Tokyo Revengers had their live-action feature released before Akira, but it doesn’t make it better. Each of them has its own favorable traits.
Biker gang culture has gone down greatly in modern Japan, yet the spirit of these riders lives on via the stories spoken about them. While Taika Waititi is striving to bring his live-action adaptation of Akira out of development purgatory, another motorcycle anime film has already earned a live-action movie. Tokyo Revengers is out now for everyone who likes to see Japanese delinquents fight. Of course, one movie coming released before another isn’t necessarily an indication of greater quality. Both Akira and Tokyo Revengers present common audiences fascinating viewpoints on motorcycle life in Japan.
Although these anime are share a concept about youthful bikers, there are a multitude of methods to walk the similar ground. The writers of the two materials, Katsuhiro Otomo and Ken Wakui, have separate perspectives about what constitutes the perfect biker narrative, and how to deliver it. As a consequence, their works, despite covering the same issue, have all sorts of parallels and variances that make each of them a unique and enjoyable viewing.
Since both revolve upon motorcycles, Akira and Tokyo Revengers inevitably have noticeable parallels in how they depict this subculture. Both of them represent most motorcyclists as rude, boisterous, immature and aggressive. The characters are often staunch in their principles and ideals, however they’ll nonetheless address whatever difficulties they can with force. The main gangs also share a strong feeling of friendship, save for the odd fight within their ranks. Their ambitions mainly concentrate around confronting other gangs for power. In all of these ways, these novels contain comparable descriptions of the motorcycle life.
There are also similarities in how the stories of Akira and Tokyo Revengers are told. For instance, both pieces convey a sort of harsh reality to how battles play out. Combatants fight with malevolent purpose in order to bring as much misery to their opponents as possible. When characters become harmed, their faces and reactions make the anguish tangible for the spectator.
The pieces also illustrate the horrible tragedies awaiting bikers in the real world. In Akira, the main protagonists have to attend a reform school with forceful teachers who employ physical punishment to keep kids in line. Tokyo Revengers employs time travel to portray its delinquent protagonists ending up either in awful dead-end employment or joining the yakuza. The two stories make it apparent to viewers that their protagonists are not standard role models to look up to. Instead, these stories operate as warning tales of where one may end up if they go down the wrong route in life.
Despite how similar Akira and Tokyo Revengers are, there are still major distinctions in their fundamental concepts. Otomo, for example, throws a great focus on the centrality of motorbikes in the gang life. Like a samurai and their sword, a biker’s motorbike is an extension of their spirit that expresses to others who that biker actually is. In Akira, Kaneda’s distinctive bike is a custom-built emblem of his leadership that cannot be driven by just anybody, and it becomes a recurring theme throughout the movie. In Akira, the bike is equally as valuable as the rider.
Tokyo Revengers uses somewhat distinct values when it comes to one’s ride. In the show, Mikey’s moped is in risk of being smashed by a rival gang, but one of his followers saves it with his body. When Mikey finds out about this, he trashes his own moped and fights the rival gang for damaging “what’s vital to [him].” Tokyo Revengers’ valuing of human life above material things is a different, respectable message compared to the one in Akira.
The major variances come from the paths the writers take their tales. Otomo decided to veer Akira from a classic biker tale early on in favor of discussing psychic powers and the metaphysical aspect of the cosmos. Bikers still exist in the storyline, but their aims shift from turf battles to combating godlike espers. Despite the shift in circumstances, the riders engaged still retain their criminal attitude and it drives their decisions, talks and acts throughout the film, for better or worse.
Tokyo Revengers likewise includes a supernatural aspect at its foundation, time-travel, although it’s maintained as a background feature. In terms of plot, the focus continues on the motorcycle life and how it impacts the characters. Time travel may play a greater role later in the series, but, for now, it’s still largely about presenting the delinquent lifestyle.
Akira and Tokyo Revengers are well-written works on Japanese motorcyclists and they are both deserving of praise. Tokyo Revengers has mostly beaten Akira to a live-action adaptation since it’s a newer, more-relevant IP. Waititi is devoted to making sure his movie lives up to the legend set by its predecessor, and he has lot to work from. Otomo, like like Wakui, has worked hard to establish the framework for greatness to be made from his literature.
