Akira Manga Explained: Full Story Recap Chapters 1&2

originally released in Japan in 1988 the Akira anime went on to do more to indoctrinate American weebs than arguably any anime prior the drip alone was enough to hook Western audiences it's easy to see the influence that the Sleek futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic had on a generation of Animation Comics film television and video games the Akira slide itself has been referencing everything from Xmen Origins Wolverine to the Carmen San Diego reboot to Adventure Time the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and a whole lot of places in between interestingly though the anime was based on a little disuss manga of the same name of which the anime is a mostly faithful adaptation visually thematically and tonally it's nearly as faithful of a recreation as you're likely to find anywhere at least in the first half of the story the manga began publication in 1982 being released as a serial in kondan send in manga Outlet young magazine the manga ran from 1982 until 1990 totaling 120 chapters while the manga is not as famous as the anime in the west it was one of the first to be translated in its entirety in English and was even published by Marvel Comics in America having conceived the idea in the early 1980s atomo decided to base a story in what was then the near future 2019 three decades after a mysterious explosion wiped Tokyo off the map in the detritus of which the fictional city of neotokyo SP BR up to play host of the Sci-Fi Masterpiece many have speculated that the US's bombing of Japan during World War II inspired the story in setting but atomo has denied that on several occasions although it's easy to imagine it had some influence whether conscious or not instead he attributes his inspiration for the series to several key factors but mainly the manga series tetsu Jin 28 go which inspired him to tell a story of a quote unquote weapon developed in Wartime and found during a more peaceful era end quote he was also influenced by Japan's showa period during which he saw the rapid economic growth of the region coincide with student protests and preparations for the 1964 Olympic games which were to be hosted in Japan that year when asked about his influences atomo said I wanted to recreate the assorted elements that built this era and craft an exciting story that would seem believable enough in reality it's easy to see the influence of tetsu Jin 28 go as well seeing as the names of pivotal characters such as tetsuo Canada and the espers code names of number 25 through 28 were taken directly from the manga looking back to oto's previous works like domu also hints enormously at his preoccupation with exploring the concept of power through individuals endowed with superhuman abilities specifically psychokinetic powers in the case of Akira listen guys this is a really fun manga with a lot to dig into I just wanted to give some context before I got into this but I don't want to waste any more time setting the stage ladies and gentlemen buckle up for a deep dive into the inspiration for the most widely acclaimed anime of all time Akira chapter 1 the highway at 217 p.m. on December 6th 1992 a new type of bomb exploded over the Metropol in area of Japan the manga opens up with white text overlaid on the nebulous backdrop of space as we see a beautiful shot of Earth from above the atmosphere in the center of the crystal blue sea a black orb rises above the swirling white clouds that orb is the mysterious explosion that kicks off World War II wiping Tokyo entirely off the face of the Earth the manga starts by listing off all the participants of the war and showing some of the damage Left Behind before fast forwarding 30 years after the explosion to show us an aerial shot of neot Toyo as atomo moves the reader closer to the city we see a group of motorcyclists cutting through the darkness on the highway Canada their leader rides a red motorcycle at the head of the capsule game come on guys we're going to take Highway 26 all the way over to the old city if you think you can keep up he yells from his place at the front of the group just lead the way Canada we'll be right behind you tetsuo replies knowing what I know about these two already I love the way that atomo is establishing their Dynamic early one that will be familiar to those who have seen the anime kada is very much the leader of his game he cares for the others especially tetsuo but he pushes and pokes at them constantly reminding them of their place in the hierarchy of the group a text overlay on the next page panel explains a boy background as students of a vocational school for social Misfits who feel stifled by life in neotokyo basically they're the Riff Raff of neotokyo always causing chaos and getting into trouble I really love these panels as a group approaches the old city atomo does a great job of showing the lights the Vibrance of neotokyo fading out into the backdrop while bringing into view in sharp contrast the decrepit remains of the old city the stretch of dark Highway between the new and old city does a great job of showing just how disperate the two places are in the hearts and minds of the