View source for Akira (manga)

{{short description|Japanese manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name            = Akira
| image           = Akira Volume 1 Cover Japanese Version (Manga).jpg
| caption         = First volume cover
| ja_kanji        = アキラ
| genre           = {{ubl|[[Cyberpunk]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Kodansha Comics Gift Guide Part 3: Classics Crusaders |url=https://kodanshacomics.com/2016/12/09/kodansha-comics-gift-guide-part-3-classics-crusaders/ |website=[[Kodansha Comics]] |access-date=June 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200624203023/https://kodanshacomics.com/2016/12/09/kodansha-comics-gift-guide-part-3-classics-crusaders/ |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |date=December 9, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Scott |title=Akira Vol. 1 |url=http://activeanime.com/html/2009/11/13/akira-vol-1/ |website=activeAnime |access-date=June 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327234603/http://activeanime.com/html/2009/11/13/akira-vol-1/ |archive-date=March 27, 2016 |date=November 13, 2009}}</ref>|[[Political thriller]]<ref>{{cite book |last=McCarthy |first=Helen  |title=A Brief History of Manga: The Essential Pocket |publisher=Hachette UK |isbn=978-1-78157-130-9 |date=2014|quote=Combining science fiction and political thriller, action adventure, and meditation on the state of the world, ''Akira'' is a truly remarkable work.}}</ref>|[[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|Post-apocalyptic]]<ref name=darkhorse-v1/>}}<!-- Genres should be based on what reliable sources list them as and not on personal interpretations. Limit of the three most relevant genres in accordance with [[MOS:A&M]]. -->
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type            = manga
| author          = [[Katsuhiro Otomo]]
| publisher       = [[Kodansha]]
| publisher_en    = {{English manga publisher|AUS =[[Madman Entertainment]]
|NA =[[Kodansha Comics]]
|UK = [[Titan Books]]}}
| demographic     = {{Transliteration|ja|[[Seinen manga|Seinen]]}}
| imprint         = Young Magazine KC
| magazine        = [[Young Magazine]]
| first           = December 20, 1982
| last            = June 25, 1990
| volumes         = 6
| volume_list     = 
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Other
| title           = Film
| content         =
*[[Akira (1988 film)|''Akira'']] (1988)
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type            = tv series
| title           = 
| director        =
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| writer          = 
| music           = 
| studio          = [[Sunrise (company)|Sunrise]]<ref name="sunrise announce">{{cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |title=Akira is getting a 4K remaster and a new anime series |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/5/20683363/akira-otomo-4k-remaster-new-anime-series-orbital-era |website=[[The Verge]] |date=July 5, 2019 |access-date=January 10, 2020 |archive-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531181838/https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/5/20683363/akira-otomo-4k-remaster-new-anime-series-orbital-era |url-status=live}}</ref>
| licensee        = 
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| network_en      = 
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}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer|portal=yes}}

{{Nihongo|'''''Akira'''''|アキラ||stylized as '''AKIRA'''}} is a [[Japanese cyberpunk]] [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] [[manga]] series written and illustrated by [[Katsuhiro Otomo]]. It was serialized biweekly in [[Kodansha]]'s [[Seinen manga|{{Transliteration|ja|seinen}} manga]] magazine ''[[Young Magazine]]'' from December 20, 1982, to June 25, 1990, with its 120 chapters collected into six {{Transliteration|ja|[[tankōbon]]}}' volumes. It was initially published in the United States by [[Marvel Comics]] under its [[Epic Comics|Epic]] imprint, becoming one of the first manga works to be translated in its entirety into English.<ref name="EGWC">{{cite book |last=Brooks |first=Brad |author2=Tim Pilcher |title=The Essential Guide to World Comics |publisher=Collins & Brown |location=London |year=2005 |page=[https://archive.org/details/essentialguideto0000pilc/page/103 103] |isbn=1-84340-300-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/essentialguideto0000pilc/page/103}}</ref> It is currently published by [[Kodansha Comics]] in North America. Considered a watershed title for the medium,<ref name="MD"/> the manga is also famous for spawning the seminal 1988 cyberpunk [[anime]] [[Akira (1988 film)|film adaptation of the same name]] and the [[Akira (franchise)|greater franchise]].

Set in a post-apocalyptic and futuristic "Neo-Tokyo", more than three decades after a mysterious explosion destroyed the city, the story centers on teenage biker gang leader Shotaro Kaneda, militant revolutionary Kei, a trio of [[Extrasensory perception|Esper]]s, and Neo-Tokyo military leader Colonel Shikishima, who attempt to prevent Tetsuo Shima, Kaneda's mentally unbalanced childhood friend, from using his unstable and destructive telekinetic abilities to ravage the city and awaken a mysterious entity with powerful psychic abilities named "Akira". Otomo uses conventions of the [[cyberpunk]] genre to detail a saga of political turmoil, [[social isolation]], [[corruption]], and [[Power (social and political)|power]].<ref name="MD">{{cite book|last=Amano|first=Masanao|author2=Julius Wiedemann|title=Manga Design|publisher=Taschen|year=2004|page=138|isbn=3-8228-2591-3}}</ref> Widely regarded as a landmark work in cyberpunk and credited with pioneering the Japanese cyberpunk subgenre, ''Akira'' received universal acclaim from readers and critics, with Otomo's artwork, storytelling, characters, and exploration of mature themes and concepts subject to particular praise. The manga also achieved international commercial success, selling millions of copies worldwide.

An [[Akira (1988 film)|animated film adaptation]] released in 1988 shortened the plot considerably, but retained many of the manga's primary characters and plot elements alongside additional scenes, settings, and [[Motif (narrative)|motifs]]. The film was similarly lauded and has served as a significant influence to the anime industry and sci-fi media as a whole.<ref name="WJPC">{{cite book|last=Martinez|first=Dolores P.|title=[[The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture]]|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1998|isbn=0-521-63729-5}}{{page needed|date=November 2024}}</ref> The adaptation also marked Otomo's transition from a career primarily in manga to one almost exclusively in anime.

''Akira'' was instrumental in the surge in popularity of manga outside Japan, especially in the United States and France.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/japan-anime-global-identity-hnk-intl/index.html|title=How anime shaped Japan's global identity|last=Jozuka|first=Emiko|date=July 29, 2019|website=CNN Style|language=en|access-date=October 22, 2019|archive-date=April 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240412121152/https://www.cnn.com/style/article/japan-anime-global-identity-hnk-intl/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnews.fr/culture/2019-06-14/pourquoi-il-faut-relire-le-manga-akira-730841|title=Pourquoi il faut (re)lire le manga Akira|website=www.cnews.fr|language=fr|access-date=October 22, 2019}}</ref> The manga won several awards, including the [[Kodansha Manga Award]], a [[Harvey Award]], and four [[Eisner Awards]].

==Plot==

===Volume 1: ''Tetsuo''===
On December 6, 1982,{{Efn|Changed to 1992 in some English editions.}} an apparent [[nuclear disaster|nuclear explosion]] destroys Tokyo and starts [[World War III]]. By 2019,{{Efn|Changed to 2030 in some English editions.}} a new city called Neo-Tokyo has been built on [[artificial island]]s in [[Tokyo Bay]]. Although Neo-Tokyo is set to host the [[2020 Summer Olympics|XXXII Olympic Games]], the city is gripped by [[Sedition|anti-government]] terrorism and [[gang violence]]. While exploring the ruins of old Tokyo, Tetsuo Shima, a member of the [[bōsōzoku]] gang led by Shōtarō Kaneda, is accidentally injured when his bike crashes after Takashi — a child [[Extrasensory perception|Esper]] with wizened features — blocks his path. This incident awakens psychic powers in Tetsuo, attracting the attention of a secret government project directed by [[JSDF]] Colonel Shikishima. These increasing powers unhinge Tetsuo's mind, exacerbating his [[inferiority complex]] about Kaneda and leading him to assume leadership of the rival Clown Gang through [[violence]].

Meanwhile, Kaneda becomes involved with Kei, a member of a [[terrorist]] organization that stages anti-government attacks. Led by Ryusaku and opposition [[National Diet|Diet]] leader Nezu, the terrorists get wind of the Colonel's project and a mysterious figure connected with it known as "Akira." They hope to use this leaked information and try to restrict Kaneda's movements because of his involvement with their activities. However, when Tetsuo and the Clowns begin a violent citywide turf war, Kaneda instigates a counter-attack that unites all of Neo-Tokyo's biker gangs against Tetsuo. While the Clown Gang is easily defeated, Tetsuo's psionic powers make him virtually invincible. Tetsuo kills Yamagata, Kaneda's second-in-command, and astonishingly survives after being shot by Kaneda. The Colonel arrives with the powerful drugs needed to suppress Tetsuo's violent headaches, extending Tetsuo an offer to join the project.

===Volume 2: ''Akira I''===
After confronting the JSDF, Kaneda, Kei, and Tetsuo are taken into military custody and held in a highly secure [[skyscraper]] in Neo-Tokyo. Kei soon escapes after becoming possessed as a [[mediumship|medium]] by another Esper, Kiyoko. Kei/Kiyoko briefly does battle with Tetsuo and frees Kaneda. After rapidly healing from his wounds, Tetsuo inquires about Akira and forces Doctor Onishi, a project scientist, to take him to the other espers: Takashi, Kiyoko, and Masaru. There, a violent confrontation unfolds between Tetsuo, Kaneda, Kei, and the Espers. The Doctor decides to try to let Tetsuo harness Akira — the project's test subject that destroyed Tokyo — despite Tetsuo's disturbed personality. Upon learning that Akira is being stored in a [[cryogenics|cryogenic chamber]] beneath Neo-Tokyo's new [[Olympic Stadium]], Tetsuo escapes the skyscraper with the intent of releasing Akira.

Tetsuo enters the secret military base at the Olympic site the following day, killing many soldiers. The Colonel comes to the base and tries to talk Tetsuo out of his plan; Kaneda and Kei enter the site through the sewers and witness the unfolding situation. Tetsuo breaks open the underground cryogenic chamber and frees Akira, who turns out to be an ordinary-looking little boy. The terror of seeing Akira causes one of the Colonel's men to declare a [[state of emergency]] that causes massive panic in Neo-Tokyo. The Colonel himself tries to use SOL, a [[orbital weapon|laser satellite]], to kill Tetsuo and Akira, but only succeeds in severing Tetsuo's arm.

===Volume 3: ''Akira II''===
Tetsuo disappears in the subsequent explosion, and Kaneda and Kei come across Akira outside the base. Vaguely aware of who he is, they take him back into Neo-Tokyo. Both the Colonel's soldiers and the followers of an Esper named Lady Miyako begin scouring Neo-Tokyo in search of him. Kaneda, Kei, and a third terrorist, Chiyoko, attempt to find refuge with Akira on Nezu's [[yacht]]. However, Nezu betrays them and kidnaps Akira for his use, attempting to have them killed. They survive the attempt and manage to snatch Akira from Nezu's mansion. The Colonel, desperate to find Akira and fed up with the government's tepid response to the crisis, mounts a [[coup d'état]] and puts the city under [[martial law]]. The Colonel's men join Lady Miyako's acolytes and Nezu's private army in chasing Kaneda, Kei, Chiyoko, and Akira through the city.

The pursuit ends at a [[canal]], with Kaneda's group surrounded by the Colonel's troops. As Akira is being taken into the Colonel's custody, Nezu attempts to shoot Akira rather than have him be put into government hands; he is immediately fired upon and killed by the Colonel's men. However, Nezu's shot misses Akira and hits Takashi in the head, killing him instantly. The [[Psychological trauma|trauma]] of Takashi's death causes Akira to trigger a second psychic explosion that destroys Neo-Tokyo. Kei, Ryu, Chiyoko, the Colonel, and the other two Espers survive the catastrophe; Kaneda, however, disappears as the blast surrounds him. After the city's destruction, Tetsuo reappears and meets Akira.

