Hi everyone,
This is an offshoot book club to read the AKIRA manga series of 6 volumes. The famous 1988 AKIRA movie is primarily based on only the first volume.
I have already purchased the 6 volumes of AKIRA last year each comprising about 300-400 pages. They are on my shelf and they are huge, A4-size, with very large text that make it very approachable despite the level 31 difficulty and it feels like not a whole lot of text compared to the images on each page.
This will be one of my little projects for 2026 and I figured that I might as well make it a book club here to proceed with the journey together.
While I did happen to already read the first volume, looking back, it only took me 10 days. I was under pressure to read it inside of 2 weeks as I had borrowed it from the library and didn’t want to extend the loan. I will re-read it to refresh my memory and follow through with the rest of the series at a more casual pace perhaps loosely targeting to read one volume per month starting in February with volume 1 and ending in July with volume 6.
Volume 1 Thread
Volume 2 Thread
Volume 3 Thread
Volume 4 Thread
Volume 5 Thread
Volume 6 Thread
Summary
Synopsis (From MyAnimeList)
1988: It is World War III. Tokyo is decimated by a mysterious black explosion, unmatched in magnitude.
2019: Fast forward 31 years. Neo-Tokyo, hastily built on the ruins of old Tokyo, is a sprawling cityscape of neon extravaganza. It is a fusion of towering skyscrapers and cutting-edge technology that is permeated through and through with an explosive, hyper-violent cocktail of biker gangs, poverty, and revolutionaries. In this derelict metropolis live Tetsuo Shima and Shoutarou Kaneda, two bikers who are the best of friends and the fiercest of rivals, despite being affiliated with the same gang. Desperate to prove himself as Kaneda’s equal, Tetsuo unwittingly pulls a stunt that culminates in the awakening of a cryptic existence that threatens to change both the face of Neo-Tokyo and the lives of those who call the city their home—the awakening of a government secret simply known as Akira.
Background
Akira won the 8th Kodansha Manga Award in the General category in 1984, the Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material in 1993, and was nominated for the Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work in 2002.
Key Characters
-
鉄槌（てっしゅう）/Tetsuo Shima - The series’ primary antagonist
initially, Tetsuo is Kaneda’s childhood friend who gains terrifying
psychic powers following a government experiment gone wrong. His character
arc embodies the struggle against unchecked power and loss of humanity. -
金田（かねだ）/Kaneda - The protagonist, Kaneda is Tetsuo’s friend
and leader of the rival biker gang, the Capsules. He grapples with
loyalty, duty, and understanding as he faces his childhood friend turned
dangerous psychic. -
冬田（とうだ）/Toudou - A member of Kaneda’s biker gang and a close
friend, often acting as Kaneda’s moral compass within the group. -
崎（さき）/Sakurai - A brilliant scientist involved in the
government’s psychic experiments, later questioning the morality of his
work and aiding Kaneda’s cause. -
鈴木（すずき）/Suzuki - Another key figure in the resistance, he
provides crucial insights into the workings of Neo-Tokyo’s oppressive
regime. -
牟田（むた）/Muto - A high-ranking member of the government’s
secret police, representing the antagonistic force driving the city
towards destruction.
Here is the series link to the 6 volumes:
If you’re interested in joining this adventure reply below with
your enthusiasm and follow this topic. Feel free to throw in any preferences or suggestions on timing, start date, etc.
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