people the gap between the new world and the old world the buffer zone between them and the tragedies of the past atomo does a great job of not just describing it but showing it with his paneling giving the Old Highway a full page layout to really emphasize the Divide between the old world and the new next we see the gang pull up to a gated area that says do not enter in Big Red Letters when tetsuo expresses his reservations canida instantly shuts him down before taking a crowbar to the barricade again atomo brings attention to the way Kida asserts himself as the leader of his crew early in the story and it's interesting that most of the time it seems to come at the expense of Teto in these next few panels I think we can really start to see the of speed atoma wanted to bring to this work there was an aspect of it in the way K's crew blasted through the city in earlier panels covering all of that space from the new to Old City and laying the groundwork for the protagonists in just a few quick bubbles of text but in these next panels we see Kido rip through the now open barrier on his iconic red motorcycle we get a closeup where we can see the debris kicking up in his gleeful face there's a genuine sense of movement here of the violent way in which these kids eat up every inch of Freedom they can find in the world they're faced with and Outcast from hey tetso let's show these guys how it's done conid yells out as he rips ahead of the others here I think atomo does a great job of giving us a glimpse at The Duality of kanada and tatsuo's friendship yeah kadaa has ripped on him a bit but he also respects tetsuo's ability enough to single him out as one of the best Riders but Canada can't help but undercut the sentiment in his very next breath it's as if he can't live with himself for giving tetsuo his flowers kanada basically says tetsuo can talk a big game but he isn't backing it up but I think it's more than just asserting dominance on K's part I think it's a way of showing tetsuo that he's capable of more it's a roundabout way of kanada trying to bring that out of his friends as we move on WE again see that Breakneck Pace that atomo is striving for drawing some really cool panels where the gang hurdles through the darkness lit by only the yellow glow of their headlights speeding off into Oblivion then con throws his hand up because he sees something up ahead even here we get a real sense of speed as it takes four panels for him to bring his bike to a stop doing one of the patented slides in the process as we zoom out we see that he stopped right on the edge of a steep Cliff where the highway collapsed in the explosion 30 years prior cona pulls off his helmet and says that's it guys we've reached the end of the line in the next panel we see the gang from above tiny specks on the side of an absolutely massive crater Where The Heart of the City used to lay this is the heart of all the destruction cona says the boys standing still for basically the first time in these early Pages talk about how creepy it is to think of all the people who lost their lives in that location all those years ago not much for somber moments canadaa takes the opportunity to rib one of his friends when they suggest turning back asking him if he's scared another member of the crew mentions that some changes are coming to the area soon he heard a rumor that it's the spot designated to host the Olympics in that coming year when con is skeptical tetsuo is the one who's called on to convince him that the rumor is true again an interesting way to bring attention to the dynamic of the crew even though it seems like kanada is harsher on tetsuo than anyone he also listens to him more than anyone from the way tetsuo tells it a lot of work has already been done in preparation for the games but the matter doesn't hold the guys's attention long they're back on their way in a Flash as everyone is strapping on their helmets and mounting their bikes kada suggests getting dinner at one of their favorite spots peria the last guy there picks up the check he challenges them as he peels out the gang cheers as they speed out behind him taking Corners with ease as they ride off into the night when out of nowhere tatsuo decides to take the lead kadaa staying in character calls him a clown but that doesn't stop tatsuo who maintains course at the front of the pack then out of nowhere he sees something out in the distance in front of him as he continues his approach his headlight illuminates a young boy tatuo cries out telling the boy to move but it's too late all the boy can do is throw his hands up to Shield himself from the blaze of the headlight barreling down on him in the frame we can see the number 26 etched into his palm and then boom teto's bikee explodes the other guys Screech to a halt around the fireball of wreckage calling out to him and we see on the other side of the Flames that the boy is still standing there reeling but unscathed the second Kida gets off his bike he's out for blood he rolls up on the little dude basically telling him to square up but when kanida finally sees the boy's face his own goes blank at the same time the other guys try to see somehow someway tetsuo survived the