===Volume 4: ''Kei I''===
Sometime later, an American [[Special reconnaissance|reconnaissance]] team led by Lieutenant George Yamada covertly arrives in the ruined Neo-Tokyo. Yamada learns that the city has been divided into two factions: the cult of Lady Miyako, which provides food and medicine for the destitute refugees, and the Great Tokyo Empire, a group of zealots led by Tetsuo with Akira as a figurehead; both worshiped as deities for performing "miracles." The Empire constantly harasses Lady Miyako's group and kills any intruders with Tetsuo's psychic shock troops. Kiyoko and Masaru become targets for the Empire's fanatical soldiers: Kei, Chiyoko, the Colonel, and Kai, a former member of Kaneda's gang, ally themselves with Lady Miyako to protect them.

Yamada eventually becomes affiliated with Ryu and updates him on how the world has reacted to the events in Neo-Tokyo; they later learn that an [[United States Navy|American naval]] fleet lingers nearby. Tetsuo becomes heavily dependent on government-issued pills to quell his headaches. Seeking answers, he visits Lady Miyako at her temple and is given a comprehensive history of the government project that unleashed Akira. Miyako advises Tetsuo to quit the pills to become more powerful; Tetsuo begins a withdrawal. Meanwhile, Tetsuo's aide, the Captain, stages an unsuccessful Empire assault on Miyako's temple. After the Colonel uses SOL to attack the Empire's army, a mysterious event opens a rift in the sky, dumping Kaneda and massive [[debris]] from Akira's second explosion.

===Volume 5: ''Kei II''===
Kaneda is reunited with Kei and joins Kai and Joker, the former Clown leader, in planning an assault on the Great Tokyo Empire. Meanwhile, an international team of scientists meets up on an American aircraft carrier to study the recent psychic events in Neo-Tokyo, forming Project Juvenile A. Ryu has a falling out with Yamada after learning that he plans to use biological weapons to assassinate Tetsuo and Akira; Yamada later meets up with his arriving commando team. Akira and Tetsuo hold a rally at the Olympic Stadium to demonstrate their powers to the Empire, culminating with Tetsuo tearing a massive hole in the Moon's surface and encircling it with a ring of debris.

Following the rally, Tetsuo's power begins to contort his physical body, causing it to absorb surrounding objects; he later learns that his abuse of his powers has caused them to expand beyond the confines of his body, giving him the ability to transmute inert matter into flesh and integrate it into his physical form. Tetsuo makes a series of visits on board the aircraft carrier to attack the scientists and do battle with American fighter jets. Eventually, Tetsuo takes over the ship and launches a nuclear weapon over the ocean. Kei—accepting the role of a medium controlled by Lady Miyako and the Espers—arrives and battles Tetsuo. Meanwhile, Kaneda, Kai, Joker, and their small army of bikers arrive at the Olympic Stadium to begin their all-out assault on the Great Tokyo Empire.

===Volume 6: ''Kaneda''===
As Kaneda and the bikers launch their assault on the stadium, Tetsuo returns from his battle with Kei. As his powers continue growing, Tetsuo's body begins involuntarily morphing, and his cybernetic arm is destroyed as his original arm regrows. He then faces Yamada's team but absorbs their biological attacks and temporarily regains control of his powers. Tetsuo kills Yamada and the commandos; he also eludes the Colonel's attempts to kill him by guiding SOL with a laser designator. Kaneda confronts Tetsuo, and the two begin to fight; Kei joins them. However, the brawl is interrupted when the Americans try to carpet bomb Neo-Tokyo and destroy the city outright with their laser satellite, FLOYD. Tetsuo flies into space and brings down FLOYD, causing it to crash upon the aircraft carrier, killing the fleet admiral and one of the scientists.

After the battle, Tetsuo tries to resurrect Kaori, a girl he loved who was killed in the battle. He succeeds to a small degree but is unable to maintain focus. He retreats to Akira's cryogenic chamber beneath the stadium, carrying her body. Kaneda and his friends appear to fight Tetsuo once more, but his powers transform him into a monstrous, amoeba-like mass resembling a fetus, absorbing everything near him. Tetsuo pulls the cryogenic chamber above ground and drops it onto Lady Miyako's temple. Lady Miyako dies while defying Tetsuo after guiding Kei into space to fire upon him with SOL. Kei's attack awakens Tetsuo's full powers, triggering a psychic reaction similar to Akira's. With the help of Kiyoko, Masaru, and the spirit of Takashi, Akira cancels out Tetsuo's explosion with one of his own. They are also able to free Kaneda, who was trapped in Tetsuo's mass. He witnesses the truth about the Espers' power as they, alongside Akira and Tetsuo, ascend to a higher plane of existence.

The [[United Nations]] sends [[United Nations peacekeeping|peacekeeping]] forces to help the surviving parties of Neo-Tokyo. Kaneda and his friends confront them, declaring the city's [[sovereignty]] as the Great Tokyo Empire and warning them that Akira still lives. Kaneda and Kei meet up with the Colonel and part ways as friends. As Kaneda and Kei ride through Neo-Tokyo with their followers, they are joined by ghostly visions of Tetsuo and Yamagata. They also see the city shedding its ruined façade, returning to its former splendor.

