Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Extremely violent classic introduced anime to Westerners.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Akira
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 12 parent reviews
Based on 31 kid reviews
Kids say the film is a striking and complex piece of anime that showcases impressive animation and storytelling, though it's filled with intense violence, graphic scenes, and adult themes, making it unsuitable for younger viewers. Many recommend it for older teens and adults, emphasizing its cultural impact and artistic achievements while cautioning parents about its disturbing imagery and mature content.
- intense violence
- adult themes
- cultural impact
- impressive animation
- suitable for older teens
- disturbing imagery
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In 2019, Neo-Tokyo sits on top of the rubble of the old Tokyo, which was wiped out in a nuclear explosion three decades prior in World War III. Old friends Kaneda (voiced by Mitsuo Iwata in the original version and Cam Clarke/Johnny Yong Bosch in the 1989 and 2001 English dubs, respectively) and Tetsuo (Nozomu Sasaki/Jan Rabsen/Joshua Seth) are members of a violent motorcycle gang. During a fight with a rival gang, a strange, small boy with a wrinkled face enters the fray. Tetsuo is hospitalized, and a colonel and a doctor discover that Tetsuo has remarkable powers, recalling a mysterious entity known as AKIRA that has lain dormant for 30 years. As the main characters navigate a complex plot filled with powerful beings, military, activists, and scientists, Tetsuo's powers grow stronger. Everything builds to an explosive, nightmarish showdown that will determine the future of the world.
Is It Any Good?
One of the earliest crossover hits of Japanese animation in the West, Katsuhiro Otomo's adaptation of his much-beloved 1980s manga remains one of its most notable examples. Akira is an extraordinarily dense and complicated work of science fiction and a haunting tale of a nation in crisis. It channels Japan's post-WWII nuclear anxieties into a story about a civilization on the brink of collapse. Plotting and characters tend to go out the window in favor of cosmic ideas and mysteries, bizarre imagery, and astounding levels of violence. It takes full advantage of the animated medium with its sheer imagination and intensity. Indeed, to attempt these same images in a live-action setting would have been far too expensive and disturbing.
Time hasn't yet dulled the sheer impact of this film, though, and the levels of detail, movement, and fluidity are still highly impressive. It's essential viewing for anyone interested in Japanese animation.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's violence. Does it seem to get stronger and more disturbing as it goes? How does watching super violent content make you feel?
What is the movie actually about? Who or what is Akira? Is the reappearance of Akira a good thing or a bad thing?
Is it possible that memories and knowledge are passed around throughout the universe? What are some of the movie's other themes?
When Tetsuo achieves his great powers, why does he immediately choose to use them for destructive behavior? What else could he have done?
What makes anime so popular? Why is Akira considered such a great example of the genre?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 16, 1988
- On DVD or streaming : July 24, 2001
- Cast : Bob Bergen , Cam Clarke , Mitsuo Iwata , Nozomu Sasaki
- Director : Katsuhiro Otomo
- Studio : Pioneer
- Genre : Anime
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Run time : 124 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : graphic violence and brief nudity
- Last updated : August 31, 2026
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