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“Akira,” an anime directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, tells a story of a dystopian future in post nuclear Japan and how a delinquent is elevated into saving what’s left of the world. This storyline alone received critical acclaim for its well written narrative and worldbuilding. Animation wise, “Akira” revolutionized the whole industry and matured it to older audiences.
Even to this day, it holds up with modern anime films thanks not only to its very high production budget, valued around 700 million yen (4.4 million as of 2026), but also the use of Computer-generated imagery, which at the time was still an unfamiliar tool for animators.
The animation wasn’t the only thing that made “Akira” such a memorable movie, it was the characters themselves. For example, the main protagonist Shotaro Kaneda, voiced by Mitsuo Iwata, is the leader of a biker gang and errant, but despite his rough background, he still showed care for his friends around him. Even when society mostly shunned them, he still tried to save those same people from the antagonist.
Tetsuo Shima, voiced by Nozomu Sasaki, starts out as Kaneda’s best friend. When he first appeared, he hardly felt like the person to weld a fictionalized version of extrasensory perception (ESP), much less stand against his own friends. But as the film progressed, it started to become clear why he became this way.
With the growth of his powers, he became even more mentally unstable, combined with constant attempts on his life, making him feel as though everybody has it out for him, making him not only a good villain but also an isolated character.
With a thought-out story and characters, the cultural impact that “Akira” has placed in Western and Japanese media is far too understated. For example, the “Akira slide” has been referenced over the past 30 years in tv shows and movies such as “The Matrix” or “Inception.” Musicians have also been influenced by the art style of “Akira,” with Kanye West using it for one of his tracks titled “Stronger.”
Overall, I’d give “Akira” a 4.5📼 out of 5.0📼, as it can be enjoyable for people who aren’t familiar with anime, but want to get into the genre. However, some may not be interested in the anime due to its violent nature, with near constant action scenes
