When Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira was released in 1988 it must have been something of a novelty; an ultra-violent, hyper-stylised, feature length cartoon for adults. Now re-released in cinemas some 20+ years later for an audience au fait with the wonder of Japanese animation it’s clearer than ever that novelty had nothing to do with the film’s success. Graphically restored and sonically remastered, it’s as staggering today as it ever was.