Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet Anime Review

Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet
Suisei no Garugantia
Viz Media
Complete Collection - 2 discs
330 minutes - 13 episodes + 2 OVA episodes
$69.98 (2014) DVD/Blu-Ray 4 discs
$44.98 (2014) DVD only
ISBN 782009243571
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kazuya Murata
Studio - Production I.G

Synopsis: Humanity has left Earth behind and traveled to the stars, but conflict has followed them. The human race is in dire battle with a formidable alien species called the Hideauze (called the whale-squids).  The Galactic Alliance is sworn to eradicate the aliens to keep humanity safe, but the aliens have shown no quarter. Ensign Ledo is a Machine Caliber pilot during a massive assault on a Hideauze space stronghold. The human forces fall into disarray as the Hideauze unleash a powerful weapon. During the retreat Ledo and his battle suit "Chamber" are pulled into a wormhole.

The Galactic Alliance suffers a difficult defeat attacking the Hideauze home planet

Separated from the fleet and awakening on a strange planet covered in a seemingly endless ocean, Ledo discovers he has been in stasis for six months. A group of native scavengers have found him and taken him back to their floating city called the Gargantia.  He considers them primitives, but realizes he's been stranded light years from the fleet with no way to rejoin them.  He joins the ranks of the Gargantia in order to survive and mostly due to the brave, beautiful girl Amy who befriends him.

Chamber, controlled by Ledo, appears to the citizens of the Gargantia

Ledo's status on the Gargantia is elevated due to controlling Chamber who possesses tech light years beyond that of the natives' crude mech suits. They scavenge the underwater depths to find tech left behind by a lost civilization. A great mystery begins when Chamber alerts Ledo to the fact the ocean planet is actually humanity's birthplace - Earth! What caused humanity to leave this planet behind for the stars? The stakes become high when Ledo discovers a whale-squid lurking among the waters. What is their terrible secret and how did they find Earth? Ledo and Chamber are not alone on the planet and are headed for a desperate showdown for survival! Can even their formidable might save the Gargantia and the remnants of humanity?

Amy becomes Ledo's guide and first friend on the Gargantia

Pros: Really nice animation and character designs, some interesting science fiction plot concepts - especially the twist near the end of the series, very likable characters, the OVA episodes are included, Ledo's character development was well done, Chamber (the mecha Ledo pilots) is another good character, some very mild fan-service (particularly the pirate captain Lukkage)

Ledo struggles to find his place on the Gargantia and away from his mission

Cons: Characters are all fairly one-dimensional and simple, situations and plot devices are fairly simple, ending could have been more severe with heavier casualties - it tied up a little to neatly, fan-service seems out of place in this series which develops into a post-apocalyptic mystery, no second season = no more answers to dangling plot points at the end of the series

A diving suit is destroyed when a nest of whalesquids are disturbed

Mike Tells It Straight: Gargantia is an original release from Production I.G and directed by Kazuya Murata, best known for his work on Code Geass and Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos movie. Story concept is done by Gen Orobuchi who is a well-known series creator and writer (nicknamed the Orobutcher for some of his darker series). He's best known for being the creator of Psycho-Pass and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. He also scripts the first and last episodes here.

Ledo and Chamber go wild when they discover whalesquids exist on Earth

I enjoyed watching Gargantia for the slick visuals and casual science fiction. The plot is a fairly straightforward riff on the 'stranger in a strange land' storyline crossed with the 'hero's journey'. The characters are definitely the strong point for the series. Ledo is a great main character who grew up in a sterile outer space society too busy churning out soldiers to fight a desperate battle with the Hideauze.  His immersion in Gargantia's emotional human society begins a journey of soul-searching and eventual transformation into a hero.

The pirate captain Lukkage and Pinion are captured by a mysterious cult fleet

The other Gargantia crewmembers were fun to watch and Amy was a plucky supporting character slash love interest for Ledo.  You can tell the chemistry between the two early on and especially when Amy's friends try to cozy up to the new alien boy.  Chamber is awesome as a mecha and as a character.  More than just a robot suit, it ('he') is a genuine character.

The cult fleet rules with a Machine Caliber Striker which is very familiar to Ledo

The series does a great job balancing serious themes with lighthearted moments. Overall it stays on the light side and I think that serves it better than going too dark. Fans of Orobuchi may be disappointed with the ending if they're expecting a major bloodbath. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of heavy moments as the mysteries get revealed, but it's not overwhelming.

