Kaneda and Tetsuo
It is refreshing to see that the main characters in the movie adaptation of Akira are actually portrayed true to the spirit of their manga counterparts. Some character development is lost, as it goes when condensing a work of Akira's scale into a single movie. However, the essence of the characters are preserved, from their dialogue to their unique mannerisms and quirks. Kaneda is still the bold little rapscallion who is forced to turn against Tetsuo after the latter gains power and (literally and figuratively) becomes a monster, and their arcs warrant the same amount of audience investment in both incarnations of the story.
Kei
Her role is reduced, and unfortunately her intrigue is too. The audience never gets to see Kei's strengths and weaknesses played to their fullest in the movie, and her abilities as a medium are shown, but not explained. In addition, her relationship with Kaneda is more generic than in the manga, with Kei being "hard to get" and a little resentful of the protagonist but getting together with him at the end anyway. In the source material, they are imprisoned together by the government and have to work with and understand each other to escape. Since their relationship builds through struggle over a period of time, their chemistry is more genuine.
Colonel Shikishima
Like Kei, the Colonel is made more generic. In the movie, he is just your overly assertive, strict military man archetype. He doesn't come into his own like in the source material. In the manga, the Colonel is forced into hiding and humbleness after Neo-Tokyo's destruction. Without a military to command anymore, his true honor and resilience is brought to light as he joins in the fight against Tetsuo; after all, he is responsible for Tetsuo's power. To the Colonel, it is his duty to right that wrong.
Yeah, not in the movie.
Yeah, not in the movie.
Kaori
In the manga, she is Tetsuo's slave. She appears at a time when Tetsuo's power was starting to crush his psyche, making him more and more unstable. That is why the development of a bizarrely sincere relationship had so much impact. Even after Kaori died, Tetsuo still held on to her memory and attempted to resurrect her. It was perhaps her death that finally pushed him over the edge.
In the movie, Kaori starts off as being Tetsuo's girlfriend. This makes their relationship more accessible to the audience, which may be to the movie's benefit. Her death in the movie is traumatizing: as Tetsuo loses control of his power and starts to physically mutate, he grabs hold of Kaori out of desperation and instinct. She is then graphically crushed under the weight of his mutated form.
In the movie, Kaori starts off as being Tetsuo's girlfriend. This makes their relationship more accessible to the audience, which may be to the movie's benefit. Her death in the movie is traumatizing: as Tetsuo loses control of his power and starts to physically mutate, he grabs hold of Kaori out of desperation and instinct. She is then graphically crushed under the weight of his mutated form.
"Kaori! Kaori's going to die! My body's not doing what I tell it to! My power's acting on its own! Kaori! Aaaaah! Kaori's dying... Kaneda, please help me! Her pain... is coming into me!"
In my opinion, both versions of Kaori and Tetsuo's doomed relationship are equally powerful. The original for its intrigue, and the movie version for its impact. Kaori served the plot in the manner each incarnation called for; this manner just varied between the two.
Reduced Role in Film |
Completely Absent in Film |