Otomo is such a mad man. I mean, he made one of the most spectacular animated movies ever while he was working on one of the most detailed and well drawn comics ever.

One of the best manga I’ve ever read. It’s an unfair comparison, but I think it’s way better than the movie.

Akira needs a full blown anime series that fleshes out everything in the manga

Not to put down more modern anime, but I really wish more anime and manga were done with this type of stylistic sensibilities. Not necessarily Otomo's style, but a distinct and mature look like was done by Satoshi Kon as well. Otomo's attention to detail is mind boggling. And I like how he draws characters with big foreheads and kinda creepy eyes, with that distinct shadow on the top of the noses. His storytelling is also very visual - many pages in the book have few or no speech bubbles, with long sequences of visual storytelling doing the heavy lifting. If there's one criticism, I think his characters are a little thin. They have enough meat on them to be interesting, but they aren't complex. Otomo's definitely relying on archetypes, which isn't a bad thing per se. Both the anime and manga are such accomplishments in their respective mediums. I can't wait for the full TV series!

Kei's auntie Chiyoko alone is worth reading the manga. It also fleshes out some small characters that end up being quite likable, i.e. Joker.

The Akira manga is one of the greatest sci fi stories ever told and any fan of the genre, or the medium of comics, should give it a read.

The whole fight sequence with the battlefield ships and jets between tetsuo and K is something I’ve never seen executed with such power and tension today almost in anything. Not only does it hold up but I’m certain it inspired so many action sequences with ships in the sea.

My first story I ever did was a remake of this manga. This story is such an inspiration

I bought the box set a few months ago, I’m going to be reading it next. It’s the nicest box set I’ve ever bought, the oversized hardcovers are so nice.

I like the film but it only covered 30% of the manga. I've heard they were working on an anime series that would cover the entire story, I hope it's true and it finally does the manga justice.

I just finished reading the manga and watched the anime (for the second time) directly after. What I love about both iterations of the story is how many themes they tackle. There's so much room for thought and personal interpretation, it's great. For example, the relationship and connection between Akira and Tetsuo (in the manga specifically) is super interesting to me, and I thought of them as representations of natural energy and "man-made" energy, respectively. It's said in the manga that Akira has no personality, he reacts solely based on stimuli, while Tetsuo is driven by his quest for power, the desire for which stems from his deep-rooted insecurity, a purely human characteristic. It reminds how in nature, predators have no malice for the prey they eat, they are reacting solely based on instinct and stimuli (that of hunger) like Akira, while humans use and create new forms of energy to satisfy a lust for power, like Tetsuo

Akira Ghost in shell Berserk Ninja scroll Vampire hunter d Gundam wing Tekka man Dragon ball Defined my childhood into anime and i cant lie i even watched sailor moon 😢😂 tuxedo mask was smooth low key lol

I always thought the anime movie was a bit...weird, but I always respected the animation quality. The manga has been on my reading list for awhile, and after watching this video, I'm going to give it a go. 👍

I bought the 35th anniversary box of the manga, well worth the money. It was not perfect, but absolutely a really good read.

One panel from the manga that will always be burned into my brain is the sequence of *Spoilers* Tetsuo after he punches the moon as a show of force. After punching the moon, the physical exertion of using that much energy causes Tetsuo to start.... physically unraveling into a bit of a blobby mass of flesh originating from his wounded arm. The look of absolute terror on Tetsuo's face as he is very clearly losing control of his own body is contrasted by the horror of the generic henchmen who was sent to go find him witnesses what Tetsuo is deforming into. Even though I read the manga years ago, I still have that panel burned into my head. Amazing story, amazing manga.

IT IS SO DAMN GOOD Otomo said hes going to make an anime series fully adapting the manga, i reallyyy hope to see it

Just finished this a few days ago and it’s amazing, a must read for any manga fan

I always think of Akira as the ghost haunting these people for the sins they committed. They did unspeakable things to these children.

You convinced me to read the manga again after 13 years. I've been meaning to reread some old manga on my shelf and this is a good series to start. I remember loving it more than the anime.

Hey Ryan. I know this isn’t related to the video, but I have a comic book suggestion for ya. I recommend the comic Hellboy. Since you’re a fan of Devilman and Berserk, I thought that you might enjoy Hellboy. It’s written by Mike Mignola.

The manga was amazing. First one I ever read too. It's like the movie and then so much more. I reads so well, it feels like you're watching a movie. I recently read Parasyte. I haven't seen the anime, and I'm not sure if I'd like it as much because the Manga, like Akira, was written in the 80s. I really like the art style of that time. Both manga put incredible amounts of detail into the surroundings. It makes me worried that even if they remade Akira, maybe they would change the artstyle, or try to update the technology, and I really feel that would ruin the story of Akira.