crash they pull his body from the debris and hold him trying to get him to say anything to them but he's unresponsive in the background kada is still locked in with the young boy and that's when we finally see his face close up although he's just a kid he has the wizened face of an old man as the other guys try to help tetsuo Canada is transfixed by the strange being that caused the accident and then to add to the confusion the boy slowly Fades away until he's completely disappeared kanada is understandably shaken up by what he witnessed but he was the only one who took notice everyone else was too busy arguing over how to get the help that tetsuo needed just then headlights RI through the Darkness at first the gang thinks it's the cops but to their surprise it turns out to be the military the military vehicle screeches to a halt as the boys stand over their wounded friend illuminated by the glow of the burning wreckage nope there's no sign of one of the soldiers begins to say into His Radio before he cuts himself off it's apparent that when they saw the explosion a motorcycle crash wasn't what they expected not having found what they were looking for the soldiers returned to their vehicle without acknowledging the wounded tetsuo in the slightest one of the boys panicked and concerned for his friend tries to plead with the soldiers to get help the soldier first scolds the boys for being in the restricted area but before they drive off they do confirm that an ambulance is on its way kanada just stares off into the distance as the soldiers Drive Away clearly still distracted by The Disappearance of the strange boy who caused all the chaos of the night cut to the next day we see a school in the eth district dist of neotokyo graffiti smatters the walls the students gossip about the accident from the night before as they Mill about the lobby all the while the capsule gang is being lectured in the principal's office as a bald man Rambles on about the potential consequences you can clearly see his whole speeches going in one ear and out the other if you're a fan of the Akira anime then you're probably familiar with this scene it plays out similarly in both the principal is reserved as he speaks to of the boys but then his buddy makes a real spectacle of trying to lay into them he screams at them asking if they're even listening it's apparent that they're completely unfaced by This Ti raade as they're all having their own side conversations as he lashes out that's when the principal calls in the gym teacher Mr Chaba to administer a little physical education which is code for some good oldfashioned child abuse in this instance in the anime this is almost played for laughs and I get the same idea in the manga but when the next panel cuts to Yamagata kaisuke and takayama standing there bloody and Sullen I'm filled with a sense of just how destitute these boys lives really are they got sent to that school because they didn't fit in anywhere else because they didn't have anywhere else to go and rather than make a concerted effort to guide the boys in the right direction the adults in their life make them endure even more brutality and they're made to act grateful for it however the faux gratitude doesn't last that long as once the boys are to safety they stop at top the steps to hurl insults at the gym [Music] teacher after seeing a scene like that it's easy to see why they're so angry and why they resort to dangerous late night escapades just to find some freedom from the lives they find themselves trapped in as the boys Walk The Halls of the school they talk dismissively about the principal's threats treating them as Hollow and inconsequential on their way out the door at the end of the day they confirm their plans to meet at heruka that night at 9:00 in the background of these panels atomo does a lot to give a sense of the type of environment these boys are growing up in throughout the next few we see Snippets of the various threats insults and insinuations of criminal activity happening all around the school grounds I feel like here more so than the in the anime this scene gives so much more context to why these boys act the way that they do we then cut to the Neo Toyo skyline at night the red and white lights of the cars on the freeway below blur together making them look like wires inside the giant mechanical Heart of the City in the city streets we see kids curled up in the gutters and alleys as a man with a hat pulled low over his eyes cast furtive glances around him a young girl approaches him pretending to stare into the window display alongside him that girl is Kay she's a member of the resistance and she's going to be a big player in the rest of the story she tries to ask the man a question but he shushes her instead he questions her about her plan to meet a man named Ryu another member of the resistance she says she's going to be meeting him at heroi at 9:00 the same place the capsule gang plans to meet up and conveniently enough at the same damn time the city gets distinctly shaber as we move closer to Heria the graffiti here absolutely blows the school's graffiti out of the water the walls are so covered they look like they're bleeding as