Akira is considered to be the movie that lead the way in the west for anime to become a popular expanding cult.
The story is set in Neo Tokyo the year is 2019, the world has just overcome World War 3 which was started by the unexplained destruction of Tokyo City. The city has managed to revive it self and became Neo Tokyo a haven for gangs, lawlessness, mass hysteria and riots.
Two of the main characters are Tetsuo Shima and Kaneda Shōtarō, both of them are best friends from childhood but will play opposite roles (Kaneda - protagonist, Tetsuo -antagonist).
At the begging of the film we are introduced to Kaneda and his gang of followers including Tetsuo. We learn Kaneda is the leader and dominate figure while Tetsuo is the weaker and possibly the youngest of the team. Most of his fellow gang members mock Tetsuo due to his shortcomings while he envies Kaneda.
Kaneda and his gang of teenage bikers have a rivalry against a group of clowns who also ride motorcycles. The gangs begin to fight in the streets of Neo Tokyo, while a kidnapped child escapes from his captor who is shot and killed by riot police during mass unrest and anti government protest. The kidnapped child Takashi codenamed 26, was taken from secret government experiment developing ESP and telepathic abilities on its subjects.
On the freeway Tetsuo is trying to down his first clown by chasing him through the city, at high speed he almost runs into the young child 26. With an almost head on collision Tetsuo’s bike explodes before reaching Takashi. Tetsuo badly injured is taken by government agents trying to retrieve subject 26, Tetsuo’s fellow gang members trying to help him only to be restrained by government forces. Tetsuo begins to undergo the same experiments performed on the other subjects.
Kaneda and his gang are released from police custody after they are found not to be involved during last nights rioting. Kaneda also helps a young girl Kei by claiming her to be part of the gang to gain her release. Kei is found to be a member of the anti-government group and leaves Kaneda quickly as he expresses no interest in her cause but is only physically attracted to her. She meets up with her fellow resistance member Ryu.
Later on at their educational institution Tetsuo returns after escaping the government hospital, but his quick return is met with a quicker exit on Kaneda’s bike with his girlfriend who was the only one to express her worry for his disappearance the night before. Kaneda chases after his stolen bike and Tetsuo only to find him been beaten up by their rivals the clowns. Kaneda’s gang manage to see off the small group of clown members only to find Tetsuo angry and suffering from mental pain / hallucinations. Colonel Shikishima who is responsible for the whole project and the one who took Tetsuo after the clown confrontation recaptures Tetsuo and takes him back to the hospital.
The following evening the gang socialise in the city during curfew, Kaneda sees Kei running away from a terrorist explosion. He follows her into the sewer and underground where they meet the other anti-government fighters. More experiments are been performed on Tetsuo while subject 25 a female possibly still ten years old who has been with the programme prior to the start of World War 3, has foreseen the return of Akira and destruction of Neo Tokyo she explains this to Colonel Shikishima.
The Colonel and his group of scientist visit a stadium under construction that will host the Olympics. Under this seemingly looking stadium is a vault with frozen cryogenics, it appears this where Akira is housed. The Colonel sees a committee the next day that funds his program, seeking more money and approval for his new test subject they are reluctant to agree, but it is also discovered that a member of this council Nezu is part of the resistance and organised the capture of subject 26 believing this was Akira. The resistance motive is now discovered when Nezu and Ryu meet to discuss the state of Neo Tokyo and its rotten society, they believe Akira is the answer their way to save society. Unaware that Akira is a lot more than what they expect, they plan to take Kaneda and capture the new test subject, Tetsuo
During Tetsuo’s experiments a flash back is shown which takes place after World War 3 in a nursery school. Kaneda and Tetsuo are present, the vision is shown where the city around Tetsuo is crumbling as if it takes place during the big explosion in the beginning of the film which never did for Tetsuo as he was born after the events before World War 3. The resistance with Kaneda successfully infiltrate the government building holding Tetsuo and the other subjects Kiyoko, Takashi and Masaru. In Tetsuo’s room he awakes to find himself in a hallucination where giant stuffed toys try to attack him. When Tetsuo cuts his foot on broken glass the giant toys run away frightened at the sight of blood. It is apparent that it is the other subjects that are using their psychological powers to scare Tetsuo. He leaves his room killing armed guards and creating destruction, he is headed for the location of the other subjects. The infiltration party initially successful in getting into the building are discovered in the lower level sewers, Kei and Kaneda escape on a hovering vehicle with the aid of telepathic instructions to Kei from Kiyoko, and she guides them to Tetsuo.