Striker is controlled by Ledo's superior Kugel who also was stranded on Earth 

The plot twists and characters keep you engaged throughout and it's a decent series.  I didn't think much of the series when I first watched it, but somehow it ended up in my collection.  I think the science fiction elements reminded me of why I got into anime in the first place and that's what I really liked.

Ledo finds a second home with Amy and the crew of the Gargantia

Chrome Shelled Regios Anime Review

Chrome Shelled Regios
Kokaku no Regiosu
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
600 minutes - 24 episodes
$29.98 (2013) S.A.V.E.
$64.98 (2012)
$59.98 (2011) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400095542
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Itsuro Kawasaki
Studio - ZEXCS

Synopsis: In the far future the planet is an inhospitable wasteland - the air is toxic to breathe, the world is a desert, and giant insect-like creatures called Contaminoids roam the surface.  Humanity is forced to live in massive, migrating cities always trying to stay one step ahead of oblivion.  Different types of cities , also called Regios, exist - academic (research/schooling), trade/resource-building, and primary cities with large populations.  Resources are scarce and a loose set of rules exist for the times when cities encounter each other - if they are like-type cities they can battle and the winner appropriates resources from the loser.  The combatants are military artists living and training within the cities.  Each city is controlled by an Electrical Spirit, an electronic lifeform who guides the movements and functions of the city.

Two massive, roaming cities meet to have a battle

Military artists are able to produce a powerful energy called Kei which allows them to manifest a variety of offensive and defensive powers.  Each artist is equipped with a DITE to channel and amplify their use of Kei.   Some create fire, energy beams, thin micro-filament lines able to cut or cling, barriers, and specialists called Neni Operators who use telepathy across great distances (psychokinesis including moving objects).  These Kei users are the greatest defense against the Contaminoids and the most powerful, called "Heaven's Blades", reside in the proto-city Glendan.  They can battle massive Contaminoids alone or in concert.

A massive Contaminoid lands on the outer shell of a city

The DITEs used by military artists are transformable into different types of weapons - swords, guns, axes, maces, micro-filament generators, and almost anything the user can imagine.  Depending on the quality of the DITE the user's Kei can be amplified by many degrees. The DITE is activated by saying the word "Restoration".  The most powerful DITEs are used by the "Heaven's Blades" of Glendan and are the crowning achievement of the technology.  Only the most elite and powerful Kei users are able to earn the title of "Heaven's Blade".  It is quite an accomplishment and recognized among all cities.

Nina befriends the Electrical Spirit of Zuellni

In the academic city Zuellni a new year begins and a new batch of recruits enter training.  One in particular seems promising after intervening in a fight between two students.  His name is Layfon Alseif and his intent is to become a regular student.  Upon observation of his skills Nina Antalk, captain of the 17th Platoon, recruits Layfon into her group.  Zuellni has many platoons which compete against each other to become stronger and prepare for inter-city confrontations.

Felli takes an uncharacteristic interest in Layfon who is completely clueless

The 17th Platoon members are:

• Nina Antalk - Captain and strongest member of the platoon, she uses a pair of DITE which become modified batons, and she is incredibly driven.  She has an acquaintance with Zuellni's Electrical Spirit (named Zuellni, of course).  She wants to win at all costs and cannot tolerate weakness in herself. 
• Sharnid Elipton - A smooth operator with the ladies and as the team's sniper.  He appears to be laid back, but is equally driven to protect the city as Nina.  His DITE take the form of twin pistols and he practices a form of close-quarters martial gunfighting.  He is the oldest student in the platoon and has history.
• Felli Loss - She is a Neni Operator and the younger sister of the Zuellni's Student Council President, Kalian Loss.  Neni Operator's process massive amounts of information in order to wield their psychokinesis powers and the effort overrides many simple physical functions, like smiling.  She appears to have a bland and uncaring personality, but her Kei specialty saps her ability to express simple emotions.  She takes an instant liking to Layfon although her personality renders her incapable of showing him.  
• Layfon Alseif - The newest recruit and a true mystery.  He hails from Glendan and wished to avoid the military arts for his own reasons.  Despite his best efforts he is thrown into joining the 17th Platoon and participating in inter-platoon competitions.  He genuinely cares about his teammates and will do anything to help them.  His skills are incredible and on par with a "Heaven's Blade".  With the addition of Layfon the 17th Platoon quickly rises up the ranks to become the premier group in Zuellni.   
• Harley Sutton - He is the DITE engineer of the group and highly skilled at his craft.  When Layfon joins Harley works tirelessly to design a DITE able to channel the massive amounts of Kei that Layfon emits.  

