Akira

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I noticed just in time that this was on at the local (albeit a full hour's bus ride away) Vue last night. Doubling up on masks and throwing caution to the wind, I went to watch it along with a friend who'd never seen it in its entirety.

It was subtitled, but I've seen it so many times that I barely had to read them and could focus on all the intricate artistry. Having only ever seen it in standard definition it looked more gobsmacking than ever in 4K. I'd never noticed that

Spoiler alert

Ryu dies with a smile on his face, as he witnesses the revolution in full swing

[close]

.

My friend had a few minor criticisms - mostly that he felt it had an odd staccato rhythm, with lots of short scenes piling up on each other - but otherwise loved it and didn't have any problem following the plot.

[idunnosomename]

see this is the sort of anime I would rather recommend a dub of just so you don't waste eye time reading the dialogue, because the animation is utterly incredible and way more important. corridor crew (who I was introduced to via this forum and this series of Artists React videos) started animation reacts recently and did Akira and it's really interesting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBYX6JjOCuc

[magval]

Another tiny detail it's easier to catch on the big screen is that Kyoko's monitor has a sticker on the side that reads "do shite", which must mean something in Japanese but is clearly much more valuable for its valuable in nonsensical English.

Also I caught ONE animation gaffe - at one stage during Tetsuo's rapid growth at the stadium, the Colonel's mustache isn't coloured in.

I'd fucking love to see this on a proper big screen, or at least in a picture house I'm comfortable in. That rinky dink wee place in Birmingham may as well have been on your mate's brother's projector. Fuck you, pandemic.

[Shit Good Nose]

see this is the sort of anime I would rather recommend a dub of just so you don't waste eye time reading the dialogue, because the animation is utterly incredible and way more important. corridor crew (who I was introduced to via this forum and this series of Artists React videos) started animation reacts recently and did Akira and it's really interesting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBYX6JjOCuc

Luckily there is an English dub (IIRC originally done by Pioneer for their American DVD release in 2001) which is genuinely good, and one of the very very small number of dubbed soundtracks that aren't fist chewingly awful (Das Boot is another one, although in that case it was mostly done by the cast themselves).  A warning, though, that this particular dub doesn't appear on every release of Akira, so tread carefully.

[Blumf]

Also I caught ONE animation gaffe - at one stage during Tetsuo's rapid growth at the stadium, the Colonel's mustache isn't coloured in.

There's a few of them. One I always notice is the policeman processing the gang, his medal ribbon bar is unpainted for a few frames.

[magval]

Luckily there is an English dub (IIRC originally done by Pioneer for their American DVD release in 2001) which is genuinely good, and one of the very very small number of dubbed soundtracks that aren't fist chewingly awful (Das Boot is another one, although in that case it was mostly done by the cast themselves).  A warning, though, that this particular dub doesn't appear on every release of Akira, so tread carefully.

Anyone with a standard UK setup can find the dub mentioned above on the following discs if they want it:

DVD -





Blu-Ray -






The Streamline English dub (from the 80s, roundly mocked but not without nostalgic value) is available on the second and fourth of the above discs. On the second, it's an 'extra', presented on a 4:3 copy of the film. On the fourth, it's a proper audio option for the film in HD. For my money, the last of these four is the way to go if you've a Blu-Ray player until the 4K comes along, but I don't have the means to play that yet.

[Shit Good Nose]

Anyone with a standard UK setup can find the dub mentioned above on the following discs if they want it:

Thumbs up.

I think it's also on the upcoming UHD release.

[touchingcloth]

My friend had a few minor criticisms - mostly that he felt it had an odd staccato rhythm, with lots of short scenes piling up on each other - but otherwise loved it and didn't have any problem following the plot.

I don't know much about Akira, but presumably that's a deliberate thing meant to evoke a comic book in some ways?

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Or possibly just the result of condensing the massive comics storyline into one film.

Also I caught ONE animation gaffe

I didn't spot any mistakes, but I did notice quite a few harsh edges on the animated layers.

[ImmaculateClump]

I haven't seen this since I was 13 or something. I can remember really enjoying it but being really burned out by the end, it was just toooo much and I found some of it quite confusing, I didn't really understand everything that was going on. Really exciting though!
I remember it started me off on an anime phase that didn't last too long once I realised most of it wasn't quite up to the standard of Akira.

They had anime sections in the likes of HMV and virgin in the town though and the people that worked there must have just looked at the boxes and went "weird and japanese? Throw it in the weeb section with the cartoons" so you'd always find fun live action stuff like Tetsuo: Iron Man so I ended up steering more towards those.

