alisarae's review
3.0
For the series as a whole:
I want to read some influential, important manga works, and lots of people recommend Akira. Post-WWIII Tokyo, and multiple factions are struggling for power, information, and a WMD government experiment known as Akira. In theory it’s a cool story, but even while I was reading the penultimate volume 5, I wasn’t eager to make it to the final volume 6. I think there are so many characters that the character development is spread too thin. With the exception of two characters who undergo dramatic changes, we don’t really see any individual progress. It just isn’t the manga for me.
I want to read some influential, important manga works, and lots of people recommend Akira. Post-WWIII Tokyo, and multiple factions are struggling for power, information, and a WMD government experiment known as Akira. In theory it’s a cool story, but even while I was reading the penultimate volume 5, I wasn’t eager to make it to the final volume 6. I think there are so many characters that the character development is spread too thin. With the exception of two characters who undergo dramatic changes, we don’t really see any individual progress. It just isn’t the manga for me.
kbrsuperstar's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thisotherbookaccount's review
4.0
I love the anime, I love the art here, and I am thoroughly intrigued.
I am taking one star off because Katsuhiro Otomo suffers the same-face syndrome for his characters, and his action, though elegantly staged, does not flow from time to time. With the perspective constantly switching, it is sometimes difficult for the reader (me) to follow the action. You may see a character raise a pipe to hit somebody else outside of the frame, but it cuts to another frame without showing or hinting at the resolution. It's sometimes a little jarring, but I think it still works overall.
I am taking one star off because Katsuhiro Otomo suffers the same-face syndrome for his characters, and his action, though elegantly staged, does not flow from time to time. With the perspective constantly switching, it is sometimes difficult for the reader (me) to follow the action. You may see a character raise a pipe to hit somebody else outside of the frame, but it cuts to another frame without showing or hinting at the resolution. It's sometimes a little jarring, but I think it still works overall.
lordenglishssbm's review
4.0
I agree with the critiques that the plot is a bit thin, but my God, I don't think I've seen a better action story in a comic or manga. The panels are obsessively detailed, which makes it all the more impressive that Otomo can make the action sequences flow so well. I've heard that the later volumes become more philosophical, and maybe I'll appreciate that when I read them, but for now I'm satisfied that I read an action comic as stylized and engaging as this one.
germancho's review
5.0
Awesome art, incredibly fast-paced. I read it in one sitting, but it kept me tense the whole time. Watching the movie before reading it is a must, in order to understand all the craziness going on.
catarinalucas's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
schwertfeger49's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0