Kodansha started compiling the chapters into bigger volumes—a typical custom in manga publishing—as the serialization advanced. These tankbon collections let new readers get up on the narrative and gave current fans a more lasting method of enjoyment of the book.
Between 1984 and 1993, Akira’s first Japanese Tankōbon edition was released in six enormous volumes each between 300 and 500 pages. These big volumes, bigger than standard manga books, gave Otomo the space it deserved for their elaborate artwork. The black and white pages kept the contrast and complex linework that had become Katsuhiro Otomo’s trademark style.
I have held these first volumes and their metaphorical and physical weight seem right for the story they tell. The better paper quality than the magazine prints let readers notice subtleties in Otomo’s art that may have been missed in the more inexpensive production in the magazines.
In the years since, Kodansha has released several special editions in Japan, including:
- A “Movie Edition” that coincided with the film’s release in 1988
- The “Akira Collection” in the early 1990s
- A full-color edition in the early 2000s that applied the coloring from the international releases
- The definitive “35th Anniversary Box Set” in 2017, which returned to the original black and white art but included the original right-to-left reading format and hand-drawn sound effects
Each new edition has attempted to present Otomo’s masterpiece in the most authentic or innovative way possible, reflecting the work’s continued relevance and commercial appeal decades after its initial publication.
