Forum - View topicREVIEW: Akira BD+DVD [2013-12-23]
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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Feedback for the Akira review starts here.
Side note: if you see our rage-filled friend posting another of his diatribes, please don't respond or quote it over and over again. You wind up tracking it all through the house and it takes forever to clean up. Thanks. |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4158 |
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I've never seen the appeal of Akira; Not only do I feel that it's not essential to the animation medium, I don't see how it's an actual story.
First saw it early 90s, the redub whenever it was done.
Because some people refuse to take it off its pedestal and look at it critically? |
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walw6pK4Alo
 Posts: 9322 |
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The review feels like it ignored the previous BD release, making it seem like it just jumped straight from the 2001 DVD to this. I think a lot of fans did buy that one, but this just got that much more accessible by being newer.
One think that always kind of irks me in old anime reviews is anything along the lines of comparing the way it looks to today, like that it has to hold itself up. Maybe the art style and production design are dated, but good animation is timeless. |
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MetalUpa1014
 Posts: 283 Location: USA |
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Who the hell would ever like the Streamline dub? Yes, I get it that it's the first time most people ever experienced Akira, but that doesn't hide the fact that it's absolutely terrible. Nostalgia can really cloud a person's judgement.
Personally, I think that if you're buying this Blu-ray (like I already did) you simply have to go with the Japanese audio. I don't care if you can't stand subtitles. This is perhaps the most flawless audio I've ever heard on a Blu-ray. Every gunshot, explosion, and sound effect is crystal clear while packing a really strong punch. Although I enjoyed the Animaze dub since it had good performances and was very close to the Japanese script, it's practically required that you go with the Japanese with this release. Last edited by MetalUpa1014 on Mon Dec 23, 2013 2:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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CG-LOVER
 Posts: 355 Location: East Lansing, MI |
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The example Theron chooses to use when comparing to the two dubs is interesting to me, because while he thinks the Streamline version sounds more natural, I personally had no idea what Kaneda was even talking about there. The Pioneer dub may be more literal, but at least I understand what the characters are saying.
Good review, I already own the previous BD release of this though and see no reason to double-dip. |
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belvadeer
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It was a product of its time, you can't really blame them. Some dub translations were loose on purpose back in the day. The second half of your little diatribe makes me raise my eyebrow though. |
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PurpleWarrior13
 Posts: 2034 |
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I love this movie, and I don't find it dated in the slightest, except maybe some of the fashions and there being a CD jukebox in the bar. Other than that, this movie is pretty awesome. The story is interesting, the visuals are gorgeous, the music rocks, and you can tell the animators really put in a lot of hard work. When I watch it now, it doesn't even feel like it's from the 80s. I remember that South Park episode that recreated the scene with Tetsuo (Cartman) growing huge and grotesque and crushing Kaori (Rosie O'Donnell) inside of him. This movie is truly a recognizable landmark in animation, and one that's not only highly entertaining, but one that I have deep respect for as well. It's an icon! It's freakin AKIRA! I look forward to picking this up, and I'd also like to get the manga (I might even get the old color Marvel editions since the in-print editions are still flipped anyway...).
The Streamline dub (I DID see it first) is just a confusing mess filled with unbalanced voice acting with poor recording quality. It's good for a retro look at the film though. After viewing the Animaze dub on Toonami, I understood the film far better. It wasn't spectacular, but I had nothing to object to. I do find it interesting that the Tokyo Olympics are about to take place in the year 2020 both in the film AND in real life. They had no way of knowing when the film was in production. HUGE coincidence there! |
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Darkshader
Posts: 18 |
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Akira film became a hugely popular cult film and is widely considered to be alandmark in Japanese animation when it was brought here in the U.S. But to tell you the truth guys, I would rate this anime as mediocre compared those animes that I've seen in the late 70's and early 80's. I would still consider Voltes V, Mazinger Z, Star Blazers, and Macross is way better than Akira and has the most impact. So the first time I saw this film, it is okay not really impressed especially the story line. So I wouln not put it in the same pedestal of the animes I mentioned above. Still it is a classic anime that should be a part of our anime collection.
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angieness
Posts: 162 Location: Columbus, OH |
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The inclusion of the Streamline dub was one of the big selling points to me. I had the Orion VHS a million years ago, but lost it when a friend borrowed it and never gave it back. I was disappointed that the Geneon version didn't include both dubs. I actually prefer the Streamline dub. It's inaccurate but it's the version I know better, plus it has Leonardo from the original TMNT cartoon playing Kaneda which was great. Cam Clarke > Johnny Yong Bosch.
I have yet to see it subbed because the Japanese audio track was actually broken on my Geneon disc so it wouldn't load. I might finally check it out 20+ years after seeing it the first time now since the BD should hopefully have that part working. |
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Hellwarden
Posts: 321 |
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Well....as long as this review is here...
TETSUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! ....Somebody had to do it. |
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pachy_boy
Posts: 1341 |
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When I first saw this movie back in the day, I remember hating it because to me it was nothing but violence porn, and that was the only reason why it was popular. But ten years later, I watch it again and came around to it. I was just starting as an Anime fan back then and watched multiple titles since then, so imagine the difference that alone makes in my appreciating the movie.
That being said, the manga version is vastly superior. It's not simply because the movie feels so truncated in comparison--and thusly more incoherent, particularly with the very ending--there were just little things the manga did far better. Kei made for a much more kickass heroine in the manga, whereas she got more shafted like a punk in her battle scenes in the movie. The characters that die in the manga are the same in the movie, but their manga deaths felt more meaningful and had more impact, while they were just merely offed in the movie, spoiler[like Kaori, whose death and part in the story just felt frustratingly pointless]. Despite my nitpicks, I do agree the movie's a classic for what it is, and for all the reasons Theron stated. Although as far as the Akira/Ghost in the Shell debate goes, I'm totally on side Ghost. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Akira may be a classic, but like most classics it is severely deficient in a key area. Oh sure, the animation still holds up, go no issues there. The problem in Akira's case is the story, and how it is told. The blurb on the case gives me more info than the actual movie itself about what the heck is going on.
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Jose Cruz
 Posts: 1796 Location: South America |
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Two comments:
1 - The films is very good, but there is a ton of stuff that is better. The manga, in particular, is significantly superior to the film. The movie as whole lacks the emotional depth of many other anime titles. 2 - The quality of the animation is mind-blowing. At the time was the best animation ever made and it is still among the best. The movie is worth watching just for it's kinetic visuals. |
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4803 |
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I'm so late to the party that I only saw this for the first time during the Toonami broadcast a few weeks ago, but even in the year 2013, I was blown away. It's an absolute visual orgasm with compelling characters and an engaging story...it's easy to see why it was such a massive gateway drug in its day. I've had the Geneon DVD release gathering dust for years now, but I might wind up double-dipping for the Blu-ray.
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GATSU
Posts: 15572 |
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Purple:
At the time, it would've been considered state-of-the-art.
Those are my preferred editions, even if Otomo changed the art a bit for international audiences at the time. Darkshader:
I like most of those shows-haven't seen any Voltes-but they didn't change the American animation industry like Akira. |
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