One detail you got wrong. Akira was NOT the first manga to be translated and distributed in North America. One of the first manga translated into English and marketed in the U.S. was Keiji Nakazawa's Barefoot Gen, an autobiographical story of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima issued by Leonard Rifas and Educomics (1980-1982). Though that title would've been VERY hard to find even at the time. It was more of a specialty/concept thing. The actual COMMERCIAL success of Manga started in the mid 1980s. Including Lone Wolf and Cub from First Comics in 1987. And then the trio of Kamui, Area 88, and Mai the Psychic Girl, also in 1987 and all from Viz Media-Eclipse Comics. Akira came shortly after those. So it's CLOSE to being the first commercial success. But not quite. One distinction it DID have in the west was that it was the first attempt at COLORIZING an originally black and white manga. Mostly a technical and artistic success. Nevertheless, the process was deemed too expensive and unnecessary for later manga adaptations. People were more than willing to accept black and white manga by the 90s.

One of the best manga I've ever read. The part where Tetsuo fights the U.S. Navy was insane.

I watched Akira through my puberty, and then, for 14 years, it was a nice memory. I decided on rewatching it again a few years ago. Decided to check the manga 4y ago, and I was so impressed by the characters' development and how briefly they were marked in the anime. I love the visual as of the animem, no second thought on that, but as reading the manga, I got more involved and got it finished in a day and a half. Since then, i read any manga as he anime develops - attack on titans, great maga to readm not only to watch.

Akira is a legendary masterpiece. It’s still the best manga I’ve read to this day ❤

Good video, I never got around to reading the manga and that’s definitely on my list of things to do. Also reminds me that chronicle wasn’t half bad and I aught to rewatch that too sometime.

Ryan do you think Akira should have a reboot that goes directly through the manga.

I read the manga twice and there are some cool parts that are more fleshed out in it (especially the characters you mentioned), but I like the movie more. Tetsuo is portrayed better in the movie because we see him feeling like the weak one of the group and how that motivates him when he gets his powers and goes nuts. In the manga you don't really see that until much later on in a flashback, so it seems retconned. Plus I felt there was some little parts that were unnecessary, like those three kids from the cult in the first half. It ran into the usual problem with comics where the author has to make up the story as they go along. In one of the DVD extras theres an interview with Katsuhiro Otomo admits he found making the movie tricky because he hadn't come up with the ending yet.

Miyako, the founder of a new religion, died soon after in the movie, but in the manga she is an important character with a number on her palm.

Found these books in my public library when I was in high school, loved it.

My favorite manga art, it's such an unbelievable art, that the "Maintrean" of the best art was inspired by Otomo. But it's not just the art that's impressive, the graphic narrative is unique in manga, movement lines, unusual angles, Otomo he's not a friend of Moebius for nothing. And on top of that there's a really cool story about science used by heartless corporations, social conflicts and ideological, rebellion against the system and several other discussions wrapped in action sequences that for me few did better.

awesome video always wanted to get into the manga after seeing the movie and hearing that it had differences keep the BANGERS coming ryan!

I just finished the manga for the first time and I cannot, CANNOT BELIEVE, that I hadn’t done it earlier. It’s one of my new favourite mangas. Cheers for this vid cause I gotta validate all those feels from what I just witnessed

I watched Akira probably in 2016, and it became my favorite movie of all time. Weirdly enough, it took me 5 years to get the manga, and it was the best way I've ever spent my money. It expands so much more on the lore of Akira, on the characters dynamics, on their thoughts and actions. A movie considered a masterpiece is somehow overshadowed by an even greater masterpiece.

Fun fact: Marvel comics do have a character like to Akira... Sort-of. His name is Kenji Uedo, codename Zero. He is a mutant whose abilities are body generation and sculpting. It's a fancy way to say he can control the cells in his body to look like anything he wants as well as add extra elements to it like metallic objects. The result of this is like Akira's evolved form when his powers grew out of control.

Clown Gang Leader has a MUCH bigger role in thr book where him and the Capsules Gang Kaneda is in charge of team up to stop Tetsuō

Wow bro I remember watching your channel just when you had under 1000 subs congratulations on the success

Got this manga early this year. An amazing read. Otomos art is stunning!🔥🔥🔥🔥

Another manga that is amazing and that no one talks about even though the movie is pretty popular is the Nausicaa manga. I recommend you check it it if your haven't cause its up there as one of my favs right beside Akira. Great video as well, love seeing this manga talked about.

I love the film adaptation; been meaning to check out the manga for a while, I should probably get on it lol

Excellent work as always!!!

