Just thought of something - if you want to understand more of the anime, then reading the manga is obviously a good way to go about it... but if I were you, I would try to get my hands on the subtitled version of the anime as well. The dubbed version was sadly 'Americanized' (because Manga International apparently thought western viewers weren't interested in Japanese animation unless it came loaded with idiotic slang), so a lot of meaning in the conversations was thus lost.
The subtitled version translates more effectively, plus you get to hear the authentic Japanese actors. (Thirdly, the voices for the anime were pre-recorded, which is a technique not often used in Japan. This provides the ultimate in manga lip synching! Combine that with Akira's ultra-high framerate and constant motion - more than Ghost in the Shell - and you've got the ultimate in anime experience.)
Of course, I'm biased.
- Troels
