Review Summary: The birth of a God
Anime has a way of sneaking up on you. For all its brash, shouting protagonists and shamelessly perverted depictions of women, anime can be profound when its creators choose to be. It can be nuanced, it can be epic, as ubiquitous as that word has become.
With all that said, Studio Ghibli’s works are the only ones that don’t need to be explained to the uninitiated, due in no small part to their support from Disney. Sure, there are numerous seminal works by other creators, but not those that have the same kind of reputation outside of Japan as within. In Japan, Akira is a piece of cultural heritage that people take seriously (and fiercely defend when the reboot happy Hollywood comes knocking). Outside of Japan, though, it is becoming a relic to all but the few who sing its praises, a piece of the 80’s that didn’t have the kind of staying power the incorrigible Star Wars has maintained to this day. And it is a damn shame, because the film and its soundtrack earned more than they received.
The film, despite having a hefty 2 hour run-time that runs both long and fast depending on the scene, accomplished Not only is it one of those rare adaptations that doesn't pale in comparison to its source material, it also achieved something every Roland Emmerich and Michael Bay film has attempted: truly awesome large scale destruction; destruction that is emotionally affecting and drives the narrative forward (and the fact that director is also the writer of the source material makes it all the more impressive). Much of the heavy lifting in this area is done by Geinoh Yamashirogumi and the apocalyptic hymns they brought to the table. Their score captures, manifests and instigates the chaos by encapsulating the decaying relationship at the heart of it.
The film opens with the destruction of Tokyo and immediately jumps thirty-one years into the future, past World War III to a world in which massive riots and large scale biker gang wars are a commonality. The corresponding piece, “Kaneda,” is the film’s most recognizable theme and is representative of the work as a whole. The cue on this version of the score is abbreviated to the iconic chant of the eponymous character’s name with the film samples removed, but it packs all it needs to knock the listener on their ass. That might be brash to say, but the experience of hearing the percussion of this theme kick in as an entire city erupts is unrivaled in how much it communicates to the audience in its relatively brief run-time. The companion character theme, “Tetsuo,” similarly characterizes the damage the eponymous character causes and his inner turmoil that drives it. The chime triggered chants become impassioned wails heralding indiscriminate slaughter, punctuated by eruptions of silence.
Interestingly, there are shades of what eventually ended up on Ecophony Gaia in the score. The Noh theatre core of “Illusion” recurs in that record’s “Euphony” and the chimes that trigger the violence of “Tetsuo” make a more subdued return at the opening of “Catastrophe”. While they are not polar opposites, Ecophony Gaia is more of a celebration of life and Akira’s score eulogizes. Even at its most militant, every cue is a hymn that lifts you up out of the viscera into a burgeoning realm of chaos. This is epitomized in the closer, "Requiem," which takes the opening theme and hushes its roar to a mournful whisper.
The only real weak link is “Battle Against Clown,” whose driving bizarro chant borders on abrasive when heard outside the context of the film. Unlike Ecophony Gaia, which stands perfectly well on its own, this score is so intimately tied to the film’s rhythm that, without the visual element, some of the tonal shifts are can be jarring to hear. This isn’t an uncommon issue with film scores, but with music as finely constructed as Geinoh Yamashirogumi’s work here, I was at times taken aback by how abrupt it can be. Still, some issues with contextual translation should not prove to be a deterrent from listening as the score shines above its shortcomings.
Akira is an experience best had for yourself. The chaos and destruction is that which could only be achieved in the medium of animation. The score maintains a twisted hymnal quality even as it erupts into an orgy of violence.