==Characters==
;{{anchor|Kaneda}}{{Nihongo|Kaneda|金田}}:Kaneda (born September 5, 2003),<ref name=ProRep>{{cite AV media|title=''Akira Production Report''|medium=DVD|publisher=[[Madman Entertainment]]|date=November 13, 2001}}</ref> full name {{Nihongo4|Shōtarō Kaneda|金田 正太郎|Kaneda Shōtarō}}, is the main [[protagonist]] of ''Akira''. He is an [[antihero]]ic, brash, carefree delinquent and the leader of a motorcycle gang. Kaneda is best friends with Tetsuo, a member who he has known since childhood, but their friendship was ruined after Tetsuo gained and abused his psychic powers. He becomes involved with the terrorist resistance movement and forms an attraction for their member Kei, which eventually develops into a strong [[romantic love|romantic bond]] between the two. During the events of volume 3, Kaneda is surrounded by the explosion caused by Akira and is transported to a place "beyond this world", according to Lady Miyako. Kaneda returns at the end of volume 4, and alongside the Colonel, Joker, Ryu, Kai, Miyako, the Espers and Kei, they take down Tetsuo. Kaneda is ranked as #11 on [[IGN]]'s Top 25 Anime Characters of All Time list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/10/21/top-25-anime-characters-of-all-time?page=3 |title=Top 25 Anime Characters of All Time |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=August 15, 2013 |archive-date=May 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530070840/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/10/21/top-25-anime-characters-of-all-time?page=3 |url-status=live}}</ref>
;{{anchor|Kei}}{{Nihongo|Kei|ケイ}}:Kei (born March 8, 2002),<ref name=ProRep /> full name unknown, is the secondary protagonist of ''Akira''. [[Self-discipline|Strong-willed]] and [[sensitivity (human)|sensitive]], she is a member of the terrorist resistance movement led by the government mole Nezu. She initially claims to be the sister of fellow resistance fighter Ryu, though it is implied that this is not true. Kei at first views Kaneda with contempt, finding him arrogant, gluttonous and chauvinistic. However, in volume 4, Lady Miyako deduces that she has fallen in love with him, and they become romantically involved following Kaneda's return in volume 5. Kei is a powerful medium who cannot use psychic powers of her own but can channel the powers of others through her body. She is taken in by Lady Miyako and plays a critical role in the final battle.
;{{anchor|Tetsuo}}{{Nihongo|Tetsuo|鉄雄}}:Tetsuo (born July 29, 2004),<ref name=ProRep /> full name {{Nihongo4|Tetsuo Shima|島 鉄雄|Shima Tetsuo}}, is the main [[antagonist]] of ''Akira''. He evolves from Kaneda's best friend and gang member to his nemesis. He is involved in an accident at the very beginning of the story, which causes him to display immense psychic powers. He is soon recruited by the Colonel and became a test subject known as {{Nihongo4|'''{{Abbr|No.|Number}}&nbsp;41'''|41号|Yonjūichi-gō}}. It is mentioned that he is Akira's successor; however, Tetsuo's mental instability increases with the manifestation of his powers, which ultimately drives him insane and he ruins his friendship with Kaneda. Later in the story, he becomes Akira's second-in-command, before he begins to lose control of his powers. Eventually, Kei battles Tetsuo, unlocking his full power and triggering another psychic explosion. Akira, watched by his fellow Espers, absorbs Tetsuo's explosion by creating one of his own. With Akira and the espers, he ascends to a higher [[plane of existence]].
;{{anchor|The Colonel}}{{Nihongo|The Colonel|大佐|Taisa}}: The Colonel (born November 15, 1977),<ref name=ProRep /> last name {{Nihongo|Shikishima|敷島}}, is the head of the secret government project conducting research on psychic test subjects (including the Esper children, Tetsuo, and formerly Akira). Although he initially appears to be an antagonist, the Colonel is an honorable and dedicated soldier committed to protecting Neo-Tokyo from any second onslaught of Akira. Later in the story, he provides medical aid to an ill Chiyoko and works with Kei. He is usually referred to by Kaneda as "The Skinhead", due to his distinctive [[crew cut]].
;{{anchor|The Espers}}The Espers:The Espers, also known as {{Nihongo|the Numbers|ナンバーズ|Nanbāzu}}, are three children who are test subjects for the secret project. They are the only survivors of the test, following that of Lady Miyako ({{abbr|No.|Number}} 19), and given numbers between twenty and thirty. {{abbr|No.|Number}} 23 was shown in the final chapter to have been amongst those "in whom the power awoke" but "were left with crippling handicaps". At the time of the story, test subjects {{abbr|Nos.|Numbers}} 29, 30 and 31 are not mentioned, {{abbr|Nos.|Numbers}} 32, 33, 36, 37, 38 and 40 had died from brain injuries during treatment and {{abbr|Nos.|Numbers}} 34, 35 and 39, who was in the secret base when Akira destroyed Neo-Tokyo, were subsequently listed as missing (they do not appear in the story). Akira was the only one of this generation with true power, with the others being evaluated as "harmless" (their considerable powers notwithstanding; they did not, however, represent a destructive threat of Akira's magnitude). The three have the bodies of children but chronologically are in their late 30s. Their bodies and faces have wizened with age, but they have not physically grown. They are former acquaintances of Akira and survived the destruction of Tokyo. The Espers include:
:;{{Nihongo|Kiyoko|キヨコ|extra=designated {{Nihongo|'''{{Abbr|No.|Number}}&nbsp;25'''|25号|Nijūgo-gō}}}}:Kiyoko (born 1979)<ref name=ProRep /> is an Esper who is confined to a bed at all times due to her lack of strength, which is why her companions Takashi and Masaru are protective of her. She can use [[teleportation]], [[precognition]] and [[psychokinesis]] (as shown when [[Levitation (paranormal)|levitating]] herself and Takashi's corpse when Akira destroys Neo-Tokyo). She predicted the demise of Neo-Tokyo and Tetsuo's involvement with Akira but did not tell the Colonel the full story right away. She is also shown to be a [[mother figure]] and leader of the other Espers for decision making.
:; {{Nihongo|Takashi|タカシ|extra=designated {{Nihongo|'''{{Abbr|No.|Number}}&nbsp;26'''|26号|Nijūroku-gō}}}}:Takashi (born 1980)<ref name=ProRep /> is the first Esper to be introduced when he causes Tetsuo's accident in self-defense. He has the power to use [[psychokinesis]] and communicates with his fellow psychics telepathically. Takashi is a quiet, softspoken boy who has conflicting thoughts of the government and the people who had sheltered him and his friends, which was why he escaped the Colonel's facility; however, Takashi is concerned for Kiyoko's safety, and that forces him to stay. Takashi is accidentally killed by Nezu in his attempt to assassinate Akira, and the psychic trauma revolving around it afterward caused Akira to destroy Neo-Tokyo with his immense powers. He is revived along with the rest of the deceased Espers near the end of the series.
:;{{anchor|Masaru}}{{Nihongo|Masaru|マサル|extra=designated {{Nihongo|'''{{Abbr|No.|Number}}&nbsp;27'''|27号|Nijūnana-gō}}}}:Masaru (born 1980)<ref name=ProRep /> is [[overweight]] and confined either to a [[wheelchair]] or a special floating chair as a result of developing [[polio]] at a young age. He has the power to use [[psychokinesis]] and communicates with his fellow psychics telepathically. He is braver than Takashi and is the first to attack Tetsuo when he tries killing Kiyoko. Masaru looks after the well-being of his friends, especially that of Kiyoko who is physically frail.
;{{anchor|Akira}}{{Nihongo|Akira|アキラ|extra=designated {{Nihongo|'''{{Abbr|No.|Number}}&nbsp;28'''|28号|Nijūhachi-gō}}}}:Akira is the eponymous character of the series. He has immense psychic powers, although from outward appearances he looks like a small, normal child. He is responsible for the destruction of Tokyo and the beginning of World War III. After the war, he was placed in [[cryogenics]] not far from the [[Impact crater|crater]] created by him, and the future site of the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Games. Shortly after being awoken by Tetsuo, he destroys Neo-Tokyo during a confrontation between Kaneda and the Colonel's forces. Later in the story, he becomes Emperor of the Great Tokyo Empire. When he first appears, Akira has not aged in the decades he was kept frozen. Akira is essentially an empty shell; his powers have overwritten and destroyed his personality, leaving someone who rarely speaks or reacts, with a constant blank expression on his face. In the end, he is shot by Ryu while psychically synced with the increasingly unstable Tetsuo. It is at this moment he is reunited with his friends and regains his personality.
;{{anchor|Kai}}{{Nihongo|Kai|甲斐}}:Kai{{Efn|Named Kaisuke in some English editions.}} (born January 8, 2004)<ref name=DOB>{{cite web|url=http://akirakanada.tripod.com/akira/id1.html|title=Characters and Espers|publisher=akirakanada.tripod.com|access-date=December 17, 2015|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222131842/http://akirakanada.tripod.com/akira/id1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> is a loyal, high-ranking member of Kaneda's gang. He is known for his unorthodox fashion sense, such as [[necktie]]s, which he adopts to appear intelligent and sophisticated. He is [[detain]]ed by the army and placed in a [[reform school]] following the climax of volume 1, but returns in volume 4. Forming alliances with Kei and Lady Miyako, as well as Joker and Kaneda, he plays an instrumental role in the build-up to Kaneda's showdown with Tetsuo.
;{{anchor|Yamagata}}{{Nihongo|Yamagata|山形}}:Yamagata (born November 9, 2003)<ref name=DOB /> is a member of Kaneda's gang who serves as Kaneda's [[Right hand man|right-hand-man]]. Known for his aggressive, ready-to-fight behavior, he is killed by Tetsuo's powers in volume 1 after attempting to shoot him when Kaneda, unable to kill Tetsuo, loses his gun.
;{{Nihongo|Joker|ジョーカー|Jōkā}}: Joker is the leader of the Clowns, a motorcycle gang made up of [[Addiction|junkie]]s and [[Drug addiction|drug addicts]]. Joker plays a small role in the beginning but becomes more prominent much later in the story as an ally of Kaneda and Kai. He wears clown face paint and often changes the pattern.
;{{Nihongo|Nezu|根津}}:Nezu (born December 11, 1964)<ref name=DOB /> is an [[Parliamentary opposition|opposition]] [[National Diet|parliament]] member who is also the leader of the terrorist resistance movement against the government. He seems to be the [[Mentorship|mentor]] of Kei and Ryu and purports to be saving the nation from the corrupt and ineffective bureaucrats in power. It soon becomes evident, however, that Nezu is just as corrupt, and all that he seeks to do is to seize power for himself. He later betrays Lady Miyako, as well as various other characters, as he attempts to take control of Akira. After losing Akira, he finds Ryu in a dark corridor with the boy in tow. He attempts to kill Ryu, thinking he is a member of Lady Miyako's group all along. Ryu, however, shoots Nezu. He later tries to shoot Akira before he can be taken into the Colonel's custody. He misses and shoots Takashi in the head, instantly killing him. He is in turn shot and killed by the Colonel's men.
;{{anchor|Ryu}}{{Nihongo|Ryu|竜|Ryū}}:Ryu (born May 31, 1992),<ref name=DOB /> short for {{Nihongo|Ryusaku|竜作|Ryūsaku}}, is a comrade of Kei's in the resistance movement. As the story progresses, Ryu abandons his terrorist roots and becomes more heroic, working with Yamada and guiding Kaneda to Akira's chamber where Tetsuo is held up, but battles with [[alcoholism]]. In the final volume, Ryu reluctantly shoots and "kills" Akira when he begins to release his power; he is killed by falling [[elevator]] debris shortly afterward.
;{{Nihongo|Chiyoko|チヨコ}}: Chiyoko is a tough, heavyset woman and weapons expert who is involved in the resistance and eventually becomes a key supporting character. She acts as a mother figure to Kei.
;{{Nihongo|The Doctor|ドクター|Dokutā}}:The Doctor (born January 28, 1958),<ref name=DOB /> last name {{Nihongo|Onishi|大西|Ōnishi}}, is the head scientist of the secret psychic research project and also serves as the Colonel's scientific advisor. He belonged to the second generation of scientists overseeing the project after Akira killed the first. It is his curiosity and negligence for anyone's well-being that unlocks and nurtures Tetsuo's destructive power in the first place. When Akira is freed by Tetsuo from his cryogenic lair, the Doctor fails to get inside the shelter and freezes to death.
;{{Nihongo|Lady Miyako|ミヤコ様|Miyako-sama}}:Lady Miyako is a former test subject known as {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 19. She is shown to possess precognitive and telepathic powers, as well as, in the final altercation with Tetsuo, telekinetic abilities. She is the high priestess of a temple in Neo-Tokyo and a major ally of Kaneda and Kei as the story progresses. Lady Miyako is also an initial ally of Nezu and gives Tetsuo a lecture on his powers. She plays an instrumental role in the final battle with Tetsuo at the cost of her own life, and after her death speaks to Kaneda when he, having previously been absorbed by Tetsuo, is transported to a place "beyond this world".
:;{{Nihongo|Sakaki|サカキ||also {{Nihongo2|榊}}}}:Sakaki is an empowered and fond disciple of Lady Miyako and apparent leader of her team of three. Although small and unassuming, she uses her powers to become much faster and stronger than the average person. Tomboyish in appearance, she is sent to battle the Espers, the military, Kaneda, and Nezu to recover Akira. Sakaki only appears in the third volume, in which she is killed by the military. Before her death Lady Miyako utters Sakaki's name, emphasizing their close relationship.
:;{{Nihongo|Mozu|モズ}}:Mozu is a girl, plump in appearance, who is an empowered and fond disciple of Lady Miyako. She later teams with Sakaki and Miki to recover Akira. Mozu only appears in the third volume, in which she is killed by a reluctant Takashi who psychically turns her attack back on her.
:;{{Nihongo|Miki|ミキ}}:Miki is an empowered girl, gaunt in appearance and third fond disciple of Lady Miyako. She only appears in the third volume, in which she is killed by Nezu's henchmen.
;{{Nihongo|The Great Tokyo Empire|大東京帝国|Dai Tōkyō Teikoku}}:The Great Tokyo Empire is a small army which rises amid the ruins of Neo-Tokyo after its destruction at the hands of Akira, made up of crazed zealots who worship Akira as an Emperor for the "miracles" he performs, though the power lies squarely with his so-called Prime Minister, Tetsuo. Disorganized and unruly, the army rejects outside aid and wars with Lady Miyako's followers. Tetsuo secretly drugs the rations distributed to its members. At the end of the story, Kaneda and friends take the Empire's name and declare Neo-Tokyo a sovereign nation, expelling the American and United Nations forces that land in the city.
:;{{anchor|Kaori}}{{Nihongo|Kaori|カオリ}}:Kaori is a young girl who appears late in the story and is recruited as one of Tetsuo's [[Sexual slavery|sex slaves]]. She later becomes an object of his sincere affections. Kaori also serves as Akira's babysitter. She is later shot in the back by the Captain. Tetsuo attempts to resurrect her but fails.
:; {{Nihongo|The Captain|隊長|Taichō}}:The Captain is an [[Opportunism|opportunist]], posing as a fanatical devotee of Tetsuo who serves him as his [[aide-de-camp]] late in the story but secretly desires control of the Great Tokyo Empire. Despite his scheming, the Captain shows some compassion, begging Tetsuo not to kill or harm the young women he has procured for him as they still have families. During the confrontation between Tetsuo and the U.S. Marines, he is caught in the crossfire and is killed by the bacterial gas Yamada uses.
:; {{Nihongo|The Birdman|鳥男|Tori Otoko}}:The Birdman is one of Tetsuo's elite psychic shock-troops. He wears a blindfold and is frequently standing atop ruined buildings and rafters, observing and reporting on the goings-on within the Empire's turf, and essentially acting as a security system. It is implied that his psychic powers allow him to sense sights and sounds from a great distance, further embodied by the [[all-seeing eye]] drawn on his forehead. He also possesses telepathic (his announcements are observed by a Marine to be "like a voice in my head") and telekinetic abilities. Birdman dies when Yamada knocks him from his perch, causing him to fall to his death.
:; {{Nihongo|The Eggplant man|ホーズキ男|Hōzuki Otoko}}:The Eggplant man is a member of Tetsuo's shock troops. He is described as a fat, short man with [[glasses]] who encounters Yamada and the Marines at Olympic Stadium. He was friends with Birdman, and attempts to telekinetically crush a Marine's heart before being executed by Yamada.
;{{Nihongo|Lieutenant Yamada|山田中尉|Yamada-chūi}}:Lieutenant Yamada, full name {{Nihongo|George Yamada|ジョージ 山田|Jōji Yamada}}, is a Japanese-American soldier who is sent on a mission to assassinate Akira and Tetsuo in the latter half of the story after Akira has leveled Neo-Tokyo. Yamada plans to kill the two powerful psychics with darts containing a biological poison. He is later joined by a team of [[U.S. Marines]] to carry out the mission at the Olympic Stadium after it becomes the headquarters for Akira and Tetsuo's Great Tokyo Empire. However, the biochemical weapons fail to harm Tetsuo, instead giving him temporary control of his expanding powers again. He then kills Yamada.
;{{Nihongo|Juvenile A|ジュヴィナイルA|Juvinairu Ē}}:Juvenile A is an international team of scientists who are appointed to investigate psychic events in Neo-Tokyo in the latter half of the story. Its members include {{Nihongo|Dr. Dubrovsky|ドブロフスキー博士|Doburofusukī-hakase}}, {{Nihongo|Dr. Simmons|シモンズ博士|Shimonzu-hakase}}, {{Nihongo|Dr. Jorris|ジョリス博士|Jorisu-hakase}}, {{Nihongo|Dr. Hock|ホック博士|Hokku-hakase}}, {{Nihongo|Professor Bernardi|ベルナルディ教授|Berunarudi-kyōju}}, and [[lama]] {{Nihongo|Karma Tangi|カルマ・タンギ|Karuma Tangi}}.