Tetsuo arrives at the location of the other subjects he begins a telekinetic battle between them. He then learns the mental pain and name Akira he hears going over in his head is kept under the Olympic stadium. Kaneda flies into the room expecting Tetsuo to be grateful of a rescue only to discover Testuo is now very powerful and unstable. Tetsuo tells Kaneda how he now is the dominant one and requires no help from him. Tetsuo escapes into the city leaving Kei and Kaneda in the custody of the government. Colonel Shikishima orders the pursuit only to find the council has begun proceedings to arrest the colonel, he then overturns the situation and orders the arrest and capture of the other council members to begin a coup.
In a prison cell Kaneda and Kei discuss the events that has occurred when Kiyoko takes over the mind of Kei and explains that scientists had tried to harness energy from living matter had led to the destruction of Tokyo but Tetsuo possess enough energy to do the same. Kiyoko frees them by unlocking the door through telekinesis. Upon their release it is discovered Tetsuo has killed one member of their gang, during that time Takashi takes Kei with him and disappears. Kaneda decides to face Tetsuo and rescue Kei who will be used to fight Tetsuo by the control of the three subject’s.
Tetsuo now very powerful and dangerous makes his way to the stadium fighting the armed forces trying to stop him with a group of followers and onlookers thinking he is Akira. Upon reaching Akira’s location he finds Kei under the control of the subjects, they battle the subjects find him too strong and he brings up the cryogenic storage chamber. Upon opening the contents Tetsuo finds clear canisters’ containing some tissue samples, from a speaker Colonel Shikishima explains the tissue samples were parts of Akira, the samples were left in cryogenic storage so future generations would be able to research the remains.
Kaneda arrives with a laser weapon and begins his duel with Tetsuo through the battle a satellite weapon in orbit SOL, is used to attack Tetsuo severing his arm and forcing a pause in the battle between the old friends. Tetsuo travels into space with the aid of his powers and destroys the satellite after which his injury forces him to hide in the stadium while Kaneda prepares for a second round. Tetsuo’s girlfriend arrives at the stadium obviously worried about him, she shows disgust at his new mechanical arm he has created and his growing instability. The colonel arrives and asks Tetsuo to return with him but he refuses when Tetsuo shows up for their final battle, Tetsuo begins to lose control and mutates into a blob that consumes himself and his girlfriend killing her.
Kiyoko, Takashi and Masaru use the time when Tetsuo is preoccupied with Kaneda and arrive at the stadium to call on Akira. Colonel Shikishima is transported to safety by Kiyoko as Akira reappears to take Tetsuo. Kaneda attempts to rescue Tetsuo as he begs for his help as his powers are now out of control. A glow of energy starts to grow and expand to consume Tetsuo and Kaneda, Takashi tries to save Kaneda even knowing he won’t escape. In another brave act Kiyoko and Masaru join Takashi to rescue Kaneda and to sacrifice themselves in the process. In what appears to be a trans-dimension or void, Kaneda experiences the memories of Tetsuo and Kiyoko, Takashi and Masaru. A memory of Tetsuo is shown which takes place after World War 3 in the nursery school. For the first time in the film the initial meeting between Kaneda and Tetsuo is shown, the bullying by the other children on Tetsuo brings them together, Kaneda also a victim. Another memory now shows them in their teenage years riding their bikes on a speedway, laughing and enjoying themselves as Kaneda teaches Tetsuo some tricks and techniques when riding. The last memory is of the children subjects during the late 1980’s prior to World War 3. We see subjects 25, 26, 27 and 28 Akira. Scenes are shown with the children been operated by surgeons and demonstrating their abilities. Akira slightly older than the other children shows more mature telepathic abilities. Kiyoko explains to Kaneda that they summoned Akira to take Tetsuo away. Kaneda awakes to find Kei over him Masaru, Takashi and Kiyoko saved his life from the destruction. He finds the city left in ruins with only himself, Kei, Kaisuke and Colonel Shikishima the only survives from Akira’s return.
