Flash forward to 2030. Tokyo is still rebuilding from the devastation. Amidst the post-war ruins, Kaneda, a rebel without a cause, his edgy pal Tetsuo and the rest of their rev-head wrecking crew run into more trouble than they can handle. Trouble in the form of refugees from a secretive psycho cult, a deadly government conspiracy, underground resistance fighters and a new model army under the leadership of the formidable Colonel. Unfortunately, the Colonel has lost control of a living weapon known only as Akira - a young boy with the power of a god. When the deranged and psychically awakened Tetsuo gets his hands on Akira, apocalypse beckons and things go from bad to worse.

Produced in 1988 and based on his cyberactive manga classic of the same name, Katsuhiro Otomo's groundbreaking film is the best known and arguably still the best anime to emerge from Japan. The two-hour epic took over one billion yen, 2,200 shots and 160,000 animation cels (more than twice the number used in most Hollywood feature-length animation at the time) to make and seriously raised the bar for animated features. The result is tour-de-force filmmaking. A nuclear age fever dream in which barnstorming pyrotechnics collide with a complex, driving narrative. An adult apocalyptic fable for our times.

From 8 June until 4 August 2001, Silicon Pulp is celebrating Otomo's anime opus with an exhibition of rarely seen cels, artwork, storyboards, merchandise, manga and more. This must see exhibition will also feature an extraordinary Akira inspired installation by Italian artist Ludovica Gioscia on the theme of telekinesis - the ability to move objects through force of will alone. By combining the film's soundtrack with digital footage projected on a plasma screen, the installation transforms simple movements into mesmerising telekinetic exercises.

AKIRA! AKIRA! AKIRA! will present over 50 original cel artworks, plus posters, uncut card sets, lobby cards, comics and book editions, and a wide assortment of related merchandising on generous loan to Silicon Pulp from die-hard Akira collector Martin Shadwick. The exhibition represents 10 years of dedicated acquisition, and includes such rarities as an original program and flyer from opening night in Japan '88, a set of German and Spanish lobby cards, and a Thai theatre poster.

During the exhibition, Silicon Pulp will be launching the 'ATOMIC SUSHI CLUB'. Members will be entitled to attend special anime screenings, and to access Silicon Pulp's anime video/DVD library via rentals. The club will be launched with a screening of THE EVANGELION MOVIES !!! Stay tuned for details.

FOR SALE DURING AKIRA! AKIRA! AKIRA!

Akira T-shirts, posters, wall scrolls, pins, buttons, books, and anything else we can find (including original artworks), plus orders taken for the new remastered AKIRA video and DVD.