Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo is a classic sci fi series that was way ahead of its time,
and it's one of the most influential manga to ever release.
It's one of my favorite series so it goes without saying that
I recommend it, but what's the best way to collect it?
In this video I'll show you guys the difference between the main English
releases and released so far, including the two paperback
releases, the comic book issues
that began releasing in the 80's and the Akira 35th anniversary box set.
First, I want to talk about how each edition collects Akira.
The comic books collect Akira and 38 issues.
There are also two paperback releases, the first was released
by Dark Horse, and it collects Akira in six paperbacks.
The second was released
by Kodansha and also collects the series in six paperbacks.
And finally, there's a 35th anniversary boxset
which collects the series in six hardcovers.
Also worth noting real quick is that there is an anime version released by
Tokyo Pop, as well as a Barnes and Noble Hardcover exclusive of Volume 1 only.
A trade paperback graphic novel collection was also released by Epic.
There are ten books which collect 3 issues each.
Since the final 8
issues were never released in this format, unfortunately is not complete.
I want to focus on the main editions that fully collect Akira, but
wanted to mention these real quick in case you'd like to look into them.
How do they differ in terms of design?
So the Dark Horse paperbacks and Kodansha paperbacks are actually pretty much
identical in terms of design.
They have the same artwork on the covers that the Japanese volumes do,
but they made some different stylistic choices.
The Akira logo, for instance, has Katsuhiro Otomo's name
layered over the top and the volume number is included in the logo as well.
The spines are totally different from the Japanese releases though.
They feature different colors with Akira horizontally running down the spine
as well as artwork of prominent characters.
A quick
look at the back of these
editions as well,
but as you can see, these two are nearly identical in terms of look.
The hardcovers included in the box set come with slip covers and
their overall design and style is nearly the same as the Japanese release.
They feature different art on the volume covers themselves,
and they have an incredible graphic and bold look to them too.
They look great with and without the slip covers on
and their bright and bold colors make them stand out on the shelf.
To me, they're the most appealing
in terms of design, with or without their slip covers on.
The box set it comes in also has a really graphic, bold look to it,
and it looks awesome on display with artwork of Kaneda and his bike.
It's really pleasing to open it up for the first time and see everything
from the artbook to the hardcovers neatly housed inside the box.
The comic book issues each feature a different cover art.
I actually really love the design of them.
They have a more nostalgic feel to them,
look awesome on display and they are great collector's pieces.
In terms of price, the box that retails for one $199.99.
Kodansha paperbacks retail for $27.99 so you can collect the entire series
for around $168.
Dark Horse paperbacks are out of print, so they vary in terms of price.
The most recently sold listing of the complete set sold for $60
plus shipping on eBay.
The comics are also out of print and fetch a number of different prices.
It looks like the full set sells for over $1000 on Buy It Now listings.
However, I have seen people get the set for way
less on bids or best offer listings so you can get them for lower prices.
For those that are still in print,
you can find them on sale a lot of the time and for lower
base prices on sites like Right Stuff, which I'll link in the description below.
The cheapest way to collect Akira that's currently in print though
is the Kodansha paperbacks, but only marginally by around $32.
Let's check out print and page quality next.
When comparing the Dark Horse and Kodansha paperbacks, the paper in the Kodansha
paperbacks is a bit thicker
and the panels that feature heavy blacks appear deeper as well.
The contrast is better in the Kodansha release
as well as the paper quality in comparison to the Dark Horse paperbacks.
When comparing the Kodansha hardcovers to the Kodansha paperbacks,
the paper quality feels and looks the same to me.
Both are printed on high quality off white paper that has an eggshell-like
texture to it.
The pages feel the same thickness
and the contrast looks the same to me when comparing them side by side.
The difference between
the two really comes down to the quality of the covers
and the overall quality of the editions themselves.
And the hardcovers
easily win in this department with how well-made and sturdy they are.
I will briefly say that the color pages in both of Kodansha's releases are printed
on higher quality paper and look brighter than the Dark Horse release.
But I'll show you guys an example of this later on in the color pages section.
As far as readability goes, I didn't have any issues
when reading any of the volumes as far as gutter loss goes,
but the Akira hardcovers are the only edition with a sewn binding,
so they offered a better reading experience
in comparison to other editions that had a glued binding.
Since the hardcovers are the only edition printed in the original right to left
reading format, I found them to be easier and more of a joy to read as well.
Size wise, the Dark Horse and Kodansha paperbacks are both around 7.1
wide, 9.9 tall and 1.2 inches deep.