Layfon unleashes his Kei powers during an inter-platoon match

If a city is destroyed, whether by Contaminoids or other disaster, then its Electrical Spirit becomes displaced and wanders almost like a ghost.  These spirits wish to find a new home and will latch onto Kei users who are intensely driven.  They are incredibly dangerous and can also interfere with other Electrical Spirits.  What is the origin of the Contaminoids, the Kei users, and "Heaven's Blades"?  In Glendan a girl named Leerin misses her childhood friend, Layfon.  What are the secrets of his past kept from the 17th Platoon and will they threaten to destroy Zuellni itself?

Nina recovers after overexerting herself training.  She feels inadequate
compared to Layfon's overwhelming power

Pros: Nice animation and computer effects, slick character designs, interactions between the characters were interesting - especially Felli (she was easily my favorite character) and Layfon, some neat powers, good sci-fi premise with the roaming cities, monsters were cool and the series didn't fall into the repetitive 'monster-of-the-week' cycle, a lot of intriguing questions

The 17th Platoon gets some R&R at the pool - Nina, Sharnid, Layfon,
Harley, and Felli.  Too bad Felli doesn't know how to swim!

Cons: Weak ending without any real plot resolutions, too many unanswered questions, the short scenes of either a movie or past events were confusing (again without any plot resolution), some of the characters were a bit weak/whiny, the Contaminoids didn't play as large of a role in the story (and weren't explained), no second season to continue the story, light novels/manga have not been released domestically

This guy's name is Dickserio. No, seriously! He only gets brief screen-time
and is never fully explained like many other sub-plots in the show

Mike Tells It Straight: I'm highly ambivalent towards Chrome Shelled Regios after watching it.  On one hand I liked the characters and story, but any enjoyment I got from the series has been overshadowed by a profound disappointment with the ending and current series status.  The ending was terrible and lacked any proper resolution to the story.  Instead we are given an ending worthy of a footnote in a grander story to be told at a later date.  This date is unknown at this time as the anime series has no second season or any hint of plans for one.  The series itself is based on a prolific set of light novels with a few [apparently] successful short manga spinoffs.

Felli is hilarious!  She's always getting mad and kicking things really
hard (usually Layfon's shins).  Poor refrigerator!

None of the printed material from the series has been released domestically and the anime essentially stands alone.  It's a shame because a lot of neat concepts and even more questions are presented in the series which are disappointingly left unanswered.  What are the Contaminoids?  How did the world become a desolate wasteland?  What is the origin of Electrical Spirits?  Where does Kei come from?  All of these questions arise from the series, but none of them are answered.

This guy stars in flashback/movie (it's unclear exactly what they are)
sequences which are interspersed among each episode

The saving grace of this series is the characters and their personal interactions.  Each character has their own history and drive to be the best.  It's fun to peel back the layers of their stories.  I particularly liked Felli as a character due to her outwardly cold attitude which was betrayed by her true personality and feelings for Layfon.  They were absolutely hilarious together!  She reminded me of Ruri in Martian Successor Nadesico (must be the white hair).

Something's up with Nina after she meets Leerin

I saw a lot of potential in this series and actually enjoyed it up until the last few episodes.  The confusing flashback/movie sequences were really distracting and truly serve no purpose in the series (unless they get explained in a subsequent season).  The Contaminoids reminded me of Blue Gender and it would have been great to get a history on them.  Apparently another dimension exists which has creatures like the Contaminoids?  I have no idea!  This series was amusing, but the lack of an ending was frustrating, especially without a second season to further elaborate the story or having a manga to turn to.

"Restoration!"

I could have lived without this goofy scene near the end.
What is this - Eureka Seven all of a sudden?

