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Akira

“Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E.”

1988 · 2 h 4 min
Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo · Japan · Animation and Puppet Film
ActionAnimationDrama

Where to watch in the United States: Stream: Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home. Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDB; availability changes.

Cast

Mitsuo Iwata Nozomu Sasaki

Plot

In 2019 Neo-Tokyo, a motorcycle gang member, Kaneda, sees his friend Tetsuo given strange powers by a military experiment, linked to the legendary Akira. As Tetsuo's abilities spin out of control, and the government, a resistance group and Kaneda's gang battle to stop him, the city is torn apart. Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 animation, adapted from his own manga, was a landmark in bringing anime to the West.

Sinekatalog’s take

Katsuhiro Otomo's cyberpunk anime about biker gangs and psychic power in a ruined Neo-Tokyo. Its hand-drawn detail and kinetic action opened the West to anime, and it still looks astonishing.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

View on Letterboxd ↗

Ratings

IMDb: 8.0 / 10 (233,071 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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