The volume was first released 36 years ago, in 1984, and author Otomo thanked his fans for all their long-standing support. On the other hand, Otomo published the manga in Kodansha publisher's Weekly Young Magazine between 1982 and 1990.
The play inspired an animated feature film directed by Otomo himself, and premiered on July 16, 1988, the same day that the city of Tokyo is destroyed in the original manga story. The film subsequently had a 4K remastering that debuted in Japanese theaters in April 2020.
Akira Synopsis
Year 1988, Japan. An explosion caused by a young man with psychic powers destroys the city of Japan and unleashes World War III. To prevent any similar incident, the boy is captured and kept in custody, and is never heard from again. Now, in 2019, a restored city, called Neo-Tokyo, is rife with gang violence and terrorism.
Shoutarou Kaneda is the leader of a group of social misfits known for riding large custom motorcycles and being in constant conflict with enemy groups. It is during one of these battles that his best friend, Tetsuo Shima, becomes involved with an espe who has just escaped from a government institution. This encounter will develop psychic abilities in Tetsuo, but as cool as this sounds, it really couldn't be worse ...
Source: The Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web
© 1988 マ ッ シ ュ ル ー ム ／ ア キ ラ 製作 委員会
