Akira
By John Huxley
Although I love anime for many reasons, sometimes I wish it wasn’t so dominant in its relationship with manga. Not only have we lost Hayao Miyazaki to anime (who proved himself every bit as talented at writing manga with Nausicaa) but also one of the most influential and talented writers of his generation - Katsuhiro Otomto. Unfortunately, after directing the anime adaptation of Akira, he decided to put all his energy in to animation and has since produced Roujin Z, Memories and Steamboy. And with the length of time and effort it took to get Steamboy released (it really is a beautiful piece of animation even if it wasn’t very well received), I doubt he’s going to have much time for manga any time in the near future.
Which is a crying shame, because on the evidence of this, he’ll be sorely missed.
Akira’s premise seems kinda old hat these days, but the whole apocalypse/world war 3/Neo Tokyo thing was relatively novel back in 1982 when it was first released. Spanning several thousand pages, the story is multi-layered and full of sweeping change, but initially at least it follows a young biker gang as they inadvertently find themselves at the centre of whirlwind of conspiracy, government cover-up and strange, psychic powers. The first part of the book will feel very familiar to anyone who’s seen the movie, as it covers about 85% of the anime’s content without even scratching the surface of the story that unfolds over the preceding five volumes.
The differences between anime and manga could warrant a pretty lengthy article on its own, so I’ll just pick out some of the major points here. Although most of the characters feature in both, some play a much larger role in the manga including the colonel, the clown gang, Lady Miyako (who’s role was reduced to an almost inconsequential cameo appearance in the anime) and even Akira himself who is actually still alive and kicking in the manga and an integral part of the plot. The story also differs wildly from the anime. The basic story is still there and focuses mainly on Tetsuo’s rise and fall and Kaneda and Kei’s attempts to stop his out of control rampage… but that’s where the similarities end. And even the backdrop is vastly different, as Neo Tokyo… well… I can’t really say anything without spoiling the hell out of it.
Suffice to say, if you liked the anime there’s a good chance you’ll love the manga. Although the two share the same basic plot, there’s enough new content here for three or four sequels to the original film. And if that doesn’t whet the appetite of Akira-starved fans such as myself, I don’t know what will. And for everyone else that needs a little more persuading…
Along with maybe Bubblegum Crisis and a couple of others, Akira is the quintessential cyberpunk manga. And while it deals with many cyberpunk-like themes, it is the atmosphere created by Otomo’s clear vision of a dystopian Neo Tokyo that really sets it apart. Even without the haunting music and vibrant colour of the anime, Otomo manages to perfectly construct a future landscape both geographically, politically and even socially that’s as believable as it is… well… damn cool. Even today Akira appears less dated than Bubblegum Crisis or any of its 80’s/90’s contemporaries; that bike (possibly a design classic that never actually existed… apart from expensive replicas) is still as cool today as it was back in the 80’s, and I’m sure a few people would wear Kaneda’s red jacket without even a hint of shame.
But don’t go thinking Akira is a long winded and overly complicated socio-political drama of some sort (guilty party please stand, Ghost in the Shell) because the bulk of the comic is actually reserved for action… and… more action. This is where Otomo’s skill with pencil and ink comes in to its own, because there’s really very few who can match him when it comes to creating a visceral, exciting action scene from nothing but a blank piece of paper (which is something I always maintain is more difficult to achieve in manga than anime). And unlike certain other comics in the same genre (don’t sit down Ghost in the Shell), Otomo’s use of panel-to-panel movement and clear, crisp artwork keeps things from becoming too confusing even during the height of the action. But it’s the imagination that Otomo shows throughout Akira that really brings these scenes to life. Of course everyone remembers the stomach-churning finale from the film, but there are many, many more in the manga that would have made for equally astonishing set-pieces.
Still, excellent though it may be, the abundance of action is actually also my major complaint with Akira. There’s simply too much of it. Sure, there are still a fair few story-building scenes and a couple of boardroom meetings, but the vast majority of the comic is non-stop action. This is particularly noticeable around volume three which is pretty much one long chase scene with a big explosion at the end. Granted, I always say that comics are more a visual medium than a written one (Alan Moore please take note), but maybe this is pushing things a little too far…
Even so, Akira does spend some time building the story and developing its characters, at least to the point where you care about their fate (and a fair few of them pop their clogs at one point or another). Kaneda in particular outstretches his initial stereotypical punk persona in to something much more rounded and likeable, while Tetsuo’s descent into madness is much more pronounced and believable than it was in the anime. As much as the infamous bike, these two are almost iconic characters for a good reason.
Indeed, the countless parodies and homages to Akira in the past 20 or so years is testament to the quality and ingenuity of the comic itself. In spite of several shortcomings, it remains a pivotal manga that deserves its place in history. And hopefully it deserves a place on your bookshelf too alongside The Dark Knight Returns, Nausicaa, Watchmen, etc. Now if only Otomo would stop with the anime and give us a manga of this quality again…
Originally published on www.mangaview.net