conid walks down the steps he juggles a capsule in his hand like a greaser flipping a coin drug use appears in the anime but it's definitely more prevalent in the manga in fact it's downright rampant in the anime it's more imp than anything the boys are popping pills left and right in the manga though evidence by the way that Yamagata instantly ask of Kan to got that bag on kada cool as he wants to be drops a few pills on the counter like it's nothing and orders a Coke all nonchalant then he leans on the counter like he's a Marboro man or something and asks Yamagata if he's found out where the ambulance took tatsuo yet both of them admit they tried but didn't have any luck in fact the entire crew was has gone to Great Lengths to ask anyone who might know and they can't find a single clue about tatsuo's whereabouts that's when kaisuke says that he thinks Something Fishy is going on especially considering how quickly the cops let them go after the accident all of a sudden the boy's attention is drawn to a man across the bar they lean in to ask the bartender who the strange man is but he only offers up insults instead of answers just then the door slams open and a woman walks in at the sight of which the gang turns into a pack of ravenous dogs clearly not having seen a woman in that seedy location often the woman is Kay who we got introduced to earlier and she sits at a table with the strange man who turns out to be Ryu Rio wastes no time he gets right down to business grilling Kay from the jump asking if the military has found the mysterious boy from the night before yet Kay doesn't think they have but she seems concerned that it's only a matter of time in spite of protests from his friends Kida gets up and barges in on K and ryu's conversation kada tries to spit some game at her but it's clear she's not having it so her and Ryu decide to leave that's when kind bum rushes Ryu for some reason getting his clock absolutely cleaned in the process after dispatching K with a quickness Ryu gets up to run K following him clearly they're in a rush but not so much that Ryu can't take a second to kick an entire group of 15-year-olds down the stairs to prevent them from catching up that doesn't deter the capsule boys though because their egos are wounded so they start trying to track Kay and Ryu down that's when Kay sees it the strange boy from the night before standing in front of a shop window just watching TV number 26 I found him she shouts that's when Ryu comes swooping in the capsule Boy Is Right on his heels when con sees number 26 he instantly starts in on the kid blaming him for tetsuo's injuries and subsequent disappearance and threatening him with Revenge again we get an idea that as bizarre and perverted as his demonstrations of such may be kada really does care for and appreciate tetsuo even though in what I've read of the manga so far I get the sense that neither character is as sympathetic or cut and dry as they appear in the anime but that doesn't stop the dynamic of the characters here as seeming highly fleshed out and true to life when it comes to a friend group like this one as kadaa explains number 26's role in tetsuo's accident to the rest of the guys they start to get their jimmies wrestled about the whole thing right alongside him the whole time Kay just watches from around the corner not stepping in right away to diffuse the situation feeling cornered and threatened number 26 begins to look agitated at the same time strange things begin happening the glass behind him cracks and shatters until it eventually explodes everyone in the area is absolutely terrified at the site but number 26 isn't done yet a top the building above them the foundation around the base of a massive water tank begins to give way at the same time that number 26 begins to dissolve into nothingness once again the water tower rips out of the concrete entirely too confused by the bizarre disappearance of the young boy the capsule boys don't notice a tank falling from the Sky until K warns him thankfully they're all able to get out of the way before it comes crashing down to the ground violently causing a huge explosion right where they had just been standing everyone just stands in shock and horror at what just happened the citizens of the district around them begin to call for help from a helicopter above the street some soldiers see the fire in the distance they call it into dispatch deciding to go in for a closer look as the helicopter flies off we're shown a black luxury sedan where the military's commands are coming from as the driver speculates on the cause of the explosion he makes it known that the military is searching for number 26 the strange child responsible for all the chaos and destruction of the past few nights in the backseat of the limo we see a large man with a mustache and a crew cut smile ominously this is Colonel shikishima neot toyo's military leader and a big player in the events to come he'll soon be it critical the colonel says of number 26 this is again another reference to drug use as the superhumans in this story require specific drugs to survive which does lead to the sense that the drugs hold some type of symbolism but I really don't