In all my many years, this has to be the most thoughtful and well presented argument I've seen over the manga/movie debate. Well researched, well reasoned. Hats off you you my man. I first saw this around age 14 or 15 when it was aired on channel 4 in the UK. It wasn't until years later I read the manga and realised such an amazing story could be even better in so many ways!
As someone who has now read the manga AND seen the movie........it's definitely a give and take with each. In all honesty i wasn't that big on the plot of the movie, or the manga, but Akira both as an animation and comic are SPECTACLES. Both kind of lack in character and satisfying story arc (In my personal opinion) but both are just awe inspiring works of art in terms of the level of care and detail that go into each frame of both. I do prefer the manga version where Akira is just a child with such massive power he's treated as a walking weapon of mass destruction.
I think they both have their own perks. I just read the manga and finished it today, it is very strong starting off, but it can lose its focus in the fun of the wasteland and I think wastes a lot of time. I do agree I like him as a child, but he almost he only serves as a tool for others, Im curious how he even became the lord of the new empire? As opposed to Tetsuo taking over immediately. It seems like Akira would not have gave a fuck.
Good points. From what I remember it seemed Tetsuo might have either been afraid or revered Akira himself. I think he recognized his immense power. Like the big dude at the party you don't wanna mess with. @@VirginaAV
Oh yeah it was a great investment. Artwork and the covers for all the volumes are on point! Watch the movie! And remind yourself that it came out in 1988, yet still has better animation than a lot of anime today.
I first saw the anime, loved it but didn't quite understand what the hell it was about. So, I read the manga...And loved it so much that I've never returned to the Anime ever. I personally don't think it's necessary to watch the anime for anyone who's interested in Akira, since the manga is essentially a better version of it in literally every aspect but this is just my own opinion and I can fully get behind your idea of the anime serving as some sort of trailer for the manga. I guess it's up to everyone's taste.
Truth. I think from an animation stand point Akira is a master piece and well ahead of its time and competes with a lot of animation today favorably. So just from that standpoint its worth a watch. Story telling it is obviously lacking. The manga is better in general as well. I still will watch the anime because it just looks amazing and its presentation is excellent. Its a very good movie to have playing in the background IMO.
@@breakingtropes Oh, absolutely. In fact, I couldn't deny how much of a masterpiece the anime was. This is what got me to Akira in the first place, after all, and people can't even fathom the impact it had on its time without having lived it. I was in high school when it came out at the theatre and it was as simple as "if you didn't see it, you must have been living in a cave outside of civilization". It was that alien movie that people talked about excitedly when they came back home. There was nothing like it, back at the time and it was partially due to its outstanding presentation. My vision of Akira is the following: The anime is a masterpiece, but the manga is just one of the best/most intelligent/well-done story ever created. Otomo is a genius who was way ahead of his time (like, think about it. Akira was first published in 1982 in the young magazine. That was 40 years ago, and yet, media today keep using Kaneda's bike and Akira's visual world as a reference today).
@@implex2171 I personally use the movie soundtrack and these are my recommendations. Play winds over neo Tokyo. Whenever the characters are all in a scene in the city talking or walking around. Exodus when viewing any scenes with kaneda and kei escaping or kyokto being an absolute top G. I use requiem for akiras awakening and any nuke scenes. I use illusion for the scenes with lady miyako. I always start the Manga with Kaneda theme and just about any scene with bikes. And last recommendation is use the clown gang theme for when Tetsuo becomes the new leader or basically any scene where the gang is the main antagonist.
@@BigBussinBiscuits there's a manga otomo made before he made Akira called Domu. I guess that manga was supposed to get a anime but never did but they still made a soundtrack for it. If you like anime soundtracks I definitely recommend checking out the domu soundtrack, you can find it on RU-vid.
the anime movie was just excellent to introduce us to Akira's particular universe and presenting the main basis of its global history. for more lore and character development , you have to read the manga
Do both. The manga is a must-read, but the film is one of the most visually stunning animated films ever made (and almost entirely by hand), and that alone makes it worth the watch.
Is that a newly colourised version or just the old US produced one? Because that looked pretty bad. Though even bad colouring spruce things up of course.
For me the manga is better, ok the movie is iconic but the manga tells the whole story. If you play the Akira OST while reading it, you have a 10/10 experience
The movie melted my brain as it is, so I can't imagine how reading the manga would help. Part of me wants to see a modern Akira anime series that's more accurate to the manga, just to make things a tad easier. But the other part knows deep down nobody's gonna like it.
LOL. I think if they did a 5-episode Netflix series based on the manga it would be a success and would get people excited about the series. They would have to do the artwork justice though just like the original movie.
@@monstrouspegasister LOL depends. I would make every episode maybe an hour to a hour and 30 minutes. I guess 13 episodes would be okay, but I just think the sequences that happen in the manga would be better with a longer format and not as many episodes. I think it could be boring otherwise.
