So does anyone get the feeling that Otomo isn’t just expressing the themes that are prevalent in Akira, but when Kei is telling Kaneda about energy and how she understands it and how you’ve been told and manifested through Akira and Tetsuo, anyone think that these are in abilities so to speak (may be a little elaborated or embellished) by the children refer to them as in us already. Maybe he’s pointing at something deeper because the general refers to it as a transcendental awakening. And you can see and learn some crazy stuff about the universe whilst meditating. Thoughts?

P.s.

Don’t make me delete this post 😂✌️

My bike!

I had a friend and a coworker do this piece for me a while ago. Kinda wanted to flex it here.

From the back matter of Akira (epic collection) 27

I have owned this shirt since 2018 and have rarely worn it because of how expensive it is, flash forward to 2023 I was given the opportunity at a comic-con to meet Johnny Yong Bosch (Kaneda in the Pioneer dub) who signed the shirt first (top right), I bought the frame and got it hung up, this year at another con I met Joshua Seth (Tetsuo in the Pioneer dub) to sign it (bottom).

Akira inspired artwork on album of belgian colab Faisal x Glints

I've been re-reading the manga and am up to the part where Tetsuo goes to visit Lady Miyako in book 20. He's looking for an explanation for what he saw when he looked into Akira's mind. Lady Miyako tells him "we are all part of the flow of the same great stream" among other things. I think this part of the story is mind-bending and wanted to see if anyone has insights into the things they discuss.

• Even though "we are all part of the flow of the same great stream" Lady Miiyako also says "Akira is not in the stream". Does this mean Akira is a god, not bound by the limits of our world?
• "When Tetsuo says, "What the hell is Akira?", Lady Miyako replies, "You are the only one who can find the answers. To do so is your destiny." Tetsuo seems reluctant to take on this responsibility and she asks if he's afraid. Does Lady Miyako not understand the nature of Akira since she is in the great stream and he's not? A couple of issue later, Tetsuo sees the great stream for himself (not just by looking into Akira's mind) and when he returns home, Akira flashes him a goofy smile. Is Akira acknowledging that Tetuso has joined him outside of the great stream?
• Lady Miyako says men "possess one power capable of stopping the stream.  When this power is used, the stream will stop for an instant and then resume it's course with redoubled intensity". What could this be? Seems unexpected that men might have this power since she also says they are "just driftwood" in the stream.
• In one of the flashbacks we see the psychic children in the 20 series group standing with each other and comparing the numbers on their palms which is immediately followed by the first destruction of Tokyo. Did Akira destroy Tokyo the first time completely unprovoked?
• She says, "The ultimate trend toward the uniformity of all things in inevitable and irreversible". This is far out. Maybe she's talking about a reverse big bang theory?

Some much interesting stuff to unpack here. Curious how you all think about this part of the manga.

For those who have both - as far as where the chapter breaks fall in how the books are divided up, how closely do the Epic graphic novel collections (10 actually published in an unfinished 12-volume run) compare to the Dark Horse/Kodansha collections (6 volumes)?

Since there were supposed to be 12 of the Epic collections and there are 6 volumes in the conventional pressings, do they correspond evenly - Epic collections 1 and 2 are the same chapters as Dark Horse/Kodansha Volume 1, Epic collections 3 and 4 are the same as Dark Horse/Kodansha Volume 2, etc - or do the breaks between books happen in entirely different places, with the Epic collections ending at a somewhat arbitrarily point?

Never seen Akira and I’m dying to watch it but can’t find the original (not English) anywhere!! Any help would be great!