I love time skips where it transitions to a close time frame that is completely different otherwise, really makes a story go from an adventure to an epic.

To me Akira, the manga, is a spectacle I binged it in like a week and maybe as a result a bit of it was lost on me as I didn't really end up caring for many of the characters and felt the plot was kind of meandering from time to time. There's only so many instances of Kaneda bumbling his way into secure military installations you know? BUT the sheer magnitude and scope of the things happening in the manga, with the level of detail and thought put into it is truly a sight to behold and read.

I watched Akira back in 2018. I still have to see any animation that is nearly as elaborate and detailed as Akira. Everything about it is pure absolute art. I've read manga after the movie and it is also insanely good. There are about 2000 pages of it, and it still feels like it's not enough lol. Even though Kaneda and Tetsuo are labeled as "protagonist" and "antagonist", I never considered them as one. Rather I'd say labeling them as such overly simplifies and rather belittles their quite relatable and very human personalities. Kaneda might sound like boastful and full of himself, and Tetsuo might look very mean and angry when he turns into psychic, but you also can see that these are just masks to hide their sadness and loneliness, and their way to cope with uncaring and cutthroat society that uses children as playthings. It already sucks to be bullied and dogpiled by everyone, but for orphans like them it must be absolute hell since they have basically nobody to ask for help. Tetsuo has this power to (according to scientists and another psychic) destroy the world hundreds of times over and is doing all sorts of crazy stuff in manga, yet he could not bring himself to actually kill Kaneda, implying that he is still emotionally attached to him. And Kaneda in the end shows that he is not just a cool kid with cool bike and jacket, but he too was in need of friend and he too, much like Tetsuo, is just a very sad and lonely kid.

The Manga was so damn great I reread the whole run as soon I was done with my initial read.

AKIRA is probably my favorite piece of media ever, with Tetsuo being one of my favorite characters ever too

The algorithm gods brought me here. Great stuff. Liked and subscribed

the manga is just incomparable, it would be like adapting the first part of LOTR FOTR book and then stitching it together with ROTK. it would be best in 2-3 OVAs. or 26 ep anime :D

I'm about more 3/4 through volume 2 and I'm loving it. Tetsuo is like a dangerous shark that can just show up anytime, anywhere. Also the looming threat of Akira is much more pronounced. Even some of the side characters are given more staying power in your head. Yamagata's death hit just the right note to make you want to see Tetsuo taken down even more. Kei is such an understated and fearless badass that the film doesn't show.

It is interesting that Lady Miyako name can be interpreted as CITY "都" as a Kanji, signifying the relationship and importance of her with the city itself.

Man, I own the box set, but I haven’t even read it yet. Thanks for the reminder.

I rented the original dub of Akira from a Hollywood Video when I was about 12 and was blown away. I remember my dad commenting on the claim that “this makes bladerunner look like Disney world” on the back of the box. He wasn’t as impressed as I was but he did let me rent it a bunch. Years later I would go to Pike’s market in Seattle to a comic book shop and buy a few of the color comic versions of Akira. After reading them I realized the story was nothing like what I had seen in the anime so I bought the whole manga. It’s just so much better than the story told in the movie, but I still do appreciate the movie.

Akira was in X-Men for at least one issue during the Mutant Massacre. It was a cameo.

this manga is predicting the future

I love Akira, but I think Marvel has their own version of Tetsuo named Kenji Uedo in the X-Men comics

If this will be make into a movie today, it will be trilogy with the 3rd one w/A and B

A version of Tetsuo is actually in Marvel comics. His name is Kenji Uedo; codename: Zero. Although, his powers don't include telekinesis; only the weird body morphing that Tetsuo struggles with.

Like you covering non berserk stuff. I’m sure you have tons of series to read, but if you get a chance: Origin by Boichi is a very fun read.

akira was the only book/manga to bring me to tears. i love it, the og.

Just imagine if they waited for the manga to end and adapt it into a movie with the same studio. 🤯

Gotta check this one out, I really liked the movie. Still waiting for the anime series they announced years ago that would more properly follow the manga. Great review!

One important detail I didn’t hear mentioned is that Otomo had only written the first four books by the time he directed the movie (ala GoT). At that point, he hadn’t yet decided how the manga was going to end.

Now that you've finished Akira, go read Bartkira.

what are your thoughts on "fist of the north star"? I am beyond happy that we are finally getting a full UK release, it has many similarities to Akira (in terms of manga / anime)

After reading this manga was so inspired that I literally made an album, Its soooooooooo good !

at the end they got over it, i only know that. the mangas massive.

I want to read it for years a decade I guess. But everytime find something to read before it. But I still plan to at some point

I always recommend this manga when anyone brings up the movie.