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Appleseed Anime Movie Review

Appleseed
Appurushido
Manga Entertainment
Movie - 70 mins. - 1 disc
$14.98 (2007)
$19.95 (2001)
ISBN 660200407926
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kazuyoshi Katayama
Studio - Bandai Visual

Synopsis: In the aftermath of World War III the world has become a post-apocalyptic wasteland.  Rising from the ashes of the old world is a new society governed by the General Management Control Office and contained within the utopian city of Olympus.  It's the most advanced city known to humankind and seems like the perfect place to live, but many consider it a cage.  The city is highly automated by the super-computer Gaia (located in the Tartarus block) and genetically-engineered humans called bioroids make up a large percentage of the population.  Scientific advances in cybernetics make cyborgs a common sight.

A group of terrorists take some hostages

Bioroids were originally created to serve humankind, but they have risen to govern the city's bureaucracy.  Many humans are resentful of the bioroids and pockets of resistance have broken out all over the city.   The police force has formed an enhanced SWAT (ESWAT) team to deal with terrorism and they've been busy!  Two star members of the team are Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires.  They were both rescued from the wastelands by Hitomi, a beautiful and philanthropic bioroid.

Deunan and Briareos are called in with the ESWAT team

Briareos is a full-body cyborg after being horribly injured in battle while Deunan is completely human.  The two are partners and friends.  They owe their new lives to Hitomi, but are somewhat suspicious of the political climate in Olympus.  A new terrorist has surfaced called A. J. Sebastian and his goal is to take down Gaia in order to seize power from the bioroids.

A group of terrorists steal some construction Landmates (mecha suits)

There's a terrorist sympathizer on the police force and a new experimental weapon being tested.  What is Hitomi's secret connection with Gaia?  Now Deunan and Briareos are caught in the middle of a terrorist attack which could topple the perfectly manufactured society of Olympus.  Will they side with the humans or help proliferate the antiseptic world of the bioroids?

The terrorist A. J. Sebastian

Pros: Good original concept, cutting-edge mecha designs at the time, bloody violence and tons of swearing!, dub script is pretty funny with a bunch of one-liners, some comedic parts, decent soundtrack

Deunan and Briareos at a dinner to celebrate Hitomi hosted by
all of the human refugees she has rescued over the years

Cons: Dated and bland animation (nothing like the beautifully detailed cover images), terrible dub (the voice actor for Briareos makes him sound like he's from New Jersey), weak characterization and simplistic plot, not the same dub as the original VHS tapes, ending was a bit anti-climactic

There's just something about a woman cleaning a gun in her underwear...

Mike Tells It Straight: Appleseed is based on the classic manga by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Dominion Tank Police).  His artwork and story are mostly butchered in this animated adaptation.  The relationship between Deunan and Briareos is practically non-existent, the character/mecha design details are totally bland, and the plot is highly simplified.  Not much character development exists and I started rooting for the bad guys because they had more backstory (well, not Sebastian, but the crooked cop).

Sebastian in cybernetic armor

If you like old school cyberpunk anime then this show is a solid entry.  Lots of cyborgs and action.  Check out the manga for better art and story.  Appleseed was again adapted in 2004 with an all-CGI feature film.  It was successful enough to spawn a sequel called Appleseed Ex Machina and a 13 episode series called Appleseed XIII.  Animation technology has matured enough to handle the tech elements of the story, but I'm still a bit skeptical about CGI acting.  I'll post reviews about these shows sometime in the future and it's always nice to see more work based on Shirow's incredible art.

A classic cover image from the manga by Shirow

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Birth: A War of Two Worlds! Anime Review

Birth: A War of Two Worlds!
Planet Busters or The World of the Talisman
ADV Films
Movie - 85 mins. - 1 disc
$24.98 (2004)
ISBN 9781578132959
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Shinya Sadamitsu
Studio - Idol/Kaname Production

Synopsis: The planet Aqualoid was once a prosperous planet, but now it's a post-apocalyptic wasteland due to the arrival of the Inorganics.  They have one mission - to destroy organic life in the universe, starting with the higher life forms.  The Inorganics are not unopposed and a powerful weapon is forged - the SHADE!  This weapon takes the shape of a sword and falls to the surface of Aqualoid.

Rasa and her little yellow friend Monga

Living amid the ruined wasteland of their once proud home are Nam and Rasa.  The pair scrounge a living as scavengers, mercenaries, or bounty hunters.  Rasa is a beautiful, but clumsy girl who always manages to get into yet miraculously escape trouble.  Nam is a hot-headed scrapper who discovers the SHADE in a meteor crater.  He briefly meets the astral projection of a beautiful woman named Arlia.  The arrival of the mystical sword attracts the attention of every Inorganic on the planet and soon Nam is fighting for his life.

