Akira
“Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E.”
Katsuhiro OtomoCast
Mitsuo Iwata Nozomu Sasaki
Plot
In 2019 Neo-Tokyo, a motorcycle gang member, Kaneda, sees his friend Tetsuo given strange powers by a military experiment, linked to the legendary Akira. As Tetsuo's abilities spin out of control, and the government, a resistance group and Kaneda's gang battle to stop him, the city is torn apart. Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 animation, adapted from his own manga, was a landmark in bringing anime to the West.
Sinekatalog’s take
Katsuhiro Otomo's cyberpunk anime about biker gangs and psychic power in a ruined Neo-Tokyo. Its hand-drawn detail and kinetic action opened the West to anime, and it still looks astonishing.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Ratings
IMDb: 8.0 / 10 (233,071 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.
If you liked this
Picked by director, genre, era and shared cast. Titles only, no spoilers.
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- Combustible 2013 · Katsuhiro Otomo · Same director
- Only Yesterday 1991 · Isao Takahata · IMDb 7.6 · Same movement
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