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AKINA
BY KATSUHIRO OTOMO
CHAPTER 13
DESPERATION
WHAT HAS seduce—and Kays “brother”,
Ryu. The leaders ofthe
GONE resistance include Nezu— who
BEFORE publically leads the political
party that opposes the
government—and a powerful
religious leader with strong
precognitive gifts, Lady
Miyako.
he year is 2030. The The Colonel has a number of
world is rebuilding from children under his control, each
World War Ill. In Neo- one possessing a distinct set of
Tokyo, plans are being made to psychic talents and identified by
hold the next Olympics in the a number marked on their hand.
“old city" —where the first of the (Lady Miyako was, at one time,
bombs fell thirty-eight years Number 19 in this series.) One of
before. There, a band of the children, the mental giant
teenaged delinguents led by Akira, is so powerful that since
Kaneda encounter Number 26 the war he has been buried
—a terrified child who beneath the earths surface,
possesses extraordinary. suspended in cryogenic sleep.
telekinetic abilities. During the The Colonel chief medical
encounter, the paranormal boy advisor subjects Tetsuo to
gravely injures Tetsuo, one of painful electronic and chemical
Kanedas close friends, then experiments, awakening
vanishes. tremendous telepathic potential
As a result, Kaneda and in the boy, who is redubbed
Tetsuo become entangled in a [Link], as
power struggle between a his powers appear, a monstrous
mysterious military and scientific side of Tetsuos nature also
organization led by a man known surfaces. Able to shrug off the
only as the Colonel and an most serious injuries, Tetsuo
underground resistance group, goes on a killing spree. He
bent on putting a stop to the eventually murders one of
Colonel's activities. Kanedas closest friends and
Among the resistance, attacks Kaneda, who, along
Kaneda meets Kay—a girl he with Kay, is taken to the
altemately maddens and tries to Colonel's installation.
Unable to tolerate the notion scientists monitoring Akiras
that Akira may be more cryosleep discover that the
powerful than he is, Tetsuo temperature in Akiras chamber
leaves the Colonel's installation, is beginning to rise. They deduce
determined to find his rival. The that even in hibemation, Akiras
psychic children, like Lady power is responding to Tetsuos
Miyako, fear Akira's power and psychic energy.
are worried about the disaster Seeking a way out, Kay and
Tetsuo may unleash. They use Kaneda instead find their way
their talents to help Kaneda and to Akira's chamber. They watch
Kay escape, and the pair follow from hiding as Tetsuo heads
Tetsuo to the Olympic site, towards the chambers entrance.
below which Akira rests. There, The Colonel orders his
they are almost reunited with troops to fall back, and take
Ryu, who is working undercover cover. Intense cold from the
as a soldier. growing crackes in Akiras
Hoping to prevent a disaster, chamber spills throughout the
the Golonel follows with his site, indicating that Akira is close
troops and scientists. When to consciousness. Just as
everyone arrives at the site, Tetsuo reaches Akira's resting
fighting breaks out. place, the cryogenic chamber
Tetsuo easily repels attacks begins to crack from within, and
by wave after wave of soldiers Akira emerges.
armed with the most The paranormal giant is still
sophisticated weaponry The dazed and weak with the
PLN
Kiyoko The Colonel Tetsuo
aftereffects of his coma. He is restoring order. The Colonel—
unable to speak, shy of bright managing to conceal the truth
lights, and easily ordered about. about what has occurred,
Tetsuo and he begin to make despite leaks to the media—
their way to the surface. Kay plans to use the emergency as
and Kaneda, realizing that they an excuse to hunt down and
must move or perish, also destroy the resistance once and
manage to reach the surface. forall.
Ryu is saved by soldiers who Lady Miyako, wams Nezu
still believe he is one of them. to hold his people in reserve.
Terror sweeps the control She then calls upon Sakaki, a
room, as the Colonel tries young girl trained in techniques
desperately to prevent panicking. of infiltration, observation, and
A scientist triggers a Code 7 combat, and asks her to find
Emergency Alarm. The civilian Akira.
defense system kicks in and Kay and Kaneda take shelter
mayhem takes over on the with Chiyoko, a formidable
streets. Neo-Tokyo holds its woman in the resistance.
collective breath waiting for the Without Kanedas knowledge,
bombs to fall again. Kay meets with Nezu and
Terrified of what has been agrees to tum the still-somnolent
unleashed and determined to act Akira overtohim. When Ryu,
before a greater catastrophe still recovering from the frostbite
occurs, the Colonel summons he suffered at the Olympic site,
the powerful SOL military also reports to Nezu, who
satellite and orders that its laser chooses not to bring him up to
cannon be fired at Tetsuo and date on the status of Akira. He
Akira. The two boys are also denies any knowledge of
separated by the blasts. Akira is Kay's whereabouts.
saved by Kay and Kaneda. Sakaki follows Kay back to
Tetsuo is less fortunate, the Chiyokos hideout, where she
laser strikes his left arm. rouses Akira and leads him
Neo-Tokyo is placed in a state away. Kaneda is unable to stop
of military emergency following Sakaki, but manages to alert
the disaster. Backing up the Kay and Chiyoko.
troops are “caretaker” robots Sakaki and Akira safely
who patrol the streets, dealing reach the street..and are
| harshly with looters and comered by caretaker robots.
