Akira (1989) - 4K & Blu-ray

I am admittedly not a fan of anime and find a lot of it to be quite cringe worthy. However, there is something about Akira that I have always found fascinating. When I saw the bluray disc was sitting at £4.99, I decided to jump on it. Not only to refresh my memory but to show my kids that anime can be something other than mindless dumb cartoons like Attack on Titan (Yeah, I went there!). For those who don't know, Akira is an animated film from 1988. The story takes place in a dystopian 2019 in Neo Tokyo, a city built out of the ruins of Tokyo. A city decimated in the '80s after a huge blast engulfed the a vast majority of the area. We follow a group of teenagers from the violent streets through secret military bases and even into an Olympic stadium as they try to uncover and foil a government plot. A plot that involves creating telekinetic humans and one's inability to control their power. The film was written by Izo Hashimoto and director Katsuhiro Otomo. The production was handled by Ryohei Suzuki and Shunzo Kato. As a film, I found my latest viewing (the first in many years) to be utterly fascinating. It's the first time I have seen the movie since the VHS days and seeing it on bluray was just incredible. The illustrations and animation in the film is second to none. It's virtually impossible to deny the artists involved because the detail in the huge cityscapes, underground lairs and throughout all the action sequences is absolutely incredible. The use of cyberpunk styles was very tastefully done. I loved the use of neon and bright colours, it really makes the film image pop. The story isn't necessarily difficult to follow. It does start off a bit disjointed and a bit hard to differentiate certain characters. But after a good half hour, you sink into the excellent atmosphere of the film and that becomes less of an issue. I loved the fact that the script kept some of the plot points very vague. It doesn't outright explain to you what is going on, something that puts me off a lot of modern films. This means that they drip feed you a piece of plot every now and again, but it's up to you to piece it all together. They don't even explain the end with any great detail and I loved that. This major climax happens and it leaves you just sitting there thinking, "What in God's name did I just witness?" It's sort of similar to the space classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey in some regards. You see a particularly stunning and impressive set piece, but you're not entirely sure what it is going on. This might put off a lot of people who like their plot explained to them but it's works well for me. The music in the Akira is something that really stood out to me. It wasn't the usual over dramatic stuff we usually hear in this kind of film. Instead we had some form of chants and rhythmic beats that set quite an unsettling tone to the film. It's definitely one of the most underappreciated scores in film if you ask me. Every scene that used music, used it sparingly. But the music they used fit the scene perfectly. Looking it up on the internet, the music was composed and conducted by Shoji Yamashiro and was performed by the Geinoh Yamashirogumi collective. The style of music in the film is apparently a mix of traditional Indonesian gamelan music and elements of Japanese Noh music. I'm not familiar with these styles of music and that's probably what made it for me. It was different, it was unique and you don't hear that sort of thing in these sci-fi films. I loved it. I would assume that because I don't really like much in the way of modern anime, that my opinion on this film won't mean much to some. But for those out there who are like me and are quite the hit or miss with the style, I recommend checking this out. It's not only a gorgeous looking film, but the music is beautiful and the plot is quite unique. This by definition is a classic film and it's worth every penny. I wish I had bought it sooner.

I had heard of this film but up until now I had never watched it, as I had no idea what anime was all about (apart from fond memories of Laputa when I was small) so I always passed it by. How glad I am that I have finally gotten around to watching this amazing film. The film is set post WW3 in neo Tokyo. It is a place of grandeur and degeneration, in long shots we see the futuristic beauty of it all; colourful and sparkling with the feeling of unbounded possibility, but close up things aren't as rosy as we see decay in the vice of its inhabitants and in the dirt and graffiti which litter the streets. It is in this juxtaposition of these contrasting states as shown in the artwork of the setting that permeate to the very core of what the films storyline is about. On the surface it is all punks and futuristic motorbikes; the evils of authority. It is beautiful and gruesome all at the same time. Violent with hints of a darker depravity and it all comes together under a tale of an almost eternal repetition of decay, collapse, rebirth and growth. It is a story of cycles, of journeys journeyed without the questions of beginnings and endings. The soundtrack bubbles away in the background giving a nice techno industrial sound to the events which include gang wars, casual violence, futuristic bike battles, rebel explosions and government clean ups. Our main character is a boy named Tetsuo, a weakling coming to terms with the forced development of some pretty god like powers, powers which were also previously held in the narratives past by a character called Akira, whose strength led to the collapse of the city. The story comes down to control; who controls this power and what they will do if they can't control it. The animation is solid; being a good mix of detail and focus, which conveys well a gritty and violent world and its effects on the characters that live in it. This is an anime that lives and breathes its harsh, often brutal, realities and as such you will not be blinded by bold colours and strong contrasts because unlike a lot of anime Akira's pallet is darker, drawn more from the brown and grey range. The characters draw you in very well and make sure that you are actually emotionally invested in what happens to them by the end of the film, which actually gets more gruesome as we head towards the ending... or beginning. This anime is a must watch; it had action, violence, a brilliant cinematic style and plenty of philosophical muse points to keep you conversing into the early hours of the morning with whoever you choose to watch it with, even if you end up talking to yourself.

