time favorite movies, and has been for a long time. But never did I realise the level of detail gone into insignificant layers. I better buy this on Blu-Ray.
Irishfreedom 1 year ago
DDDAAAAMMN!*-*
darkangel86ia 1 year ago
to Aballister1987 the movie is complete. what every film, anime, tv show etc main target is leaving the people wanting more. and akira is most probably the bigsest success of that in the japanese animation industry. hands down without akira anime may not exist or be as good as it is. akira was a revolution in animation entertainment. it just a pity they r making a akira live action movie staring leonardo decarpio as kaneda they will ruin akira repuation
evisumodel 1 year ago
and Keanu Reeves is gonna be Spike from Cowboy Bebop.
kenrehai 1 year ago
omg wow...
such beautiful art and detail.
ehmagoditsstacy 1 year ago
hands down
alexrod830515 1 year ago
BENYZ&WAGYNE
ASDKAODJAKSJ 1 year ago
Akira is definitely badass, godlikee !! does anyone know where to get akira in blu-ray in aus? O:
billaabum 1 year ago
funny how some people hate on anime but don't realize that their is a nice taste in animation, the art, blood, violence & the best part of all which is story telling something that is not shown ever in American cartoons, now try to beat that :)
23GummybearMs 1 year ago
Your wrong, most of anime haves cheap animation covered by boring design where everyone looks same and beautiful. Thank God Akira is different than regular anime.
B1SCOOP 1 year ago
I completely agree with Sundiata17. I loved every moment of this movie because, not only was it beautiful art-wise, but it was packed full of action, comedy, and just a straight-up awesome storyline. The only downside to this was that it did not come with a prequel/sequel. I think that if they did a prequel of Akira's life with the same amazing details as this movie, it would have made this movie complete.
Aballister1987 1 year ago
this movie was beautiful and gruesome i loved every minute
sundiata17 1 year ago
I loved this movie but I felt like they didn't have enough time to do the whole story justice.
xFayte 1 year ago
And you should check out Bambi. They had more than 9 layers for the background and it was all painted on glass panes.
reverseblade 1 year ago
The art is awesome but the story sucked. I turned it off after the "rape scene".
reverseblade 1 year ago
@reverseblade Then you missed half of the movie...
How can you say something sucks if you didn't actually saw it completely?
feanor22 1 year ago 3
@feanor22 Because I read the manga. And it sucked too.
reverseblade 1 year ago
@reverseblade nevertheless, nothing changes the fact that you DID NOT see the whole movie, thus, your opinion can never be complete.
There's plenty movies/OVAs/animes with inferior mangas, it's not common, but it happens...
feanor22 1 year ago
@reverseblade The manga does not suck. In fact that manga is actually one of the greatest manga ever created in Japan because of its attention to detail, continuous timeline, and its dense and deep multilayered meanings.
SpectralViral 1 year ago
@SpectralViral That's your opinion & you are entitled to it as I am to mine. The manga sucked. The story was full of technobabble & took too long to develop any single idea, the characters were flat & un-engaging & the film only serves to further exemplify my opinion by how core themes & central characters were left out of it that were in the manga.
TL;DR? To quote Walt Disney: "A good story cannot be ruined by poor animation. But neither can a poor story be saved by the best animation."
reverseblade 1 year ago
@reverseblade
The story was not full of "technobabble." The "technobabble" actually explains how certain things, like the kids powers, work. It also establishes a sort of in-depth exploration of japan's rapid technological advancement. The reason for its taking too long to develop is because of the nature of the entire series; it is a time line, it sets up a history before the events of what happen in little tokyo take place. Characters have more depth than most manga series I have read so far.
SpectralViral 1 year ago
@reverseblade Not sure if you're a troll or just a moron. You probably liked Transformers.
STOOPIDTIME 11 months ago
@STOOPIDTIME I hate all Michael Bay. Which was not a stone's throw from Akira.
reverseblade 11 months ago
I had no idea really that Akira was THIS awesome... 9 layers? Amazing :D
Now I love it even more!
InsertDisk2 1 year ago
i remember seeing a non-dubbed/subbed VHS copy way, way back (89?). epic movie. crazy that its been so long.