I had every issue of the English releases as a young teen in the 90s. The story is so in-depth and continues on past where the movie ends. Lost my collection to a thief, sadly. But it seriously enhances the movie knowing the full story and backgrounds of the various characters.

A young coworker of mine had never been in to anime but i leant him my copy of Akira and he was floored. It was the first 'real anime' he ever watched outside of pokemon and the like. He's now an otaku.

I think the biggest shift in quality from the Manga to the film is the amazing character writing. Tetsuo is just 110% more interesting to follow in the manga. He's so angry and emotionally damaged but is also incredibly relatable and very realistic in the way he behaves. It truly does feel like the author took a realistic take on having god-like, Psychic abilities. But in this case, gave it in the hands of an unstable youth gangster stuck in a post apocalypse Japan. It's refreshing and the film is a fucking joke in comparison to how Tetsuo is written.

We had the complete set at my high-school library. I remember I always had at least one of the six issues checked out.

Wow I just watched Akira last night and got the itch to read the manga again. Crazy timing.

The first manga I bought in the 90’s. Edit: it also took years to finish the story and it took a chunk of time to complete collecting it as it was published. It’s in color as well, I need to get the black and white edition….

I was able to pick up a couple of issues when I was a kid in a small town in the 80s. I still have them. Never got to read the whole series. I was lucky just to get those.

I just read the manga; they are practically two different stories entirely. Which is good, because if you’ve only experienced one, you’re not necessarily missing anything by not having experienced the other. But both are highly recommended.

Absolutely astonishing, one of my favorite pieces of fiction ever

The manga wins throughout story telling but the ending of the movie is my favorite in movie history

Can u please do more analysis on akira why we are on this berserk break

Lady Miyako is actually the most pertinent good-guy in the story, considering she's the antithesis of Akira.

The manga is pretty much an Stranger Things/The Stand crossbred but that description doesn't begin to cover it. That and Nausica (My favorite manga) was an awesome experience discovering the full story and depth of character unseen in the film versions. I'd love to see an full adaptation of both.

Kan*AH*da ❌ Kan*ay*da✅ lol I’m just trollin great video

The manga needs an anime series adaptation

Hell yeah even testsuo is way more fucked in the manga lol would be cool to see all that other insanity animated

start with the anime, then read the manga. Both are great works - anima for, well, the masterclass in animation and storytelling and manga for the detailed art and deep dive into the world and characters of neo-tokio. Didn't know there was a colored version of the books, I read the B&W version, still amazing stuff. SPOILERS: The space-time bits were a solid surprise by the end of the books.

I was so excited when I finally got my full Akira manga set just to find out it was totally printed backwards....

I keep finding out animes I enjoy have mangas that claim to be so much better, and since I recently for the first time bought a few mangas to start reading I now get the urge to buy everything, help.

Akira is literally only one of the veeery few manga I go back and read all over again

Hey wanna see me fuck up the moon?!

Akira is, with Watchmen (and I may add Lanfeust), the best Comic of all time.

I'd love to see you break the whole manga down and guyver please do guyver and hokuto ni Ken pweeeeease ❤

Dang! I didn't know it was a manga! I shouldn't be surprised, though. Lol! I need to read this.

They ever finish that BartKIRA project replacing everyone with Simpsons characters?

Alway blew my mind how so many saying they love akira, never actually read the manga. I only watched the movie much later, and I was so disappointed. The animation is masterful of course, but besides that, it doesn't even make much sense without having read the manga first.

I want a sequel “Akira 2069”

Very soon you can feed an AI with comics and get exact movies.

I've been saying it for decades; the only anime adaptation I want is a 12 part miniseries of the Akira manga.

The movie is definitely an excellent-or-near-perfect "Movie-ization" of the Manga (especially with GY's incredible music, the coloring, the great dub... things that simply cannot be accomplished in a paper format)..... so I'd say DEFINITELY watch the movie first - even a couple of times, that way your appetite will be whetted and you'll have a "moving pictures" in your mind ready to overlay and enrich the manga when you read it... That said, the manga is 2-3 TIMES more satisfying than the Anime. It builds out the ENTIRE scope and detail - at ALL levels of the story - Grand, Mid-Level, and Detail - SO incredibly well. It ends up being a SIGNIFICANTLY more engrossing and satisfying tale than the movie alone. Both the movie and the Manga are one of those somewhat-rare classics where they are both genuinely as good as they're regarded to be - Both tell the same story that's so good, it will literally change your life and the way you think about things.

prolly my favorite manga ever

I read the 35th anniversary box set last year and loved it. It’s at least in my top ten manga. Maybe even top five