“AKIRA”, the 1988 anime film that became the masterpiece of mangaka and director Katsuhiro Otomo.
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My first viewing of “AKIRA” was back in 1993. I have to be truthful, it was one of those films that I had to watch several times because I felt I was missing something integral. Each time I watched the film, there was always something new that I picked up and for anyone who has seen this animated film, just how much was put into the animation, the detail for an animated film.
In 1988, Disney had “Oliver & Friends” and being touted as the first animation to utilize hand drawn art and computerized graphics and as the film incorporated some darkness that may scare the kiddies, in Japan, “AKIRA” was a film that would set records in the Summer and eventually get a limited release in theaters.
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The film would surprise and shock people because this was not a children’s animation, this was geared for adults. And did it look awesome at that time!
Flash forward over 20-years later for the Blu-ray release!
VIDEO & AUDIO:
For one, the film is now in 1080p and 16×9. Having seen this film evolve with each release from the VHS to LaserDisc and then DVD and now Blu-ray, for a film created back in 1988, “AKIRA” just looked amazing.
From the action scenes and just watching it on a large screen, I was amazed of how great it looked. Again, this is a 1988 release and I compared it to Disney’s “Oliver & Company” which was remastered and recently released on DVD
. But for an animation of that time, it looked like an animation of that time. “AKIRA” looked fantastic!
The colors were vibrant, I swear I was noticing background art from the film for the first time and that’s considering that I watched this film probably two dozen times already.
As for audio, this is where Bandai Entertainment has really gone out of their way to create a top-notch product. Being audiophiles themselves, the full capacity of the Blu-ray disc was used for the audio. “AKIRA” is the first film on Blu-ray that is released in 192 kHz/24-bit in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. The highest level of sound quality attainable right now on contemporary media.
CD’s are sampled in 44.1 kHz and reproduces at 20 kHz. This Blu-ray is sampled in 192 kHz and reproduces at 96 kHz. CD’s are 16-bit, this Blu-ray Disc, the audio is 24-bit. The original soundtrack of “AKIRA” was originally recorded as a master tape that contained frequencies up to 100 kHz and so, with Blu-ray technology, this soundtrack on the Blu-ray is how the composer intended for people to listen to it.
With that being said, the audio of “AKIRA” is just phenomenal. From the music and the taiko drums, the the various sound effects of the motorcycles to the crowds that are protesting. The film just comes alive with this soundtrack on Blu-ray and really, was floored by the outstanding quality.
I watched both Japanese and audio soundtracks. A few things I need to let people know is when you see the menu being offered in Japanese or English, if you select Japanese, you get four choices of audio. If you select English, you get only three selections (Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1ch track is not on the English selection but the Japanese menu selection) of audio but I’m sure that most fans will be listening to the Dolby TrueHD tracks.
Also, another note is that this release features the Pioneer 2001 English audio dub and not the 1991 Streamline dub. Having been subjugated to the Streamline English dub which was terrible in my opinion, this Pioneer dub is more to my liking.
With that being said, with the Blu-ray disc focusing so much on audio quality and using the Blu-ray disc for that purpose, that would mean that special features that fans were accustomed to on the VHS or DVD release will not get on the Blu-ray disc, so don’t toss your DVD’s out just yet.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Blu-ray disc was utilized completely for audio, thus there is not much room to put anything else. Included are the two teaser trailers, the TV commercial, two trailers, storyboards (Still images) and a 32-page color booklet.
The 32-page color booklet features 16-pages that go into the science behind the creation of the audio for “AKIRA” and “Hypersonic” which is “a medium that allows for the expression of something that was never possible for conventional sound limited to 20 kHz”. Also, an “Interview with Katsuhiro Otomo”, “The Effect Animation That Made AKIRA Shine” and more.
So, missing are the “Production Report (The Making of Akira)”, “Sound Clip (a documentary of the creation of the soundtrack), director’s interview and the documentary on the Akira restoration that were included on the DVD. So, don’t throw away your black tin DVD special edition just yet.
The Blu-ray case comes with a slipcase (front cover shown above and rear-side features the image below) and according to Bandai Entertainment, the slipcase and the 32-page booklet are part of the first press only.
JUDGMENT CALL:
“AKIRA” will always be regarded as one of the top animated films of all time. It set a precedence in animation quality in the late 80’s and the 90’s due to its detailed scenery, the vocal dub matching the lips (”AKIRA” was the first anime production featuring voice acting done before the animation was completed) and utilized over 160,000+ animated cels in order to achieve the fluid motion throughout the film. Again, this was animation geared for adults and has become a classic, must-own animated film.
I have to admit that having watched the film so many times, by the time the DVD came out, I think I was burned out on “AKIRA”. So, watching it nearly eight years later on Blu-ray and hearing the audio really bringing the film to life.