==Production==
===Conception===
{{Quote box
| quote  = I wanted to draw this story set in a Japan similar to how it was after the end of [[World War II]]—rebelling governmental factions; a rebuilding world; foreign political influence, an uncertain future; a bored and reckless younger generation racing each other on bikes. ''Akira'' is the story of my own teenage years, rewritten to take place in the future. I never thought too deeply about the two main characters as I made them; I just projected how I was like when I was younger. The ideas naturally flowed out from my own memories.
| source = &nbsp;—Katsuhiro Otomo, on the birth of ''Akira''<ref name="10years"/>
| width  = 25%
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}}
[[Kodansha]] had been repeatedly asking [[Katsuhiro Otomo]] to write a series for their new manga magazine ''[[Young Magazine]]'' for some time, but he was busy with other work for another publisher and turned them down.<ref name="Forbes">{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2017/05/26/katsuhiro-otomo-on-creating-akira-and-designing-the-coolest-bike-in-all-of-manga-and-anime/?sh=5befbed66d25 |title=Katsuhiro Otomo On Creating 'Akira' And Designing The Coolest Bike In All Of Manga And Anime |work=[[Forbes]] |date=May 26, 2017 |access-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-date=October 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241010061014/https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2017/05/26/katsuhiro-otomo-on-creating-akira-and-designing-the-coolest-bike-in-all-of-manga-and-anime/?sh=5befbed66d25 |url-status=live}}</ref> After finishing ''Kanojo no Omoide...'' (1980) and ''Farewell to Weapons'' (1981) for ''Young Magazine'', he started thinking of a new project. From the first meeting with the publisher, ''Akira'' was to be a short work of about ten chapters "or something like that," so Otomo said he was "really not" expecting it to be a success.<ref name="Forbes"/> Otomo had previously created ''[[Fireball (manga)|Fireball]]'' (1979), a series in which he disregarded accepted manga art styles and established his interest in science fiction as a setting.<ref name="EGWC"/> ''Fireball'' anticipated a number of plot elements of ''Akira'', with its story of young freedom fighters trying to rescue one of the group's older brother who was being used by the government in psychic experiments, with the older brother eventually unleashing a destructive "fireball" of energy (the story may have drawn inspiration from [[Alfred Bester]]'s 1953 novel ''[[The Demolished Man]]'').<ref name="Clements">{{cite book|last=Clements|first=Jonathan|author-link=Jonathan Clements|title=Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade|publisher=A-Net Digital LLC|year=2010|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=inWpe4hhc0IC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA36 36]|isbn=978-0-9845937-4-3}}</ref> Otomo used a science-fiction setting again the following year in ''[[Domu (A Child's Dream)|Domu]]'', which won the [[Nihon SF Taisho Award]] and [[Seiun Award]] and became a bestseller.<ref name="EGWC"/> He then began his most ambitious work to date, ''Akira''.

Due to a lack of planning, Otomo had to hastily end ''Fireball'' without the finale he wanted and stated, "You could say that ''Akira'' was born from the frustration I had about that at the time."<ref name="10years">{{cite news|url=https://kodansha.us/2019/01/09/10-years-kodansha-comics-akira/|title=10 Years of Kodansha Comics—January Spotlight: AKIRA|work=[[Kodansha]]|date=January 9, 2019|access-date=September 25, 2021|archive-date=September 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905035242/https://kodansha.us/2019/01/09/10-years-kodansha-comics-akira/|url-status=live}}</ref> Not wanting to repeat what happened with that manga, he had the basic plot of ''Akira'' outlined from the start in a two-page synopsis and predicted he would finish it in six months. However, just like what happened with ''Domu'', new ideas and problems immediately came up and expanded the story gradually as he wrote.<ref name="10years"/> [[Mitsuteru Yokoyama]]'s manga series ''[[Tetsujin 28-go]]'' (1956–1966) had particular influence on ''Akira'', as Otomo wanted to pay homage to the children's manga.<ref name="10years"/> He explained, "the grand plot for ''Akira'' is about an ultimate weapon developed during wartime and found during a more peaceful era. So the accidents and story develop around that ultimate weapon. If you know, ''Tetsujin 28-go'' then this is the same overall plot."<ref name="Forbes"/> With ''Akira'', Otomo also wanted to depict the later [[Showa period]], including preparations for the [[Japan at the Olympics|Olympics]], the rapid economic growth, and [[1968–1969 Japanese university protests|the student protests]] of the 1960s. "I wanted to recreate the assorted elements that built this era and craft an exciting story that would seem believable enough in reality."<ref name="10years"/> Otomo said that while there had been post-apocalyptic works before, he could not think of one that depicted an apocalypse in the middle of the story and wanted to do that with ''Akira''.<ref name="Club">{{cite book|last=Otomo|first=Katsuhiro|title=Akira Club|publisher=Kodansha Comics|year=2017|orig-year=1995|page=|isbn=978-1-63236-461-6}}</ref> [[Mark Schilling]] reported that Otomo has also cited influence from the 1977 live-action film ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' on his series.<ref>{{cite book|last=Schilling|first=Mark|author-link=Mark Schilling|title=The Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture|publisher=Weatherhill|year=1997|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=TxgYgRbkBIoC&q=%22star+wars%22+%22otomo%22+%22akira%22 174]|isbn=0-8348-0380-1}}</ref>

===Development===
With ''Akira'', Otomo wanted to "dig deeper into [his] issues" with speed and flow, telling a story with as few words as possible, "edit it to gain that sense of speed and make people read it faster, and at the same time make them stop cold at the important scenes."<ref name="10years"/> When it started, he was drawing 20 pages a chapter, for a total of 40 pages a month. Otomo began the process for each chapter by fully completing the first page as practice. In order to save time, he did not bother with character-pose sketches or the like; he drew directly onto the page he was submitting to the editors. After he drew each page, his assistant inked the lines of the buildings and the rest of the backgrounds with a [[Rotring]] pen and a ruler. Otomo would complete the rough draft two days before his deadline. He would spend half a day drawing the characters, then finish the buildings by adding dust, crevices and cracks to windows. Otomo estimated that they would finish the final rough draft at 5 a.m. on Sunday, ink the characters by 7 p.m., and then submit the completed chapter at 8 a.m. Monday morning. When Otomo began production on the anime film adaptation of ''Akira'', he said the manga had a weekly schedule of 20 pages a week. So he hired a second assistant to help, and occasionally brought in a third just to handle the [[screentone]]. "When the manga deadline drew near, we’d pull several all-nighters, then I’d walk right into the anime studio the day after."<ref name="10years"/> Manga artist and film director [[Satoshi Kon]] was an uncredited assistant on the series.<ref>Osmond, Andrew (2009). Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist. Stonebridge Press, p. 15. {{ISBN|978-1933330747}}</ref>

The image model for the character Akira was Shōryū from ''[[Alakazam the Great|Saiyūki]]'' (1960). Otomo liked his sorrowful expression and used him as a reference after deciding to make Akira a child.<ref name="Club"/> While editing his film ''Jiyū wo Warera ni'', Otomo would often hear someone in the studio next door yell "Akira!", which he took to be the name of the assistant director. Because in the film industry the name "Akira" is often used to refer to [[Akira Kurosawa]], Otomo "thought that gap" was funny and decided to use the name in his work one day.<ref name="Club"/> The character names Tetsuo and Kaneda, and the Espers' codenames of Nos. 25–28, were taken from ''Tetsujin 28-go''.<ref name="Forbes"/><ref name="Clements" /><ref name="Club"/> Kaneda's iconic motorcycle from the manga had no specific design. So Otomo said it came out "kind of random" and changed every time he drew it.<ref name="Club"/> The character Chiyoko was originally designed to be an old man, but Otomo felt that was too ordinary and "a little boring" and came up with the idea for an old lady, which then became a large old lady. The character grew on him as he drew and she ended up with a greater role than he originally planned.<ref name="Club"/>

[[File:FIBD2016Otomo01.jpg|thumb|right|Otomo posing on a replica of the futuristic motorcycle driven by Kaneda in ''Akira'' (2016)]]
The logo for the manga changed several times throughout its serialization, including switching between Japanese and English.<ref name="Club"/> The first 35 chapters used ''[[katakana]]'' in the font Thick Textbook, chosen by Otomo for its ease of understanding and impact. After getting tired of this logo and having entered "Chapter 2" a few chapters previously, he used English in [[Broadway (typeface)|Broadway]] for chapter 36 because he wanted an [[Art Deco]] feel. However, Otomo did not like it when he saw the magazine and for chapters 37–48 he changed the font to a different Art Deco-style and wrote his name in English as "OHTOMO KATSUHIRO". Otomo was often drawing Art Deco-styled skyscrapers on the title pages at this time, but that stopped when Neo Tokyo is destroyed in the story, at which point the logo changed again and he removed the "H" from his surname. The fourth logo for ''Akira'', used for chapters 49–71, returned to using ''katakana'' and was created by manga artist [[Hiroshi Hirata]] as Otomo wanted a [[Japanese calligraphy]]-style. Otomo's name was still written in English until chapter 55. Having come to the "final chapter" of the series, Otomo figured he should change the logo again and went with an English font similar to [[Impact (typeface)|Impact]] for the title and his name for chapters 72–120. He had already been using Impact with the top "trimmed off", which gives a dignified and American comics feel, for the covers of the collected volumes.<ref name="Club"/> However, some fans believe some of the fonts actually used do not match the above named [[typeface]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schmerber|first=Quentin|url=https://fontsinuse.com/uses/18290/akira-by-katsuhiro-otomo|title=Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo|website=Fonts in Use|date=August 19, 2017|access-date=July 9, 2020|archive-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021230101/https://fontsinuse.com/uses/18290/akira-by-katsuhiro-otomo|url-status=live}}</ref>

Otomo was meticulous in creating the collected {{Transliteration|ja|[[tankōbon]]}}' volumes of ''Akira'', often leading to them being released late.<ref name="Club"/> During serialization he faced not only schedule deadlines but also page limits and would have to cut content in order to fit said limit. He therefore would draw rough designs of what he actually "wanted" to draw in the margins of the chapters' manuscripts so that he would remember when time came to redraw the collected volume. He also had to make alterations in the collected volumes due to all the chapter title pages being removed, for example to make sure two-page spreads ended up on opposing pages. He wanted everything about the collected volumes, including the page count and paintings, to give a deep and full American comics feel. The covers are entirely in English, but he said this was not with an eye towards global distribution, he simply "had this incredible enthusiasm to just try to make something new." With its all-English cover, [[Paper size#Japanese B-series variant|B5]] size and painted page edges, the first volume of ''Akira'' caused a sensation in Japan.<ref name="Club"/>

Otomo painted the cover illustration of the first volume very thick, while its inside cover illustration was influenced by Tetsuji Fukushima's manga ''Sabaku no Maō'' and how he used colors like American comics.<ref name="Club"/> Because the first volume had a "hot" red cover, Otomo felt volume two should have a "cool" one. Its back cover image was created using video, and he said he ruined Kodansha's VCR by repeatedly changing the color balance to get it right. Following the American and European cover images of the previous two volumes, Otomo felt the third should have an Asian one and so included the signs in its background. Its back cover is a composite photograph taken during a race at the [[Tokyo Racecourse]] when an image of ''Akira'' was shown on the [[jumbotron]]. Because the first three images had followed a pattern of "action-silence-action," the artist figured volume four should continue it and so drew Akira sitting down for the cover. Its back cover features an original ''Akira'' pinball machine created by [[Taito]] with animation [[cel]]s pasted onto it by Otomo. The cover of volume five was the first to feature an event actually related to the content inside the book. Its back cover features an Otomo-designed decorative bamboo rake that cost 2 million [[Japanese yen|yen]] to make and features a custom made Miyako doll and [[mecha]] models. Otomo felt the sixth cover had to be cool because it was the final one, and as a result it went through the most number of rough designs as he had to really work to get Kaneda's line of sight towards the reader without it feeling forced. For the back cover photograph, a life-size [[kiosk]] featuring numerous ''Akira'' goods was constructed in Kodansha's studio with cooperation from Sudo Art Workshop and a stage manager from [[Nikkatsu]]. Construction, which included two fluorescent signs (cropped out of the final image) and handmade newspapers, and shooting took three days.<ref name="Club"/>

==Themes==
''Akira'', like some of Otomo's other works (such as ''Domu''), revolves around the basic idea of individuals with superhuman powers, especially [[psychokinesis|psychokinetic]] abilities. However, these are not central to the story, which instead concerns itself with character, societal pressures and political machination.<ref name="EGWC" /> Motifs common in the manga include youth alienation, government corruption and inefficiency, and a military grounded in old-fashioned Japanese honor, displeased with the compromises of modern society.