Our hapless group (from left) - Bao, Rasa, Monga (on Rasa's shoulder),
Arlia (top), Nam, and Kim

Rasa meets up with him and they are joined by two of their mercenary friends - Captain Bao and his ship's mate Kim.  Bao is hopelessly in love with the shapely Rasa and quickly commits to defending her against the Inorganic threat.  The SHADE represents a counter-balance to the Inorganics and they will throw every resource after gaining possession of it.  This effort includes massive Inorganics the size of city blocks and even small moons.

Nam attempts to get the SHADE to work properly

The odds are quickly stacked against our small band of plucky fighters and hope seems lost when Bao remembers a doomsday device stashed on Aqualoid which could save the day.  Will our group risk destroying the entire planet as a last ditch effort to save themselves from the relentless Inorganics?  Can Nam figure out how to use the SHADE's power in time?

Nam does some deep thinking with the SHADE in his hand

Pros: High-flying action scenes with crazy camera angles - pretty impressive for animation from 1984, Rasa is shapely and shows off her butt through most of the show, Rasa's little critter friend Monga is kinda cute

Cons: Animation is rough (this was made in 1984 after all) and very inconsistent, characters are pretty annoying - especially Bao who seems like a randomly idiotic moron, dub is terrible, mecha designs for the Inorganics are pathetic - they look vaguely like shapeless Zakus (from Mobile Suit Gundam), Inorganic bikers are ridiculous - the little kid one is supremely lame, ending is totally nebulous and unsatisfying

An immature little Inorganic biker causes some major trouble

Mike Tells It Straight: Birth has a pretty good sci-fi premise, but never really capitalizes on its potential.  I love a good post-apocalyptic story versus a group of blood-thirsty machines and can dig the old-school animation style, but this show was pretty pathetic.  The characters are one-dimensional with zero development, mecha designs for the Inorganics are horrible, and the plot goes absolutely nowhere with a lame ending.  Rasa and her shapely butt seem to be the only draw for this show and be warned - it's not worth it.  I was grossly disappointed with Birth - don't waste your money.

Rasa rides on her saucer skiff while Monga holds on tight

Birth was obviously a high-concept experiment back in 1984 with some great chase scenes (the camera movement is ambitious even for today).  A lot of sketchy and interesting animation, but the story seems to be of secondary interest (or ability) to the creative team.  The plot is simple, but not well-portrayed and story resolution is fuzzy at best.  I understand the nostalgia factor for this show which was released by Harmony Gold as The World of the Talisman and later as Planet Busters.  The story, dialogue, and music were changed in the previous releases, but ADV's version is more faithful to the original.  Well, the original apparently sucked and fans of the previous releases will be disappointed.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Genocyber Anime Review

Genocyber
U.S. Manga Corps
Complete Collection - 1 disc
156 mins. - 5 episodes
$39.99 (2000)
$19.99 (2004)
ISBN 719987200722
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Koichi Ohata
Studio - Bandai Visual/ARTMIC

Synopsis: The work of a gifted scientist researching psychic abilities produces a set of twins with incredible abilities.  A terrible laboratory accident claims his life, but research on the twin sisters continues by the Kuryu Group corporation.  The sisters exhibit intensely powerful psychic abilities, but are both imperfect.  Elaine is childlike and mute as her mental state never fully developed, while Diana was born with a non-functioning body which has been replaced with cybernetics.  Both sisters are under the cruel care of the former chief scientist of the original researcher.  His ambitions are to create a bio-weapon for the Kuryu Group to secure their interests as a new global government forms.

Diana's cybernetic body

Elaine escapes captivity and befriends an impoverished local boy.  Diana and a group of cyborg mercenaries are sent to recapture her, but now Elaine has someone to fight for.  The frighteningly powerful being known as Genocyber emerges as a result of Elaine's stress and their battle threatens to destroy the city.  Can Elaine save her new friend and will Diana finally stop being used as a tool to keep Elaine in check?

Elaine and her friend having fun together

The Kuryu Group consider the Genocyber and its psychic potential to be their property.  If they cannot control the being then they will destroy it at all costs.  Another scientist from the original project creates an artificial being tapping into the same psychic reservoir as the Genocyber.  The being is called a Vajranoid and is stationed on a U.S. aircraft carrier for field testing.  The carrier picks up Elaine, who is suffering from amnesia.  What will happen when the two psychic powerhouses come into contact within the cramped space of the aircraft carrier?  The entire crew is in jeopardy as the Genocyber reemerges into the world!