I think I'll give it another watch some time soon, see if it makes any more sense!

[surreal]

I noticed just in time that this was on at the local (albeit a full hour's bus ride away) Vue last night. Doubling up on masks and throwing caution to the wind, I went to watch it along with a friend who'd never seen it in its entirety.

yeah,  I saw this in IMAX at Cineworld on Wednesday afternoon as a final movie before they shut - never seen it all the way through before and it was spectacular.  Only downside was that the subs were really low on the screen so watching something that massive and trying to read was a challenge.  Amazing stuff though, the soundtrack was incredible on the big speakers.

[touchingcloth]

see this is the sort of anime I would rather recommend a dub of just so you don't waste eye time reading the dialogue, because the animation is utterly incredible and way more important. corridor crew (who I was introduced to via this forum and this series of Artists React videos) started animation reacts recently and did Akira and it's really interesting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBYX6JjOCuc

Is there any benefit at all to watching it subbed rather than dubbed? I usually prefer subtitles for live action because I find the lack of lip syncing distracting, but I think that's less of an issue with cartoons, possibly at least in part because so many of the ones I saw as a kid were French or whatever and dubbed into Great British.

[Mister Six]

see this is the sort of anime I would rather recommend a dub of just so you don't waste eye time reading the dialogue, because the animation is utterly incredible and way more important. corridor crew (who I was introduced to via this forum and this series of Artists React videos) started animation reacts recently and did Akira and it's really interesting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBYX6JjOCuc

Yeah, when I watched if for the first time in about 20 years the other month, I put on dubs for this exact reason. I kept finding myself rewinding so I could take in a scene without glancing at the bottom of the screen. It's fucking stunning. One of those films that absolutely lives up to its reputation.

[Capt.Midnight]

Saw this in IMAX today. Incredible. Whilst the animation hugely benefits being on a large screen, what really impressed me was the sound. Huge sub bass explosions and lots of very subtle synth phaser effects during quiet passages that I never heard watching at home. I'm not sure whether it was the pandemic conditions, or that I haven't been out to an event in a while, but certain parts of the film had a way bigger emotional impact than before. I was bloody tearing up when the AKIRA title appeared and near the end

Spoiler alert

when the wee little kids save the colonel and Kaneda from the explosion/universe implosion.

[close]

I never do cries at films usually, honest!

[Spiteface]

For me, I almost always go subbed as it's how I first saw it when it aired on BBC2 in the 90s.

BUT, Manga UK is incapable of releasing Akira on DVD/Bluray now with proper english subs. EVERY DVD or Bluray version I've bought (it's one of those films I always buy with each new format), the subs are for the Pioneer dub, which is utterly pointless.

If I want that dialogue, I'll switch to english audio to listen to the 2nd Black Power Ranger [nb]Johnny Yong Bosch became an anime voice actor after leaving the show in the 90s, The Pioneer dub of Akira being one of the notable roles he's has, along with Ichigo in Bleach[/nb] yelling "TETSUOOOOOOO!" instead.

Wish I could have gone to the 4K screenings, but local lockdowns, work and most of the cinemas nearest to me being an absolute ballache to get to and back, made it impossible. I'd have even fully masked up for it, too.

A shame, as that BBC broadcast of Akira, along with This documentary presented by noted weeb Jonathan Ross, changed my childhood views on what animation could be. Would have loved to have seen it on the big screen.

[Captain Crunch]

It's worth checking back, my local cinema (Vue) has added more screening up to the end of next week and they're very good with the whole spray-squirt-wipe routine. 

[El Unicornio, mang]

A shame, as that BBC broadcast of Akira, along with This documentary presented by noted weeb Jonathan Ross, changed my childhood views on what animation could be. Would have loved to have seen it on the big screen.

Nice, I remember taping that at the time and watching it many times. Also this was around at about the same time in British newsagents, collected bits from various manga that was otherwise incredibly hard to find, and anime reviews.



I saw the first Akira English dub of it before any other version and watched it a lot as a teenager so kind of have a soft spot for it still.

[Alberon]

I saw the subtitled version in the cinema at the local uni. It's a proper cinema setup and usually shows art house films, which I suppose this sort of was at the time.

I'd been reading the colour English manga version (which hadn't finished at the time) but I'd never seen a film like this before. Actually, it's past time I went back and read it again. It is a proper epic.

[Mr_Simnock]

There is a 4K disk set but cunts are passing it off for about £100 on ebay, will wait for it to come out propper

[Cuntbeaks]

Thanks for the heads up, i didn't realise it was showing in the cinema.