A jaw-dropping artistic achievement, and one of the greatest animated productions in history. The design and attention to detail on nearly 160,000 purely hand-drawn cells is breathtaking. This is the ultimate in Anime, and has never been bettered. This 1988 movie, based on the Manga comic books by Katsuhiro Otomo runs just over 2 hours and is almost non stop action all the way. Even the quieter more talky moments are meticulously planned and executed. Although how much more impressive could the whole film have been had the plot been more accessible? Anyone approaching this 'cold' is going to struggle at times with just what the hell is going on? A long winded, convoluted narrative, with insufficient explanation makes for a frustrating ride and can dull the enjoyment levels. Having never read the original comics there was no comparison to be made between the two. However, after a number of viewings over the years on various formats, there were still certain plot points that even I struggled with. The answers to some of these are revealed in the Glossary of Terms included on this Blu-ray release as an extra. In fact, if you do wish for more explanation of events, then this section covers most of the major narrative and general outline. For me though this is Akira's weakness. The story just gets bogged down with itself, and there are two or three moments during the climax when the whole movie could have ended, only for it to be stretched out a little more. A technical masterpiece? Yes, and a landmark moment, but unless the viewer is familiar with that main ingredient The Story, then it can become a little frustrating, especially on first viewing. The Blu-ray from Manga Entertainment looks simply stunning. Picture quality is near perfection with searing rich colours and deep contrast that's a feast for the eyes. The action and bike chases have never looked better on any home format thanks to frame by frame restoration. The sound is sharp too and ear thumpingly loud at times. Just crank up the volume and enjoy. There's a choice of original dialogue with English subtitles, a 5.1 mix or English dubbing. With mega amounts of on-screen action, the last thing I wanted was to read subtitles, so opted for the newer English language track which works really well. Some great extras are included, although some will be familiar from previous DVD releases. Interviews, storyboards, features on the restoration and music score, trailers and a reversible cover.

For many years I have had a Blu-ray editor and this UHD 4K transfer is magic to the senses. The colours pop along with the sleek hand crafted animations and luxurious painted backdrops. The audio offers three different dubs the original Japanese and two English ones - I chosecthe two latter and I did have a preference for the 2001 audio performances. Overall an decadent steel book design that perfectly captures the movies atmosphere.

I don't intend to offer a full review here, just make a couple of remarks regarding this version of the film. I originally bought the collector's edition of Akira when it first came out on VHS. I love the film and it is as good as its reputation, so if you've never seen it and are hesitating about buying it, go right ahead. But just a few words for those hardcore Manga fans out there regarding this particular release. If, like me, you prefer watching the original language versions of Manga films you may want to think twice about the Ultimate Collection. Why? Well, there's only one English subtitle track and it's for the hearing impared. This means that, along with the dialog, you get a load of little notes regarding what sort of background sounds accompany the scene, which is, frankly, as annoying as hell. Take the opening, for example, with the dramatic shot across the crater, you're just getting into the mood of the film when up pops "[wind blowing]" along the bottom of the screen. This sort of thing spoils the atmosphere of the film, especially when you can hear the wind blowing for yourself. I'm not saying there shouldn't be comments for the hearing impared, I'm saying that there should be the option to have regular subtitles as well, without all the little sound effect comments. Second issue; one of the selling points of the re-mastered version is the new translations. Sadly, though some parts of the dialog are much better and flow more naturally, many other parts lose out. The original had more 'peotic' phrasing in some areas where the new version sounds cold and awkward. For example, where the orginal version wonders whether Akira's power might be "divine", the new version wonders if it "comes from God". On the whole I prefer the original text. Once again I am commenting on the subtitles, I'm afraid I still can't bear watching the dubbed version of the film (even this "improved" version) - it is still not anywhere near as good as the original Japanese voice acting. Aside from the niggles regarding translation and subtitles, the image quality is very good, I've finally rediscovered the subtelties in colour shades and crisp image I experienced when I first saw the film in the cinema, both of which were sadly lacking from the VHS version. So, does this version merit the "Ultimate Collection" tag? I'd say close, but not quite...

