Episode 55 - Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo

38 years after World War 3 on the streets of Neo Tokyo, a biker gang led by the charismatic Shotaro Kaneda finds itself embroiled in the fate of the world after one of it’s members, Tetsuo Shima has his psychic powers awakened in an accident caused by a chance encounter with a physic child.

To save his childhood friend, Kaneda must become more than a simple street punk and enters a world filled with revolutionaries, government cover-ups and the same psychic beings that started this chain of events. All the while, the city seems to hum with the whisper of one, mysterious name: Akira.

This week, Mat and comic creator Ian Sta. Maria dive into Katsuhiro Otomo's legendary manga. Often called one of the greatest comics ever made, we explore what makes Akira so compelling—its art, pacing, and storytelling—while asking whether new readers can enjoy it on its own merits, separate from its massive cultural impact.

Show Notes:

'The Abridged Akira'

Naoki Urasawa and Hisashi Eguchi talk Otomo (Manga Brog)

Otomo interview on Akira

Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!

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Episode 55 - Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo

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