It’s hard to explain but having watched this film nearly two dozens times, this was the first time that I actually watched and thoroughly enjoyed the film. I was excited because of how much life the TrueHD audio brought into the animation. Just sitting down and hearing the taiko drums, the motorcycles revving, the people talking and to hear the overall soundtrack, it made a big difference for me watching it now than any of those times watching it before.
I was amazed by the vibrancy of the colors of the film, but I admit that I was waiting for the dust and the scratches and to my surprise, there were none. They cleaned this film up pretty good. So, aside from the much talked about audio, the video is no slouch either.
Last, I know that the direction of the Blu-ray in terms of going for superior audio quality is exciting for the audiophile but for those who want the special features that were featured on the DVD or fans of the original Streamline dub have a valid argument for them wanting inclusion of those features. Personally, I love releases that managed to include as many features as possible but in this case, having something unprecedented for a film and getting superior audio quality, it may not matter to casual viewers/listeners but I totally agree with the Japanese reviewers, this new audio makes a big difference when you view this film on Blu-ray.
So, superior audio quality versus older special features that probably would be in regular 480p anyway, personally I would rather go with the superior audio quality. Again, the production report has been offered on VHS and DVD already (and the DVD release of “AKIRA” was just too cool to own and by no means will I ever toss that release out).
What has made me even more excited is that the process invested in order to create this 192 kHZ process on “AKIRA” can hopefully now be used on other Blu-ray releases. “Mobile Suite Gundam” movies on Blu-ray anyone? How about those films in 192 kHZ, 24-bit ala Dolby TrueHD. That would be awesome!
So, “AKIRA” has opened up possibilities for Bandai Entertainment and overall, although not loaded with special features, the improved audio and video quality can’t be ignored. Again, “AKIRA” belonged on Blu-ray and it’s a solid release.
What can I say? “AKIRA” on Blu-ray has definitely made me excited for this film all over again. An incredible Blu-ray release that is simply a must-own!
Akira is one of those movies that you never forget. The images are extremely powerful and graphic, so that they stick with you long after the movie is over. Despite its sometimes-confusing plot line, this movie is a wonderfully written, chilling look into the future, and into humanity as a whole. The movie more or less centers around a teenage biker gang in Neo-Tokyo, thirty-years after World War III. The main characters, Kaneda and Tetsuo, are two childhood friends who are constantly in competition with each other (Tetsuo being the weaker, taunted one.) Regardless, Tetsuo still looks up to Kaneda. As the introduction moves out of the chase scene, an interesting encounter with an odd looking child (who awakens the physic abilities lying dormant within Tetsuo’s mind) truly begins the movie.
The animation quality in this movie is almost enough of a reason to buy it. The detail is incredible, umparalled even by Disney?s standards. No one background or setting is used twice, and the environment is in constant change, be it blinking lights or a person exiting a random building. Oddly enough, the Bladerunner-esque buildings throughout the movie also help to establish the feeling of urgency, and the sensation of teetering on the edge of something great, something that we cannot possibly understand. The characters also move in a realistic, smooth motion, something that is missing from many anime television shows, like Pokemon or Digimon.
The music in this movie is also an aspect that really stands out, with a sound all its own. With this new DVD cleanup, you can hear every bell, whistle and drum beat. It sounds more Japanese than most animes out there, and that is not a bad thing. Every single song fits the actions incredibly well, from the haunting Requiem at the end, to the oddly infectious Japanese drums in Kaneda, heard during the motorcycle chase scene and credits of the movie. Hats off to Shoji Yamashiro.
The voice acting is good, but not great. I feel that the original dubbing job used voice actors much better suited to their animated counterparts. For example, Kaneda’s original voice actor fit his attitude well, as his voice had the same inflection and as a teenage boy’s does. The new voice actor, however, sounds like an adult trying to speak like a teenager. Tetsuo?s voice sometimes sounds a little off too, as the inflection in his words do not always coincide with the action on screen There is no mention of the original script or dub however, but there is a small interview with the English voice actors of Kaneda, Tetsuo, and Kei.
The extras on this DVD are excellent, with detailed information on how the music was created, the voice actors of both the English and Japanese scripts, and it also holds about 4,500 stills from the movie and the entire movie’s storyboard. The menus are easy to follow and understand, and contain colorful backgrounds with music-sound bites from the movie.
Overall, this DVD is a must have for any Sci-fi or animation fan. It shows the best of what anime has to offer. You will never forget the magnificent story, or the unforgettable characters that make this movie a classic, inside and outside of anime.
Remember though, this movie is NOT for young children and the squeamish. If your child is under the age of fifteen, or if you do not like the sight of blood and body parts, the movie is probably not for you.
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