Akira (manga)

Akira
First volume cover
アキラ
Genre
Manga
Written byKatsuhiro Otomo
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintYoung Magazine KC
MagazineYoung Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runDecember 20, 1982 – June 25, 1990
Volumes6
Film
Anime television series
StudioSunrise[5]
icon Anime and manga portal

Akira (アキラ, stylized as AKIRA) is a Japanese cyberpunk post-apocalyptic manga series written and illustrated by Katsuhiro Otomo. It was serialized biweekly in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Young Magazine from December 20, 1982, to June 25, 1990, with its 120 chapters collected into six tankōbon' volumes. It was initially published in the United States by Marvel Comics under its Epic imprint, becoming one of the first manga works to be translated in its entirety into English.[6] It is currently published by Kodansha Comics in North America. Considered a watershed title for the medium,[7] the manga is also famous for spawning the seminal 1988 cyberpunk anime film adaptation of the same name and the 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 Espers, 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.[7] 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 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 motifs. The film was similarly lauded and has served as a significant influence to the anime industry and sci-fi media as a whole.[8] 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.[9][10] The manga won several awards, including the Kodansha Manga Award, a Harvey Award, and four Eisner Awards.

  1. ^ "Kodansha Comics Gift Guide Part 3: Classics Crusaders". Kodansha Comics. December 9, 2016. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  2. ^ Campbell, Scott (November 13, 2009). "Akira Vol. 1". activeAnime. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  3. ^ McCarthy, Helen (2014). A Brief History of Manga: The Essential Pocket. Hachette UK. ISBN 978-1-78157-130-9. Combining science fiction and political thriller, action adventure, and meditation on the state of the world, Akira is a truly remarkable work.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference darkhorse-v1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Robertson, Adi (July 5, 2019). "Akira is getting a 4K remaster and a new anime series". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  6. ^ Brooks, Brad; Tim Pilcher (2005). The Essential Guide to World Comics. London: Collins & Brown. p. 103. ISBN 1-84340-300-5.
  7. ^ a b Amano, Masanao; Julius Wiedemann (2004). Manga Design. Taschen. p. 138. ISBN 3-8228-2591-3.
  8. ^ Martinez, Dolores P. (1998). The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-63729-5.[page needed]
  9. ^ Jozuka, Emiko (July 29, 2019). "How anime shaped Japan's global identity". CNN Style. Archived from the original on April 12, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  10. ^ "Pourquoi il faut (re)lire le manga Akira". www.cnews.fr (in French). Retrieved October 22, 2019.