I forgot to write my post about it.
I dont think Akira is a great adaptation of the manga, not even sure if its that good of a movie. Its very uneven, it starts with some of the coolest setting you can imagine, popping colors, crazy action and otherworldly music and then fizzles itself on a bunch of kids we have no idea who they are, but are certainly not as interesting as a bunch of cool mofos on bikes going around the most beautiful dystopian city ever put on screen. And then it jumps straight to a rushed climax.
Yet, its incredibly entertaining because of a level of craftsmanship and dedication that simply doesn't exist anymore (not exclusive to japanese animation). Nolan has talked a bunch of times about this concept where a motion picture is able to portrary a world that exists beyond the frame. And that's where AKira excels, the city, the bikes, the way the hips of the characters jiggle, how every room has so much texture, how the shades move, how every movement is fluid. Its just so incredibly rich, the audience is engulfed in that grandeur. Which is the result on an enormous labor of very talented people, with their hands and brains working together. Pure skill.
The manga is, imo, a masterclass of action. All kinds, vehicular, man to man, guns, kinetic, all at the same time. Its relentless and Otomo draws it like a storyboard of the perfect action movie(s). While the film doesn't achieve the same heights, as a sensory experience is even more fulfilling.
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