Akira 1989

As the scorching summer sun sets on July 16, 1988, a devastating atomic bomb ravages Tokyo, leaving behind a desolate wasteland. Thirty-one years have passed since the devastation of World War III in 2019, and Neo-Tokyo has risen from the ashes, its crumbling infrastructure a testament to the harsh realities of a world beset by violence and despair. In a dingy, rundown bar, the bartender (Yôsuke Akimoto) peddles his wares to a desperate customer, the TV broadcasting the day’s dire news as the sound of unrest echoes through the streets. Unemployment is rampant, the economy in shambles, and tensions are simmering just below the surface.

Meanwhile, a young man clad in a fiery red biker suit (Kaneda - Mitsuo Iwata, English: Cam Clarke) enters the bar, gathering his loyal entourage from a back room. With a reckless bravado, he announces their intention to confront the Clowns, a rival bike gang, on Route 5. As the Capsules biker gang readies for battle, a callow youth, Tetsuo (Nozomu Sasaki, English: Jan Rabson), stands awestruck before a gleaming red motorcycle with advanced technical features. Kaneda, ever the condescending leader, mocks Tetsuo’s aspirations to operate the bike, dismissing him as unworthy.

As the night wears on, the bosozoku gang takes to the streets, their engines roaring as they converge with the Clowns at the designated meeting spot. The ensuing battle sends both gangs careening through the skyscraper district, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Bystanders watch in horror as nearby cars are bombed and damaged, the violence escalating until Tetsuo is left alone, defeated, and vulnerable to the arriving police.

In a separate thread of chaos, a wounded man stumbles through the darkened streets, his bloody form accompanied by a diminutive, green-skinned companion. The pair flees from pursuing dogs, the man finally succumbing to his injuries as the police close in on the protesters gathered nearby. Amidst the bedlam, Kei (Mami Koyama, English: Lara Cody), a young woman with a keen spirit, is separated from her mustachioed companion as the crowd scrambles for safety.

As the dust settles on this tumultuous night, the stage is set for a drama of epic proportions, one that will pit the Capsules against their arch-nemesis, the Clowns, and plunge Neo-Tokyo into a maelstrom of violence and desperation.

As Kaneda’s ragtag group of friends relentlessly pursues the Clowns, Tetsuo takes matters into his own hands and sets out on a solo mission to apprehend one particularly elusive Clown. His determination leads him to a chaotic street scene where police are struggling to contain rioters with water cannons and tear gas. Undeterred by the mayhem around him, Tetsuo zeroes in on his target - a Clown sporting a striking red cross emblem - and delivers a brutal blow to the downed rider’s head. As he looks up, he finds himself face-to-face with an enigmatic green figure standing firmly in his path. A burst of energy and a deafening explosion ensue, leaving Tetsuo stumbling semi-conscious in the street.

Meanwhile, Kaneda and their gang arrive on the scene to find Tetsuo’s motionless form amidst the wreckage. The green apparition disappears into the shadows, but not before beckoning its companion - another identical green-skinned figure floating effortlessly above the ground in a hovering chair. This eerie duo exchanges words in a childlike tone, with one urging the other to return and reiterating the ominous phrase: “there is no escape.” Just as tensions are escalating, a helicopter bearing an armed paramilitary group descends into the square, forcing Kaneda’s gang to their knees.

As the situation spirals out of control, Colonel Shikishima (Tarô Ishida, English: Tony Pope) emerges from the helicopter, his imposing figure commanding attention. With a jarhead haircut and an air of authority, he orders Tetsuo whisked away to the hospital while Kaneda and their companions are taken into custody. Before departing, Colonel Shikishima leaves behind a trail of unease as the two green figures vanish into the darkness, their unsettling presence lingering like a harbinger of chaos to come.

At the police station, Kaneda and his cohorts are subjected to a grueling interrogation, maintaining a façade of innocence as they attempt to deflect suspicion. Eight injured members of the Clowns gang have been hospitalized, but their alibi holds up to scrutiny: they claim to have been visiting the dying mother of one of their own, only to be ambushed by the very clowns they’re accused of attacking. The authorities deem their story plausible and release them from custody, with Kaneda using this opportunity to spring his friend Kei into freedom as well. Little does he know, she’s a member of a radical terrorist organization, who teases him for his attempted flirtation before making her escape. As the situation unfolds, an unexpected explosion rocks the police station, leaving chaos in its wake.