pick that up from reading the manga so far and my experience with the anime kind of backs that up as I don't think they would have been able to successfully scale back the drug use so much it really did play a large role in the overall mess M of the story I think it's just one of those things maybe atomo thought it was cool anyway at that point the military quickly swoops in and starts controlling the area around the explosion kada and crew keep tabs on them from an alley where they're licking their wounds they take this time to come to grips with the events of the past two nights while trying to figure out number 26's role in the whole thing even though they were there for everything that happened they still find it a little hard to believe that that weird little kid could have caused so much destruction that's when canadaa probably thinking with the wrong head suggests that Kay might know more and he runs off after her again like a manp possessed we then cut to a more secluded area of the city where number 26 huddles behind some wooden crates clearly distressed by the sound of approaching footsteps although he's scared he looks too tired to defend himself at this point sweat drips from his unnaturally wizen brow as he Peaks out from behind the crate ready to accept his fate lucky for him it isn't the military that found him it's R out of breath from chasing the boy throughout the city back at the scene of the explosion kadaa senses something strange is happening as he notices that the military responded to the scene in mass as he scans the crowd trying to figure out what's going on he spots K being the punk that he is he shoves his way through the crowd much to the frustration of those around him he begs for K to wait for him but she runs off again which I mean what does our boy con expect even if she wasn't part of some secret paramilitary operation she would still probably running from his no game having ass at this point let's be honest as he chases after her he stumbles into the alleyway where Ryu and number 26 are Ryu is pleading with 26 trying desperately to convince the boy that there that he's there to help through his please we learned that that the resistance helped number 26 escape from some unknown facility in the first place still 26 isn't fully convinced the only thing that gets him to let his guard down is the realization that the military is nearby that's when as always kind of comes storming in like a bull in a China shot I don't know if I respect his persistence or hate it but at least it's driving the plot forward he's just so obsessed with enacting some Street Justice on number 2 that he keeps putting himself in the clutches of forces he can't quite comprehend but he's undeterred he calls 26 a word I'm not going to repeat because I'm not trying to get kicked off of YouTube but Ryu isn't having any of it he pulls out the strap and basically tells K to mess around and find out and just as kind of as sphincter unclenches a pair of Lights blind him it's the military and they spotted ryu's gun Ryu takes a protective stance in front of 26 and tells Kida to run chapter two Pursuit chapter two picks up exactly where chapter one left off Ryu grabs 26 by the wrist as he attempts to make a break for it but he's already facing fire from the military he attempts to return fire but he's outgunned and outnumbered so he takes cover instead kada on the other hand hops over a wall and tries to dip but he winds up trapped at a dead end one of the soldiers rolls up on him telling him to put up his hands K thinks he's trapped but Kay shows up and brains the soldier K's obviously shook but she doesn't have time for it telling him to come with her if he wants to live Ryu finds his own opening to run and takes it dragging 26 along with him and returning fire simultaneously he leads the military into a shopping center creating even more chaos and confusion in his wake he knocked some housewife's groceries out of her head hands and to her credit she isn't afraid to stand up to him gun or not she threatens to make him pay for what he did to her eggs but that doesn't stop R you he just keeps on running we then cut to Colonel shikishima grumpy as ever he snaps at one of his flunkies for not having secured number 26 yet he's also taken aback by the news that 26 isn't alone sensing that he needs to take things to the next level he makes a decision to call in Masaru both of his flunkies are scared when he gives the Ord but the colonel insists that the mysterious maseru can succeed where 100 men have failed so far we then cut back to kada and Kay fleeing through a grimy Aqueduct they sto to catch their breath just as a group of soldiers crosses a bridge overhead kadaa never want to let a moment pass without being horny tries to strike up small talk asking Kay who the hell her group is Kay finally let some of her frustration out on Canada she demands to know how he's connected to number 26 clearly suspecting him of trying to sabotage the resistance operation she tells Kida that he knows too much so he needs to come with her he goes all Greaser again flipping a capsule in his hand as he smirks and says it'll be his pleasure the focus then shifts back to