Akira

  • Thread starter DQuaN
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DQuaN

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I just watched it for the first time in a while. It is an amazing movie. It's what i think kicked off the manga trend around here, years and years ago. Still, not many people know about it, but they really should. How many of you guys have seen/heard of it?
 
Yeh its an awsome film, I own the special edition DVD and its smooth, I also own it on video twice, so yeh I like it.

if you like this you may like Ghost In The Shell 1 & 2 Here is a review ive done for the Ghost In The Shell 2 DVD
 
It's my favourite manga movie. I have it on DVD here, but unfortunately I can only watch it in Spanish (dubbed), English (dubbed) or Japanese with Spanish subtitles. Meh, anyway, the movie is great.

If you really liked it, check out Steamboy. It's the same director of Akira. In fact, Steamboy is from 2003 (or 2004) and it's the movie the director made after Akira... okay, I'm having a non-English day. After Akira, the director didn't make another movie until Steamboy. There. 👍
 
I agree, Akira is an amazing film, not only is it in my opinion the greatest anime ever (with competition from films like Appleseed, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, and Neon Genisis that's a major achievment) it is also one of the greatest films ever.
 
:lol: at Diego.

I liked Akira too. It did kind of put the Japanese Anime on to the map in the West. I have the Pioneer's 2-Disc Edition. Got it cheap, used. :sly:

I think I will eventually rent the "Steamboy", but it's gotten mixed reviews.
 
a6m5
:lol: at Diego.

I think I will eventually rent the "Steamboy", but it's gotten mixed reviews.

Let's see if my English today is better.

I've read a lot of reviews about Steamboy, and I was actually quite skeptic about watching it. Indeed it's not as good as Akira, but it's less cryptic. But like Akira, the "ending sequence" also lasts about half the movie. I like that. Plus, it's more CGI, but not in an abusing way like many actual animes.

Still, the Akira DVD I have actually came free with a magazine, so go figure.
 
One of my favorites.

I have the special edition DVD, and had the VHS from the early ninties.

I also have the graphic novel and most of the comic series.

Very enjoyable.
 
I have owned Akira for, get this, close to two year now and have yet to watch it. I have the same problem with a lot of the DVDs I own.
 
VashTheStampede
I have owned Akira for, get this, close to two year now and have yet to watch it. I have the same problem with a lot of the DVDs I own.
It's more common than you think. I have friends like that also. I have "Dirty Dancing", "Unforgiven", "Amadeus", "Sin City", etc., most of them still in shrinkwrap. I bought them upto a year or two ago, but I've seen them already, and haven't got around to watching them on those copies of DVDs. TV Series on DVD are the worst. With the exceptions being "Lost" and "24(Season 1,2,3)", I usually watch few episodes and never finishes them. :ouch: I've been renting a lot, instead now.
 
Well I haven't even seen Akira. So it would probably be a good idea to watch it. I have a couple other movies that I bought but haven't watched either.

TV series on DVD are the worst. I have all of Stargate SG-1 on DVD, but haven't watched any of it since I have bought it. But it does help that I have seen just about every episode on all of the DVDs too.

I also have Neon Genesis Evangelion and two of the three arcs of Rurouni Kenshin on DVD that I have not watched, though I have been watching NGE on TV now that Cartoon Network is airing it; but before that I had watched about the first eight episodes when I first bought the series. I've also seen a lot of episode of RK on TV when Cartoon Network was still airing it. Cowboy Bebop is another series I own and need to watch. I think I have seen every episode of it on TV though, just not in order, so I would like to go back and watch it in its entirety in order.
 
I have same issue with Cowboy Bebop too. :D Anyways, IMO, "Akira" really jump started the new generation of Anime in the late 80's. You should watch it! :)
 
I could swear I've seen every episode of Bebop, just not in order.

I may get around to watching Akira next week when I'm on spring break. I've got a bunch of homework I've got to get done this week, along with a Midterm.
 
VashTheStampede
I could swear I've seen every episode of Bebop, just not in order.

I may get around to watching Akira next week when I'm on spring break. I've got a bunch of homework I've got to get done this week, along with a Midterm.
Right on. Good luck!
 
I remember seeing bits of akira on the scifi channel when I was around ten but I think my parents intervened or at least I can't remember much of it. I've been looking around for a place to rent it from. I think blockbuster may have it but unfortunatly there isn't one near my college. Maybe I'll get a chance at it over break.
 
Akira was hands down, the best animation feature fully-drawn by hand, ever... in terms of quality and artwork. Katsuhiro Otomo's masterpiece had a very unique style of artwork, clean, crisp lines and animation (no shortcuts anywhere) and a custom color palette that they developed just for the film.

Best to watch it on a friend's widescreen... with a powerful sound system, because the music just plain rocks (used to have the Laserdisc (yes, laserdisc, I am old! :lol: ) and the soundtrack).

I think Steamboy disappointed people who aren't used to old-school Japanese style pacing... the long, slow, drawn out plots and situations (and yes, the thirty minute long apocalyptic ending), but I loved it. And like "Akira", it does have a motorbike chase scene, of sorts.