Jenny Kwok Wah Lau writes in ''Multiple Modernities'' that ''Akira'' is a "direct outgrowth of war and postwar experiences." She argues that Otomo grounds the work in recent Japanese history and culture, using the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombing of Japan during World War II]], alongside the economic resurgence and issues relating to [[overcrowding]] as inspirations and underlying issues. Thematically, the work centers on the nature of youth to rebel against authority, control methods, community building and the transformation experienced in [[adolescence|adolescent]] passage. The latter is best represented in the work by the [[Shapeshifting|morphing]] experienced by characters.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kwok Wah Lau|first=Jenny|title=Multiple Modernities|publisher=Temple University Press|year=2003|pages=189–90|isbn=1-56639-986-6}}</ref>

[[Susan J. Napier]] identified this morphing and metamorphosis as a factor that marks the work as [[Postmodernism|postmodern]]: "a genre which suggests that identity is in constant fluctuation." She also sees the work as an attack on the Japanese establishment, arguing that Otomo satirizes aspects of Japanese culture: in particular, schooling and the rush for new technology. ''Akira''{{'}}s central image of characters aimlessly roaming the streets on motorbikes is seen to represent the futility of the quest for self-knowledge. The work also focuses on loss, with all characters in some form orphaned and having no sense of history. The landscapes depicted are ruinous, with old Tokyo represented only by a dark crater. The [[nihilism|nihilistic]] nature of the work is felt by Napier to tie into a wider theme of pessimism present in Japanese fantasy literature of the 1980s.<ref name="FMJL">{{cite book|last=Jolliffe Napier|first=Susan|title=The Fantastic in Modern Japanese Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=afdN8MpA4FwC&q=nihilistic+Akira|publisher=Routledge|year=1996|pages=214–8|isbn=0-415-12458-1|access-date=October 1, 2020|archive-date=October 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241010060236/https://books.google.com/books?id=afdN8MpA4FwC&q=nihilistic+Akira#v=snippet&q=nihilistic%20Akira&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to Dolores P. Martinez, the serial nature of the work influenced the storyline structure, allowing for numerous sub-plots, a large cast, and an extended middle sequence. This allowed for a focus on destructive imagery and afforded Otomo the chance to portray a strong sense of movement.<ref name="WJPC" /> The work has no consistent main character, but Kaneda and Tetsuo are featured the most prominently throughout.<ref name="WJPC" />

==Publication==
Written and illustrated by Katsuhiro Otomo, ''Akira'' was serialized biweekly in Kodansha's ''[[Young Magazine]]'' from December 20, 1982, to June 25, 1990.<ref name="Club"/> While drawing the manga, Otomo began work on an [[anime]] film adaptation, leading to a lengthy break between chapters 87 on April 20, 1987, and 88 on November 21, 1988.<ref name="Club"/> Otomo agreed to a film adaptation of the work, provided he retained creative control. This insistence was based on his experiences working on ''[[Genma Taisen#Harmagedon|Harmagedon]]''. The film was released theatrically in Japan in July 1988, and followed by limited theatrical releases in various Western territories from 1989 to 1991.<ref name="CCGN" /><ref name="TAMG" /> Even when ''Young Magazine'' became a weekly publication in 1989, Otomo and ''Akira'' retained a biweekly schedule.<ref name="Club"/> The 120 chapters and more than 2,000 pages were collected and released in six {{Transliteration|ja|[[tankōbon]]}}' volumes by publisher Kodansha between September 21, 1984, and March 23, 1993.<ref name="Club"/>

A five-volume [[anime comic]] version created using scenes from the film adaptation was published between August 29 and December 6, 1988, with newly painted covers by Otomo.<ref name="Club"/> The colored version created for America by Marvel Comics was published in Japan in 12 volumes between October 7, 1988,<ref name="Club"/> and September 20, 1996.

===English publication===
Otomo and Kodansha's Yasumasa Shimizu visited New York City in 1983 to meet with [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]] of [[Marvel Comics]], who had seen ''Akira'' and wanted to publish it in America.<ref name="engpub">{{Cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2015-11-05/bridging-the-gap-between-us-comics-and-manga-with-kodansha-usa/.95039|title=Bridging the Gap between US Comics and Manga with Kodansha USA|work=[[Anime News Network]]|date=November 5, 2015|access-date=September 25, 2021|archive-date=November 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110011549/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2015-11-05/bridging-the-gap-between-us-comics-and-manga-with-kodansha-usa/.95039|url-status=live}}</ref> Shimizu said that Kodansha had received offers from many other publishers, including the newly established [[Viz Media]], but Otomo chose Goodwin because he was really close to French artists that Otomo was a fan of.<ref name="engpub"/> Otomo did not want ''Akira'' to be seen as some "strange thing from Japan," leading to a meticulous and now-"unimaginable" process of altering the art and coloring to make it accessible to American audiences.<ref name="engpub"/> Because Japanese manga is read right-to-left, the artwork had to be flipped to read the other way. But the process was not as simple as mirroring, backgrounds had to be redone in order to remove the Japanese [[Onomatopoeia#Comics and advertising|sound effects]] and reshape the [[word balloons]] to fit the Roman alphabet.<ref name="Club"/> So Otomo went in and made substantial retouches and adjustments that are specific to the American version.<ref name="engpub"/>

Japanese manga is largely in black and white, but it was decided to fully color the artwork in the English version of ''Akira'' to match most American and European comics. The coloring was done by [[Steve Oliff]] at [[Olyoptics]], who was hand-picked for the role by Otomo after being introduced by Goodwin.<ref name="Oliff">{{Cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2016-03-17/akira-in-color-with-steve-oliff/.99830|title=Interview: Akira in Color with Steve Oliff|work=[[Anime News Network]]|date=March 17, 2016|access-date=September 25, 2021|archive-date=November 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110011630/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2016-03-17/akira-in-color-with-steve-oliff/.99830|url-status=live}}</ref> Otomo sent Oliff illustrations that he colored with markers as samples.<ref name="Club"/> Oliff had also received slides from the anime film adaptation of ''Akira'' to use as reference. At one point, Otomo visited Oliff in [[Point Arena, California]] and worked alongside him for several days, but after the first 5 or 6 issues, Oliff said he was given free rein.<ref name="Oliff"/> Oliff persuaded Marvel to use computer coloring. The coloring was more subtle than that seen before and far beyond the capabilities of Japanese technology of the time. It played an important part in ''Akira''{{'}}s success in Western markets, and revolutionized the way comics were colorized.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kôsei|first=Ono |date=Winter 1996|title=Manga Publishing: Trends in the United States|journal=Japanese Book News|publisher=The Japan Foundation|volume=1|issue=16|pages=6–7|issn=0918-9580}}</ref> Coloring lasted from 1988 to 1994, being delayed by Otomo's work on ''[[Steamboy]]''.<ref name="Oliff"/> ''Akira'' was the first comic in the world to be colored digitally, using computers. Its release in color led to the widespread adoption of computer [[colorist|coloring in comics]] and Oliff's work on ''Akira'' earned him three consecutive [[Harvey Awards]] for Best Colorist (1990–1992) and the first [[Eisner Award for Best Coloring]] (1992).<ref name="Oliff"/><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xjVEjumBEIgC&q=akira+digital+coloring&pg=PA177|title=Image Comics: The Road to Independence|first=George|last=Khoury|date=July 9, 2007|publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing|isbn=9781893905719|via=Google Books|access-date=October 1, 2020|archive-date=October 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241010060224/https://books.google.com/books?id=xjVEjumBEIgC&q=akira+digital+coloring&pg=PA177|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Gravett, Paul. Manga: ''Sixty Years of Japanese Comics'' (Laurence King Publishing, 2004).</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/harvey90.php|title=1990 Harvey Award Nominees and Winners|work=Comic Book Awards Almanac|access-date=September 25, 2021|archive-date=April 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411001510/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/harvey90.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/harvey91.php|title=1991 Harvey Award Nominees and Winners|work=Comic Book Awards Almanac|access-date=September 25, 2021|archive-date=October 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005013231/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/harvey91.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/harvey92.php|title=1992 Harvey Award Nominees and Winners|work=Comic Book Awards Almanac|access-date=September 25, 2021|archive-date=October 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004221205/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/harvey92.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Akira'' began being published in the [[American comic book]] format in the United States in 1988 by [[Epic Comics]], an [[imprint (trade name)|imprint]] of Marvel Comics.<ref name="Club"/> This colorized version ended its 38-issue run in 1995.<ref name="Oliff"/> Delays in the English publication were caused by Otomo's retouching of artwork for the Japanese collected volumes. It was these collections that formed the basis for translation, rather than the initial magazine serialization. The Epic version suffered significant delays toward the end, requiring several years to publish the final 8 issues. Marvel planned to collect the colorized versions as a 13-volume paperback series, and teamed with Graphitti Designs to release six limited-edition hardcover volumes; however, these ceased in 1993, so the final 3 paperbacks and planned sixth hardcover volume were never published. British publisher Reed began releasing full color versions of the six ''Akira'' volumes in 1994.<ref name="Club"/> A partially colorized version was serialized in British comic/magazine ''[[Manga Entertainment|Manga Mania]]'' in the early to mid-'90s. A new edition of ''Akira'' was published in six paperback volumes from 2000 to 2002 by [[Dark Horse Comics]] in North America and [[Titan Books]] in the UK. This version is in black-and-white with a revised translation, although Otomo's painted color pages are used minimally at the start of each book as in the original Japanese volumes.<ref name=darkhorse-v1/><ref name=darkhorse-v6/> In 2003, [[Tokyopop]] published the anime comic version in North America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-931514-88-0|title=AKIRA: Vol. 1|work=[[Publishers Weekly]]|date=May 5, 2003|access-date=October 15, 2021|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016034132/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-931514-88-0|url-status=live}}</ref>