Meanwhile, Tetsuo lies hospitalized under close observation by Doctor Onishi (Mizuho Suzuki), whose initial assessment belies a sinister discovery. News of this alarming finding prompts Shikishima to interrupt a high-level meeting with a politician, where they’re discussing a potential mole within the Executive Council. Upon arriving at the hospital, Shikishima is briefed by Onishi on Tetsuo’s extraordinary abilities, eerily reminiscent of those exhibited by the two green children responsible for the devastating nuclear-like destruction of Tokyo 31 years prior. Project Akira was born from a secret government initiative gone awry, involving an underground terrorist group and a catastrophic error in growth patterns. Onishi posits that Tetsuo holds the key to resolving this enigma, but Shikishima is consumed by concerns over the potential consequences of Tetsuo’s powers. Following a prophetic vision from esper Kiyoko (Fukue Itô), he instructs Onishi to eliminate Tetsuo if his abilities threaten to spiral out of control.

As Tetsuo’s restraints are released, he bursts forth from the hospital confines like a force unleashed, making a beeline for the Capsules’ hideout - an abandoned, dilapidated structure that had been transformed into a haven for the gang. The air was thick with revelry as the group’s members and their girlfriends laughed and commiserated over the unexpected collaboration between the police and military forces they’d encountered earlier in the night. Amidst this merriment, Kaori (Yuriko Fuchizaki, English: Michelle Ruff), a shy and anxious young woman, voiced her worries about Tetsuo’s well-being to her companions. Her concerns were abruptly interrupted by his arrival, as he proposed that they flee together. With Kaneda’s prized bike as their getaway vehicle, the unlikely pair rode off into the night, leaving behind a group of Capsules who had witnessed Tetsuo’s sudden departure.

The cycle’s pace eventually faltered, and Tetsuo and Kaori found themselves face to face with three menacing Clowns. These rowdy interlopers menaced Kaori and threatened to incinerate the bike, prompting Kaneda and his cohorts to rush to their aid. The ensuing battle saw Tetsuo engage the Clowns with unbridled ferocity, his ire fueled by a deep-seated resentment at needing to be rescued. As he brutally kicked one of his fallen foes, his physical distress reached new heights in the form of a searing migraine. His perception warped, and he became convinced that his internal organs had tumbled from his lower torso, accompanied by an eerie whisper - ‘Akira’. The cacophony was interrupted by the arrival of a heavily armed team from the CRC, who swiftly apprehended Tetsuo and whisked him back to the hospital. As the gang watched on in bewilderment, Kaneda and his companions were left to ponder the mystery that surrounded their friend’s sudden and enigmatic disappearance.

As chaos erupts in the streets, an explosion rocks the cityscape, sending police officers scrambling to contain the violence. Kaneda, drawn to the mayhem like a magnet, spots Kei fleeing from the scene with Ryu, her mustachioed companion. With a sense of urgency, he gives chase as flashlights illuminate their desperate bid for freedom. In the midst of this pandemonium, a cop falls, and Kaneda seizes the opportunity to assist Kei in her escape. Their flight ends at the resistance headquarters, where Kei frantically searches for Ryu, while Kaneda, oblivious to the larger context, urges her to surrender for killing an officer. However, just as they arrive, Ryu and his cohorts burst in, mistakenly believing Kaneda is a spy, and lock him away.

As Kaneda languishes in his makeshift prison cell, he discovers that the resistance has been planning to kidnap the first green esper child, Takashi, but their attempt was thwarted. Ryu proposes a new scheme: infiltrating a government facility to uncover secrets about Tetsuo, who is rumored to be the latest subject of experimentation. Kaneda tries to reason with his captors, explaining that he and Tetsuo are old friends from the same gang, and he can provide crucial insight. Ryu seeks guidance from Nezu, an elderly sage, who speaks of Akira as a beacon of hope and change amidst the city’s burning streets.

