Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Akira 6 Volumes Manga Complete



BACKGROUND
Akira is a black and white serial manga or graphic novel by Katsuhiro Otomo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, the work uses conventions of the cyberpunk genre to detail a saga of turmoil. Initially serialised in the pages of Young Magazine from 1982 until 1990, the work was collected in six volumes upon completion by Japanese publisher Kodansha. The work was first published in an English language version by the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics, one of the first manga works to be translated in entirety. Otomo's art on the series is considered outstanding, and the work is a breakthrough for both Otomo and the manga form. An identically titled anime film adaptation was released in 1988 after releasing 5 comics, shortening the plot, but with its structure and scenes heavily informed by the manga and its serial origins.

The manga takes place in a vastly larger timeframe than the film and involves a far wider array of characters and subplots. Through the breadth of the work, Otomo explicates themes of social isolation, corruption and power.

Otomo's Akira projects – the manga and its film adaptation – marked his transition from a career primarily in the creation and design of printed manga to one almost exclusively in the creation, direction and design of anime motion pictures and television.

STORYLINE
Volume 1
The book begins with the destruction of Tokyo on December 6, 1992, and goes on to briefly describe World War III and its aftermath. The story then jumps to 2030, and focuses on Kaneda and Tetsuo's gang lives, when Tetsuo suddenly gains his powers.

Volume 2
This book continues when Kaneda and the gang continue to find Tetsuo as he unleashes Akira from the cold chamber.

Volume 3
This book follows after Volume 2 as Kaneda tries to protect Akira from the military and Tetsuo. Unfortunately, Takashi, who is one of Akira's former friends, is accidentally shot, which unleashes Akira's 'wrath,' destroying Neo Tokyo for the second time.

Volume 4
This book follows after the destruction of Neo Tokyo as rebellious citizens form the Greater Tokyo Empire and worship Akira as a 'god.' The United States military becomes involved as they send an assassination team to eliminate Akira.

Volume 5
The story continues when Tetsuo is slowly consumed by his 'inner self' as he takes pills to control 'it.' Kei and Kaneda prepare to fight Tetsuo for the final showdown.

Volume 6
The story reaches its resolution as Tetsuo has been controlled by Akira and the Greater Tokyo Empire has been destroyed by Akira's rapture (and the United State military). Tetsuo and Kaneda reconcile before Tetsuo is consumed to a different universe. Kaneda, Kei, and many Neo Tokyo inhabitants begin to reconstruct the city, without the United States' assistance.

CHARACTERS
Shōtarō Kaneda (金田 正太郎, Kaneda Shōtarō?)

A teenage delinquent and the leader of a motorcycle gang known as The Capsules (briefly referred to as "The Heroics" in the anime adaptation). Kaneda is best friends with Tetsuo, a Capsule member, but that friendship is shattered after Tetsuo gains and abuses his psychic powers. Kaneda is the main protagonist of Akira. According to Akira Club, Kaneda was inspired by the boy lead from Tetsujin 28. Due to his influence on Tetsuo, Kaneda is the only regular person who without aid can physically hurt him, even after he has gained his powers. Shōtarō is voiced by Mitsuo Iwata in the Japanese version of the film, by Cam Clarke in the 1988 English version and by Johnny Yong Bosch in the 2001 English version.

Tetsuo Shima (島 鉄雄, Shima Tetsuo?)
Kaneda's best friend, a member of Kaneda's gang, and eventually Kaneda's nemesis. He is involved in an accident at the very beginning of the story, which causes him to display immense psychic powers. He is soon recruited by the Colonel and given the designation #41. However, Tetsuo's mental instability increases with the manifestation of his powers, which ultimately drives him insane and shatters his friendship with Kaneda. Later in the story he becomes Akira's second-in-command, before he begins to lose control of his powers. Tetsuo is the main antagonist (and possible anti-hero) of Akira. Tetsuo is voiced by Nozomu Sasaki in the Japanese version of the film, by Jan Rabson in the 1988 English version and by Joshua Seth in the 2001 English version. Tetsuo is also named after a Tetsujin 28 character, Professor Shikishima's son, Tetsuo Shikishima.

Kei (ケイ?)
A member of a terrorist resistance movement led by the government mole Nezu, Kei is supposedly the sister of fellow resistance fighter Ryu, though it is implied that this is not really the case. Kei and Kaneda do not get along when they first meet, and Kei at first seems to view Kaneda with contempt. Later in the story, however, the two become increasingly attracted and fall in love with each other. Kei is a powerful medium who cannot use psychic powers of her own, but can channel the powers of others through her body. She is taken in by Lady Miyako, and plays a critical role in the final battle.

