Akira is a cyberpunk serial manga by Katsuhiro Otomo. An identically titled anime film adaptation was released in 1988 (see Akira (film)).
The manga takes place in a vastly larger timeframe than the movie and involves a far wider array of characters and subplots. Through the breadth of the work, Otomo explicates themes of social isolation, corruption and power.
Otomo's Akira projects -- the manga and its film adaptation --
marked his transition from a career primarily in the creation and/or
design of printed manga to one almost exclusively in the creation,
direction and/or design of anime motion pictures and television.
Akira boasts a vast cast of characters in its 2,000+ page storyline, including:
- Shotaro Kaneda -- a teenage deliquent and the leader of a motorycle gang (known as The Capsules, but this is not evident in the manga). Kaneda's gang includes his best friend Tetsuo Shima, his aide-de-camp Yamagata, and their pal Kaisuke.
Kaneda's close friendship with Tetsuo drastically changes over the
course of the story as Tetsuo begins to display his immense psychic
powers and thus becomes increasingly emotionally unstable. Kaneda is
the main protagonist of Akira.
- Tetsuo Shima
-- Kaneda's best friend and a member of Kaneda's gang. He is involved
in an accident at a very beginning of the story, caused by a psychic
test subject, Takashi, in self-defense. The accident, as well as
Tetsuo's use of amphetamines,
contribute to the birth and immense growth of Tetsuo's psychic powers.
Over the course of the story, Tetsuo's powers become more godlike, but
his inferiority complex
and the instability of his mind, coupled with the evil acts Tetsuo
commits, causes his friendship with Kaneda to shatter, making them
bitter enemies. After being inducted into the secret project, Tetsuo is
designated "Number 41." Tetsuo is the main antagonist of Akira.
- Kei -- a member of a terrorist
resistance movement led by the government mole Nezu, Kei is supposedly
the sister of fellow resistance fighter Ryu, though it is implied that
this is not really the case. Kei and Kaneda do not get along when they
first meet, and Kei at first seems to view Kaneda in comtempt. Later in
the story, however, the two become increasingly attracted to each other.
- Colonel Shikishima -- never explicitly identified as such and instead addressed simply as The Colonel, he is the head of the secret government project (dubbed by some in the story as The Akira Project) conducting research on psychic test subjects, including the Esper children, Tetsuo, and formerly Akira. Sporting a crew cut
and a remarkable build, the Colonel at first appears to be an
antagonist early in the story, though he is really an honorable man who
intends to save Neo-Tokyo from any second onslaught of Akira, as well
as the arrogant government bureaucrats who ignore him when he tries to warn them of Akira's second awakening. He is usually referred to by Kaneda as "The Skinhead."
- The Espers
-- three children who are test subjects for the secret project. The
children have normal bodies but have an unusual appearance because
their bodies and faces have wizened with age, either because of their
powers or because of the battery of tests done on them. They are former
acquaintances of Akira, and survived his destruction of Tokyo. The
Espers include:
- Kiyoko -- designated "Number 25", Kiyoko is an Esper who is physically so weak she is confined to a bed. She has the ability to use teleportation and precognition.
- Takashi -- designated "Number 26",
Takashi is the first Esper to be introduced when he causes Tetsuo's
accident in self-defense. He has the power to use psychokinesis.
- Masaru -- designated "Number 27", Masaru is physically confined either to a wheelchair or a special floating chair. He has the power to use psychokinesis.
- Akira -- the character for whom the story is named. Designated "Number 28",
Akira has immense, almost godlike, psychic powers, although from
outward appearances he looks like a small, normal child. He is
responsible for the destruction of Tokyo and the beginning of World War
III, though this was probably unintentional on his part. After the war,
he was put in a cryogenic chamber not far from the Heart of Destruction (the crater left by Akira's onslaught) and the future site of the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Games. When he first appears, we see that Akira hasn't aged in the decades he was kept frozen.
- Yamagata -- a member of Kaneda's biker gang, who serves as Kaneda's right-hand-man. He is killed in the first volume by Tetsuo.
- Kaisuke -- sometimes known simply as Kai,
he is another high-ranking member of Kaneda's gang. He doesn't play a
major role at first, but becomes more prominent later in the story.
- Joker -- the former leader of the Clown gang, a motorcycle gang made up of junkies and drug addicts. Joker plays a small role in the beginning, but becomes more prominent much later in the story.
- Nezu -- a parliament
member who is also the leader of the terrorist resistance movement
against the government. He seems to be the mentor of Kei and Ryu, and
purports to be saving the nation from the corrupt and ineffective
bureaucrats in power. It soon becomes evident, however, that Nezu is
just as corrupt, and that all he seeks to do is to seize power for
himself. The surname, "Nezu," is reminiscent of the Japanese word, "nezumi," meaning "mouse" or "rat."[2]
- Ryu -- a comrade of Kei's in the resistance movement, he
claims to be Kei's brother, but it is implied that this is not the
case. As the story progresses, Ryu abandons his terrorist roots and
becomes more heroic, but battles with alcoholism.
- Chiyoko -- claiming to be Kei's aunt, she is a tough,
heavyset woman who is involved in the resistance and eventually becomes
a key supporting character.
- The Doctor -- sometimes known in other media as Doctor Onishi, he is the head scientist of the secret psychic research project who also serves as Colonel Shikishima's scientific advisor.
- Lady Miyako -- a former test subject known as "Number 19",
she is the high priestess of a temple in Neo-Tokyo, and a major ally of
Kaneda and Kei as the story progresses. She is also an initial ally of
Nezu.
- Kaori -- a young girl late in the story who is recruited as one of Tetsuo's sex slaves and later becomes an object of his sincere affections. She also serves as Akira's babysitter.
- Tetsuo's Aide -- known only by this title, he is a fanatical devotee of Tetsuo who serves him as his aide-de-camp late in the story.
- George Yamada -- an American soldier who is sent on a top secret mission in Neo-Tokyo in the latter-half of the story.
- Project "Juvenile A" -- a team of scientists who are
appointed to investigate psychic events in Neo-Tokyo in the latter-half
of the story. Project members include Dr. Dubrovsky, Dr. Simmons, Dr. Jorris, Dr. Hock, Professor Bernardi, and Karma Tangi.