The frighteningly powerful being known as Genocyber

Fast forward several centuries to a post-apocalyptic wasteland.  Ark de Grand is the one city which stands as a beacon for hope among the ruins of civilization, but it's run by a fascist dictator who brutally eliminates any opposition or dissidents.  Political rebels threaten his rule and he lashes out against a group of ostracized vagrants attempting to live beneath the city.  They worship the remains of a strange creature who resembles the Genocyber!  Will the devastating being resurrect itself to protect the innocent and what sadistic doomsday trap has the Kuryu Group left as a centuries-old contingency plan?

The cyborgs chasing Elaine have some nasty hardware

Pros: Incredibly violent and gory (if that's what you're looking for), first episode was pretty good and sets up an interesting plot (but...), designs for the Genocyber creature and cyborg mercenaries were cool, great metaphor for technology corrupting those who lose sight of their respect for humanity/nature

Never fall asleep with a hooker...or investigate the Kuryu Group

Cons: Plot is all over the place from episode to episode and quickly loses steam after a strong start, seems like the violence and cruelty took center stage, depressing and filled with horrific killing, ending was nebulous, animation wasn't great and also suffered from shifts between episodes, children are shown being violently gunned down in one scene

Something terrible happens to the crew on the aircraft carrier

Mike Tells It Straight: Genocyber is easily one of the most graphically violent anime series I have ever seen.  The term ultraviolence perfectly describes it and is only recommended for viewers who can stand scenes of graphic death/torture.  I watched the first episode back in high school in the 1990s and have wanted to see the rest of the series ever since (I was a teenage boy and fascinated by the graphic violence).

Classic scene from first episode's hospital massacre

Over fifteen years later and I finally watched the whole thing.  Well, it didn't hold up to my expectations as the first episode is clearly the best.  A fascinating story along the lines of Akira (psychically powered youths) is set up with strong emotional and graphic scenery.  However the plot shifts to two completely different settings (an aircraft carrier and a post-apocalyptic future).  I wish the first storyline was longer as I didn't really like the second and third quite as much.

Massacre below Ark de Grand city

It's not a terrible show by any means and the message of the writers/director were good - man commits atrocities and can be incredibly cruel to one another, but there is hope.  Overall Genocyber is a decent bit of science fiction (perfect example of modern old school anime) and some folks will like it very much, but the majority of viewers will find it to be far too violent.  If you're looking for dark sci-fi with a dose of gore then it's the perfect show.  Caveat emptor!

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Akira Anime Movie Review

Akira

Pioneer (Geneon)

Movie - 125 mins. - 1 disc

$19.98 (2001)

$39.98 (2001) 2-disc w/tin

$24.98 (2002)

$19.98 (2004) Geneon Sig. Series

$49.98 (2009) Blu-Ray

$19.98 (2012)

ISBN 013023153899

Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles

Director - Katsuhiro Otomo

Studio - TMS Entertainment

Synopsis: Neo Tokyo in the year 2019 is a sprawling metropolis built on the ashes of the original Tokyo which was destroyed in a massive explosion 31 years earlier.  On street level beneath the ultra-modern skyscrapers the city is experiencing a rash of civil unrest.  Protests and are happening more frequently in a class struggle by the disenfranchised masses. Covert revolutionary organizations with dubious political backers have appeared along with a strange cult worshiping an entity called Akira, who is expected to return and save the world.

Police move to stop a demonstration by the 'Akira' cult

Kaneda and Tetsuo grew up together as orphans and are in the same teen biker gang.  They mobilize for a brutal high-speed skirmish through the streets of Neo Tokyo against their rivals, the Clowns. Meanwhile a strange little boy is being led by a revolutionary agent on an attempted escape from government forces.  The boy appears advanced in age and possesses psychic abilities, but is completely terrified in the outside world.  Near the end of the motorcycle chase, Tetsuo crashes into the boy and is injured.

