A city struggling to prevent crime amid political corruption, the story focuses on Kaneda, the leader of a motorcycle gang, and his friend and fellow member Tetsuo, who is mentally unstable.

After a near collision with a childlike Esper, the product of government research to imbue humans with powerful psychokinetic energies, Tetsuo becomes similarly afflicted.

As Tetsuo struggles with controlling his new abilities, Kaneda, desperate to learn more, joins forces with a resistance group, including Kei, a woman he takes interest in.

As Tetsuo's abilities start to go out of control, the military, led by Colonel Shikishima, take ultimate actions to try to contain him, wanting to prevent the same destruction to Neo-Tokyo as happened before with the test subject Akira in Tokyo years earlier.

Otomo did not plan on having an animated adaption of Akira, but when the idea was presented to him, he became intrigued, and agreed to allow it as long as he remained in creative control of the film.

[8][9] Akira Psycho Ball is a simulated pinball machine video game, featuring elements from the manga and anime, for the PlayStation 2.