The English-language rights to ''Akira'' are currently held by [[Kodansha Comics]], who re-released the manga from 2009 to 2011 through [[Random House]]. Kodansha's version is largely identical to the Dark Horse version.<ref name=usa-v1/><ref name=usa-v6/> In honor of the 35th anniversary of the manga, Kodansha released a box set in late October 2017, containing hardcover editions of all six volumes, as well as the ''Akira Club'' art book, and an exclusive patch featuring the iconic pill design. This release was presented in the original right-to-left format, with unaltered original art and Japanese sound effects with endnote translations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kodanshacomics.tumblr.com/post/142501060576/emerald-city-comicon-announcement-1-akira-the|title=Emerald City Comicon Announcement 1 Akira: The... – KODANSHA COMICS|website=KODANSHA COMICS|access-date=March 1, 2017|archive-date=March 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301180919/http://kodanshacomics.tumblr.com/post/142501060576/emerald-city-comicon-announcement-1-akira-the|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/04/12/kodansha-to-celebrate-35th-anniversary-of-akira-manga-with-ultimate-boxset/#7aa0a85130c3|title=Kodansha To Celebrate 35th Anniversary Of 'Akira' Manga With Ultimate Boxset|last=Barder|first=Ollie|work=Forbes|access-date=March 1, 2017|archive-date=March 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301094057/https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/04/12/kodansha-to-celebrate-35th-anniversary-of-akira-manga-with-ultimate-boxset/#7aa0a85130c3|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/02/10/akira-gets-200-35th-anniversary-rerelease-kodansha/|title=Akira's $200 35th Anniversary Box Set From Kodansha Gets A Release Date|date=February 10, 2017|website=Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News|access-date=March 1, 2017|archive-date=March 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301180745/https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/02/10/akira-gets-200-35th-anniversary-rerelease-kodansha/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Volume list==
{{Graphic novel list/header
|WithTitle=yes
|Language=Japanese
|SecondLanguage=North American
}}
{{Graphic novel list
|VolumeNumber=1
|OriginalRelDate=September 21, 1984<ref name=kodansha-v1>{{cite web|url=http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=1037110 |title=AKIRA (1)|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|language=Japanese|access-date=September 24, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040108223819/http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=1037110|archivedate=January 8, 2004}}</ref>
|OriginalISBN=4-06-103711-0
|LicensedRelDate=December 13, 2000|LicensedISBN=978-1-56971-498-0|LicensedISBN_note=(Dark Horse)<ref name=darkhorse-v1>{{cite web|url=http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/40-180|title=Akira Vol.1 TPB|publisher=[[Dark Horse Comics]]|access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> <br>October 13, 2009<br>{{ISBNT|978-1-935429-00-5}} (Kodansha)<ref name=usa-v1>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/125383/akira-volume-1-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429005/|title=Akira Volume 1|publisher=[[Random House]]|access-date=August 29, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426142620/http://www.randomhouse.com/book/125383/akira-volume-1-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429005/|archivedate=April 26, 2011}}</ref>
|Summary=Chapters 1–18, originally serialized from December 1982 to September 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1984/09/book-akira-1.html|title=AKIRA 1|publisher=chronotomo|access-date=June 23, 2020|archive-date=June 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625024529/http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1984/09/book-akira-1.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|OriginalTitle=鉄雄
|TranslitTitle=Tetsuo
|LineColor=F4D03F
}}
{{Graphic novel list
|VolumeNumber=2
|OriginalRelDate=September 4, 1985<ref name=kodansha-v2>{{cite web|url=http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=1037129 |title=AKIRA (2)|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|language=Japanese|access-date=September 24, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040108224118/http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=1037129|archivedate=January 8, 2004}}</ref>
|OriginalISBN=4-06-103712-9
|LicensedRelDate=March 28, 2001|LicensedISBN=978-1-56971-499-7 |LicensedISBN_note=(Dark Horse)<ref name=darkhorse-v2>{{cite web|url=http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/40-363|title=Akira Vol.2 TPB|publisher=Dark Horse Comics|access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> <br>June 22, 2010<br>{{ISBNT|978-1-935429-02-9}} (Kodansha)<ref name=usa-v2>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200067/akira-volume-2-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429029/|title=Akira Volume 2|publisher=[[Random House]]|access-date=August 29, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426142625/http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200067/akira-volume-2-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429029/|archivedate=April 26, 2011}}</ref>
|Summary=Chapters 19–33, originally serialized from September 1983 to May 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1985/09/book-akira-2.html|title=AKIRA 2|publisher=chronotomo|access-date=June 23, 2020|archive-date=June 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626024559/http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1985/09/book-akira-2.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|OriginalTitle=アキラ I
|TranslitTitle=Akira I
|LineColor=3498DB
}}
{{Graphic novel list
|VolumeNumber=3
|OriginalRelDate=September 1, 1986<ref name=kodansha-v3>{{cite web|url=http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=1037137 |title=AKIRA (3)|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|language=Japanese|access-date=September 24, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040310230116/http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=1037137|archivedate=March 10, 2004}}</ref>
|OriginalISBN=4-06-103713-7
|LicensedRelDate=June 27, 2001|LicensedISBN=978-1-56971-525-3|LicensedISBN_note=(Dark Horse)<ref name=darkhorse-v3>{{cite web|url=http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/40-367|title=Akira Vol.3 TPB|publisher=Dark Horse Comics|access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> <br>July 13, 2010<br>{{ISBNT|978-1-935429-04-3}} (Kodansha)<ref name=usa-v3>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200110/akira-volume-3-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429043/|title=Akira Volume 3|publisher=[[Random House]]|access-date=August 29, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426140221/http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200110/akira-volume-3-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429043/|archivedate=April 26, 2011}}</ref>
|Summary=Chapters 34–48, originally serialized from May 1984 to January 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1986/09/book-akira-3.html|title=AKIRA 3|publisher=chronotomo|access-date=June 23, 2020|archive-date=June 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626032811/http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1986/09/book-akira-3.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|OriginalTitle=アキラ II
|TranslitTitle=Akira II
|LineColor=F95A09
}}
{{Graphic novel list
|VolumeNumber=4
|OriginalRelDate=July 10, 1987<ref name=kodansha-v4>{{cite web|url=http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=1037145|title=AKIRA (4)|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|language=Japanese|access-date=September 24, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040310215301/http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=1037145|archivedate=March 10, 2004}}</ref>
|OriginalISBN=4-06-103714-5
|LicensedRelDate=September 19, 2001|LicensedISBN=978-1-56971-526-0|LicensedISBN_note=(Dark Horse)<ref name=darkhorse-v4>{{cite web|url=http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/40-372|title=Akira Vol.4 TPB|publisher=Dark Horse Comics|access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> <br>November 30, 2010<br>{{ISBNT|978-1-935429-06-7}} (Kodansha)<ref name=usa-v4>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200111/akira-volume-4-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429067/|title=Akira Volume 4|publisher=[[Random House]]|access-date=August 29, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426141823/http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200111/akira-volume-4-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429067/|archivedate=April 26, 2011}}</ref>
|Summary=Chapters 49–71, originally serialized from March 1985 to April 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1987/07/book-akira-4.html|title=AKIRA 4|publisher=chronotomo|access-date=June 23, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627032845/http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1987/07/book-akira-4.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|OriginalTitle=ケイ I
|TranslitTitle=Kei I
|LineColor=BD075F
}}
{{Graphic novel list
|VolumeNumber=5
|OriginalRelDate=December 11, 1990<ref name=kodansha-v5>{{cite web|url=http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=3131661 |title=AKIRA (5)|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|language=Japanese|access-date=September 24, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040321073242/http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=3131661|archivedate=March 21, 2004}}</ref>
|OriginalISBN=4-06-313166-1
|LicensedRelDate=December 19, 2001|LicensedISBN=978-1-56971-527-7|LicensedISBN_note=(Dark Horse)<ref name=darkhorse-v5>{{cite web|url=http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/40-378|title=Akira Vol.5 TPB|publisher=Dark Horse Comics|access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> <br>March 1, 2011<br>{{ISBNT|978-1-935429-07-4}} (Kodansha)<ref name=usa-v5>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200113/akira-volume-5-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429074/|title=Akira Volume 5|publisher=[[Random House]]|access-date=August 29, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426141829/http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200113/akira-volume-5-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429074/|archivedate=April 26, 2011}}</ref>
|Summary=Chapters 72–96, originally serialized from May 1986 to April 1989<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/2014/01/book-akira-5.html|title=AKIRA 5|publisher=chronotomo|access-date=June 23, 2020|archive-date=June 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626171944/http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/2014/01/book-akira-5.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|OriginalTitle=ケイ II
|TranslitTitle=Kei II
|LineColor=09D514
}}
{{Graphic novel list
|VolumeNumber=6
|OriginalRelDate=March 23, 1993<ref name=kodansha-v6>{{cite web|url=http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=319339X|title=AKIRA (6)|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|language=Japanese|access-date=September 24, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040321073452/http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=319339X|archivedate=March 21, 2004}}</ref>
|OriginalISBN=4-06-319339-X
|LicensedRelDate=March 27, 2002|LicensedISBN=978-1-56971-528-4|LicensedISBN_note=(Dark Horse)<ref name=darkhorse-v6>{{cite web|url=http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/40-383|title=Akira Vol.6 TPB|publisher=Dark Horse Comics|access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref> <br>April 12, 2011<br>{{ISBNT|978-1-935429-08-1}} (Kodansha)<ref name=usa-v6>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200114/akira-volume-6-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429081/|title=Akira Volume 6|publisher=[[Random House]]|access-date=August 29, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426140226/http://www.randomhouse.com/book/200114/akira-volume-6-by-katsuhiro-otomo/9781935429081/|archivedate=April 26, 2011}}</ref>
|Summary=Chapters 97–120, originally serialized from May 1989 to June 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1993/03/book-akira-6.html|title=AKIRA 6|publisher=chronotomo|access-date=June 23, 2020|archive-date=June 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626120704/http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1993/03/book-akira-6.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|OriginalTitle=金田
|TranslitTitle=Kaneda
|LineColor=F82303
}}
{{Graphic novel list/footer}}

==Reception==
===Sales and awards===
The first {{Transliteration|ja|[[tankōbon]]}}' volume, which was released on September 14, 1984, significantly exceeded sales expectations, with its print run increasing from an initial 30,000 copies up to nearly 300,000 copies within two weeks, becoming the number-one best-seller in Japan before eventually selling about 500,000 copies. By 1988, ''Akira'' had sold approximately 2 million copies in Japan, from four volumes averaging about 500,000 copies each.<ref>{{cite book |title=MANGA: Akira Chapter 01  |year=1988 |publisher=[[Epic Comics]] |page=61 |url=https://archive.org/stream/manga_Akira-c01/Akira-c01#page/n61/mode/1up}}</ref> The manga was published in the United States in 1988, followed by Spain in 1990, France and Italy by 1991, and then Germany, Sweden, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Brazil. It was reported by Critique international that by 2000 ''Akira'' had sold {{nowrap|7 million}} copies worldwide, including {{nowrap|2 million}} in Japan and {{nowrap|5 million}} overseas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bouissou |first1=Jean-Marie |title=Manga goes global |journal=Critique Internationale |date=2000 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=1–36 (22) |doi=10.3406/criti.2000.1577}}</ref> As of 2005, ''Akira'' has been published in more than a dozen languages worldwide.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Forbes |first1=Jake |title=He's the Kubrick of anime |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-17-wk-movies17-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 17, 2005 |access-date=August 13, 2024 |archive-date=October 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010114744/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-17-wk-movies17-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, the first volume of ''Akira'' became publisher Kodansha's first manga to receive a 100th printing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-09-24/akira-volume-1-is-1st-kodansha-manga-to-get-100th-printing/.164392 |author=Rafael Antonio Pineda |title=Akira Volume 1 Is 1st Kodansha Manga to Get 100th Printing |work=Anime News Network |access-date=September 10, 2021 |archive-date=September 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910211019/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-09-24/akira-volume-1-is-1st-kodansha-manga-to-get-100th-printing/.164392 |url-status=live}}</ref> At a price of {{JPY|1000}} in Japan<ref name=kodansha-v1/> and $24.95 overseas,<ref name=darkhorse-v1/> the manga ''tankōbon'' volumes grossed estimated revenues of {{JPY|{{#expr:(2*1000)/1000}} billion|link=yes}} ({{US$|{{#expr:2000/128.15 round 0}} million|long=no|link=yes}})<ref name="worldbank">{{cite web |title=Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) - Japan |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.FCRF?end=1988&locations=JP&start=1987 |website=[[World Bank]] |year=1988 |access-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603015312/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.FCRF?end=1988&locations=JP&start=1987 |url-status=live}}</ref> in Japan and {{US$|{{#expr:5*24.95 round 0}} million|long=no}} overseas, for an estimated total of {{US$|{{#expr:16+125}} million|long=no}} grossed worldwide.

