What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedAkira
Katsuhiro Otomo · Film · 1988
If you loved Akira, start with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Rafał Jaki, 2022) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Akira across media.
What hooked you in Akira was the way systemic societal collapse mirrors the terrifying, visceral transformation of the vulnerable human body.
Books on the same thread
The Fantastic in Modern Japanese Literature
Susan Napier · Book · 2005
Explores: Anxiety, National Identity, Social Commentary.
This critical look at Japanese fantasy echoes the anxieties present in Akira, connecting the film's urban decay and government conspiracy to the nation's deeper, underlying sense of historical ambivalence.
Attack on Titan 1
Hajime Isayama · Book · 2012
Explores: Existential dread, Humanity vs. monsters, Political corruption.
Just as Akira captures the existential dread of a crumbling society, this series forces humanity to confront massive, incomprehensible threats that emerge from the dark, forgotten corners of history.
The Giver
Lois Lowry · Book · 1993
Explores: Utopia, Loss of Memory, Individuality vs. Conformity.
If the loss of innocence in Akira moved you, this story explores similar themes through a boy discovering the harsh, hidden truths behind his seemingly perfect, controlled dystopian world.
1984
George Orwell · Book · 1949
Explores: Totalitarianism, Surveillance, Thought Control.
The oppressive government conspiracy found in Akira finds its literary ancestor here, where constant surveillance and the total suppression of individuality define the struggle against a cold, monolithic state.
Series on the same thread
Attack on Titan
Series · 2013
Shares 3 threads with Akira: Loss of Innocence, Government Conspiracy, Post-Apocalyptic Anime.
Much like the desperate survival seen in Akira, this series depicts a society pushed to the brink, where humanity must fight against monstrous, overwhelming forces to avoid total eradication.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Series · 1995
Explores: Existentialism, Trauma, Coming-of-Age.
This series mirrors the psychological trauma and apocalyptic scale of Akira, grounding its grand, destructive events in the intimate, coming-of-age struggles of teenagers caught in a crumbling, dystopian society.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Rafał Jaki · Series · 2022
Explores: Cybernetic augmentation, Dystopian society, Mercenary life.
The neon-drenched corruption and cybernetic focus of this world provide a direct evolution to the street-level rebellion and technological decay that defined the atmosphere of Akira's Neo-Tokyo.
Devilman Crybaby
Go Nagai · Series · 2018
Shares 2 threads with Akira: Body Horror Anime, Cyberpunk Anime.
Sharing the intense body horror and moral ambiguity of Akira, this narrative explores the terrifying loss of humanity that occurs when a protagonist gains powers beyond their own control.
Podcasts on the same thread
Anime Grind
Podcast
Explores: Personal Growth, Goal Setting, Positive Mindset.
If Akira hit, Anime Grind shares the thread.
Class of 09
Podcast
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Technological Singularity, Career Trajectory.
If Akira hit, Class of 09 shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Akira a movie or a series?
Akira is a feature-length movie released in 1988. Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, the film depicts a secret military project in Neo-Tokyo that results in a biker gang member gaining uncontrollable psychic powers, forcing two teenagers to intervene to stop the destruction.
What is the plot of the 1988 movie Akira?
Akira follows a secret military project in Neo-Tokyo that transforms a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath. The story centers on two teenagers and a group of psychics who attempt to stop the resulting chaos and destruction caused by the protagonist's newfound power.
Who directed the 1988 film Akira?
The 1988 film Akira was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. The movie portrays a dystopian Neo-Tokyo where a secret military project leads to the emergence of a rampaging psychic psychopath, requiring a group of psychics and two teenagers to prevent further catastrophe.
Does Akira feature teenagers as the main characters?
Yes, two teenagers are central to the plot of Akira. Alongside a group of psychics, they are the only ones capable of stopping a rampaging psychic psychopath who was created by a secret military project within the city of Neo-Tokyo.