This book is a science fiction manga. Manga is a type of Japanese graphic novel that is typically black and white. In the story, Tokyo was destroyed in 1992 by a mysterious explosion that triggered World War III. It was rebuilt as Neo-Tokyo, a dystopian city with military police and teenage gangs. The year is now 2030, and Tetsuo and Kaneda are two of these gang members who attend a school filled with violent teachers and students. Tetsuo is injured in a motorcycle crash when a man appears in the middle of the road. However, the man disappears before Kaneda can confront him. During another encounter with the man, Kaneda meets Kei and Ryu, who have a relationship resembling younger sister and older brother. They tell Kaneda that the mysterious man has escaped from a shady government organization. This organization is finding people with paranormal abilities and harnessing their power. Kei and Ryu are fighters for a group that is resisting this organization. All three of them try to find the old man and help him escape but are foiled by the government. Before escaping, Kaneda steals a mysterious pill from the government. Kei and Ryu escape separately from Kaneda. Kaneda then returns to school to find that Testsuo has been released from the hospital. However, Tetsuo's personality is unbalanced and his strength has drastically increased. The head of the government organization shows up at the school and takes Tetsuo to the group's headquaters. Kaneda soon meets up with Kei again, and they wind up on the run and living together, which Kei is not pleased with. By the end of the story, Kaneda and Tetsuo are both involved in the world of the paranormal.
This book was very interesting. It is the first in a series, and I am definitely going to read the others. The story is unique, with conflict between a shady government organization seeking people with paranormal talents and a fairly suspicious rebel group. There is a backdrop of impending doom and fear of a creature called Akira. One weakness is that the characters are not outstanding or particularly likable, but the plot is good enough to make up for this. The drawings are detailed and intriguing, even though they are mainly in black and white. The ending is not very conclusive, but that is because it is in series. Despite its many good points, this book may not be for everyone. I personally love action, science fiction, and manga. This book is probably best for people who enjoy action stories and are open to reading a graphic novel instead of a traditional book.
This book has very graphic violence, due to the fact that it is illustrated, and some fairly mild sexual references. It is probably best suited for high school students and adults.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, PA United States