During its run, the ''[[seinen]]'' [[manga magazine]] where it was first serialized, ''Weekly Young Magazine'', experienced an increase in its weekly circulation, from 1 million in 1986 to 1.5 million in 1990.<ref name="yahoo">{{cite web |title=コミック誌の部数水準 |url=http://www.geocities.jp/wj_log/rank/hokan/zassi.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070306085534/http://www.geocities.jp/wj_log/rank/hokan/zassi.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 6, 2007 |website=[[Yahoo! Japan]] |access-date=March 6, 2007}}</ref> At an average manga magazine price of {{JPY|180}} at the time,<ref name="comipress">{{cite news |title=An Analysis of Weekly Manga Magazines Price for the Past 30 Years |url=https://www.comipress.com/article/2007/04/06/1777.html |work=ComiPress |date=April 6, 2007 |access-date=August 4, 2019 |archive-date=November 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106074954/https://www.comipress.com/article/2007/04/06/1777.html |url-status=live}}</ref> the 120 issues serializing ''Akira'' sold an estimated total of {{#expr:1*120}}–{{#expr:1.5*120}} million copies and grossed an estimated {{JPY|{{#expr:(120*180)/1000 round 0}}–{{#expr:(180*180)/1000 round 0}} billion}} ({{US$|{{#expr:22000/128.15 round -1}}–{{#expr:32000/128.15 round 0}} million|long=no|link=yes}}).<ref name="worldbank"/>

''Akira'' has won much recognition in the industry, including the 1984 [[Kodansha Manga Award]] for Best General Manga.<ref name="KodanshaHahn">{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/kodansha.shtml |author=Joel Hahn |title=Kodansha Manga Awards |work=Comic Book Awards Almanac |access-date=August 21, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816031310/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/kodansha.shtml |archive-date=August 16, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Fans in the United Kingdom voted it Favourite Comic at the 1990 [[Eagle Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-05-14/uk-fans-give-eagle-award-to-death-note-manga |author=Egan Loo |title=UK Fans Give Eagle Award to Death Note Manga |work=Anime News Network |access-date=September 6, 2021 |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808060242/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-05-14/uk-fans-give-eagle-award-to-death-note-manga |url-status=live}}</ref> It won a [[Harvey Award]] for Best American Edition of Foreign Material in 1993,<ref>{{Citation|title=1993 Harvey Awards|publisher=[[Harvey Award]]|url=http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1993-harvey-awards/|access-date=November 1, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315084306/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1993-harvey-awards/|archive-date=March 15, 2016}}</ref> and was nominated for a Harvey for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work in 2002. In 2002, ''Akira'' won the [[Eisner Award]]s for [[Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material|Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material]] and Best Archival Collection.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/1720/2002-eisner-award-winners |title=2002 EISNER AWARD WINNERS |work=[[ICv2]] |access-date=September 10, 2021 |archive-date=September 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910211021/https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/1720/2002-eisner-award-winners |url-status=live}}</ref> The 35th anniversary edition won Best Archival Collection again at the 2018 Eisner Awards, in addition to Best Publication Design.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-07-21/gengoroh-tagame-my-brother-husband-manga-wins-eisner-award/.134539 |author=Crystalyn Hodgkins |title=Gengoroh Tagame's My Brother's Husband Manga Wins Eisner Award |work=Anime News Network |access-date=September 10, 2021 |archive-date=November 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110011807/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-07-21/gengoroh-tagame-my-brother-husband-manga-wins-eisner-award/.134539 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Critical reception===
''Akira'' is credited with having introduced both manga and anime to Western audiences.<ref name="CCGN">{{cite book|last=Sabin|first=Roger|title=Comics, Comix and Graphic Novels: a History of Comic Art|publisher=Phaidon|year=1996|pages=230–1 |isbn=0-7148-3993-0}}</ref> According to Kodansha USA's Naho Yamada, "''Akira'' ignited a new generation of dynamism not only in manga but also in European and American comics. Its impact shattered all borders."<ref name="JTSchley">{{cite web |author=Matt Schley |url=https://features.japantimes.co.jp/akiraweek-books/ |title=The enduring appeal of 'Akira,' the manga |work=[[The Japan Times]] |access-date=December 18, 2021 |archive-date=November 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125162552/https://features.japantimes.co.jp/akiraweek-books/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Essential Guide to World Comics'' states that the translation of the work into French in 1991 by Glénat "opened the floodgates to the Japanese invasion."<ref name="worldcomics">{{cite book |last=Brooks |first=Brad |author2=Tim Pilcher |title=The Essential Guide to World Comics |publisher=Collins & Brown |location=London |year=2005 |page=[https://archive.org/details/essentialguideto0000pilc/page/172 172] |isbn=1-84340-300-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/essentialguideto0000pilc/page/172}}</ref> The imagery in ''Akira'', together with that of ''[[Blade Runner]]'', formed the blueprint for similar Japanese works of a dystopian nature of the late 1990s, such as ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]'' and ''[[Armitage III]]''.<ref name="TAMG">{{cite book|last=Beck|first=Jerry|title=The Animated Movie Guide|url=https://archive.org/details/animatedmoviegui0000beck|url-access=registration|publisher=Chicago Review Press|year=2005|page=[https://archive.org/details/animatedmoviegui0000beck/page/7 7]|isbn=1-55652-591-5}}</ref> Yamada also said that "Otomo jacked into his generation's frustration with society, in the wake of the defeat of Japan's liberal student movement, and created an epic that, in true Japanese fashion, processed societal trauma through cataclysmic visual symbolism."<ref name="JTSchley"/> Writing for ''[[The Japan Times]]'', Matt Schley said "For many readers, ''Akira'' was a revelation. Each panel features a head-spinning amount of detail, and Otomo, an avowed film buff, keeps things moving at a breathless, cinematic pace."<ref name="JTSchley"/> In her book ''The Fantastic in Japanese Literature'', [[Susan J. Napier]] described the work as a "no holds barred enjoyment of fluidity and chaos".<ref>{{cite book|last=Bush|first=Laurence C.|title=Asian Horror Encyclopedia|publisher=Writers Club Press|year=2001|page=7|isbn=0-595-20181-4}}</ref> ''Akira'' cemented Otomo's reputation and the success of the animated adaptation allowed him to concentrate on film rather than the manga form in which his career began.<ref name="EGWC" />

Katherine Dacey of ''MangaBookshelf'' called ''Akira'' one of manga's "greatest sci-fi epics."<ref name="dacey">{{cite web |author=Katherine Dacey |url=http://mangabookshelf.com/2009/10/22/akira-vol-1/ |title=AKIRA, Vol. 1 |work=MangaBookshelf |date=October 5, 2010 |access-date=December 18, 2021 |archive-date=December 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218221825/http://mangabookshelf.com/2009/10/22/akira-vol-1/ |url-status=live}}</ref> She also noted how Tetsuo and Kaneda seem like real teenage boys in the manga, not generic action figures like in the film's "grossly" simplified depiction of their relationship. Although stating that ''Akira''{{'}}s plot was still as topical as ever in the year 2009, Dacey felt that the art had not aged as gracefully.<ref name="dacey"/>

In his reviews of the first three volumes of ''Akira'', Mark Pellegrini of AIPT Comics strongly praised Otomo's art as "simple, but very lively" and called him a master at drawing architecture.<ref name="AIPT1">{{cite web |author=Mark Pellegrini |url=https://aiptcomics.com/2015/09/24/akira-volume-1-review/ |title=Akira Volume 1 Review |work=AIPT Comics |date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=December 18, 2021 |archive-date=December 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218221826/https://aiptcomics.com/2015/09/24/akira-volume-1-review/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="AIPT3">{{cite web |author=Mark Pellegrini |url=https://aiptcomics.com/2016/02/29/akira-volume-3-review/ |title=Akira Volume 3 Review |work=AIPT Comics |date=February 29, 2016 |access-date=December 18, 2021 |archive-date=December 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218221826/https://aiptcomics.com/2016/02/29/akira-volume-3-review/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Pellegrini reviewed the series by making many comparisons to the animated film adaptation, calling the characterizations in the manga both "better and on par" with those in it.<ref name="AIPT1"/>

[[Anime News Network]] had four writers review Kodansha USA's 35th Anniversary box set of ''Akira''. Austin Price and Lynzee Loveridge both gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 rating.<ref name="ANN35th">{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2017-11-06/the-fall-2017-manga-guide/akira-35th-anniversary-box-set/.123653|title=Akira: 35th Anniversary Box Set - The Fall 2017 Manga Guide|work=[[Anime News Network]]|date=November 6, 2017|access-date=December 18, 2021|archive-date=December 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218221824/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2017-11-06/the-fall-2017-manga-guide/akira-35th-anniversary-box-set/.123653|url-status=live}}</ref> Loveridge wrote that "''Akira'' still feels incredibly relevant 35 years later.<ref name="ANN35th"/> Giving it a three ½ star rating, Amy McNulty praised Otomo's art and setting. However, she called the characterizations weak and concluded that although ''Akira'' "does little to appeal to those who aren't interested in sci-fi, paranormal, or dystopian tales [...] manga fans owe it to themselves to at least check it out."<ref name="ANN35th"/> Rebecca Silverman gave the series a rating of three out of five, calling ''Akira'' a must-read for anyone interested in manga.<ref name="ANN35th"/>

==Related media==
{{See also|Akira (1988 film)|Akira (video game)|Akira Psycho Ball|Akira (planned film)}}

While most of the character designs and basic settings were directly adapted from the original manga, the restructured plot of the movie differs considerably from the print version, changing much of the second half of the series. The film ''Akira'' is regarded by many critics as a landmark anime film: one that influenced much of the art in the anime world that followed its release.<ref name="CCGN" /><ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite web |title=Akira (1988) – Movie Reviews, Trailers, Pictures |url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/akira/ |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] UK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307121115/http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/akira/ |archive-date=March 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=19 May 2024}}</ref>

A video game, simply titled ''[[Akira (video game)|Akira]]'', based on the animated film was released on December 24, 1988, by [[Taito]] for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]] console.<ref name="Club"/> The game has the player in the role of Kaneda, with the storyline starting with Kaneda and his motorcycle gang in police custody. In 1994, a British-made action game was released for the [[Amiga CD32]] and it's considered one of the console's worst games.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Akira (Amiga)|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/akira-amiga/|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=June 24, 2020|language=en-US|archive-date=February 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216230050/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/akira-amiga/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Akira - Amiga Game / Games - Download ADF, Music, Cheat |url=http://www.lemonamiga.com/games/details.php?id=52 |publisher=Lemon Amiga |access-date=June 24, 2020 |archive-date=June 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626170751/http://www.lemonamiga.com/games/details.php?id=52 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2002, [[Bandai]] released a [[pinball]] simulation titled ''[[Akira Psycho Ball]]'' for the [[PlayStation 2]].

On June 9, 1995, Kodansha released ''Akira Club'', a compilation of various materials related to the production of the series. These include test designs of the paperback volume covers, title pages as they appeared in ''Young Magazine'', images of various related merchandise and commentary by Otomo. Dark Horse collaborated with Kodansha to release an English-translated version of the book in 2007.

In 2002, [[Warner Bros.]] acquired rights to create an American [[live action]] film of ''Akira''.<ref name="ign2002">{{cite web |last1=Linder |first1=Brian |title=Akira Hollywood Remake!? |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/04/12/akira-hollywood-remake |work=[[IGN]] |access-date=November 15, 2021 |date=April 12, 2002 |archive-date=March 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313174510/http://movies.ign.com/articles/357/357213p1.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Since the initial announcement, a number of directors, producers and writers have been reported to be attached to the film, starting with [[Stephen Norrington]] (writer/director) and [[Jon Peters]] (producer).<ref name="ign2002"/><ref name="SB">{{cite web|first=Jason |last=Brice |url=http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/101859158264796.htm |title=Western Adaption of Akira Planned |website=Silverbulletcomicbooks.com |access-date=March 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725121635/http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/101859158264796.htm |archive-date=July 25, 2008}}</ref> By 2017, it was announced [[Taika Waititi]] would officially serve as the director of the live-action adaptation, from a screenplay he co-wrote with [[Michael Golamco]].<ref name="deadline waititi">{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/akira-taika-waititi-director-thor-ragnarok-1202173164/ |title='Akira' Back? 'Thor: Ragnarok' Helmer Taika Waititi In Talks |first1=Anita |last1=Busch |first2=Mike Jr. |last2=Fleming |date=September 19, 2017 |access-date=September 25, 2017 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925181309/https://deadline.com/2017/09/akira-taika-waititi-director-thor-ragnarok-1202173164/ |archive-date=September 25, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Warner Bros. planned to distribute the film on May 21, 2021, but after Waititi was officially confirmed to both direct and write ''[[Thor: Love and Thunder]]'', the film was put on hold and removed from the release slot.<ref>{{cite web |first=Aaron |last=Couch |date=May 24, 2019 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/akira-movie-release-date-set-sets-may-2021-1213499 |title=Taika Waititi's 'Akira' Sets 2021 Release Date |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=May 24, 2019 |archive-date=May 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524173817/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/akira-movie-release-date-set-sets-may-2021-1213499 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Taika Waititi to Direct 'Thor 4' (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/taika-waititi-direct-thor-4-1224464|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 16, 2019|language=en|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=July 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716174750/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/taika-waititi-direct-thor-4-1224464|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Warner Bros Sets Release Dates For 'The Matrix' Sequel, 'The Flash' & More; 'Akira' Off Schedule|url=https://deadline.com/2019/12/matrix-sequel-release-date-the-flash-akira-off-slate-fred-hampton-movies-warner-bros-1202806896/|last=Hipes|first=Patrick|date=December 11, 2019|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|language=en|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=December 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218191427/https://deadline.com/2019/12/matrix-sequel-release-date-the-flash-akira-off-slate-fred-hampton-movies-warner-bros-1202806896/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On July 4, 2019, [[Bandai Namco Entertainment]] announced an anime television series to be made by [[Sunrise (company)|Sunrise]] (now Bandai Namco Filmworks).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lawler |first1=Richard |title=4K 'Akira' Blu-ray arrives next year before the series continues |url=https://www.engadget.com/2019/07/05/uhd-blu-ray-akira-otomo-orbital-era-anime/ |publisher=Engadget |date=July 5, 2019 |access-date=July 5, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=July 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705060209/https://www.engadget.com/2019/07/05/uhd-blu-ray-akira-otomo-orbital-era-anime/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="anime announce">{{cite web |last1=Loo |first1=Egan |title=Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira Gets New Anime Project & 4K Remaster of 1988 Anime Film |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-07-04/katsuhiro-otomo-akira-gets-new-anime-project-and-4k-remaster-of-1988-anime-film/.148651 |publisher=Anime News Network |access-date=January 10, 2020 |archive-date=July 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705135545/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-07-04/katsuhiro-otomo-akira-gets-new-anime-project-and-4k-remaster-of-1988-anime-film/.148651 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Legacy==
{{Further|Akira (franchise)|Akira (1988 film)#Legacy}}

