5 Most Recommended Anime Movies Similar to Akira
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Akira, written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, is one of the most famous manga and anime movies for not only manga and anime fans but also international animation fans and film lovers all over the world. Both the original manga and anime movie adaption of Akira are highly esteemed worldwide.
If you love the anime movie Akira, you want to know some recommendations in which you can enjoy the Akira-like world. Here is the list of the best anime movies like Akira. Of course, you can enjoy watching them with English subtitles or dubs.
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About Akira
Akira, categorized as science fiction and cyberpunk, is a manga serialized on Weekly Young Magazine between 1982 and 1990. It was written by the famous manga artist and anime director Katsuhiro Otomo, who has contributed a lot for Japanese anime to get much more popular all over the globe.
There are 6 volumes with 120 episodes in the manga series totally, and the story until the middle of the third volume was adapted into an anime movie in 1988. The end of the story in the anime movie is different from that in the original manga.
It has been announced that Akira will be made into a Hollywood live-action movie by Warner Bros. but detailed information with the release date has not been decided yet.
The sci-fi and near-future manga and anime movie are set in the fictional, catastrophic city Neo-Tokyo in 2019, which is deserted for by an enormous explosion 37 years ago. There are two main characters: Shotaro Kaneda and Tetsuo Shima. They get involved in the chaotic conspiracy of the government, which is related to Akira who looks like a small child and has the devastating psychic power.
▶︎Check the anime movie of Akira!
▶︎Check the manga series of Akira!
1. Steamboy
Steamboy (スチームボーイ) is also one of the masterpieces of Katsuhiro Otomo as well as Akira. It took about 10 years to create his second full-length anime movie, which was released in 2004. Its manga adaption, serialized from 2005 to 2006, consists of the prequel of the movie.
Steamboy is set in United Kingdom in the mid 19th century with the industrial revolution. The story centers on a 13-year-old boy named Ray, who gets involved in the serious incidents when he receives Steam Balls from his grandfather Lloyd.
If you are a fan of Akira, it is strongly recommended to watch other films directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Above all, Steamboy is the best anime movie that are similar to Akira.
▶︎Check the anime movie of Steamboy!
2. Memories
Memories, released in 1995, is an anthology anime film that Katsuhiro Otomo joined as an executive producer. The science fiction animation movie consists of three titles: Magnetic Rose (彼女の想いで), Stink Bomb (最臭兵器) and Cannon Fodder (大砲の街).
Magnetic Rose is based on the short manga made by Katsuhiro Otomo, Stink Bomb is written written by him and Cannon Fodder is written and directed by him.
The three stories has the theme of space, chemical weapons and war, which are associated with his films including Akira. If you miss the world of Akira, there is a part of the Akira’s atmosphere inspired by it in Memories.
▶︎Check the anime movie of Memories!
3. Freedom
Freedom is a sci-fi OVA (original video animation) series directed by Shuhei Morita. It was made as a promotional project of the Japanese food maker Nissin Cup Noodles in 2006-2008, which is divided into seven parts.
The setting of Freedom is the 23rd century, when people move to the moon. It focuses on a 15 years old boy Takeru, who uncovers the secret that Republic Eden hides. He tried to get out of the moon with his friends in pursuit of freedom.
The characters in Freedom are designed by the Akira’s director Katsuhiro Otomo. You will bring up the image of Akira once you watch a scene of Freedom. You can watch the whole story for only about 1.5 hours.
4. Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊), known as one of the world’s famous manga and anime series, was originally made as a manga written by Masamune Shirow. The sci-fi and cyberpunk manga, published from 1989, which was first adapted into the Mamoru Oshii’s directed anime movie in 1995. It has been also made into several anime adaptions such as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Ghost in the Shell: Arise, etc. Its live-action movie was made in the United States in 2017.
The near-future story is set in Japan in 2030, where the main character Motoko Kusanagi and the other members of Public Security Section 9 investigate various incidents. Highly-developed technologies are depicted in the manga and anime, which have attracted lots of sci-fi fans all over the world.
The settings of both Ghost in the Shell and Akira are the fictional Japan in the immediate future though the time of Akira’s setting has already come. If you like Akira, you will like the thriller and exciting world of Ghost in the Shell.
▶︎Check the first anime movie of Ghost in the Shell!
▶︎Check the manga box set of Ghost in the Shell!
5. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ) is one of the best manga and anime movies directed by the famous Hayao Miyazaki. The manga with seven volumes were published between 1982 and 1994. The popular Ghibli movie adaption was released in 1984, which includes the story till the middle of the second volume.
Civilization is destroyed due to the disastrous war in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It results in the formation of the enormous Toxic Jungle where large mutant insects live. The protagonist Nausicaä, the princess of the Valley of the Wind, seeks a way for both people and nature to co-exist harmoniously.
As the top science fiction (fantasy) anime movies, those two key titles of the famous anime leaders Hayao Miyazaki and Katsuhiro Otomo are strongly recommended to watch.
▶︎Check the anime movie of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind!
▶︎Check the manga box of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind!
If you want to explore more anime films, check this list of the best anime movies of all time!
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I'm writing by my motto: helping travelers spend their limited time experiencing something priceless in Japan. My articles won't let you down! Living in Tokyo and traveling many popular and hidden sites all over Japan, I deliver well-selected and latest tourist information to you from the perspective of “100% Japanese local”. My specific interests are island hopping, eating countless bowls of ramen, watching anime and reading manga. Enjoy Japan Web Magazine for recommended food spots, hidden gems Japanese Otaku (geek) culture, and everything about Japan :)
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