Akira: Book 6
No. 6 in the Akira series
by Katsuhiro Otomo
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Dark Horse Manga (Milwaukie, Oregon): March 2002. Trade paperback: 411 pages. ISBN-10: 1-56971-528-9 Suggested retail price: $24.95 (US) Tags: drugs; gangs; Graphic Novel; guns; Japan; made into movie; Manga; motorcycles; Tokyo Tactical strength: [8/10] |
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In Book 6, Katsuhiro Otomo wraps up his enormous storyline. From the start, all parties seem intent on destroying Tetsuo: Kaneda and Keisuke, the Colonel, the U.S. military, Lady Miyako, and even Tetsuo's own aide.
Kaneda seems to have some special ability to assault Tetsuo. Perhaps Tetsuo holds back from killing his friend, or perhaps Kaneda's disappearance into the ether in earlier volumes has empowered him in some special way, since only Kaneda ever lands a fist on Tetsuo. In addition to Kaneda's physical attacks, both the Colonel and the U.S. military fire their solar lasers at Tetsuo. In retribution, Tetsuo takes the U.S. satellite out of orbit and throws it directly onto the U.S. flagship. When Tetsuo returns, he finds that his aide has killed Kaori, and by some instinct, Tetsuo takes her body back to ground zero and the secret underground base. Akira seems drawn to the same location, and Kaneda, Chiyoko, and Ryu follow Akira underground.
Each time a large energy weapon hits Tetsuo, he loses control of his physical form. As Tetsuo loses control, his energy resonates with Akira's who starts singing. Tetsuo's expanding body absorbs Kaneda, even as Tetsuo begs Kaneda for help. Tetsuo looks like a giant baby, and is drawn toward Miyako "like a moth searching the darkness for a flame." Miyako wants to "Feed [Tetsuo's] anger! Force his power to its apex." Miyako seems to have some other goal than Tetsuo's destruction, but even at the end, her purposes don't seem entirely clear.
As Akira continues to sing and get more and more agitated, Ryu panics and shoots Akira. Akira apparently dies and reunites in spirit with all his childhood friends from the Army project. Kei uses the Japanese solar laser to attack Tetsuo, which triggers another Akira like explosion that Akira -- seemingly ascending into heaven -- absorbs.
Kaneda -- still inside Tetsuo -- then has a shared experience with Tetsuo's memories. Kei and Kaneda escape from the Akira-Tetsuo energy. Kaneda perpetuates Akira's Great Tokyo Empire and rousts US relief forces. Kei and Kaneda literally ride off into the sunset, and they see their friends Yamagata and Tetsuo as spirit riders along side.
Otomo seems to focus on two major themes throughout Akira: first, that human beings seem on the verge of a radical evolutionary step, and second, that friendship has a uniting power that rivals the explosive forces of the big bang. The major plot of Akira shows the disastrous effects as the Tokyo government tries to accelerate the evolutionary step in human beings. But, in several places, Otomo implies that the power itself has intention. At one point, Miyako says that Akira operates as a pure agent of the power without direction from his own personality. Only in death does Akira seem to take on human characteristics. So the power seems to want humans to evolve as a means of perpetuating its own existence.
The friendship between Kaneda and Tetsuo also seems to have its own power. When Tetsuo loses control of his body, he calls for his friend to help him. Also, only Kaneda seems to have any effect when attacking Tetsuo. Tetsuo takes bullets, laser blasts, and missile fire without any effect, but Kaneda lands a punch to Tetsou's jaw that sends Tetsuo flying. One sentiment that I like from the Akira movie comes when Kaneda says, "If someone has to kill Tetsuo, is should be us [his friends]." Otomo seems to imply that friendship creates such a powerful bond, that even the most powerful forces in the universe cannot break that bond. Also, friendship seems to transcend into the spirit world. Akira reunites with his childhood friends. Tetsuo sees Kaori's spirit. Tetsuo and Yamagata appear in the final scenes as Kaneda rides his motorcycle down the nearly destroyed highways of the new Great Tokyo Empire.
In this an one or two other volumes, you see some problems with the right-to-left reading conversion. For some reason, Dark Horse elected not to reverse some of the full page illustrations. The illustrations still look good, but this makes Tetsuo's bad arm switch from his left to his right and back again. Just a small distraction the detail-oriented reader might experience.
Otomo has created an incredible, compelling story that to me defines great manga and provides the epitome of the art form so far. Most other graphic novels -- of any genre -- don't have the depth or characterization that Otomo has captured in this lengthy work.
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Akira directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