''Akira'' is considered a landmark work in the [[cyberpunk]] genre, credited with spawning the [[Japanese cyberpunk]] subgenre. It actually predates the seminal cyberpunk novel ''[[Neuromancer]]'' (1984), which was released two years after ''Akira'' began serialization in 1982 and was not translated into Japanese until 1985.<ref name="Gravett">{{cite book|last=Gravett|first=Paul |title=Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics|publisher=Laurence King Publishing|year=2004|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=5BnCTYyjWVkC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA155 155]|isbn=1-85669-391-0}}</ref> ''Akira'' inspired a wave of Japanese cyberpunk-infused manga and anime works, including ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]'', ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]'', ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'', and ''[[Serial Experiments Lain]]''.<ref name="polygon">{{cite news |title=What is cyberpunk? |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/8/30/17796680/cyberpunk-2077-history-blade-runner-neuromancer |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=August 30, 2018 |access-date=October 14, 2018 |archive-date=October 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014091351/https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/8/30/17796680/cyberpunk-2077-history-blade-runner-neuromancer |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tetsuo Hara]] cited ''Akira'' as an influence on the dystopian post-apocalyptic setting of his manga ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'' (1983 debut).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Valdez |first1=Nick |title='Fist of the North Star' Creator Reveals Inspiration For The Series |url=https://comicbook.com/anime/news/fist-of-the-north-star-mad-max-bruce-lee-inspiration/ |access-date=May 14, 2021 |work=ComicBook.com |date=December 11, 2017 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401150845/https://comicbook.com/anime/2017/12/12/fist-of-the-north-star-mad-max-bruce-lee-inspiration/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Manga artist [[Tooru Fujisawa]], creator of ''[[Great Teacher Onizuka]]'', cited ''Akira'' as one of his greatest inspirations and said it changed the way he wrote.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fobian |first1=Peter |title=Monthly Mangaka Spotlight 7: Tohru Fujisawa |website=[[Crunchyroll]] |url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2016/01/15/feature-monthly-mangaka-spotlight-7-tohru-fujisawa |access-date=July 17, 2021 |date=January 15, 2016 |archive-date=July 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717004622/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2016/01/15/feature-monthly-mangaka-spotlight-7-tohru-fujisawa |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Naruto]]'' creator [[Masashi Kishimoto]] has cited both the ''Akira'' manga and anime as major influences, particularly as the basis of his own manga career.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.looper.com/164071/the-untold-truth-of-naruto/|title=The untold truth of Naruto|last=Santilli|first=Morgana|website=Looper.com|date=August 28, 2019|language=en-US|access-date=October 22, 2019|archive-date=October 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022071336/https://www.looper.com/164071/the-untold-truth-of-naruto/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Bartkira'', a fan-made [[web comic]] parody of ''Akira'' created by Ryan Humphrey, is a [[shot-for-shot|panel-for-panel]] retelling of all six volumes of the manga illustrated by numerous artists contributing several pages each, with Otomo's characters being portrayed by members of the cast of ''[[The Simpsons]]'': for example, Kaneda is represented by [[Bart Simpson]], [[Milhouse Van Houten]] replaces Tetsuo, and Kei and Colonel Shikishima are portrayed by [[List of The Simpsons characters#Laura Powers|Laura Powers]] and [[Principal Skinner]] respectively.<ref>{{cite web|last=Humphrey|first=Ryan|title=Bartkira.com|url=http://www.bartkira.com/|access-date=December 16, 2015|archive-date=December 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151209125818/http://www.bartkira.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The city depicted in the first two stages of the 1992 video game ''[[Last Resort (video game)|Last Resort]]'' is very similar to that of Neo Tokyo from the anime film. In the 1998 video game ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'', aspects of the level design were influenced directly by scenes from the manga. For example, the diagonal elevator leading down to the sewer canals as well as the design of the canals themselves are taken from scenes in the manga. This was confirmed by Brett Johnson, the developer who designed the levels.<ref>{{cite web |title=Half-Life – Akira References |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8Wi0ee65Yc  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Z8Wi0ee65Yc |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=October 12, 2018 |date=August 26, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Half-Life tiene varias referencias a Akira |url=https://as.com/meristation/2018/08/29/noticias/1535543681_545901.html |work=[[:es:MeriStation|MeriStation]] |publisher=[[Diario AS]] |date=August 29, 2018 |language=es |access-date=October 13, 2018 |archive-date=October 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014010144/https://as.com/meristation/2018/08/29/noticias/1535543681_545901.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The ''[[NeoTokyo (video game)|NeoTokyo]]'' mod for its 2004 sequel, ''[[Half-Life 2]]'', was also inspired by ''Akira''.<ref>{{cite news |title=The most impressive PC mods ever made |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/the-most-impressive-pc-mods-ever-made |work=[[TechRadar]] |date=June 14, 2018 |language=en |access-date=October 13, 2018 |archive-date=June 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616224054/https://www.techradar.com/news/the-most-impressive-pc-mods-ever-made |url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2002 video game ''[[The King of Fighters 2002]]'', [[Kyo Kusanagi|Kusanagi]] and [[K9999]] have an Akira-esque intro before they fight. Kaneda's motorcycle appears in the 2020 video game ''[[Cyberpunk 2077]]''.<ref>{{cite web |first=Julian |last=Benson |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/cyberpunk-2077/cyberpunk-2077-announcement-future |title=Cyberpunk 2077 devs "will be significantly more open" |website=[[PCGamesN]] |date=June 12, 2018 |access-date=September 25, 2021 |archive-date=October 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014093101/https://www.pcgamesn.com/cyberpunk-2077/cyberpunk-2077-announcement-future |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Akira Class starship from the ''[[Star Trek]]'' franchise, first introduced in the 1996 feature film ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'', was named after the anime by its designer [[Alex Jaeger]], of [[Industrial Light & Magic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/36201-star-trek-starship-names-enterprise-discovery-shenzhou-defiant-nasa|title=15 Cool Stories of How 'Star Trek' Ships Got Their Names|last=Britt|first=Ryan|website=Inverse|date=September 8, 2017|language=en|access-date=October 22, 2019|archive-date=October 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022071339/https://www.inverse.com/article/36201-star-trek-starship-names-enterprise-discovery-shenzhou-defiant-nasa|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 1998 film ''[[Dark City (1998 film)|Dark City]]'', one of the last scenes, in which buildings "restore" themselves, is similar to the last panel of the ''Akira'' manga. Its writer-director [[Alex Proyas]] called the end battle a "homage to Otomo's ''Akira''".<ref>[[Alex Proyas|Proyas, Alex]]. {{cite web |url=http://mysteryclock.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1647 |title=Dark City DC: Original Ending !? |access-date=August 29, 2008 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014191637/http://mysteryclock.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1647 |archive-date=October 14, 2007}}. Mystery Clock Forum. Retrieved July 29, 2006.</ref> Director [[Josh Trank]] cited ''Akira'' as an influence on the 2012 film ''[[Chronicle (film)|Chronicle]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://io9.com/5881852/chronicle-is-a-movie-about-every-teens-fantasy-of-fighting-back |title=Chronicle captures every teen's fantasy of fighting back, say film's creators |date=February 3, 2012 |publisher=[[Io9]] |access-date=August 15, 2013 |archive-date=February 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226195315/http://io9.com/5881852/chronicle-is-a-movie-about-every-teens-fantasy-of-fighting-back |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Rapper [[Kanye West]] has a tribute to the anime film in his 2007 music video for "[[Stronger (Kanye West song)|Stronger]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2018/08/27/kanye-west-akira|title=Kanye West says his "biggest creative inspiration" is Akira|website=The FADER|language=en|access-date=October 22, 2019|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415012810/https://www.thefader.com/2018/08/27/kanye-west-akira|url-status=live}}</ref> Electronic pop group [[M83 (band)|M83]] created a three-part tribute to ''Akira'' (and other influences) with their music videos for "[[Midnight City]]", "[[Reunion (M83 song)|Reunion]]"<ref>{{cite web|last=M83|title=M83 'Midnight City' Official video|date=October 17, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX3k_QDnzHE&list=UU8WbdD3m5dP9giOU9XtAGWQ&index=7&feature=plcp |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/dX3k_QDnzHE |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|publisher=2011 M83 Recording Inc. Under exclusive license to Mute for North America and to Naïve for the rest of the world|access-date=September 29, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and "Wait". Rapper [[Lupe Fiasco]]'s 2015 album ''[[Tetsuo & Youth]]'' was loosely inspired by the ''Akira'' character Tetsuo Shima.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lupe-fiasco-is-avoiding-politics-on-tetsuo-youth-20131025|title=Lupe Fiasco's 'Tetsuo & Youth' Avoiding Politics|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=December 2, 2014|archive-date=October 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028040001/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lupe-fiasco-is-avoiding-politics-on-tetsuo-youth-20131025|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the original plans for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics Opening Ceremony, Akira was to be featured in order to appeal to Japan's "soft power" among youth. The original plans featured Kaneda riding into the stadium on his motorcycle. As Japan scholar Tagsold notes, there is an inherent irony in the use of Akira to promote the 2020 Olympics. The original manga (and to a lesser extent the film) contains strong anti-Olympic sentiment and contains several references to the 1964 Olympics, and in the story the Olympics are also scheduled to be held in Tokyo in 2020, where they are to symbolize Japan's rebirth and recovery from a nuclear disaster that takes place in the 1980s in the story setting (the dates differ between the manga and the film). Tagsold notes, "By referencing the 1964 Games, Ōtomo paints a highly critical image of the first Tokyo Olympics, reflecting the mood of the early 1980s, when citizens vehemently opposed plans to host the Olympics in Nagoya."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tagsold |first=Christian |date=2023-01-02 |title=Akira and the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and 2020/21: Reading the games through manga and anime—reading manga and anime through the games |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/18692729.2023.2168840 |journal=Contemporary Japan |language=en |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=117–135 |doi=10.1080/18692729.2023.2168840 |s2cid=258313153 |issn=1869-2729 |access-date=July 13, 2023 |archive-date=July 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713003016/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/18692729.2023.2168840 |url-status=live}}</ref> Nonetheless, the original plans also included Ōtomo creating an illustration for the ceremony, indicative of his own complex perspective on what the Olympics mean for Japan. Ultimately, the irony of an anti-Olympic story being used to promote the Olympics was avoided when the Olympics themselves were postponed due to the pandemic, and the original production team was replaced.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Akira (manga)}}
* {{Anime News Network|manga|11|Akira}}

{{Akira manga|state=expand}}
{{Katsuhiro Otomo}}
{{Weekly Young Magazine - 1980s–1990s}}
{{Kodansha Manga Award - General}}

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