The Colonel (大佐, Taisa?)
Sometimes known as Colonel Shikishima (敷島大佐, Shikishima Taisa?), he is the head of the secret government project conducting research on psychic test subjects, including the Esper children, Tetsuo, and formerly Akira. Although he originally appears to be an antagonist, the Colonel is actually an honorable and dedicated soldier committed to protecting Neo-Tokyo from any second onslaught of Akira. Later in the story he appears helping an ill Chiyoko, and working with Kei. He is usually referred to by Kaneda as "The Skinhead", due to his distinctive crew cut.

The Espers
Three 'children' who are test subjects for the secret project, also known as The Numbers (ナンバーズ, Nanbāzu?). They have the bodies of children but chronologically are in their late 40's. Their bodies and faces have wizened with age but they haven't physically grown, either because of their powers, the battery of tests and surgeries performed on them, the drugs used to keep those powers in check, or a combination of the three. They are former acquaintances of Akira, and survived his destruction of Tokyo. The Espers include:

Kiyoko (キヨコ?)
Designated #25, Kiyoko is an Esper who is physically so weak she is confined to a bed. She has the ability to use teleportation and precognition.
Takashi (タカシ?)
Designated #26, Takashi is the first Esper to be introduced when he causes Tetsuo's accident in self-defense. He has the power to use psychokinesis. He is accidentally killed by Nezu, but is resurrected in the final volume, along with the rest of the Espers.
Masaru (マサル?)
Designated #27, Masaru is physically confined either to a wheelchair or a special floating chair. He has the power to use psychokinesis.

Akira (アキラ?)
The character for whom the story is named. Designated #28, Akira has immense, almost godlike psychic powers, although from outward appearances he looks like a small, normal child. He is responsible for the destruction of Tokyo and the beginning of World War III, though this was probably unintentional on his part (he is so psychically powerful that simply teleporting can cause destruction on a massive scale). After the war, he was put in a cryogenic chamber not far from the Heart of Destruction (the crater left by Akira's onslaught) and the future site of the Neo-Tokyo Olympic Games. Shortly after being awoken by Tetsuo, he causes the destruction of Neo-Tokyo during a confrontation between Kaneda and the Colonel's forces. Later in the story he becomes Emperor of the Great Tokyo Empire. When he first appears, we see that Akira has not aged in the decades he was kept frozen. Akira is essentially autistic; his powers have overwritten and destroyed his personality, leaving someone who almost never speaks or reacts to external stimuli. Akira was inspired by the demon from the anime adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's Saiyuki.

Kai (甲斐?)
Sometimes known as Kaisuke, he is a high-ranking member of Kaneda's gang. He does not play a major role at first, but becomes more prominent later in the story. He is an anime example of the bishonen character,[citation needed] being well-dressed, and his facial-features resembling those of a girl more than a male.

Yamagata (山形?)
A member of Kaneda's biker gang, who serves as Kaneda's right-hand-man. He is killed by Tetsuo's powers in the first tankōbon after having attempted to shoot him.

Joker (ジョーカー, Jōkā?)
The former leader of the Clown gang, a motorcycle gang made up of junkies and drug addicts. Joker plays a small role in the beginning, but becomes more prominent much later in the story as an ally of Kaneda and Kai. He wears clown face paint and often changes the pattern.

Nezu (根津?)
A parliament member who is also the leader of the terrorist resistance movement against the government. He seems to be the mentor of Kei and Ryu, and purports to be saving the nation from the corrupt and ineffective bureaucrats in power. It soon becomes evident, however, that Nezu is just as corrupt, and that all he seeks to do is to seize power for himself. He later betrays Lady Miyako, as well as various other characters, as he attempts to take Akira for himself. As the various groups fight it out over Akira, many of his private guards are killed off, and eventually the remaining few submit themselves to the military, leaving Nezu on his own. He loses Akira in the ensuing battles. When he finds Ryu in a dark corridor with Akira in tow, he attempts to kill Ryu, thinking he is a member of Lady Miyako's group all along. He misses his gunshot and Ryu in turn shoots Nezu. He fakes his death and later comes back. In one final attempt to selfishly take lives, he tries to shoot Akira, but misses, instead the stray shot instead hits Takashi (one of the three Esper children brought by the Colonel to take in Akira back to HQ) in the head, instantly killing him. Following his mistake, he was either killed by the Colonel's men, or perished when Akira destroyed the area around him. Nezu has a distinctly rat-like appearance, and the surname "Nezu" is reminiscent of the Japanese word, "nezumi," meaning "mouse" or "rat."[5]

Ryu (竜, Ryū?)
A comrade of Kei's in the resistance movement, he claims to be Kei's brother, but it is implied that this is not the case. As the story progresses, Ryu abandons his terrorist roots and becomes more heroic, working with George Yamada and guiding Kaneda to Akira's chamber where Tetsuo is held up, but battles with alcoholism. In the final tankōbon, Ryu perishes when elevator debris lands on him.

Chiyoko (チヨコ?)
Claiming to be Kei's aunt, she is a tough, heavyset woman and weapons expert who is involved in the resistance and eventually becomes a key supporting character.