Tetsuo races after Kaneda to face off with the Clowns

Kaneda and the rest of the gang catch up to Tetsuo, but military forces descend upon them to snatch up both the boy and Tetsuo.   Taken back to the lab Tetsuo manifests powerful psychic abilities of his own and is compared to a previous test subject - Akira.  The little boy picked up with Tetsuo was part of a trio of espers who knew Akira and are still being held by the government.  Akira was part of a series of experiments to develop psychic abilities in humans, but his powers grew out of control and he was the cause of Tokyo's destruction 31 years ago.

Kaneda screeches to a halt in his iconic bike 

Now Tetsuo's powers rage out of control and he lashes out at the world.  First towards his former friends who are now nothing but ants to a burgeoning god and then across Neo Tokyo sparking massive revolution in the streets.  Meanwhile Kaneda has fallen for a young revolutionary girl named Kei and helps her infiltrate the government facility where the espers are located.  They join forces as the crisis of Tetsuo's powers escalates.

Tetsuo has a very bad dream in the hospital

Tetsuo wants to find and confront Akira about his growing powers.  All he knows is Akira is kept underneath the construction site of the upcoming Olympic stadium.  Tetsuo cuts through the military forces and Kaneda, armed with a handheld laser cannon, gives chase.  What is the secret of Akira that caused Tokyo's destruction many years ago and will Tetsuo's uncontrollable powers cause a second explosion?  Can Kaneda help his friend or will he be forced to end his life to save the city?  Is Tetsuo too powerful to be stopped and will the entire planet be consumed this time?  

Will this happen to Tokyo again?

Pros: Great hand-drawn animation (made in 1988 and still holds up pretty well) with legendary production values at the time, intensely detailed backgrounds, exciting story, mature themes, genre-defining cyberpunk adventure, epic scope, cool/horrific portrayal of psychic powers, brutal at times and heartwarming in others, a true classic/masterpiece of its time, Blu-Ray version is packed with extras/improvements (visual and sound)

Kei is spotted by a searchlight.  Run, Kei

Cons: Updated dub from the old VHS version from '90s (am I the only one who loved the old voices for the characters?), events differ considerably from the original manga (which was finished after the movie was made - huh?), the original manga is 2000+ pages and it gets distilled down into two hours of screen time

Kaneda takes aim at his best friend with a pilfered military laser weapon

Mike Tells It Straight: "Neo Tokyo is about to explode!" - I love that tag line from the Akira dvd promotions.  Needless to say, Akira is a classic anime film which defined the genre for a generation of Japanese and then Americans when it was introduced in the early '90s by Streamline Pictures.  It has remained a staple of every anime fan's dvd collection since then and is the example most often used to prove anime was not kid cartoons, but mature stuff to the uninitiated.  

The army brings out the big guns - orbital satellite laser cannons

The production values on Akira were record-setting in 1988 and produced an anime film showcasing the pinnacle of hand-drawn animation's capabilities.  An inspiration for countless creators and their works after its release, this film distills down Katsuhiro Otomo's massive epic manga.  Interestingly enough, Otomo directed the film prior to ending the manga series and the two differ considerably.  The manga is truly incredible in its own right and I highly recommend for fans of the movie to check out the trade paperback set released by Dark Horse Comics a few years back.

Tetsuo in psychic battle

My only major gripe is the dvd version's new dub track (the subs are different too) compared to the original version from Streamline.  I originally watched this film on VHS back in the '90s and can't warm up to the new dub.  All I remember is Kaneda sounding like the biggest punk in the world and an endless stream of shouting "Kaaaneeeddaaa!!!" Teeetttssuuuooooooo!" throughout the movie.  So bad it was good and I would chomp a handful of capsules to get my hands on a dvd version with that dub.  The Pioneer dub is probably more accurate, but it's the pure nostalgia factor for that Streamline version (depending on how I first watch an anime I typically prefer that version to all others, i.e. dub vs. sub).

Tetsuo seeks to release Akira (test subject #28) from his slumber

If you're an anime fan you must watch Akira.  Simple as that.  Over the years it has been reissued over a dozen times and you can pick up a version for a decent price.  The latest Blu-Ray version is utterly spectacular and the visuals are perfectly clean-and-crisp.  You'll never see the original Streamline dub on an official digital version, but if you haven't heard it before then you won't know what you're missing (don't know if that's quite good or bad).  Maybe there are some digital bootlegs available out there via HK dvd or torrent file.  If you want it bad enough you can find it.  Regardless, the film is a classic and any mature movie aficionado will benefit from seeing it.

TO BUY and Recommendations: