Any list gathering up the best that anime has to offer will inevitably include Akira, and for good reason. The 1988 movie raised the bar for film animation and is widely credited with introducing mainstream audiences outside Japan to the medium. However, the anime adaptation is only part of the tale. Like innumerable other anime projects, Akira is adapted from a much longer–though lesser-known–manga series. While the Akira manga has been available in print for decades, a new Akira Hardcover Edition kicked off earlier in 2025, offering the most authentic presentation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s groundbreaking sci-fi saga. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the full Akira saga, this is one of the best ways to do so–and as luck would have it, you can save a few dollars on these premium hardcover releases. Four volumes in the six-volume series are available to purchase at Amazon, and while these normally cost between $30 and $40, you can get them for up 25% off. Volumes 5 and 6 are also launching in the coming weeks, and preorders are live.
Save Up To 25%
The Akira Hardcover books published by Kodansha use the updated translation and lettering of the 35th Anniversary Edition box set, and each book is presented as a large-sized 7″ x 10″ collectible. Like traditional manga, they are read from right to left, and the original Japanese-language hand-drawn sound effects from the manga have been restored. Each hardcover book has cover artwork based on the original manga tankabon volume artwork.
As mentioned above, four volumes have launched so far, and are currently discounted to roughly $26 – $27 at Amazon (normally $30 – $35 each). The next release, Akira Hardcover Collection 5, releases on December 23. Preorders are discounted to $34 (down from $36). This will be followed by Akira Hardcover Collection 6, a month later on January 27, 2026. Preorders for volume six are available for $40. Check out all the Akira Hardcover Collection releases below.
While the hardcover editions above are fresh reprints, you can also pick up all six of them as part of the Akira 35th Anniversary Manga Box Set. All six volumes come bundled together with the hardcover Akira Club art book and an exclusive pill patch. It’s currently sold out, but it gets restocked periodically at Amazon, so it’s worth checking back to see if it’s available.
Set in a dark future timeline, Akira first began publication in 1982 and ran for 120 chapters. Taking place in the post-apocalyptic city of Neo-Tokyo, the series examines the after-effects of a mysterious explosion that almost destroyed the city. Thirty years later, teenage biker gang leader Shotaro Kaneda finds himself in the middle of a plot that involves militant revolutionaries, psychically gifted individuals, military forces, and his childhood friend, Tetsuo Shima, who has begun to develop dangerously destructive psychic powers of his own. Akira manga was critically acclaimed for its mature themes, well-developed characters, intriguing storylines, and Otomo’s artwork. In the years since its publication, it’s become regarded as one of the pioneering works in the then-burgeoning Cyberpunk sci-fi subgenre.
As mentioned above, the manga eventually received a film adaptation, written and directed by Otomo while the manga series was still in production. While the film has eclipsed the manga in popularity, it’s also a truncated and revised version of the manga’s sprawling tale. Both share a similar framework, but the manga explores plot threads like the military coup and the growing resistance in much greater detail, and both Akira and Tetsuo are given more time to develop as characters. While that makes the manga a must-read for fans, that doesn’t mean the Akira film isn’t worthy of its accolades. There’s a reason it’s still heralded as one of the all-time great anime films. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can grab Akira on 4K Blu-ray in either a standard edition or steelbook version. Both versions include a wealth of extra content sourced from the original DVD release, including featurettes on the music, world, and style of Akira. There’s also an interview with Otomo that was originally filmed for the vintage laserdisc release, a feature on how the movie was restored, and archival promotional materials from the ’80s.
Akira Blu-rays
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