Ryu as he continues to try and fend off the military he and 26 hide behind a big break he's returning fire at them worn down and exasperated by the Skirmish desperate to find an opening to get 26 across the bridge he yells at 26 to run but the child remains Frozen to the ground beneath him just when Ryu thinks all hope is lost he sees headlights in the distance the yellow truck blasts through the Squadron it then smashes head first into the wall where we see canid is in the driver's seat K slides open the back door and beckons Ryu in six to get in they load up and kind of peels out taking out more soldiers on his way the coast isn't quite clear yet though as it becomes apparent that the soldiers created a road block out of a truck on the other side of the bridge thinking that number 26 is in the yellow truck as it approaches the barricade the soldiers at top the road block begin to shoot the getaway car explodes as it makes contact with the barricade sending the soldiers crashing to the ground in the shadows under the bridge we see Ryu and Canada watching the truck burn in the distance Ryu offers thanks to Canada for getting him out of the situation not wanting to slow down for long Ryu beckons everyone to get moving K stops him though she points to number 26 he's wrenched over on the pavement rising in pain as he screams in agony his powers begin to go Haywire sending fissures through the entire concrete structure that surrounds them Kida begins to panic believing the tunnel will collapse on top of them Kay accuses 26 of causing it before he can respond to her however Masaru finally appears 26 can instantly sense his presence and his eyes widen and shock when he does Masaru floats above the murky water in an egg-shaped penquin Ryu reies to fire but he stops when he hears Masaru call out the name tekashi which shocks Kay and Reed at the same time the effects of 26's powers begin to subside I've come to get you back maseru says to 26 we're not like the others we can't live outside come with me come home he says 26 looks up from where he's slumped on the ground clearly in agony he begs maseru to give him a pill before masu can even reply Ryu grabs him by the collar and demands to know if tekashi is really his name which it is but if that's true then you're not Akira Ryu asks clearly distraught at the realization all this time he put his neck on the line because he thought he had a Kira and he didn't just then the colonel shows up on the scene shocked to hear that the resistance learned of The Secret of Akira his soldiers show up hot on his heels guns drawn with no options left Ryu makes to shoot the colonel taunts him for how futile an act his resistance in this moment is at the same time 26 continues to plead for a pill likely fearing for his life at this point the colonel continues to taunt the socalled resistance thanking them for demonstrating the flaws and the military security that needed to be sh it up all the while Ryu just grits his teeth clearly at a loss for what to do to escape kadaa has an idea though he kicks 26 down into the gutter and points a gun at the boy's head free suckers he yells threatening to fire the colonel tries to call his bluff but kanada is inhabitant he knows 26 is important to the military even if he hasn't quite figured out why yet the colonel tries to sik Masaru on them but maseru is too concerned for 26's well-being to act instead he pleads with the colonel to let him give 26 one of those special pills but the colonel refuses Kida then doubles down on his threat calling masaru's attention to the gun pointed at 26's head that's when 26's Powers flare again causing an explosion nearby kanada yells at him to stop but he swears that he can't help himself feeling like like there's no other option count of a pistol whips 26 in an attempt to prevent another explosion but it has the opposite effect a massive shock wave of telekinetic power rips through the canal system sending massive slabs of concrete cascading over the crowd of military in the area this is absolutely gruesome on the page as we see the Torrance of blood pouring from bodies that are exploding under the weight of the massive landside K Ryu and however are unscathed maseru takes the confusion and chaos to his Advantage by throwing a pill to the utterly desperate number 26 but kanada manages to intercept the pill holding it hostage in an attempt to bait 26 into following him but they don't Bight he runs off as we see more soldiers falling victim to the crumbling landscape Kay almost Falls to her death as well but Ryu manages to save her in the heart of of the devastation number 26 in Masaru rest on a floating slab of concrete we see the military as they try to establish order then we see the colonel approach Masaru in a nearly dead 26 he absolutely loses his [ __ ] when he learns that maseru let Canada escape with a capsule of the special drug we then cut off to a far off Alleyway where we see Canada soaked and exhausted lamenting the mess he got himself into as he makes his way home we then fast forward to the 8th District vocational school during the day tetuo heavily bandaged and grumpy looking Stomps past a hungover student on his way into the school