Welcome to Sorry, But…, a series dedicated to highlighting films that most people love, that I dislike. Okay, maybe I don’t “dislike” them per se, but there is definitely something about them that didn’t quite the hit the mark for me. My goal here isn’t to tell you why you’re wrong for enjoying these films, I am simply here to start a discussion with an article that lays the groundwork for a controversial opinion of mine.
With that being said, let’s dive into Katsuhiro Otomo’s beloved science-fiction film, Akira. An admirable, plot-filled affair, full of jaw-dropping animation.
From what I knew of Akira, I really anticipated to fall in love with this film, and it ended up being a huge disappointment. After doing a complete 180 on Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (thanks to the Director’s Cut), I had a newfound admiration for science-fiction films. The large, neon cityscapes, the alleyways littered with crime, the synth tones crashing into each frame, elevating the ambiance of a noir. All of that was right in my wheelhouse, and the craze for Akira promised the same.
As soon as the film begins, the towering cityscapes and beautiful colors contrasted with the dimly lit alleyways and narrow streets instantly drew me in. I was captivated. The crime angle of bike gang leaders felt historic. In the sense that you felt the history and ramifications of that 31 year-old failed test on children still lasting and leaving an impression on its citizens. Never before had I seen a film combine two of my favorite genres on such a scale like this. Where something like Blade Runner leans into its noir elements on a more leveled scale, Akira definitely goes there by building such a fascinating world. For the first 30 minutes I was riveted, and eager to explore more of 2019’s Neo-Tokyo, and then...the motorcycle accident that propels the plot forward happens.
Here is where Akira began to lose me.
As someone that was born and raised on a Western style of animation, my descent into Eastern anime style animation didn’t really begin until just a few years ago. Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke ended up being a blind buy out of sheer curiosity in hopes of finally understanding all the hype around Ghibli films and anime in general. I had a similar experience to Akira, although I came away feeling much more positive due to the plot feeling more like a natural progression. Which is where most, if not all of my issues lie with Akira.
When the movie starts it feels very grounded, focused, and concise. The premise seems relatively simple and the world not ready for what is actually about to be unleashed throughout the rest of the runtime. When Kaneda’s friend, Tetsuo, is apart of an accident involving Takashi (a psychic esper who recently escaped a government lab), Akira really takes off into something quite different than what we may have anticipated. Earlier we become aware that the world was sent into WWIII after a giant blinding singularity, and the rest of Akira essentially culminates to revealing what caused that World War by using Tetsuo’s newfound psychic abilities after the crash.
The plot turns from a simplified, sci-fi crime drama film, to a full on, near abstract superhero thriller. Which, by all means, I understand every element they were shooting for, but it’s so plot-filled that it honestly weighs down any sense of enjoyment because of the copious amounts of characters and moving parts within the narrative. Now, maybe you could say, “Well Roman, you should be paying attention well enough to not be lost,” and you might be onto something, but plot-heavy narratives have never been stories I’ve liked. There are some I do enjoy, such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, but there is a sense of mysticism and wonder planted early on that seamlessly integrates the plot-heavy elements. As for Akira it goes back to how the film began, and then how quickly things go awry for Neo-Tokyo. As quick as a blinding flash of light, if you will. Speaking of light, YouTube’s popular video essay channel, Nerdwriter1, has a video dedicated to showing how the artists of Akira bring Neo-Tokyo to life with the endless amounts of light that inhabits many of the film’s sequences. You can find the video below, and it definitely gave me just a bit more appreciation for the film even if it didn’t adjust my perspective on how I feel about the narrative.
Okay, Akira at best is a relatively sub-par movie, but I can totally understand why anyone would believe that it’s a cornerstone of animated films and science-fiction. It’s definitely a film that inspired modern video game mastermind, Hideo Kojima, and countless other IPs ranging from live-action films, video games, and TV, but it just didn’t reach that mark for me that makes me see what everyone else does. Especially when the two-hour runtime still doesn’t feel like there’s enough time to flesh out it’s ideas, world, and narrative. I would never go as far to say that Akira is a “bad” film due to how incredible the art design and ambitions are. It’s hard not to respect something that you realize just isn’t really for you, although I am totally down for rewatching this film as to watch it for what it is, rather than what I thought it would be.