Over in the Old City are things that normal civilians should not even know exist – military secrets and the like. This is when we meet the biker gang called the Capsules as they venture out to the Old City – the site of the bomb. Thirty-eight years after the war, we have Neo-Tokyo City, in the year 2030. WWIII began nine hours after this new bomb went off in Japan.

I think that’s what makes it such a powerful story that has become a classic – a work that has withstood the passage of time and the changes of the world and its people, still retaining the same relevance. Otomo says that Akira “reflects the essence of my views toward life and death, and the world which surrounds us.” Obviously, not only was a lot of work put into this series, but a lot of heart. Looks great on a shelf.Īkira is highly regarded by many people, famous or not, and it’s a very compelling story. Today, Kodansha Comics has published it into what is more commonly seen in stores: the six gargantuan volumes with Otomo’s original black-and-white inked art. It was the right place and time for everything with this series, and it’s amazing how it all worked out. Akira was also one of the first manga works to be translated in its entirety, first being published by Epic Comics (a Marvel Comics imprint) as thirty-eight full-color issues (if I am not mistaken, it was the first series to be digitally colored), all released from 1988 to 1996. This series took eight years to complete and it is the work Otomo is best known for. Two years later, the series received the Kodansha Manga Award. Akira was Otomo’s first long serialized manga series and it was serialized in “Weekly Young Magazine,” a seinen manga magazine, in 1982 – and it was an immediate success.

My copy of this incredible series’ first volume.īefore I give a summary, I’d like to give some brief background info on publication and whatnot.

Akira vol 1 katsuhiro otomo