in a lecture hall a teacher screams at the students about a newspaper article the headline shows that a week has passed since the incident in the canal and the repairs still haven't finished rather than take the teacher seriously Yamagata starts arguing with him over the legitimacy of betting on horse races while all this is going on kind being the Ruffian that he is has a capsule from the other night broken open on his desk he inspects the granules from the pill with his pencil as the others complain that he's not sharing this mystery drug with them suddenly struck with a bright idea Kida removes himself from the class and heads to the infirmary the second he enters he plants a big kiss on the nurse who seems into it which I guess maybe Canada does have some game after all this chick is even risking her job by supplying him with pills so you know but at this moment kanada isn't there to pick up pills he wants the nurse to analyze the contents of the mystery capsule for him we then have this really awkward moment where the nurse confesses that she thinks she's pregnant and cond basically doesn't acknowledge it at all I assume it's his kid based on the context but he doesn't seemed phased by the news whatsoever instead he runs from the room when he hears the news that tetsu's returned he tells the embarrassed nurse he'll be back later for the usual goodies and make sure to remind her to analyze the unknown substance clearly this kid's a dog when he returns to the lecture hall all of the students are crowded around tetsuo everyone's so pumped that he's back that they decide to throw a party rather than let him get back to the hospital at the designated time cut to outside the school the capsule gang are on their bikes waiting for Canada again we see how crucial a role drugs playing the manga as they complain about not being able to party without them back inside the infirmary K holds a fat bag of capsules up in front of the nurse's face she's pouring over the results of the content analysis on the mystery drug apparently it contained elements that defied analysis on the infirmary's equipment she tells Canada that the mystery pill would surely be fatal to anyone who takes it she also mentions that the drug is closely controlled and that the public doesn't have access to it she ask Kid what he thinks the pill is and he says he thinks it's a sedative for a monster we then cut to the gang popping non-monster sedative pills as they prepare to ride out on their bikes even tetso pops a pill despite clearly still not being 100% the gang then hauls ass off campus the scene then shifts to the illuminated facade of an office building in the late night neotokyo skyline Colonel shikishima stares out the window as a disheveled old man reads A Brief about tetsuo allowed to him the doctor describes tetsuo's role in the events of the last week also filling in some gaps in the reader's knowledge since tetuo was involved in the crash with number 26 they brought him into the military facility to undergo testing when they hooked him up to the EEG they picked up patterns they have never witness before the colonel asks his age before asking what the chances are of him quote unquote developing at his age the doctor confirms that there is a chance as a subject once awakened at 18 years old this has intentionally left vague but if you've seen the anime you likely already know what they're referring to as they're discussing Teto they realize he's overdue for his appointment so they decide to send a team to go find it we then cut down to the city streets where we see the capsule gang back on their [ __ ] they're whipping through the middle of the crowded streets causing a huge traffic jam it just so happens that the Colonel's men who are stuck in that traffic jam are the same ones tasked with capturing tetsuo yes sir I I understand get him back the soldier says so that's it the first two chapters of Akira are in the books although this covers a lot of the same material as the anime so far it's interesting to see the different ways in which atomo employed the characters and settings so far even though the manga is moving at a break neck Pace it's well outstripped by the anime in terms of how much of the world and backstory have been introduced overall at this point but at the same time we got some real great context early on here I especially appreciated the way the manga forced me to take a closer look at the boys lives early on in the story the same thing happens in the anime to some extent but it comes much later in the story in the form of flashbacks with Kida and tatsuo's history together all in all this was really fun to put together I genuinely had so much fun it was awesome so I really hope you like it if you do please show your appreciation by hitting the like And subscribe buttons If you're excited for part two of the series turn on notifications so you don't miss it when it drops I already started the script so it shouldn't be too long of a [Music] wait

Channel: BoyMeetsTV

Views: 2,620

Keywords: akira, seinen, nostalgia, howlin', boymeetstv, boy meets tv

Id: 1Id4xgyDzq8

Length: 40min 18sec (2418 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 23 2023