Akira opens in Japan in 1988, when an explosion caused by a young boy with psychic powers tears through Tokyo and ignites the chain of events that leads to World War III. In the aftermath, the boy is taken into custody and hidden away by the authorities, and the ruined city is rebuilt as Neo-Tokyo by 2019, a restless metropolis defined by gang warfare, terrorism, and an uneasy government trying to keep control.
In that volatile city, Shoutarou Kaneda leads the Capsules, a gang of misfits known for their custom motorcycles and their long-running clashes with the rival Clowns. When one of their fights draws in Shoutarou's best friend, Tetsuo Shima, and an escaped esper from a government institution, Tetsuo becomes entangled in a chain of events far beyond the reach of ordinary street violence. As his mysterious abilities begin to awaken, the government moves quickly to quarantine the new psychic before his power grows into a threat capable of bringing Neo-Tokyo to its knees once again. Blending dystopian science fiction, biker gang conflict, and escalating psychic terror, Akira follows a city where every confrontation risks triggering another catastrophe.