As with manga, I was worried that maybe I wouldn't enjoy this anymore after so many years, but Akira looks as amazing as back then. Animation quality beats most of modern shows, it's just so detailed and expressive. You'll hardly see any still scenes in Akira, and certainly not any where characters freeze only to move their lips while talking. If you know, you know. Everything in the movie is just top quality, including the hand painted backgrounds that are basically pieces of art. I highly recommend rewatching Akira just to focus on those, you'll be surprised with amount of detail. I do see people complain about the plot, but personally I don't have a problem with it. You can't squeeze entire manga into just one movie, so of course there will be a lot missing from the story but it doesn't make it worse or incomplete, just different. I do recommend reading manga at some point though, it is made of awesome. As for collector's edition of Akira, it comes in a sturdy case with acrylic slip. Inside there's a set of four gorgeous postcards with Otomo's art, a folded poster and an extra disc with bonus features. Small touches that make it worth the extra money.

Really happy with this. I got the 4k UHD and bluray double set because its one that has all 3 versions of the film original Japanese, pioneer dub and streamline dub my favourite. A lot of the other releases only have the Japanese and pioneer dub. I ca8use the uhd disc but the bluray is great no complaints great picture and thete are extras if you like them. Worth every penny for a great movie. It is region B so will play on uk bluray players

Essential for any old anime fans.

I own this on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray & now this 4k copy this looks amazing everyone knows this movie is a masterpiece but I must say in 4k it has never looked better why are you still reading this review buy it already

🏍️ Akira 4K SteelBook Edition – A Cyberpunk Masterpiece Reimagined Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira is a landmark in animation and science fiction, and the 4K SteelBook release elevates this classic to a whole new level. Whether you're revisiting Neo-Tokyo or experiencing it for the first time, this edition delivers a stunning audiovisual experience wrapped in collector-grade packaging. --- 🎥 Video Quality: Native 4K Brilliance - Format: 2160p UHD with HDR10 - Remaster: Native 4K scan from original film elements The remaster is jaw-dropping. The hand-drawn animation bursts with detail, and the neon-soaked cityscapes of Neo-Tokyo look sharper and more vibrant than ever. The HDR grading enhances contrast and color depth, especially in scenes like the iconic motorcycle chase and Tetsuo’s psychic rampage. --- 🔊 Audio: Immersive Soundscapes - Audio Tracks: Japanese and English 5.1 surround - The sound design is immersive, with the haunting score and explosive action sequences filling the room. While some fans still cringe at the English dub’s dated delivery, the Japanese track remains the definitive experience. --- 📦 Packaging & Extras - SteelBook Design: Sleek, minimalist artwork with embossed details - Bonus Features: Includes interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and a retrospective on Akira’s cultural impact - The SteelBook itself is a collector’s dream—sturdy, stylish, and worthy of display. --- 🧠 Final Verdict Akira 4K SteelBook Edition is a definitive release of one of the greatest anime films ever made. The remaster is pristine, the packaging is premium, and the film’s themes of power, identity, and dystopia remain as relevant as ever.

Um classico da animação! Esta versão não possui legendas em português brasileiro. Somente as descritas na capa caso haja dúvidas

Very nice edition of one of the great movies of the 20th century. Animation at it's finest, great sound too. The extras are ok but could be a bit more complete

Amazing movie, really well done with the HDR Re master as usually it is difficult for an animated film... This is one of the best written films ever do check it out