Akira is considered by many to be one of the most influential anime ever created since it helped Western audiences realize that Japanese animation can be truly stunning. Prior to this, fans in the US were used to cheap-looking anime like Speed Racer so seeing something like Akira was a game changer. The 1988 film is still a visual marvel today but fans will be really happy to know that a new anime is on the way.
Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of the manga and director of the anime film, announced during Anime Expo in Los Angeles that a new anime series is on the way and will be developed by Bandai Namco's Sunrise studio. It seems like this is being done to build up hype for Taika Waititi's live-action film but also to tell more of the story from the manga.
If there were any problems with the 1988 Akira film, it would be that there isn't enough time to delve into the second half of the manga. This doesn't mean that the film is rushed or anything like that but those that read the manga probably would have wanted to see more of the stories told there. Thankfully, we're getting an anime series that will do just that.
No official release date for the new Akira anime was announced. The live-action adaptation from Taika Waititi is expected to come out sometime in 2021.
Read:Live-Action Akira Casting Call Reveals Character Descriptions