Regisseur: Katsuhiro Ôtomo
Studio: Laser Paradise/DVD
Genre: Action, Thriller & Horror
Erscheinungsdatum: 2001 Darsteller: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama
FSK: Unrated
Zusammenfassung: Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira" is often described as the movie that created a mass audience for Japanese animation in America. "Akira" looks better now in this remastered DVD than it did on its original release: dust, dirt, and scratches have been digitally removed and the color has been rebalanced. It also makes more sense in a new translation. The ending still leaves many questions unanswered (which is not unusual in anime), but the convoluted plot is easier to follow than it was in the initial English version. Pioneer has included numerous special features in this two-disc set, some more special than others. "Capsule mode" offers brief explanations of some details and translations of signs in Japanese during the feature. "The Akira Production Report," an old Japanese making-of film, comprises interviews with staff members who explain the basic animation process (the footage of artists inking and painting cels by hand looks almost comically dated). "Restoration" provides a behind-the-scenes look at the people who prepared the remastered version, but it's pretty superficial. "Production Materials" contains more than 4,500 still images: storyboards, early character designs, background art, etc. There's also an interview with Otomo and an assortment of trailers. This "Akira" is the definitive version of a landmark film in the history of Japanese animation and anime fandom: it's a must-have not just for "otaku", but for anyone interested in the medium. "--Charles Solomon"
Studio: Laser Paradise/DVD
Genre: Action, Thriller & Horror
Erscheinungsdatum: 2001 Darsteller: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama
FSK: Unrated
Zusammenfassung: Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira" is often described as the movie that created a mass audience for Japanese animation in America. "Akira" looks better now in this remastered DVD than it did on its original release: dust, dirt, and scratches have been digitally removed and the color has been rebalanced. It also makes more sense in a new translation. The ending still leaves many questions unanswered (which is not unusual in anime), but the convoluted plot is easier to follow than it was in the initial English version. Pioneer has included numerous special features in this two-disc set, some more special than others. "Capsule mode" offers brief explanations of some details and translations of signs in Japanese during the feature. "The Akira Production Report," an old Japanese making-of film, comprises interviews with staff members who explain the basic animation process (the footage of artists inking and painting cels by hand looks almost comically dated). "Restoration" provides a behind-the-scenes look at the people who prepared the remastered version, but it's pretty superficial. "Production Materials" contains more than 4,500 still images: storyboards, early character designs, background art, etc. There's also an interview with Otomo and an assortment of trailers. This "Akira" is the definitive version of a landmark film in the history of Japanese animation and anime fandom: it's a must-have not just for "otaku", but for anyone interested in the medium. "--Charles Solomon"