Akira

R

Released Jan 1, 1988

2 hr. 4 min.

Sci-Fi

Anime

TRAILER

for Akira: Trailer 1

List

91%

54 Reviews

Tomatometer

90%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In 1988 the Japanese government drops an atomic bomb on Tokyo after ESP experiments on children go awry. In 2019, 31 years after nuking the city, Kaneda, a bike gang leader, tries to save his friend Tetsuo from a secret government project. He battles against anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader until Tetsuo's supernatural power suddenly manifest. A final battle is fought in Tokyo Olympiad exposing the experiment's secrets.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Hulu

Apple TV

Watch Akira with a subscription on Hulu, rent on Fandango at Home, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Akira is strikingly bloody and violent, but its phenomenal animation and sheer kinetic energy helped set the standard for modern anime.

Read Critics Reviews

Joshua

Neo Tokyo really blew up

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/17/22

Full Review

Aender S

I've got to say I didn't understand much of the story, but the visuals were nice.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/12/24

Full Review

TurboSoggy

Probably one of the best and most influential anime film of all time

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/12/24

Full Review

Cota N

Beautifully drawn, violent as hell, and a gripping story. Akira will have you drawn in till the credits roll. An absolute masterpiece!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/24

Full Review

Mike P

Brilliant Anime action movie masterpiece.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Emery A

An old dystopian science fiction anime with a quality cyberpunk aspect and creative script, it has energetic action due to its frantic pace and excess of compact information that won't let you breathe, scenarios rich in details, hallucinating images amid chaos and no brakes to show the graphic violence is well animated.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Katsuhiro Ohtomo

Director

Mitsuo Iwata

Shôtarô Kaneda

Nozomu Sasaki

Tetsuo Shima

Mami Koyama

Kei

Tessho Genda

Ryûsaku

Hiroshi Otake

Nezu

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

86%

80%

They Live

TRAILER

for They Live

22%

31%

Cyborg

TRAILER

for Cyborg

33%

24%

The Fly II

53%

43%

Alien Nation

25%

25%

Freejack

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

2022 Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month TV & Streaming Calendar

12 Unique Depictions of Tokyo in the Movies

Ready Player One Easter Egg Watchlist: What To See Before Seeing Spielberg’s Latest

Akira: Trailer 1

0:55

View more videos

View more photos

Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

The opening motorbike chase is still thrilling, but the dedication to the backgrounds as well as crowds of people filling the screen, explosions happening in the distance, and a jaw-dropping sense of scope make Akira the classic that it is.

Rated: A

Jan 25, 2021

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Akira's strangeness is very startling and sometimes bewildering. But there is a thanatonic rapture to its vision of a whole world ending and being reborn as something else.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 8, 2020

Full Review

David Jenkins

Little White Lies

While its typically convoluted sci-fi plotting and sprawling ensemble of characters occasionally lead it to border on the incoherent, it's hard not to be in awe of the giant hand-drawn cityscapes that make up the backdrop for the eye-popping action.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 18, 2013

Full Review

Howard Waldstein

CBR

Akira is one of the great anime sci-fi classics and has been influential across various forms of media.

Jul 18, 2023

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Great to look at, but more exhausting than entertaining.

Rated: B

Aug 31, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Such an extraordinary achievement demands to be seen and seen again for re-evaluation into its deeper relevance—and to be appreciated as a landmark not just of anime but of international cinema.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 19, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

In 1988 the Japanese government drops an atomic bomb on Tokyo after ESP experiments on children go awry. In 2019, 31 years after nuking the city, Kaneda, a bike gang leader, tries to save his friend Tetsuo from a secret government project. He battles against anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader until Tetsuo's supernatural power suddenly manifest. A final battle is fought in Tokyo Olympiad exposing the experiment's secrets.

Director: Katsuhiro Ohtomo
Executive Producer: Sawako Noma
Screenwriter: Izou Hashimoto, Katsuhiro Ohtomo
Distributor: Streamline Pictures
Production Co: Akira Committee Company, Ltd.
Rating: R (Graphic Violence|Brief Nudity)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 1988, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Mar 30, 2001
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 12, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $390.0K
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now