TETSUO
AT 2:17 P.M. ON DECEMBER 6TH, 1982, A NEW TYPE OF BOMB EXPLODED OVER THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF JAPAN...
NINE HOURS LATER, WORLD WAR III BEGAN. LENINGRAD, MOSCOW, KAZAN, VLADIVOSTOK, IRKUTSK, NOVOSIBIRSK, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO, NEW ORLEANS...
HOUSTON, CAPE CANAVERAL, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, OKINAWA, BERLIN, HAMBURG, WARSAW, LONDON, BIRMINGHAM, PARIS, NEW DELHI...
AND THE WORLD BEGAN TO REBUILD.
[2019 AD].
NEO-TOKYO CITY, 38 YEARS AFTER WORLD WAR III
COME ON, GUYS! STRAIGHT UP THE HIGHWAY TO THE OLD CITY!
RIGHT BEHIND YA!
SIGN: Off-limits
THAT’S IT! LET’S GO!
YOU GOT IT!
KEEP IT TIGHT AND CLEAN !
EVERYO NE ELSE, FORM A LINE BEHIND HIM!
REMEM BER, KANED A TAKES LEAD P OINT TONIGH T!
WHAT —?
SHIT —!
whew
.MAN… THAT’S A REAL ABRUPT ENDING. NEARLY SCARED THE SHIT OUTTA ME.
HEY, WE WERE JUST GETTING INTO IT… WHY’D WE STOP?
WELL, |’LL BE DAMNED… IT’S THE HEART OF DESTRUCTION. THE PLACE WHERE THE BOMB FELL.
’CAUSE WE HIT A DEAD END, DUMMY. AND | DO MEAN DEAD.
WHAT’S THE BIG HURRY? THE NIGHT IS YOUNG, GENTLEMEN.
THAT’S WHAT | .HEARD… TELL HIM, TETSUO.
WHAT ARE WE HANGING AROUND THIS DUMP FOR ANYWAY?
NO REASON.
MAN, IT GIVES ME THE CREEPS THINKING OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE.
WE MUST HAVE MADE A WRONG TURN. LET’S GO BACK AND TRY AGAIN.
THINGS ARE GONNA CHANGE AROUND THIS AREA PRETTY SOON. BY THE TIME THE OLYMPICS START HERE NEXT YEAR, THIS PLACE WILL BE A GIANT PARK.
A PARK? YOU’RE KIDDING, RIGHT?
ME—?
THEY ALREADY STARTED WORK ON IT. A BUNCH OF OLD BUILDINGS AND STUFF HAVE BEEN TORN DOWN AND EVERYTHING.
IT’S THE TRUTH, KANEDA.
COME ON! WE’RE OUTTA HERE!
|’M GETTING HUNGRY. | SAY WE EAT AT HARUKIYA— AND THE LAST GUY THERE PICKS UP THE CHECK!
TETSUO ! YOU BASTARD !
EAT MY DUST, WUSS!
|’M NOT GONNA BE THE ONE TO PICK UP THE TAB THIS TIME, KANEDA!
WE’LL SEE ABOUT THAT!
HUNH —?!
OH NO! MOVE IT!
GANGWAY, YOU IDIOT!!!
!
JEEZ…
K—! YOU JER E HELL WHAT TH U DOING WERE YO IDDLE IN THE M OAD?! OF THE R TETSUO, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT ?
OH, MAN!
…
HANG IN THERE, TETSUO !
!
HE’S HURT BAD.
…
HUNH ?!
WHAT THE— ?!
WE GOTTA GET HIM TO A HOSPITAL— FAST!
LOOK HOW MUCH HE’S BLEEDING! HE MIGHT DIE!
HEY!
DID… DID YOU GUYS SEE WHAT JUST—?
HUNH ?
DON’T TOUCH HIM, STUPID! YOU DON’T DRAG AROUND A GUY HURT THIS BAD!
HE… IT— DISAPPEARED …
KANEDA!
WHAT’LL WE—?
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
UU G HN
!
AT THIS POINT, |’LL TAKE ANY HELP WE CAN GET…
SOLDIERS —?
COPS —?
BUBBLE: SKRRT
YES, SIR.
NOPE, NO VISUAL… JUST A BUNCH OF KIDS— ONE OF THEM CRASHED OR SOMETHING.
UH… UH… YEAH, BUT…
AN AMBULANCE IS ON ITS WAY. JUST SIT TIGHT.
YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE COME HERE. THIS IS A RESTRICTED AREA.
UM… SIR? EXCUSE ME, BUT—
BUT SIR—!
OKAY MEN, LET’S MOVE OUT.
WHEN THE POLICE GET HERE, TELL THEM HOW IT HAPPENED.
BUT… BUT AREN’T YOU THE POLICE?
SIGN: Eighth District Youth Vocational Training School
DID YOU HEAR WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT? A BUNCH OF GUYS FROM OUR SHOP CLASS…
GRAFFITI: 8th District Youth Prison! Cut through here à
LIKE THEY NEEDED THE TROUBLE. IT’S ALWAYS SOMETHING WITH THEM.
| HEARD ONE OF ’EM HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
…CAUSED SOME KIND OF BIG ACCIDENT IN THE OLD CITY.
