The story of Akira begins in 1988 in Tokyo, when a mysterious explosion destroys the city. After the explosion is blamed on a nuclear bomb, World War III begins. However, the explosion was actually caused by the powers possessed by a boy named Akira. Then, the film moves ahead in time to 2019. Neo-Tokyo has been built on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. The city is led by a corrupt government, and a group of terrorist insurgents stage attacks in an attempt to destabilize the government. The style of the animation in the film definitely gives the viewer a sense of being in the future, and all the dark colors used throughout the film help emphasize the corruption in the city.
We meet teenage bikers Kaneda and Tetsuo, who, along with their biker gang, have a run-in with a rival bike gang called The Clowns. Tetsuo chases one of the Clowns into old Tokyo, and nearly crashes into a child with wizened features; however, before Tetsuo’s bike can hit the child, the bike suddenly explodes. When the rest of Kaneda’s gang arrive on the scene, they find military helicopters landing. Colonel Shikishima takes the boy (who turns out to be one of three Espers involved in the same secret project as Akira), as well as the injured Tetsuo with him, while the rest of the gang is arrested.
During questioning, it is determined that Kaneda and his gang are not involved with the terrorist insurgents and are released. Kaneda spies an attractive young woman (named Kei) that he recognizes from a mug shot he had seen, and convinces the authorities that she is part of their gang. Once they’re outside, Kei ditches Kaneda. Tetsuo, meanwhile, is being observed by Doctor Onishi; the doctor notices that Tetsuo’s mental frequencies are reminiscent to Akira’s. The Colonel orders the doctor to kill Tetsuo if his power should grow beyond control. At this point, the viewer realizes that something is going to happen in regards to Tetsuo.
Tetsuo escapes from the hospital and finds his girlfriend, Kaori. They try to run away on Kaneda’s bike, but it stalls. They are attacked by the Clowns, but Kaneda and the gang come to the rescue. Instead of being grateful, Tetsuo resents Kaneda’s leadership role; this establishes that Tetsuo feels inferior to Kaneda. Tetsuo then gets a strong headache and sees a hallucination that includes seeing Akira and Neo-Tokyo’s destruction. Scientists and bodyguards find Tetsuo, swoop down onto the scene, and take him away.
While hanging out that night, Kaneda and his gang end up in the middle of a terrorist attack. Kaneda sees Kei again and pursues her. By the end of the evening, Kaneda ends up becoming instrumental to the terrorist insurgents.
The Colonel talks with one of the Espers, who has precognitive abilities; she says she dreamt of meeting Akira again and that the city was destroyed. Meanwhile, Tetsuo is subjected to more experiments, and his power starts to manifest. Tetsuo also has a vision of the Espers, and leaves his hospital room to try to find them. Kei and Kaneda sneak into the hospital facility to find and rescue Tetsuo. One of the Espers possesses Kei and leads the two of them to the “baby room” (the room where the three Espers are kept). Tetsuo is already there, wreaking havoc. He learns about Akira and wants to find him. Tetsuo reads the mind of an Esper and learns Akira’s location. During his journey to find Akira, Tetsuo wreaks havoc in Neo-Tokyo; as he does, he also starts to emanate an ominous madness. The music during these scenes really helps to cement this fact to the viewer; while the whole score in Akira is excellent, it is at its strongest in this section of the film.
The Colonel initiates a coup and orders all the members of the Supreme Executive Council to be arrested. Meanwhile, Kei is possessed again and tries to fight Tetsuo, but she is pushed aside. When Tetsuo opens the cryogenic chamber that houses Akira, all he finds are dissected body parts stored in canisters. Kaneda tries to confront Tetsuo, but laser satellites in space start firing on Tetsuo. Tetsuo’s arm is shot off, and in a rage, he flies up to space and destroys the satellite.
While hiding out in the Olympic Stadium, Tetsuo fashions a new mechanical arm. Kaori also finds him here, and the Colonel also arrives. At this point, the film reaches its climax, which includes a confrontation filled with unexpected twists.
While watching Akira, the viewer finds themselves marveling at the quality of the animation. It’s easy to see how the style of this film’s animation would later influence films such as Princess Mononoke and The Place Promised in Our Early Days. The storyline is fascinating, yet at times, it can also be a bit confusing. Probably the biggest mystery of the film is the last scene. What exactly does it mean?
Even with its somewhat confusing storyline, viewers can still understand by the end of the film why Akira is the anime classic that it has become.