For those who like Hayao Miyazaki's work: Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Grave of Butterflies, try to find Princess Nausicaa of the Valley, one of his early movies. It's pretty old, but the action sequences and artwork are good (considering the film's age), and the story is pretty good as well. Too bad the English-dubbed version (very professional job, by the way) chopped the story to pieces.
 
niky
Akira was hands down, the best animation feature fully-drawn by hand, ever... in terms of quality and artwork. Katsuhiro Otomo's masterpiece had a very unique style of artwork, clean, crisp lines and animation (no shortcuts anywhere) and a custom color palette that they developed just for the film.

Best to watch it on a friend's widescreen... with a powerful sound system, because the music just plain rocks (used to have the Laserdisc (yes, laserdisc, I am old! :lol: ) and the soundtrack).

I think Steamboy disappointed people who aren't used to old-school Japanese style pacing... the long, slow, drawn out plots and situations (and yes, the thirty minute long apocalyptic ending), but I loved it. And like "Akira", it does have a motorbike chase scene, of sorts.

For those who like Hayao Miyazaki's work: Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Grave of Butterflies, try to find Princess Nausicaa of the Valley, one of his early movies. It's pretty old, but the action sequences and artwork are good (considering the film's age), and the story is pretty good as well. Too bad the English-dubbed version (very professional job, by the way) chopped the story to pieces.
I have a Laserdisc player, but I actually bought it after my first DVD player. I bought it to watch movies that weren't out on DVD yet. :D

I really want to see Steamboy, now. As for Miyazaki films, they are simply amazing. I had seen Nausicaa in Japan, but I bought his DVD box set on eBay while back, that contained most of his works. I think Miyazaki possesses the type of magic that Disney used to have, long ago. Good stuff. 👍
 
I've got both versions, but I like the special edition better. I loved it, and as most said; it really brought anime to the western world. The artwork is amazing, along with the soundtrack. There's so many scenes that stick out in my mind; the bike chase city shots with the music, the first opening scene with the explosion followed by the drums and panning shots, when the kids mess with Tetsuo, and when Tetsuo appears out of the flames (just before he throws on the cape) 👍.

As said, there's a few other movies to check out. Princess Mononoke is a must, and check out Spirited Away. Steamboy was kind of disappointing. I couldn't get into it like I did with most other movies.

Niky i'm going to try and find the ones you mentioned.

p.s; the whole pink polo shirt with the popped collar that's so popular in clubbing life now a days; thank Akira haha.
 
niky
I think Steamboy disappointed people who aren't used to old-school Japanese style pacing... the long, slow, drawn out plots and situations (and yes, the thirty minute long apocalyptic ending), but I loved it. And like "Akira", it does have a motorbike chase scene, of sorts.

For those who like Hayao Miyazaki's work: Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Grave of Butterflies, try to find Princess Nausicaa of the Valley, one of his early movies. It's pretty old, but the action sequences and artwork are good (considering the film's age), and the story is pretty good as well. Too bad the English-dubbed version (very professional job, by the way) chopped the story to pieces.

I really need to watch every single one of the movies you mentioned.
 
I'm not much into the whole manga/anime thing. In fact, Akira is the only movie of that genre I have ever seen. I actually bought it a while back, but I haven't seen the thing anywhere.

Very interesting movie. That bike was bada$$, but the movie got hard to follow after the giant bunny/ teddybear scene. And the giant blob that used to be that kid (akira himself, maybe) with psycic powers was pretty crazy.

It's an insane movie, but cool in itsself.
 
I'm ponying up to buy the Miyazaki boxed set myself... just have to go hunting. :D

What's really sad is the the "Americanized" version of Nausicaa (Warriors of the Wind or Valley of the Wind) really isn't complete, and was never re-released on DVD... it's sad because the voice acting was done by a very professional American (don't know if it was the Canadian group that did the english-dubbed Ranma 1/2... very good work there too!) Company with some very recognizable cartoon voice talents from the 80's.
 
I got my first video copy in 1996 but one of my brothers overwrote it w/ garbage.

Bought an extended version in 2002, still on video. Akira r0x0rs!
 
Heh, I picked this up in WalMart for $5 a month or two ago, and watched it a few weeks back in Japanese with English subtitles. I collected the first Americanized Epic Comics recolored manga version in the late '80s/early '90s, but unfortunately there was a big hiatus in the importation, and so I missed the last few books. I only have up through 34 or so.

Overall, I really enjoyed the anime version, and I want to watch it again in dubbed English. However, since it's compressing 4,000 or so comic pages into less than 2 hours, there is a lot that gets dropped out from the manga.
 
Isn't the Akira manga kinda pricy compared to other manga? It's been a while since I've really looked at buying any more manga, but I think I remember the Akira manga being a little more expensive.
 
niky
Hayao Miyazaki's... Grave of Butterflies

No such thing, there is however a film called Grave of the Fireflies but that cant be the film that you're referring to, it isn't even directed by Miyazaki oh no, it's directed by a guy called Isao Takahata.
 
Flame-returns
No such thing, there is however a film called Grave of the Fireflies but that cant be the film that you're referring to, it isn't even directed by Miyazaki oh no, it's directed by a guy called Isao Takahata.
I watched it pretty recently. It depicts WWII little too well for me. It was really sad and depressing. Whomever the director might be, it is part of the Miyazaki DVD Box Set, I own.
 
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