Akira, Vol. 1

The 6 Akira graphic novels all tell one big really good story. It has very good plot, action, humor, art, characters and mystery. It makes you want to find out what's going on more and more as you go. I don't want to knock the movie at all because I enjoy watching it but in my opinion the graphic novels convey a completely different story and are so much better and thorough in every way. My only complaint with these particular books is that it is not in it's original Japanese right to left reading format and most scenes are a mirror image of what it was intended. Everyone is left handed in it which even as a left handed person I have to say is highly unrealistic. Now finding a right to left format Akira in English would be quite the collector's item which I don't think exists(maybe I don't know for sure). But it doesn't take away from the experience and if you enjoyed the Akira movie, I highly suggest reading these 6 books.

The entire AKIRA series of books is not to be missed by any fans of Akira or anime / manga in general.If you like the movie but are unsure whether to commit to buying the manga, hesitate no longer. it is 10 times better than the movie. Unlike with the movie, there is time for love, beauty, hope, sadness...I do believe, as many before me, that Akira is the best manga ever made. And I personally believe it will never be bested. It's scope and attention to detail is unparalled in my experience. I have re-read this series at least 3 times since I bought it, and it never fails to move me to tears, to shamelessly fall in love with Kei, and to be sad when I finish it. I used to work in a library and learned how to cover books. (It is a sticky transparent flexable plastic that protects the cover from spills, dogears, and strengthens the spine.) The Akira series is one of the favored few in my personal library to be covered. I want to enjoy it for years to come, and for my many nephews and nieces to be able to do the same when they get old enough.

Akira is one of the finest comics I've had the pleasure of reading. The art is beautiful and manages to efficiently convey both motion and personality. The writing gives depth to everyone from the bit players to the leads. And the leads! Kaneda is a real piece of work. Loudmouthed, violent, and almost nihilistic at times, he's far from a conventional hero. (At one point a girl reveals to him that she's pregnant, with the strong implication he's the father. He blows her off and never gives it another moment's thought.) At the same time, he's committed to his friends, and in a pinch he's the person you most want at your back. And EVERYONE is similarly complex. No-one is purely good, or purely evil. They're just people, pursuing their own agendas in their own ways. The only thing I regret is that the version widely available for sale isn't the colorized Epic reprints. Normally, colorized stuff is an abomination, but here it's gorgeous. Shame it isn't widely available, but if you didn't know it existed, you wouldn't miss it. Get this.

NOTE: This description probably contains spoilers! (This review covers the first two volumes) Young, tough, motorcycle-riding gang ruffians stumble onto a bizarre government experiment in postapocalytic Tokyo in this classic manga series from Katsuhiro Otomo. The government sequesters and essentially holds captive a few hyper-aged children with a variety of bizarre powers, keeping one of them in deep hibernation, lest another apocalypse be unleashed upon the beleaguered populace of Tokyo. Badness ensues when one of the motorcycle-riding ruffians acquires one of the unique powers the government is doing its level best to control, and his powers, of course, eclipse any that have before been observed. Our new super-powered ruffian proceeds to remove Akira, the super-weapon kept in deep hibernation, from his prison, and then a game of grab-Akira-and-run occurs with the government, the ruffian, and antigovernment forces (which, being antigovernment, are of course the good guys). The art in this book is astonishing and all completely hand-drawn, and, my art friends tell me, contains some of the best manga page spreads in existence. I confess that some of the high-action scenes (many of which being double-page spreads) such as motorcycle chases and explosions were difficult for me to "decipher," but they were extraordinary nonetheless. I'd classify this as a pretty standard postapocalyptic story, with your standard government bad guys and antigovernment good guys - but that's where "standard" stops. The "weapons" in this story are people. The character development is remarkable. It's a lot to take in while reading, if you look closely at the art, which is merited. Volumes end with cliffhangers. I will continue with this series for sure. One note: in the English version of this manga, it's printed English style, that is, front-to-back, (or left-to-right) rather than the standard manga which reads back-to-front/right-to-left. It takes some getting used to.

What an amazing read. I strongly recommend it. I can't wait to read Akira 2.

This product came in earlier than it said, thank god. The book itself isn’t damaged at all which I’m pleased about. And the most important part is the actual book itself, the story is amazing and much more clearer than the movie. Follow @bxrrrettt on insta and on Soundcloud <3

Akira is one of the most loved and talked about Manga masterpieces of all time and one I had often thought of reading. My teenage son becoming a Manga fan finally promoted me to get this and I must admit I am very impressed. The story follows events in Neo Tokyo years after the original Tokyo was destroyed in an apocalyptic event as friends Kenada and Tetsuo are drawn into events leading to the heart of what caused it against the backdrop of gang wars and battles with authority. This really is excellent, excellent and thrilling story which gets better with each volume and excellent artwork. Hugely enjoyable.

Llego en el tiempo establecido y ademas en un excelente estado, protegido y la calidad es maravillosa, espero comprar los demas volumentes faltantes y mas productos similares.

Je voulais cette édition d'Akira pour ma collection, en ouvrant ce Akira j'ai été déçu ...qu'il soi en version anglaise, je l'ai retourné! Dommage!