XsavagistX 2 years ago
awesome analysis
PotheadPundit 2 years ago
I HAVE THIS ON VHS FOREVER
ariscool24 2 years ago 4
i love this film, but after reading the manga i really wish they would have made it two parts so they could tell the whole story.
to0nstyle 2 years ago
It's Density or Area over Time. It's a super ratio here.
philsnk 2 years ago
I remember feeling like I need to throw up when I watched it. I think my mind was blown away and bodily fluids went astray during the movie.
wa2si 2 years ago
I really dont like that movie, i mean its good but, i dont know, i gotta a feeling (8) that something is missing.
Maybe i have to see it again.
amogenaro666 2 years ago 2
@amogenaro666 I agree. The art was amazing, don't get me wrong, but I didn't like how slow and uneventful the storyline was.
invulnerable23 2 years ago 3
I hate Anime But Akira is the fucking shit. That movie is insane.. Wish i could watch it again and get some srooms
jwka2001 2 years ago
I wrote an essay on this film for college, I'm so glad this video made it to the front page of Youtube! I have the special special edition yay
fegu 2 years ago
really good movie, although i forgot exactly how it goes, i just remember this big blob at the end :)
ONEyeMarco 2 years ago
good info thxs......kim
kimlea69 2 years ago
The June 2002 issue of Wired Magazine ranks Akira among the top 20 greatest SF films of all time and is the only animated feature listed among such films as Blade Runner and Star Wars.
nichibeianime 2 years ago 16
The movie was good. But not as good as the Manga.
sinnramen 2 years ago
I love internet
gregshortall 2 years ago 2
I love Lamp
jwka2001 2 years ago
I admit I'm very ignorant of the technical aspects of Akira, and animation in general, but this is amazing! What a crazy awesome movie, in so, so many ways. I live near Pittsburgh, so I hope to check out the exhibit this year. :]
12Hamanhaingen 2 years ago
is that Jon Lejoi?
IndIka024 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
So you are saying that because they did far too much work to the point of having wasted much effort (a whole city vista unseen except for one distant shot) makes akira the pinnacle of animation?
TheBigMclargehuge 2 years ago
If you put as much effort into paying attention to what he said instead of looking for a way to be a smartass...
The attention to detail in an animated film was UNPRECEDENTED prior to Akira. This approach to detail was in every aspect of the movie, and not just a detailed vista in the background of one scene.
purefx 2 years ago
Films like Rock and Rule (1983) not only show attention to detail but utilized computer technology to get effects never before seen. The cityscape of Ohmtown is gorgeous and they use the whole thing. I'm not arguing that akira is a bad movie, even though I think it is. I am however saying that the idea of too much work = good work is logically unsound.
TheBigMclargehuge 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I completely agree. Having worked on animations myself, I feel that to spend days painting an in-depth and detailed cityscape only to use it in a barely discernible background layer is a waste of money, not 'attention to detail'.
faliklunj 2 years ago
You're a fucking goofball with no concept of art.
derpenstein 2 years ago
Don't throw pearls before swine. Just because you don't get it, doesn't mean it's not art.
nichibeianime 2 years ago
Yeah, it's all about money. I'm sure they could have had it animated by underage children chained to a light box in some poor developing nation and saved a lot of money! Why do those silly Japanese worry so-much about quality? They could make much more PROFIT if they just cut corners.
nichibeianime 2 years ago
LMAO waste of money. you are a waste of life.... honestly.... are you really putting up a "why put in the effort" argument when you say you have worked on animation? yah your right lets just skip the hard work and put a DoF blur on there, that'll be fine AND more cost efficient... go work for Michael Bay...
Smatchimo 2 years ago 20
@Smatchimo You're giving Micheal Bay too little credit
Prometheusmfd 9 months ago
@TheBigMclargehuge
You're an idiot, it's called simply loving your craft and doing it for the art. That you're somehow trying to turn that into a bad thing shows that you have a serious bias.
The little things are the most magical moments in movies for me.
Highly detailed animation isn't unique to Akira though. A lot of golden age animation was expertly crafted, before the 60s when everything got really cheap.
kingboobs20 7 months ago
GREATEST. MOVIE. EVER.
Heartofadeadpoet 2 years ago
greatest movie ever...
samurai5625 2 years ago 3
Excellent video
Kciceturbo 2 years ago
Thanks for that! I really have a new appreciation for the film now
InuvikPhil 2 years ago
it was 12 frames per second, wasn't it?
