In this week’s Anime Update, we get down to discussing the live-action adaptation that is supposedly in the works for the Japanese classic, Akira. This post is pretty rant-y so prepare yourselves! Oh, and shame on you if you haven’t watched Akira yet since it’s been out since 1988, but this review contains footage with spoilers. You’ve been warned!

I first saw Akira in 2000 when a friend lent me his VHS copy, saying “If you like Anime, you have to see Akira. It’s a classic.” Not too long after watching it, I went to nearby Boston and bought myself a DVD version because I had to own it in the then-new format. It was such a chilling, excellent film, and it truly reinforced my love of anime, science fiction, and Japanese literature. The anime itself stands up as a great science fiction film, and the manga is even more incredible. If you actually take the time to read all six volumes, you’ll see just how much they had to cut out to make that film in 1988.

Allow me to be completely frank here, I don’t believe that there is any way Hollywood is going to produce a live action Akira film that’s any good. They’ve changed writers three times in the past couple of years, and the project itself has been tossed around since the early 1990’s due to the astronomical budget it would require. (Rumors state that it’s estimated at around $300 million…though I believe this estimate was made in the 90’s before recent advances in special effects and computer technology.)

There are no Japanese actors reported in the casting yet. Actually, it’s so far been reported that all Western actors are set to play the leading roles, and George Takei asked Hollywood last week to remedy this situation (as well as to quit “Whitewashing” films made in Hollywood that should have Asian ethnic groups playing characters that were originally Asian to begin with.). On top of all this, the film is going to be changed in location from Neo Tokyo to a somewhat altered version of a futuristic New York City. Rumor also has it that they’re changing all the Japanese names to Western names…leaving us to wonder how much (if any) of the plot will remain intact.

Here’s the rest of what is missing from the necessary equation, and why Hollywood should quit messing with our anime adaptations:

One of the most important aspects of Akira is that it was written by a Japanese writer who’s own cultural background and experience (coupled with a love of good sci-fi) inspired him to write such an excellent science fiction manga. Otomo grew up in Occupied Japan in the 1950’s and 60’s when a lot of families had been faced with their lives being completely turned upside down and the hard work that everyone had to do in order to regain stability. His parents were a part of a generation completely shaped by the loss of the war and the dropping of nuclear bombs in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the cultural impact of these events is still evident even today in art and cinema produced in Japan.

Though a story of science fiction, Akira explores many themes with deeper meaning that can serve as cautionary tales for humanity – including the potential ramifications of nuclear holocaust, social unrest and revolution as a result of inequality, and the dangers of power and corruption. The story itself is chilling and somewhat disturbing, and to think that this could be watered down really does make me think that much of the deeper meaning of this story would be lost.

Another point that should be mentioned here is that anything less than an ‘R’ Rating would be even more devastating to the story, especially since this dystopian, cyberpunk reality is pretty rife with violence, psychic-blasting mutations, graphic and disturbing images, and what I believe Hollywood tends to call “strong themes.”

If that doesn’t merit an R rating…I don’t know what does…

Of course, I can’t forget to mention Hollywood’s recent track record in making live action adaptations of Anime. Let’s review with two recent disasters known as Dragon Ball and The Last Airbender.

I was willing to write off The Last Airbender from the moment I heard M. Night Shyamalan was directing. That little piece of news was enough to keep me out of the theaters because I had really enjoyed the series and honestly felt it had been quite good for a Nickelodeon produced Amerime (American region cartoon that is done in an anime style). Needless to say, the film was a complete flop and fans were sad (some outraged) to see the series completely destroyed on the big screen. The dialogue was terrible, the plot was glossed over…the only positive in this movie consisted of the special effect demonstrations of element manipulation. In similar stride to the upcoming Akira release, the ethnicities of most of the major characters were changed (and this definitely did not help the already sucky adaptation).

Dragon Ball, as you probably know, was awful. In my opinion, it might be the worst live action adaptation of any anime series. Even the trailer was completely terrible. I could go on and on about how bad this movie was, but you don’t want to read that much…so here are two pieces of evidence that will say it all:

This…

and this... (It's so bad, it hurts to look at.)

Dragon Ball brings me to my final point, and this one’s a big one: if a movie is going to be bad (Now, I mean REALLY bad, like Gigli levels of bad), and you know it’s going to be bad, DON’T PAY TO SEE IT IN THEATERS! Let it bomb. Don’t give the studios more money to keep making sh*t. I feel terrible that I actually paid seven dollars to see Dragon Ball…I should have demanded my money back! While I can’t endorse the piracy of these atrocities, I can certainly tell you not to buy the DVDs or pay for a movie ticket! Then, when a copy has magically landed into your possession, make fun of it with your friends in comfort knowing that you didn’t support the studio in making more sh*tty movies.

My final advice to Hollywood: either hire the original creator and staff to advise you on Akira, or drop the project! Save yourselves from losing the buckets of money you are bound to lose, and save us from having to witness the final product of your failure.

For more news on the upcoming Akira live action film, and all your other anime and geek news, keep surfing on BSR.