The Doctor (ドクター, Dokutā?)
Sometimes known in other media as Doctor Onishi (ドクター大西, Dokutā Ōnishi?), the head scientist of the secret psychic research project who also serves as the Colonel scientific advisor. When Akira is freed by Tetsuo in his cryogenic lair, the Doctor fails to get inside the shelter and freezes to death.

Miyako (ミヤコ, Miyako?)
Frequently referred to as Lady Miyako (ミヤコ様, Miyako-sama?), a former test subject known as #19, she is the high priestess of a temple in Neo-Tokyo, and a major ally of Kaneda and Kei as the story progresses. She is also an initial ally of Nezu, and gives Tetsuo a lecture on his powers. She plays an instrumental role in the final battle with Tetsuo at the cost of her own life.

Sakaki (榊?)
An empowered and fond disciple of Lady Miyako, an unseemingly fast and strong girl who is sent to battle the Espers, the military, Kaneda and Nezu in order to recover Akira. She only appears in the third tankōbon, in which she is killed by the military.
Mozu (モズ?)
Another empowered girl, disciple of Lady Miyako, who later teams with Sakaki and Miki to recover Akira. She only appears in the third tankōbon, in which she is killed by Takashi.
Miki (ミキ?)
A third disciple of Lady Miyako. Another empowered girl. She only appears and in the third tankōbon, in which she is killed by Nezu's henchmen.
The Monks
Aides of Lady Miyako, and to some extent, enhancers and channellers of her power.

Kaori (カオリ?)
A young girl who appears late in the story and is recruited as one of Tetsuo's sex slaves, later becoming an object of his sincere affections. She also serves as Akira's babysitter. She is later shot to death by Tetsuo's Aide. Tetsuo attempts to resurrect her but fails.

The Great Tokyo Empire (大東京帝國, Dai Tōkyō Teikoku?)
A small army which rises amid the ruins of Neo-Tokyo after its destruction at the hands of Akira, made up of crazed zealots who worship Akira as an Emperor for the "miracles" he performs, though the power lies squarely with his so-called Prime Minister, Tetsuo. Disorganized and unruly, the army rejects outside aid and wars with Lady Miyako's followers, Tetsuo secretly drugs the rations distributed to its members.

Tetsuo's Aide
Known only by the title of Captain (隊長, Taichō?), an opportunist posing as a fanatical devotee of Tetsuo who serves him as his aide-de-camp late in the story, but secretly desires control of the Great Tokyo Empire. During the confrontation between Tetsuo and the U.S. Marines, he is caught in the crossfire and is killed by the bacterial gas Yamada uses.
The Birdman
One of Tetsuo's elite psychic shocktroops, he wears a blindfold and is frequently standing atop ruined buildings and rafters, observing and reporting on the goings-on within the Empire's turf, essentially acting as a security system. It is implied that his psychic powers allow him to sense sights and sounds from a great distance, further embodied by the all-seeing eye drawn on his forehead. He's killed by Yamada, who knocks him from his perch, causing him to fall to his death.
The Eggman
A member of Tetsuo's shock troops, a fat, short man with glasses who encounters Yamada and the Marines at Olympic Stadium. He was friends with "Birdman", and managed to use his power to crush a Marine's heart before being executed by Yamada.

At the end of the story, Kaneda and friends take the Empire's name and declare Neo-Tokyo a sovereign nation, expelling the American and United Nations forces that land in the city.

George Yamada (ジョージ山田, Jōji Yamada?)
A Japanese-American soldier who is sent on a mission to assassinate Akira and Tetsuo in the latter-half of the story, after Akira has levelled Neo-Tokyo. While an apparent protagonist at first, Yamada becomes a more sinister character as his motivations for being in Neo-Tokyo are made more clear. Yamada plans to kill the two powerful psychics with darts containing a biological poison. He is later joined by a team of U.S. Marines to carry out the mission at the Olympic Stadium after it becomes the headquarters for Akira and Tetsuo's "Great Tokyo Empire". However, the biochemical weapons fail to harm Tetsuo, who proceeds to kill Yamada.

Project "Juvenile A"
An international team of scientists who are appointed to investigate psychic events in Neo-Tokyo in the latter-half of the story. Project members include Dr. Dubrovsky, Dr. Simmons, Dr. Jorris, Dr. Hock, Professor Bernardi, and Karma Tangi.

Caretakers
Robots built by the Army to fight off invaders and contact survivors in the event of a nuclear war; they are introduced in the third tankōbon during martial law after Tetsuo frees Akira dispatching rioters. Later in the story, the Colonel uses a Caretaker to transport Kiyoko to Lady Miyako's Temple, and later another Caretaker is heavily modified to become Kaneda and Kai's assault vehicle on Olympic Stadium.

Download Link :

Download Akira Volume 01
Download Akira Volume 02
Download Akira Volume 03
Download Akira Volume 04
Download Akira Volume 05
Download Akira Volume 06