YOU YOUNG MEN ARE, OF COURSE, ONLY FIFTEEN YEARS OLD, BUT YOU CAN STILL BE TRIED IN ADULT COURT IF YOU ARE CONVICTED TWICE FOR EVEN MINOR OFFENSES.
…TO FIT IN WITH NORMAL STUDENTS IN A NORMAL ENVIRONMENT…
THIS PLACE IS THE LAST CHANCE YOUR KIND HAVE!
…YOU’VE SHOWN YOURSELVES TO BE UNWILLING— OR UNABLE…
AS YOU KNOW, YOU WERE ALL SENT HERE BECAUSE…
YOU ARE HERE TO LEARN A TRADE. AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, BECOME USEFUL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
DON’T YOU BOYS EVER FORGET THAT!
YOU’RE FULL OF IT…
| AM!
| LISTENED TO HALF OF IT.
…THREE TIMES. ALL THE WAY…
NOPE, NOT ME.
| HEARD IT, BUT | DIDN’T GET IT…
HEHHEH.
WELL, IF WE CAN’T GET THROUGH TO YOU, PERHAPS WE SHOULD CALL IN MR. TAKABA, THE GYM TEACHER.
hmph
BULL.
SHE WASN’T HIS SISTER, THEY—
N
YAAW
ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME ?!
YOU BOYS ARE SCUM. YOU’LL ALWAYS BE SCUM.
ALWAYS GLAD TO ADMINISTER A LITTLE PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
SPECIAL LESSONS !
GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?
OKAY, FALL IN!
THAT’S IT FOR TODAY.
YOU OKAY ?
unhh
ANY TIME YOU WANT A LITTLE MORE, |’M ALWAYS AVAILABLE. THANK YOU, SIR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR!
GOOD !
WATCH YOUR ASS, YOU JAWHEADED FREAK!
YOU’RE GONNA GET YOURS!
SCUMBAG!
WE WON’T FORGET THIS!
NICE CHIN, ASSHOLE !!
GO TO HELL!
This edition of AKIRA maintains all of Otomo's hand-drawn sound effects in the original Japanese, only replacing instances of typed sound effects with English translations. Sound effects from the background are translated here, alongside their transliteration in parentheses. When reading, the first number refers to the page number; the second is the panel number. 13.2 13.3 13.4
FLASH (KA) BRUMM BRUMM (DORUN DORUN DORUN) BRUMM (DORUN)
14.1 14.4
FWUMP (BAN) FWUMP (BAN)
15.1 15.2 15.4
FWUMP (BAN) FWUMP (BAN) VRAOOOM (DORURU) WHUMP (BAN)
17.1 17.2 17.3
KRIII (GI) SKREEE (KIKIKI) KSHT CLAK (GARA GARA)
18.1
BRMM BRMM BRM (DORUN DORUN DORUN)
21.3 21.4 21.5
VRRMMM (DORUN) FWOOM (GYAN) VVVRROOO (DODODODO)
22.1 22.5
VRROOO (DODODODO) VRROOO (DODODO)
BLAM (DON) FMP (DO)
23.5
SKREEEE (KIKIKIKI)
68.2 68.3 68.4
KSHHH (KIKI) THUD (DO) BLAM (DON)
24.1 24.3
BOOM (BON) SKREEE (KIKIKIII) KSHUNK (DOKA)
69.2
FWUMP (DOSA) KRAK KRAK (PAN PAN)
25.1
GONK (GAN)
27.6
FLASH (KA)
72.6
BLAM BLAM (DON DON)
73.1 73.2 73.4 73.5 73.6
GSHK (GASHAN) SHAK (GAN) RRRIP (BIRI) TWANG (BACHI) CH-CHK (JAKIIN)
33.2 33.5
THWAK (GAN) DMP (DO)
34.5
ZWIP (BISHI)
37.5
VMMM VMMM (GOHH GOHH)
74.2
TUPPA TUPPA TUPPA (BATA BATA BATA BATA)
38.3
FLIK (PIN)
77.1 77.2 77.3 77.5
FLASH (KA) FMP (DO) SKREEEE (KIKIKIKI) VRRMMM (BUROON)
42.4 42.9
THUMP (DO) WHAM (GAN)
43.4
THUD THUD THUD THUD (DADADADA)
78.1 78.3 78.6
SKREEE (KIKIKI) KRUNCH (DOKA) SWIP (BAN)
45.6
KRAAASH (GATA GATA)
46.1
KSHANNG (GARA GARA GAN)
79.1 79.2
TONK (GATAN) VRAAA (DORUN) GRRN (GUN)
49.1 49.3
KRAKKL (PAKIN) KSSH KSSH (GASHA GASHAN)
50.3
GSHUNK (GARA)
51.5
ZDOOM (ZUN)
52.1 52.2 52.4
BAM (DO) FWUD (BAN) BOOOM (BON)
56.1
GONK (GO)
57.3 57.5
TAP TAP TAP (TA TA TA) GTUNK (GATA)
60.8
TUPPA TUPPA TUPPA (BATA BATA BATA BATA)
61.1
KSHAK (BAKAN)
62.4
SHUDD (GARA)
65.1 65.3 65.4 65.5
WHDUM (BAAN) BTOOM (DOKYUN) BLAM BLAM (DON DON) TANG TANG PTANG (DOKIIN DOKIIN KIIN)
67.1 67.2