Akiraby Katie FrankReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 9 Note: FUNimation has released Akira as a Blu-ray / DVD combo pack; this review is for the DVDs only.As a long-time (coming up on 15 years now!) anime fan, Akira holds a special place in my heart, as I know in does for most folks in my anime-fan cohort. FUNimation's 25th-anniversary DVD release of the film is, for the most part, a love letter to long-time fans who remember wearing out poorly-made fansub VHS tapes or waking up at 6 am to catch the film on the Sci-Fi Channel. The release is packed with special features for both newcomers and hardcore fans, and is very well presented. For those experiencing the film for the first time, this DVD release is an excellent presentation of the film itself. The visual on this release is from Pioneer's 2001 restoration of the film -- one of the featurettes on the bonus disc details the incredible undertaking that restoring the film was, and presents a lot of technical information as well as the emotion of the process. Perhaps the most exciting feature about this release is that it includes both the original Streamline English dub track and the 2001 Pioneer re-dub (and of course, the original Japanese audio). The Streamline dub is notorious for being poorly executed and nearly incoherent due to strange scripting, but has a huge amount of sentimental value for fans whose first experience with the film was through the Streamline release. Another fun bonus feature is a gallery that translates all the graffiti around Neo-Tokyo. As for the film itself, while the cyberpunk elements can seem dated to a modern viewer, the movie as a whole does stand up rather well. The visuals are a tremendous spectacle, and the animation really showcases the strengths of the medium. Tetsuo's transformation in particular is a visceral, terrifying scene, and it's hard to think of another sequence in any medium that has quite the same combination of body horror, pathos, and all-out insanity. While Akira has seen a variety of home media releases, this latest edition is essential in a number of ways. Never before have the restored video and audio, both dubs, and the Japanese audio been available in one release, not to mention the well-curated set of special features. Even if the film itself isn't to your taste, it's something that every anime fan (and hip-hop fan, given how many times it's been referenced in both song and music video) should experience and be able to appreciate for the impact it's had on absolutely everything that's come after it. Written: February 2, 2014
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