Akira
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Katsuhiro Otomo
Mitsuo Iwara
Nozomu Sasaki
Mami Koyama
Taro Ishida
Masaaki Ohkura
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
On July 16, 1988, Tokyo was destroyed by what was believed to be a new type of bomb, triggering World War III. Thirty-one years later, in 2019, Neo-Tokyo has arisen from ashes under Japan's new political system; but the glittering city is built on foundations of poverty, ignorance and despair. Kaneda and his friends, a bunch of juvenile delinquents, rumble with a rival group of bikers. While the police attempt to disperse a riot with tear gas, the rumble continues. Tetsuo takes the lead and, after disposing of his opponents, nearly runs down what looks to be a 100-year-old baby. Tetsuo's bike suddenly explodes and he is taken prisoner by the top-secret Akira Project where he is subjected to a series of tests which unleash his latent psycho-kinetic powers. But he is really more powerful than anyone imagined and breaks out, creating a swathe of destruction across the city as he mutates into another life form.
Director
Katsuhiro Otomo
Cast
Mitsuo Iwara
Nozomu Sasaki
Mami Koyama
Taro Ishida
Masaaki Ohkura
Yuriko Fuchizaki
Yousuke Akimoto
Yuka Ohno
Takesi Kusao
Taroh Ishida
Kazumi Tanaka
Masaaki Okura
Yosuke Akimoto
Crew
Izo Hashimoto
Shunzo Kato
Katsuji Misawa
Toshiharu Mizutani
Takashi Nakamura
Sawako Noma
Katsuhiro Otomo
Katsuhiro Otomo
Hiroaki Sato
Ryohei Susuki
Yoshio Takeuchi
Shoji Yamashiro
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States Spring March 14, 1990
Released in United States March 30, 1990
Released in United States October 19, 1990
Re-released in United States March 30, 2001
Limited re-release in United States August 29, 2018
Released in United States February 1989
Released in United States October 1989
Released in United States 1991
Released in United States March 1991
Released in United States July 1991
Released in United States April 2001
Released in United States August 2009
Shown at Berlin Film Festival (Forum of Young Cinema) February 17 & 18, 1989.
Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival October 8 & 10, 1989.
Shown at American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica February 28 - March 8, 1991.
Shown at Auckland Film Festival July 12-27, 1991.
Shown at Los Angeles Film Festival (2001 re-release version) April 20-28, 2001.
Shown at Locarno International Film Festival (Piazza Grande) August 5-15, 2009.
2001 re-release has been re-dubbed from a new translation of the original Japanese script.
The characters and plot for the film were first established in "Young Magazine," the leading Japanese comic book. A subsequent series of Akira comics has sold more than 3,000,000 copies in the US and UK.
aspect ratio 1.85
Released in United States October 19, 1990 (New York City)
Re-released in United States March 30, 2001 (AMC Empire; New York City)
Limited re-release in United States August 29, 2018 (New York)
Released in United States February 1989 (Shown at Berlin Film Festival (Forum of Young Cinema) February 17 & 18, 1989.)
Released in United States October 1989 (Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival October 8 & 10, 1989.)
Released in United States 1991 (Shown at American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica February 28 - March 8, 1991.)
Released in United States Spring March 14, 1990
Released in United States March 1991 (Shown in the Film Forum series "From Astro Boy to Akira - Japanese Fantasy Animation," New York City March 22 & 23, 1991.)
Released in United States July 1991 (Shown at Auckland Film Festival July 12-27, 1991.)
Released in United States April 2001 (Shown at Los Angeles Film Festival (2001 re-release version) April 20-28, 2001.)
Released in United States March 30, 1990 (Chicago)
Released in United States August 2009 (Shown at Locarno International Film Festival (Piazza Grande) August 5-15, 2009.)
dubbed English
