Akira, Animated Feature Film (1988)Rating: Three of Ten StarsIn a dark future, Japanese youth gangs ride around on motorcycles and scream each other's names in high-pitched voices. Meanwhile, military men do McGruff the Crime Dog imitations. Oh, and pale psychics cause freaky things to happen and inanimate objects to attack, and some youth gang member gets amazing powers that may destroy all of Japan.Yes... it's the storyline of "Akira", the most overrated Japanese cartoon ever. I saw it in the movie theatre when it was first released in the US, and it put me off the whole manga/anime thing for several years thereafter. "If THAT was the best, then what sort of crap must the other material be?" I thought. Thankfully, I discovered the works of Kosuke Fujishima, Masamune Shirow and Rumiko Takahashi, material that truly *is* among the best that Japanese pop culture had to offer."Akira" does have some impressive animation, but the story and script are very lacking. I really have no idea why people were so impressed with this badly put together mess.
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