They actually announced a series that follows the manga before covid, with Otomo himself overseeing. It went radio silent a few years ago and I have no idea if they're still making it.
I would say it’s more Philip K. Dick, touching upon drugs, our connection with reality, human nature, governmental corruption and manipulation, and what it means to be alive.
I have realized I don't remember anything much of Akira, since I watched it as a kid. So it's on the to do list again. Am excited to hear what you got for Trigun!
19:02 lol !! Great video. I just read the whole Manga series after seeing the movie about 20 times over the years. I agree with your final thoughts. It just adds more depth. And Ryu is kind of needed I feel to stop it from being a love story too much. My main feeling after reading the manga was, wow.. I just sped through 2000 pages which took Katsuhiro Otoma (and his team ;-) ) years to make in about 5 hours.. One of those city panels takes way more than that. lol Lady Miyako deserved more in the movie, but I like the Kaneda - Tetsuo friendship in the movie better. In the comic I'm like, hey! stop trying to kill your buddy so desperately, maybe try to talk to him first...
IMO the manga is incomparably better than the movie, the movie is great in it's own regard. But with all of the material that couldn't make it's way into the movie it feels like a terrible adaptation. I love the movie (i watched it before reading the manga, usually how goes for me with anime/manga) but the manga is something else. They would have to make 2-3 movies to do it justice, or hopefully it is what we will get with the series that Otomo is producing as we speak. My hopes that Taika Waititi could do it justice is very slim, i would like to be surprised.
If there is going to be a series that is adapting the manga verbatim, then I would like to see a 4-5 part episode series maybe exclusive to Netflix or Hulu. Each episode could be like a short movie. And if Otomo over sees it, it would be amazing. I heard about Taika doing a live action movie, but I have been hearing about a live action Akira since forever... I at least hope someone else will do it.
Miyako, the religious leader who performs miracles, dies soon after in the movie. But she is an important character in the manga. She supports Nez, a politician who is in conflict with the military. And on her palm is a number older than Akira's. She is also a psychic created by the military. The movie is quite abbreviated and unsatisfying.
Ryu and Kei relationship should've been more developed because as it is it just feel like he put that there because to make the story darker but in my opinion it just doesn't work, it would have been much better if Ryu was shitty mentor to Kei and Kei eventually learns to stop being with him. I don't know, something like that, not... This weird shit.
I just finished the manga and was considering getting into the anime. I’m pretty disappointed to learn that Chiyoko, Tetsuo’s Captain, and Tetsuos faction all together aren’t in there. I also read that Miyako wasn’t as important either which is also kinda lame but oh well, I’ll still probably watch.
Please do watch. The manga is a better story by far, but the anime is a fun visually amazing compact version of the anime. Animation still holds up great today!
The anime is literally some of the best animation ever put to film and has an incredible soundtrack. No it's not the full epic journey that the manga is, but it has many iconic scenes from the manga so you'll still get a lot out of it.
As someone whoa watched the movie 2-3 times. And finally just read the manga. Both. Do both. Don't do the whole "Manga better! Anime better!" song and dance.
I'm probably the only person who thinks the anime has a better, more complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. The manga drags on indefinitely, but it's full of really cool and crazy parts. If you absolutely love the movie then I'd suggest that someone read the manga, just to see how ridiculous and different it is, but otherwise I could see a lot of people not enjoying the manga. They really are like two completely different stories.
True the manga has lots of filler and is needlessly mean spirited. Kaneda's characterization is also less consistent (he is both the hero and the comic relief).
Yeah this is true to an extent. I think some stuff could have been cut from the manga at least post 2nd Akira event. But, I dont see how anyone could understand the movie from watching it 1 time and not looking up anything. Its just confusing when you start asking questions. Plus, there is just so much more flushed out in the manga which adds to the story. Yamagata's death scene alone is soooooo much better in the manga. Wait there is no death scene in the movie....
i watched the anime few months ago and man i lost my mind at the end but i liked it(like few days ago i went to buy a manga or comic book and i was stuck between sin city & akira & berserk tho i picked berserk cuz i needed some gore & dark fantasy but i'm thinking about to akira next lol and i love the real folk blues remix you put in the verdict part of your videos cheers space cowboy)i'm thinking about rewatching it too lol
Berserk is definitely an experience and amazing. Akira is a quick read so it'd be a nice one to read afterwards. I rewatched Bebop after I gave the live action netflex a try. One episode and I was like "Yup, back to the anime" lol
The manga is better in my opinion because it goes more into depth and we really get a lot of important information . I like the movie but it does glanss of a lot important stuff .
To me the movie is like promised Neverland season 2 the people actually read the Manga they would see that it's kind of garbage it cuts corners jumps over story lines and it's actually really bad and they need to make a TV series
Man, promised neverland is one of the worst adaptions ever from what I hear. I read the manga and fear watching season 2. I will do a Manga vs anime on it though. Then Ill watch it lol. At least Akira was a visual masterpiece.