Booked to see it on Thursday, but not in an Imax unfortunately as the one here is closed. Truly the worst thing to happen to me during this pandemic, so far.

[touchingcloth]

I see what people mean about the mismatched subs. My version has an English dub which is slightly - in some cases grossly - different to what the English sub track shows for the same scenes. This is now my most hated thing, so thanks for ruining my day.

[Mister Six]

Fucking hell, I'd risk the 'vid to watch this in IMAX. Nothing doing in the US though, sadly. At least, not near me.

[Cuntbeaks]

Just back from an adequate Showcase De Lux, as opposed to an Imax. In spite of that, it still looked incredible and the 4k remaster is superb, still buzzing.

Despite the four teenage neckbeards behind us, each with large nachos and a large popcorn. Between them they created the equivalent noise levels of open cast mining for at least 80 minutes, the absolute fucking chimps.

[idunnosomename]

Is there any benefit at all to watching it subbed rather than dubbed? I usually prefer subtitles for live action because I find the lack of lip syncing distracting, but I think that's less of an issue with cartoons, possibly at least in part because so many of the ones I saw as a kid were French or whatever and dubbed into Great British.

for Akira, no. I'd recommend the Cam Clarke version over watching it in a language you don't understand: it's mostly about the animation imo. most TV anime is very limited animation so you aren't missing much glancing to the subtitles and comedic stuff works better in the original language. but for cinematic stuff like this, and the Ghibli canon, as long as it's not an embarrassingly bad one, watch the dub.

though you could just watch it at home twice

Spoiler alert

Kaori getting squashed in Tetsuo's increasingly cancerous corpus though. utterly vile. love it

[close]

[Sin Agog]

Every time I dabble with the dubs and subs for anime stuff on things like Netflix, the subs are invariably much drier and shorter contractions than the dialogue in the dubs.

[touchingcloth]

Every time I dabble with the dubs and subs for anime stuff on things like Netflix, the subs are invariably much drier and shorter contractions than the dialogue in the dubs.

I wonder to what extent that's a cost issue of producing subs for film rather than TV? Long-running anime series are more costly to produce subs for than just doing it once for a movie, and potentially for less pay off as with things in the cinema some people are less likely to go and see anything that's subbed.

[greenman]

There is a 4K disk set but cunts are passing it off for about £100 on ebay, will wait for it to come out propper

It is getting a UK release now but Manga UK are price gouging rather asking £50 for a pretty standard release with a nice box.

From the look of it I wouldnt expect much more detail from UHD but I'd imagine HDR would work very well on it.

[Shit Good Nose]

It is getting a UK release now but Manga UK are price gouging rather asking £50 for a pretty standard release with a nice box.

From the look of it I wouldnt expect much more detail from UHD but I'd imagine HDR would work very well on it.

Anime-online (which is a legit UK seller) currently have it on offer for £41.99 with free postage up until release, at which point it reverts to full RRP I believe.

Perhaps against my better judgement I've pulled the trigger on it, despite reports that there's VERY heavy DNR applied, but it sounds like this will be the only release - Manga UK have apparently said there will not be a subsequent standard release.  Whether that's bollocks or not, it's not something I want to risk missing out on - learnt my lesson hard on that over the years.


Also anticipating next year's 4k ("despecialised") release here of Ghost In the Shell, but they've fucked about with the music over the end credits on the US release (which will likely be the one released here) and include the U2 song with no option to hear the original music.

[greenman]

Anime-online (which is a legit UK seller) currently have it on offer for £41.99 with free postage up until release, at which point it reverts to full RRP I believe.

Perhaps against my better judgement I've pulled the trigger on it, despite reports that there's VERY heavy DNR applied, but it sounds like this will be the only release - Manga UK have apparently said there will not be a subsequent standard release.  Whether that's bollocks or not, it's not something I want to risk missing out on - learnt my lesson hard on that over the years.

Also anticipating next year's 4k ("despecialised") release here of Ghost In the Shell, but they've fucked about with the music over the end credits on the US release (which will likely be the one released here) and include the U2 song with no option to hear the original music.

That is a more tempting price I'd agree, still a bit high but it is a very nice looking package.

As you say I'v also heard there won't be a standard release of this, when the limited version is sold out that will be it.

In terms of DNR I don't see it as being as much of an issue as with regular cinema personally, grain wasn't really part of how the film was intended to be viewed and it doesn't look like their was extra detail to the plates to be obscured by removing it.

[QDRPHNC]

Thing with Akira is 4k is, since it's cel animation, is there really that much extra quality to be gleaned from UHD vs the standard non-DNRed-to-hell Blu-ray?