Welcome to a special Cyberpunk Revisited edition of Thursday Morning Superhero!
Dossier: Akira vol. 1 by Katsuhiro Otomo (1982).
File Type: Manga.
File Under: Cyberpunk.
High-Tech: Kaneda's motorcycle. Need I say more? It is one of the most iconic vehicles in pop culture for a reason.
The rest of the technology lies in the juxtaposition to what the military has compared to that of the citizens. The medical experiments are conducted with cutting edge equipment, hover bikes patrol the cities, and a massive cryogenic chamber rests beneath the stadium grounds.
Low-Life: Clearly the rebuilding process has been difficult on the citizens and Neo Tokyo-City finds itself overrun with deviants. Bike gangs rule the streets and there is much political unrest.
Dark Times: In their quest to create humans with weaponized psychic abilities, Akira was born and destroyed Tokyo. Frozen in a cryogenic chamber beneath the Olympic Stadium, it is only a matter of time before he is awakened. Despite the destruction and harm brought about due to these experiments, the military moves forward with its agenda.
Legacy: The impact that Akira had on our pop culture landscape is massive. While the manga is a critical success, it didn't have mainstream success until the movie hit the scene. The anime that was inspired by this series is one of the first to cross the ocean and have a meaningful impact on our culture. It is the definitive anime with good reason. While it does not go into the political strife and intricacies as in depth as the manga, it is true to the source material and helped put it in the hands of fans all over the globe.
In Retrospect:
For its time: 5/5
Viewed today: 4/5
Cybercoefficient: 9/10
If you were curious how Akira and The Simpsons would mash-up check out Bartkira.