Reviews

Akira, Volume 3 by Katsuhiro Otomo

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nolansmock's review against another edition

5.0

At a certain point while reading I'm asking myself how long can this chase go on? I finished Vol. 2 a year ago and we're around 1500 pages over the first three volumes of basically one long persuit. Maybe I'm wrong but the timeline seems like its a couple of weeks, which isn't necessarily odd but then I think about how these were released over around three years. I feel like reading that small of an advance in plot for that long would drive me crazy! The art direction is incredible though. I don't even need to say it. No one else does. It's a fact, and like reading an action movie. I'm just left wondering where this is all going, will it ever end, and just when I start to get a little tired of its unrelenting momentum towards seemingly nowhere, getting a little in my head, the book ends spectacularly and, just from the few chapters after this I've already moved on to, has taken the narrative to a new level and I'm hooked.

jerrypants's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

3.75

itsdoroo's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

songwind's review against another edition

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4.0

(I read Akira in one huge go over a weekend, so I will be cutting and pasting this review for all 6 volumes)

Akira is an epic work of science fiction sequential art. The storyline is complex and consistent. There is social commentary, ethical musing, and morality woven through an action packed storyline of science gone wrong. The "romance" portion of the story is believable as well. The two characters are drawn to one another over time, and the world doesn't stop for them to wallow in their newfound twitterpatedness.

The art is beautiful, especially the detailed cityscapes and technical drawings. The main characters were easy to recognize, regardless of their circumstances or outfits, which is not true of many manga.

My complaints about the work are small. The placement of speech bubbles, particularly when characters are shouting, was not always clear. The foreign characters were really just Japanese with funny hats on. The difference between Akira and Tetsuo at the height of their powers is never really explained.

I first became aware of the manga because I was a fan of the anime. The manga is far more complex and satisfying.

paracosm's review against another edition

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4.5

This is the best volume so far. The ending was a blast, can't wait to see what happens next.

It's not very common to see a female character that works as the tank of the team, specially a middle age woman, and I love her. My new favorite character, she's awesome.