Takashi Lady Miyako
WARNING!
WARNING!
ITA
ANY ATTEMPTHE
TOPEACE
BREATH
37
JA Se, WILLBE E
PUNISHED! A
N
29 DRUNKEN BRAWLS,
36 CURFEW
43 MISSING PERSONS,
VIOLATIONS,
GRABBED SOME MEDICINE
AND RAN. THEY SAY HE
THERE'S A SIGNAL
IN FROM
COMING HIS,
SPHERE
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ER WAE NA Yf D
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WAS THE REORGANIZATION,
PAST.
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RECOGNIZE,
J I CAN ONLY d
SURMISE THAT THEY'VE
GONE INTO BUSINESS
FOR THEMSELVES,
„ARE BORN WITH
CERTAIN CAPABILITIE:
AND CERTAIN LIMITATIONS,
AND EVEN A MAN OF GREAT
LIMITATIONS may IMAGINE
HIMSELF A MAN OF GREAT
CAPABILITY.
TE SUCH A MAN FOUND WITHIN
HIS GRASP AN OBJECT OF GREAT
POWER... IT WOULD BE USELESS,
BEYOND HIS ABILITY TO CONTROL. pe you
IN HIS HANDS, THAT OBJECT LNDERSTANU
WOULD BE WASTED AND ETLE
OME TO NOTHING / 2
E TANE MOUSE ጋ
THANK
YOU FOR SHARING
YOUR WISDOM, I
WON'T FORGET iT
THERE'S
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THING A LITTLE
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THE CANAL.
WELL... IT'S
KINDOFASA:
MY NAME LS KAY! WEWE
BROUGHT YOU AKIRA!
IN THE
MORNING,
WHY You PERSIST.
[N REPEATING THESE
FABRICATIONS ሪፁ
BEYOND UNDERSTANOU
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KNOW THE E BACK MY COMMAND!
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THERE'S STILL TIMEL
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THEY CALL
SELVES THEM-
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WHAT AFIASCO?
I WAS SURPRISED
HE IS A CHILD TOO,
BUT HE (5 AKIRA.
TİM SURE.
I COULD SWEAR LADY MIYAKO
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THIS 15 SEA MOUSE S z KNOW THIS 15
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ARE YOU WITH
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FACE BEFORE
OPEN UP.
THE KOHMIN d
AMOS
THE LIST! | i CULT “ረጋBELONGS
THE MAKING OF AKIRA
THE EPIC COMIC
PARTI
The publishing of Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira in the United
States reguires much more time and effort than a standard
comic book reprint. Before American audiences see the final
product, it has gone through a complex “Westernization”
procedure.
In Japan, Akira is first serialized in 20
page black-and-white installments y a
in Kodansha Ltd.'s Young Magazine.
Young Magazine is a 300-page weekly
aimed at high school and college
students.
An issue of Kodansha Ltd.'s Young
Magazine from December, 1986.
The serialized installments are collected
into volumes of 300 to 400 pages each.
A fifth and final volume is forthcoming,
bringing the total number of pages in
Akira up to 1800. The sales of these
volumes in Japan have been phenomenal
— the completed Akira saga will have
a total of three and a half million
The second of five Japanese copies in print.
Volumos of Akira.
An original paga from Kodansha's Akira (left); 9 eolored page from the Epic version (right)
Archie Goodwin, former Editor-in-Chief of Epic Comics,
together with the staff of Kodansha, divided the volumes into 64.
page sections for publication. Kodansha then provided “clean
proofs” of the artwork.
Japanese comics are designed for lettering that reads
vertically. Before sending the artwork to Epic, MasheRoom Co.,
Ltd., Otomo's own studio, removes all Japanese lettering,
sound effects, and dialogue balloons.
The artwork is reversed through a camera process, so that
Akira will reproduce from left to right, New artwork replaces
the dialogue and sound effect balloons, and eventually new
balloons will be drawn to hold horizontal lettering. The clean
“mirror” proofs are then sent to Epic, along with the script
translation.
Next month we will examine the translation, adaptation, and
scripting process.
& be SHL ዘ N
= 5 ľaal E
T..is a shrill sound that fills the air
and beats against the soul. It is the sound of panic that grips the terrified citizens of Neo-Tokyo. It is
the sound of the caretaker robots who carry out their orders to "protect" regardless of who ዝ
destroy. It is the sound of gunfire that rattles against the asphalt as the struggle for who will control
Akira rages. It is the sound of double speak shreaking against all logic as a government scrambles
for high ground. It is sound and fury all for nothing against the power of Akira.
KATSUHIRO OTOMO'S
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