AKIRA Epic/Marvel translation vs. Dark Horse - Is there a REAL difference?

[Stevens]

Long ago I began reading AKIRA, as in, during the Epic Comics days when the title was first introduced to America and it was all the rage. However, while I enjoyed it, I got out of comic books and stopped reading maybe mid-way through. I've got most of the series in those Epic Collections and could probably locate the one I am missing (volume 6), plus issues 31-38 (they were never collected) and read the entire series straight through.

Love the art with digital coloring. In fact, I sat down and read the first four volumes of those collections the other day and loved every page of it.

However, many say the Epic translation was "dumbed down" or unworthy. Some are quite vocal about it, while others say it's just semantics. Slight differences.

So I am curious to have some unbiased opinions. No Marvel bashing. :wink: Just some thoughts on the differences. Yes, I am aware the ending was rewritten, though I don't want to know specifics since I never finished the series and want it unspoiled. :eek:

I'm picky about manga. I like more realistic looking art and have aquired all I can of Ikegami's work (Mai, Strain, Sanctuary, the latter of which I am still missing a volume making it impossible for me to finish the damned thing). Think I need to try GHOST IN THE SHELL.

[Stevens]

Wow, so 50+ views and no opinions at all? D'OH!!

[Inkthinker]

Well, it would require someone out there to actually own the entire Marvel/Epic run, which is rare enough.

I have a couple issues buried in the stacks around here somewhere, but I'm not entirely sure of their location (no indexing). I suppose if I uncover them, I can at least compare their pages to the ones in the 6-volume Dark Horse editions, but ultimately it seems like a moot point.

[escapegoat]

Dang....I was actually thinking about this same question a couple of hours ago and was planning on posting a thread exactly like this!

I don't normally venture into this forum much, so I figured I check through it first to see if I could find any discussion on it :tongue:

That said, I've read all of the original Epic version and enjoyed it a fair deal, but I also felt the ending was kinda odd, and was curious to find out how it got translated for the Dark Horse version.

[Slappy san]

Long ago I began reading AKIRA, as in, during the Epic Comics days when the title was first introduced to America and it was all the rage. However, while I enjoyed it, I got out of comic books and stopped reading maybe mid-way through. I've got most of the series in those Epic Collections and could probably locate the one I am missing (volume 6), plus issues 31-38 (they were never collected) and read the entire series straight through.

Love the art with digital coloring. In fact, I sat down and read the first four volumes of those collections the other day and loved every page of it.

However, many say the Epic translation was "dumbed down" or unworthy. Some are quite vocal about it, while others say it's just semantics. Slight differences.

So I am curious to have some unbiased opinions. No Marvel bashing. :wink: Just some thoughts on the differences. Yes, I am aware the ending was rewritten, though I don't want to know specifics since I never finished the series and want it unspoiled. :eek:

I'm picky about manga. I like more realistic looking art and have aquired all I can of Ikegami's work (Mai, Strain, Sanctuary, the latter of which I am still missing a volume making it impossible for me to finish the damned thing). Think I need to try GHOST IN THE SHELL.

There are a few more books by that artist that I have...Offered and Wounded Man. The three you listed are much better though. I actually stopped reading WM because I was just.....yuck.

[Stevens]

I've heard Wounded Man was odd.

I finally located issue #38 of AKIRA, so that makes my month, for sure. Hope to have it on Saturday. Can finally finish the thing.

I did find an off thing on one page (cannot recall which volume). Basically, a black dot over what would be a penis. It's a long shot. I'm assuming Marvel added that.

[Slappy san]

*chuckles*

Yeah I gave it up after the second volume.

[Totoro Man]

Long ago I began reading AKIRA, as in, during the Epic Comics days when the title was first introduced to America and it was all the rage. However, while I enjoyed it, I got out of comic books and stopped reading maybe mid-way through. I've got most of the series in those Epic Collections and could probably locate the one I am missing (volume 6), plus issues 31-38 (they were never collected) and read the entire series straight through.

Love the art with digital coloring. In fact, I sat down and read the first four volumes of those collections the other day and loved every page of it.

However, many say the Epic translation was "dumbed down" or unworthy. Some are quite vocal about it, while others say it's just semantics. Slight differences.

So I am curious to have some unbiased opinions. No Marvel bashing. :wink: Just some thoughts on the differences. Yes, I am aware the ending was rewritten, though I don't want to know specifics since I never finished the series and want it unspoiled. :eek:

I'm picky about manga. I like more realistic looking art and have aquired all I can of Ikegami's work (Mai, Strain, Sanctuary, the latter of which I am still missing a volume making it impossible for me to finish the damned thing). Think I need to try GHOST IN THE SHELL.

they did a marvelous job of coloring the book to look as much like the movie as possible. and, to judge it on it's own terms, without looking at the movie, it still works.

it's a bit too dark in spots, and you lost a LOT of the detail in the backgrounds--but that's mostly because the coloring technology back then wasn't nearly as good.

I'll say this, it was much easier for me to figure out what was happening in the story with the newer translation. it was far less cryptic and confusing. granted, that was the SECOND time I've read through the whole story--but I feel that the newer translation was a more satisfying read.

both translations get the job done well enough, though. I'm not a vicious snob about it like some folks can be.

but the coloring was so dark and heavy I was astonished to see just how good and detailed the artwork was in the original black and white. there's a lot of things you simply can't see in the colorized Marvel books. and THAT might be way things made more sense in the newer translation--because I could actually SEE the backgrounds and get a true sense of time and place.

I wouldn't actually want to OWN the earlier Marvel translation--but if somebody went all out and did a new colorized version that used the same principle, I would probably buy that without a moment's hesitation.

[DrDoom616]

I am the proud owner of the entire original run (all first Prints) 1-38

I love this series and don't think anything is lost in translation at all, I bought these as they were originally released, not all monthly either as is the case with a lot of Marvel releases these days.

This was my first taste of Manga, and if it wasn't for this and Applessed, I would have missed out on a whole lot of good stuff since.