The accurate hardcovers collect in the box that are a little bit bigger
all around than the other two.
They're about the same size as releases like The Ghost in the Shell Deluxe
Editions in the Blame! Master Editions.
Let's take a look at sound effects, translation and lettering next.
The only edition that features the original hand-drawn sound effects
by Katsuhiro Otomo is the 35th anniversary hardcovers.
The only sound effects
that have been replaced with English translation are those that were typed,
and they included reference guides
in the back of the volumes you can reference if needed.
The sound effects in the other editions were translated and redrawn in English.
The Kodansha and Dark Horse paperbacks appear to have the same lettering
and translation and after a side by side read through.
But the translation in the hardcovers collected in the box
set is drastically different and much more readable.
It's a much more accurate translation, and they read better.
The lettering was completely changed by Kodansha in the hardcovers
too, but is more readable and has a more pleasing modern look to it.
I think it fits the series better, and Kodansha's hardcovers offer a more smooth
as well as a better reading experience
as a result of the grammatical changes and updated translations they made.
Unfortunately, the worst translation goes to the Epic Comics
releases, which is something expected, given that they were the first to release.
They omitted some quote bubbles entirely as well as sound effects,
which Dark Horse later added back in in their release.
The paperbacks by Kodansha have the same translation as Dark Horse,
but they later updated the translation in the hardcover release.
The spacing of the text in the quote bubbles and placement of the dialog
and text looks the best in the hardcovers too.
So they're the best in this department all around.
The comic book issues and both paperback releases were flipped
and they read left to right.
So the artwork was reworked,
particularly in the Epic Comics release and even in some cases redrawn.
The only edition that reads in the original right to left reading
format are the Akira hardcovers that are collected in the 35th anniversary box set.
What about full color pages?
The only full color editions of Akira
are those released by Epic Comics, including the 38 comic book issues.
You will notice with the color pages
look very different and feature a different color palette than Katsuhiro
Otomo's color pages that are only present in a few pages of other releases.
This is because the Epic Comics releases were computer colorize by Steve
Oliff of Olyptics for the English release and not by Katsuhiro Otomo himself.
The rest of the editions only have full color pages
in the first few pages of the volumes.
As you can see, the color pages are a little brighter
in the Kodansha releases from the Dark Horse release.
Kodansha used higher quality, thicker paper for the color pages,
while Dark Horse used thin paper like that which you would commonly see in single
issue comic book releases.
What about extras?
The box that comes with the Akira Club Artbook, which contains over 100 title
page illustrations created for the original series that were never published.
It also features rarely seen alternate art, preliminary drawings, production
sketches and a variety of Akira posters,
advertisements and products along with commentary by Katsuhiro Otomo.
It's a fantastic companion book and a wonderful collective piece as well.
In addition, you get an exclusive iron on patch that features
the iconic pill design in the box set.
This is the only edition of Akira that comes with extras.
Now that we've gone over everything, what's the best way to collect Akira.
As always, it definitely depends on what you are looking for.
If you're looking for the edition with the best quality
all around, awesome extras and want the most true release
the original the Akira 35th anniversary boxset is the way to go.
Even though it technically
isn't the cheapest way to collect the series
I still think it's the best value for your money.
If you want a full color release
definitely check out the comic book issues released by Epic.
They are fun to collect too, and I really enjoyed
the individual cover art on each issue.
Cheapest way to collect at retail that's currently in print,
the paperbacks released by Kodansha but you can also pick up
the Dark Horse paperbacks for decently cheap on sites like eBay too.
Want the best translation and the best lettering?
The box set released by Kodansha is the way to go since they fix
many of the issues that are present in the paperback releases.
What do I think though?
Personally, I think the Akira 35th anniversary
boxset is the best way to collect Akira by far.
The hard covers are beautifully designed, bold, and they are well-made.
The print quality is incredible too.
They're the only English edition that reads in the original right to left format
and they're the only edition that has the original hand-drawn sound effects
by Katsuhiro Otomo and they have updated lettering and a better translation.
Plus, for only around $30 more, you get a fully hardcover release, the Akira
Club Artbook, which is an incredible read, by the way and the iron on pill patch.
It's my favorite manga boxset to release so far, so I highly recommend
picking it up.
What about you guys?
What's your favorite way to collect Akira?
Let me know in the comments below.
If you want more manga reviews like these be sure to check out this playlist next.
That's it for the video.
Thanks as always for watching and I'll see you all next time!