Akira Blu-ray remastered disc set
Anime activist bikers get a retread
Review It’s been hailed as the greatest anime ever. While I think you have to go some before you can top Pokémon 4Ever, (no seriously, I prefer My Neighbour Totoro) there’s no denying Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira is a milestone of a movie.
Akira: worth another spin in this UK Blu-ray remaster release
Back in 1989, its international release found a new audience for Japanese animation. Western audiences were wowed by its visceral, ambitious vision and graphic nature. The film has occupied a unique pop culture niche ever since.
I’ve actually owned multiple versions, from a tatty VHS tape to a Special Edition DVD in a tin, but this Blu-ray edition comprehensively nukes them all. This is literally Akira as it’s never been seen or heard before.
If you move fast, you’ll be able to pick-up a limited edition two-disc ‘Steelbook’ set, which contains the remastered movie on Blu-ray and DVD, and comes with a commemorative booklet, for the same price as the standalone disc (£18 or less).
Old school animation gets a new lease of life
Unsurprisingly, the Blu-ray looks Oishii (delicious). The newly-found fine detail and nuanced colour beautifully showcases Akira’s hand drawn, cel-shaded animation. However, it’s not the shiny HD image which should get your juices flowing. It’s what’s been done to the audio that’s truly exciting. Akira boasts the highest resolution movie audio you’re ever likely to hear from your Blu-ray player.
Next page: Audible difference
COMMENTS
I never understood the hype of this Film
Personally I find this move to be VERY OVER RATED. + an age old adage of rather reading the Manga (Comic Book version), of Akria instead.
It's kinda like those Lord of the Rings Movies from a while back, they are ~ok~ at best, but in no way a proper substitute for the real thing (i.e. Printed Material)....
And the Film wasn't even that good, when taken into account with its source material.
sometimes....
"Ghibli's English dubs are excellent"
Ah now, some of them are pretty awful. They may be well acted, but they don't follow the original script. As an example, Spirited Away's closing scenes are marred by inane chit-chat on the US dub, where the Japanese version simply falls silent and lets the director's choice of imagery tell the story. My Neigbour Totoro is also afflicted by the American "Can't-stop-talking-the-kids-will-lose-interest" disease.
For readers who haven't seen either film (and you should, especially Totoro, which a friend of mine justifiably introduced to me as "The best film ever made"), just imagine watching the start sequence of Lawrence of Arabia with some voice off-screen saying crap like "what's that?" "ooh, looks like a man", "ooh, he's on horseback", "coming here." "wonder what he wants", and you'll get an idea.
Still, I've seen much worse butchery of films when they get dubbed into English.
Love the film,
but i am still not sure if it is worth the upgrade over my DVD version and my "all in one" surround sound.
If you like Akira you should also watch "Cyber City Oedo 808", i did an art project based on the car in the opening episode it is that good.
Also "Ghost In The Shell" and "Dominion Tank Police" need a mention.
Knight Sabers anyone?
Bubblegum crisis (BGC) 2033 (done in the 80's).
Firslty I'll admit, the only tenous semblance to Akira is that this is post apocalyptic Tokyo and there are bikes.
But ... If you were an 80's kid, you''ll *LOVE* this. Bit like an anime with music videos in them. The soundtrack(music) is *phenomenal* in that nostalgic 80's way. Seriously, I wish I had the kind of kit they had in that anime. This series is your basic tank-and-spank anime type job, lots of music, bikes, cars, powered armour, gratuitous violence and gore, with some intrigue (but not in the league of the other animes). Oh and girls.. (Who is hotter, Priss or Sylia? Discuss...)
In other words, watchable, over and over and over and over and over again.
Youtube 'victory' and 'bubblegum crisis.' Both the original Japanese dubbed English/Engrish renditions of the music videos are really quite good.
The redone Bubblegum Crisis 2040, or the other one Bubblegum Crash ain't as good but probably worth watching if you like the franchise. Watch 2033 first. If you don't watch the rest you're not missing anything - they're sort of like Matrix II and III. There are also other AD police spin offs, I think like parasite dolls etc.
If you were to ask me which anime series is tops, I'd probably choose BGC 2033, as dated as it is, but that's because I've always kind of liked close-in hand to hand fighting, bikes, powered armour and girls. And the music is really quite good in this. Yes, I prefer this even to the Macrosses.
Fantastic.
