Considered by many the holy grail of anime, Akira is the masterpiece from Katsuhiro Otomo that brought Japanese anime
into mainstream America. Akira once and for all proved that the anime genre was not just for kids, and can be enjoyed by intelligent
adults as well. Featuring brilliant animation, a superb soundtrack, and a cool, intriguing plot, Akira is the "Citizen Kane" of all anime.

Set in Neo Tokyo after the third World War, human life is wretched and filled with fighting. Kaneda and his motorcycle gang accidentally get involved in a top secret government/ military affair. When Tetsuo, one of Kaneda's friends, gets caught and imprisoned
by government officials, it's up to the rest of the gang to save him.

Hailed by critics worldwide for its intensity, complexity, and direction, Akira even made it to several American movie critics' top ten when it first came out. Akira is as important as Ghost in the Shell, maybe even more so, because of its influence on other anime series and also for being the first anime to capture mainstream attention in America.