The 13 Best Anime Like Akira
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From one anime masterpiece to another, the 1995 Ghost in the Shell movie might stand as the best recommendation for anyone who loved Akira. Both of these cyberpunk movies explore the themes of humanity and the questionable advancements of technology. Major Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell lives in a technological world where hacking a human's brain for political warfare is just another day at the job.
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Psycho-Pass tells the story of a futuristic police force known as the Criminal Investigation Department, tasked with maintaining order in a dystopian world. Just like in Akira, the evil government of Psycho-Pass holds an authoritarian grip over its people. Willing to kill anyone they deem unstable, the Department chooses targets based on the negative signals an individuals gives out through their scanners. Psycho-Pass follows two members of the force as they go about their jobs and the toll it takes on them as arbiters of judgment.
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If you're in the mood for another beautifully animated movie like Akira, then Metropolis lies right up your alley. Like Akira, Metropolis deals with heavy political themes that arise as technology advances faster than humans can regulate it. The discrimination and scapegoating of the movie's robotic characters, such as humans blaming them for "taking their jobs," hits too close to home.
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If Akira surprisingly enough felt too "normal" for you, then Serial Experiment Lain might provide the oddities you seek. The 1998 anime series explores many of the same philosophical themes of Akira, through a visually striking and surreal narrative. Akira and Serial Experiment Lain also feature two young protagonists with godlike powers, but who are polar opposites in personality.
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Any fan of Akira interested in more of Katsuhiro Otomo's work will definitely want to check out Memories. The anthology movie not only includes three of Otomo's manga short stories, he also directed the final short of the film. Each of the stories delves into equally bizarre scenarios ranging from biological warfare to space exploration, presenting Outer Limits/Black Mirror-esque stories where the action is only part of the story.
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Recommending Steamboy to fans of Akira is a no-brainer, as both movies come from anime legend Katsuhiro Otomo. Much of Steamboy's breathtaking animation traces back to Akira, along with its impressive scenery. In terms of content, Steamboy is a family-friendly movie about a young inventor named Ray Steam, who tries to protect his grandpa's miraculous steam-powered invention from falling into the wrong hands.
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Freedom
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If you ever wondered what Akira would be like if it took place on the Moon, than Freedom is the anime for you. In the year 2267, a young hovercraft street racer named Takeru unravels the mystery surrounding the destruction of Eden, the first space colony on the Moon. Freedom not only features similar story beats as Akira, it also has its creator, Katsuhiro Otomo, serving as character and mecha designer for the series.
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The 1987 anthology film Neo Tokyo will whet the appetite of Akira fans looking for some bite-sized horror stories. The second short, "The Running Man," deals with a psychic racer who kills his opponents in an all-or-nothing racing circuit called "Death Circus." The last short, "Construction Cancellation Order," features a production facility run by mad robots. Though a collection of different stories, Neo Tokyo poses similar questions and scenarios about technology, morality, and unbridled power as those brought up in Akira.
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While not as graphic as Akira, Tekkonkinkreet shares many similarities with the 1988 classic. Instead of a post-apocalyptic society, Tekkonkinkreet takes place in an imaginative, yet bleak city run by thugs. Similar to the brotherly friendship of Akira and Kaneda Shōtarō, Tekkonkinkreet focuses on two brothers working together to survive. Though technically "punks" themselves, the brothers possess a humanity which makes the viewer sympathetic to their causes.
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Appleseed is another sci-fi anime story that draws comparisons to Akira. The CGI movie offers its perspective on reproducing humans through cloning, similar to how Akira focused on the reproduction of psychics. These futuristic sci-fi films include stimulating action scenes for viewers, scenes that raise your adrenaline along with questions regarding human interference in the process of life. You know, just your average story.
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Elfen Lied features many similar elements as Akira in its 13-episode run. The two storylines focus on cruel human experimentation that produces psychics with amazing powers, albeit powers largely out of their control. Akira shocked viewers back in the day for its graphic violence and explicit content, but even the 1989 movie would blush at some of the over-the-top kills in Elfen Lied. And like Akira, Elfen Lies incorporates moral questions alongside its action, ensuring it sticks with you long after you finish.
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Black Magic M-66
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Black Magic M-66 is another cyberpunk-inspired anime guaranteed to scratch the itch of any Akira fans. In this story, a female reporter named Sybel tries to save a girl from two killer androids on the loose. Similar to Akira, Black Magic M-66 demonstrates the folly of man through the creations of these military androids, who go against their original purpose by attacking innocents.
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Dennō Coil offers another a fascinating perspective on society's attachment to technology. In a world where semi-immersive augmented reality becomes more and more mainstream, a group of kids find themselves on a strange journey through their city, one that's somehow half-real and half-digital. Not only are the technological themes in Dennō Coil similar to Akira's, but the setup also feels inspired by Digimon.