Zenderquai 2 years ago
nope. 24.
joethepeacock 2 years ago
@joethepeacock Zenderquai is half right. Some scenes are shot on 2's(12 fps) and some are shot on 1's(24fps).
commitone 2 years ago
@Zenderquai No, they really did animate the at the same FPS that a live action movie was shot. They busted their butts making it and the results speak for themselves.
Even today the movie holds up with the finest animated films ever put out, including stuff by Miyozaki.
SoulfulBrutha5805 2 years ago 10
:) I have no dispute about its place in motion-picture history, or the creative impact and influence. Indeed it's part of the reason I got into the games industry.. But, alot of the animation is prepared at 12fps - most animé is; in fact it's arguable that it's a defining feature. Some cheap animé is only 6 or 8 frames per second.
From what I can tell, every scene featured in this video was prepared at 12 frames of cel per second.. ? I'll check on the dvd, but am pretty sure.
Zenderquai 2 years ago
correction - the scene where the viewer flies through the corridors to find tetsuo, I think was on 1s.. ?
Zenderquai 2 years ago
They switch between ones and twos throughout the whole movie. Sometimes it's just the background moving on ones, other times everything does. Akira isn't completely animated on 24 fps if that's what you're referring to, meaning they didn't redraw every single character for every new frame. I think the only feature film to do that is "The Thief and the Cobbler". But Akira is shot on 24 fps, since something is always moving in every shot.
Zukan 1 year ago
@Zenderquai yes it was 12 individual frames it was shot on 2s.
sacredgeometry 1 year ago
@sacredgeometry you mean 12 frames in half a second
scytheslash 1 year ago
@scytheslash no i mean it was 12 (individual) frames in a second, they are doubled up so that each frame is repeated twice.
sacredgeometry 1 year ago
@sacredgeometry Dis they do that for all the cel animation back then or was Akira unique in this aspect too? You wouldn't mind sharing a link to that info, just in case?
scytheslash 1 year ago
@scytheslash its an animation technique, most animation uses combinations of 1's, 2's and more depending on how fluid the motion needs to be. Its mainly a cost things because it cuts down on artists work load and in the old days also cell. Ideally animating frame by frame looks alot better. Its just so labour intensive. That said animae is famous for its shoddy animation i think the average for anime is 4s so thats only 6 individual frames a second.
sacredgeometry 1 year ago
@scytheslash thanks! Actually that makes a lot of sense...just thought Akira would also bust that rule...... is there any animation that uses actual 24fps?
scytheslash 1 year ago
@scytheslash sorry didnt see this comment, lots of animation does, most modern animation does cause its easy to do it but disney features tend to be all made on ones. You can tell by the fluidity of the movment.
peace
Brian
sacredgeometry 1 year ago
@scytheslash ps if you are into animation check out richard williams "animators survival kit" he has a dvd box set covering the same things in his book its pretty much the most comprehensive animation learning book and if i remember right he goes over the benifits of using 1's and 2's
sacredgeometry 1 year ago
@sacredgeometry Cool, I'll check it out
scytheslash 1 year ago
@sacredgeometry anime*
sacredgeometry 1 year ago
@Zenderquai lol, yes one of the biggest budgeted animation films of all time, surely at least back then, would have shitty 12 fps. they would even take that much time to draw and paint everything so intricately just to stop short of quality at 12. come on now, have you seen the film? if it was 12, you would be able to tell
variously2 1 year ago
@variously2 The Film was *SHOT* at 24, but the *ANIMATED* elements are a mixture of 1s (24fps) and 2s (12fps) - depending on various production compromises: Budget, Time, Manpower, Whether the action on-screen is fastmoving, slow moving, large on-screen, small on-screen, foreground/background elements. Sometimes 24fps is simply not the most effective method. Akira is wonderful, but the techniques are a mix - don't let emotion over something distort facts!
Zenderquai 1 year ago
@Zenderquai yeah i did some research after posting that about shooting at 24 but using doubles and triples. but still, i''d think akira was 24 actual frames throughout but i guess it wasn't always necessary. is that what you mean by effective as in not needed?
variously2 1 year ago
@variously2 by 'effective' I meant that it isn't always necessarily conducive in achieving a certain amount of work in a certain amount of time, by a certain amount of people.. Every motion picture production has to be budgeted over time for a number of contributors, and actively choosing to do 12fps for aspects of a 94-min feature saves huge amounts of time.
Zenderquai 1 year ago