Crunchyroll and Sony have released tickets for Akira, which will release in 4K and IMAX formats in the United States and Canada starting on September 4. Both the English dub and subbed versions will release in theaters.
A press release describes the anime film as follows:
Iconic and game-changing, AKIRA is the definitive anime masterpiece! Katsuhiro Otomo’s landmark cyberpunk classic obliterated the boundaries of Japanese animation and forced the world to look into the future. AKIRA‘s arrival shattered traditional thinking, creating space for future generations of ground-breaking movies.
July, 1988— World War III breaks loose. Then, in 2019, in megalopolis Tokyo…
As the leader of a group of young robust delinquents, Kaneda spent his nights tearing through the urban wastes, racing his motorbike against rival groups. One night while riding with his gang, his friend Tetsuo suddenly encounters a strange boy― the product of human experimentation— and is injured in the ensuing crash. Shortly thereafter, a military squadron appears on the scene to take the boy and Tetsuo away to an army research facility. Determined to free Tetsuo from capture, Kaneda sneaks into the army research lab. However, a regimen of extreme experimental procedures has awakened a new power in his friend, and now he is consumed by madness…
Akira initially premiered in theaters in 1988, and is directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. The movie has referenced an entire genre of Cyberpunk media and broader animation, with the iconic “Akira slide” appearing in anime, video games, and even movies alike. The movie is available to stream now on the Crunchyroll.