Meanwhile, Tetsuo experiences a sudden onset of vivid flashbacks, which morph into a surreal nightmare. Colonel Shikishima pays a visit to Kiyoko, a frail green-skinned esper girl, who bears an ominous tattoo on her palm. As he leaves her bedside, she issues a cryptic warning that sends shivers down his spine.

Shikishima then attends a meeting with the Supreme Executive Council, where he is met with resistance and hostility as he demands further funding for his project. His frustration boils over, and he storms out of the meeting, leaving Nezu to revel in his distress. Little does Shikishima know that his actions will have far-reaching consequences, setting into motion a chain reaction that will shake the very foundations of their world.

As Tetsuo lay in his hospital room within the government facility, a surreal landscape of childhood innocence unfolded before him - a toy rabbit, teddy bear, toy car, and milk all materialized, accompanied by the eerie presence of Takashi, Kiyoko, and Masaru. Confusion turned to chaos as Tetsuo’s curiosity got the better of him, leading him to step out onto the glass wall and cut his foot. The esper children, startled by the sight of blood, fled in terror, their initial intention to kill Tetsuo forgotten in the face of fear.

Meanwhile, a parallel drama was unfolding outside the hospital walls. The Resistance group, disguised as electrical workers, had managed to infiltrate the facility through the sewers. However, their covert operation was quickly compromised by the appearance of soldiers, leading to a violent shootout that left chaos and destruction in its wake. Amidst the mayhem, Kaneda seized control of a flying platform, escaping with Kei by his side, only to be subsequently detained by the authorities.

As the dust settled, Kiyoko used Kei as a medium, channeling her energy to guide the pair to a government nursery where Tetsuo lay recovering. It was there that Kaneda confronted Tetsuo, urging him to abandon his destructive path and join forces with the Resistance. But Tetsuo refused, his newfound powers fueling an insatiable hunger for answers - specifically, what lay at the heart of Akira’s mysteries. With his abilities now unmatched by those of the esper children, Tetsuo escaped custody, taking flight on a trajectory that would lead him straight to the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Stadium and the secrets hidden beneath its surface.

As news of Tetsuo’s rampage spread, Colonel Shikishima responded with swift martial law, plunging the city into an unprecedented state of emergency. In his wake, Tetsuo left a trail of devastation, stopping only when he arrived at the bar where it all began - still clad in his hospital gown and radiating an aura of menace. The bartender lay lifeless, a victim of Tetsuo’s unchecked fury, as Yamagata and Kai stumbled into the wreckage, their faces twisted in horror. As they approached Tetsuo, who sat amidst the ruins, laughing maniacally, it became clear that this was not the Tetsuo they once knew - or at least, not the one they thought they did.

As Kei languishes once more in solitary confinement, Kiyoko seizes the opportunity to utilize her pawn’s vocal cords to convey a crucial warning to Kaneda. The timely intervention serves as a stark reminder of Tetsuo’s burgeoning omnipotence, and the cell door swings open to release the duo from their confinement. Meanwhile, a government official arrives at the scene, seeking to apprehend Shikishima, but the Colonel’s loyalists remain steadfast in their allegiance, precipitating a coup d’etat that sees the Colonel mobilize his men to converge on the stadium. Unbeknownst to Nezu, the government mole, this development serves as a harbinger of doom for his own fate.

As events unfold, Nezu listens intently from the safety of his home as Ryu brings word of the mission’s failure to apprehend Tetsuo. Seething with frustration, Nezu dispatches his staff before turning his attention to Ryu, whose subsequent arrival only serves to seal his own demise. The government mole flees the scene, burdened by a briefcase overflowing with ill-gotten gains; however, his newfound wealth is short-lived, as fate conspires against him in the form of an untimely heart attack that claims his life in a deserted alleyway.

As Kei finds himself reunited with Kaneda and Kai at a murky urban waterway, the latter shares the shocking news of Yamagata’s demise at Tetsuo’s hands. Fueled by a burning desire for retribution, Kaneda vows to exact vengeance upon his former friend. The arrival of Takashi and Kiyoko serves as a turning point in Kei’s journey, as he is beckoned across the water’s surface before vanishing into the unknown. Kiyoko then imparts crucial information to Kaneda and Kai, cautioning that Tetsuo’s powers are growing increasingly unpredictable, and that they must act swiftly to halt his descent into chaos.

Kaneda’s response is a testament to his unyielding sense of responsibility: he asserts that Tetsuo remains his friend, and that it is his duty to find a means of defeating and vanquishing the menace that has ravaged their world.

As Tetsuo charges towards the stadium, a trail of destruction and death follows in his wake. Kei, possessed once more by Kiyoko’s spirit, futilely attempts to intervene, but is effortlessly brushed aside like an insignificant obstacle. With Akira’s cryonic chamber exhumed from its subterranean resting place, Tetsuo’s probing reveals only dismembered remnants, a grim reminder of the boy’s unfortunate demise. Kaneda, equipped with a revolutionary laser cannon, bursts onto the scene, determined to put a stop to Tetsuo’s rampage. The two engage in a frenzied battle, punctuated by Shikishima’s unexpected intervention via an orbital weapon known as SOL. As the beam cleaves through the air, it severs Tetsuo’s right arm, sending him reeling in pain and fury.

Tetsuo takes to the skies, his rage-fueled powers propelling him towards the heavens, where he wrestles the SOL system from orbit, causing it to disintegrate amidst the atmospheric chaos. Upon his return to the stadium, Kaori arrives just as Tetsuo is convulsing in agony, his body wracked by the intense energies coursing through him. In a moment of desperation, Tetsuo fashions an artificial arm from the remnants of Akira’s cryonic chamber, the appendage pulsating with a strange, otherworldly vitality.

Shikishima arrives on the scene, attempting to reason with Tetsuo about his deteriorating condition, warning him that the mind-controlling drugs administered by the espers were meant to curb his powers, not accelerate their evolution. However, his words fall on deaf ears, as Tetsuo attacks Shikishima without hesitation.

The three espers – Kei, Kiyoko, and Shikishima – converge at the stadium, seemingly intent on communicating with Akira’s disembodied essence contained within the cryonic canisters. As they attempt to connect with the boy, Tetsuo’s body begins to undergo a grotesque transformation: his arm morphs into a quivering, amoeba-like mass that attempts to engulf Colonel Shikishima. Kaneda intervenes, unleashing a barrage of gunfire that causes the blob to recede, but Tetsuo’s entire form soon swells into a protoplasmic mutation, crushing Kaori beneath its crushing weight.

In the aftermath, as the espers awaken Akira in his spectral, childlike form, Tetsuo’s body continues to mutate, absorbing the energy released by the boy’s presence. The cityscape around them erupts into a blinding, apocalyptic explosion, drawing Kaneda and the three espers into its maelstrom. As they follow Tetsuo into the heart of the energy sphere, it becomes clear that their salvation – or demise – hangs precariously in the balance.

As Kaneda is suddenly thrust into the collective psyche of Tetsuo and Akira, the veil of their childhood memories lifts, revealing the deep bond between Tetsuo and Kaneda. The three esper children, once innocent and unaware, are now subjects in a sinister experiment that foreshadows Tokyo’s impending doom. As the city teeters on the brink of destruction, Tetsuo is warned by his fellow espers that Akira is sending him away - to a safe haven, where Kaneda’s presence will no longer be a threat. But just as Kaneda is ejected from the sphere, it explodes with cataclysmic force, leaving a gaping crater in its wake and unleashing a torrent of water into the devastated cityscape.

The aftermath is marked by chaos and devastation: Doctor Onishi meets his untimely demise as his laboratory crumbles beneath the weight of destruction. Amidst the ruins, Kaneda awakens to find Kei and Kai by his side, and together they flee on their damaged bikes, seeking refuge from the rubble-strewn streets.

Meanwhile, Colonel Shikishima emerges from the shadows, his eyes fixed on the desolate landscape as the sun rises over the smoldering remains of Neo-Tokyo. The once-vibrant city lies in tatters, a testament to the destructive power that has been unleashed.

In a distant corner of the universe, a profound ‘bang’ echoes through the void, heralding the emergence of a new reality. A voice booms forth, “I am Tetsuo,” as the protagonist’s powers reach their zenith, birthing a fresh cosmos in his wake.