Overdue: Tokyo Drifters Ep 0 – Akira, by Katsuhiro Otomo, An Introduction

Podcast: Overdue (Headgum)
Hosts: Andrew and Craig
Date: January 30, 2026

Episode Overview

This special "Episode 0" of Tokyo Drifters serves as an introduction to Overdue’s new long-read project: Katsuhiro Otomo's seminal manga Akira. Andrew and Craig preview their upcoming six-episode series (plus a film bonus episode), diving into the publication history, the cultural impact in Japan and the US, their own histories with manga and anime, and some behind-the-scenes about translating and localizing Akira for Western audiences.

Key Discussion Points

1. Personal Histories with Manga & Anime

Craig & Andrew share backgrounds and context for the project

• Craig’s Anime Origins:

  • Childhood interest in anime bloom in the '90s, with memories of renting random VHS tapes from a “Japanimation” shelf at the local video store (13:05).
  • Spectator and occasional consumer, not a deep series-completer. Bought/borrowed tapes and DVDs, dabbled in major series like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto (15:24).
  • High school social circle influenced deeper engagement (16:27).

• Andrew’s Experience:

  • Less connected, entered mostly through adjacent Japanese pop culture, especially video games (11:46).
  • Interest in manga and anime shaped by early US imports (Astro Boy, Speed Racer, 8:41), children's TV, and the global dominance of Japanese video game companies.
  • "I was a closeted Pokémon player for many years...after college I was like, you know what? I play Pokémon games. I think they're fun." (12:41)

• US Anime/Manga Boom:

  • Emphasize '80s/'90s expansion via TV (Toonami, Adult Swim), Pokémon, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, with parallels to the rise of the internet and accessibility of subcultures (9:39).

2. Akira: The Work & Its Author Katsuhiro Otomo

Publication history, author background, and genre discussion.

• Otomo’s Biography:

  • Born 1954 in rural Japan (live fact-checked by Andrew, 21:07).
  • Lifelong interest in manga: "He was able to buy one manga book a month and would start copying some of the manga he liked as he was drawing it." (21:13)
  • Early influence: Tetsuwan Atom (Astro Boy) by Osamu Tezuka (22:11), but sought more adult storytelling (“gekiga” style).

• Akira’s Creation:

  • Serialization: 1982-1990 in Young Magazine, collected into six volumes (29:18).
  • Major popularity led to the 1988 anime adaptation, directed by Otomo (28:16).
  • The manga set in 2019 Neo-Tokyo, focusing on a biker gang and psychic phenomena:
    "Centers on a motorcycle gang who gets involved with...the fate of the city when one guy named Tetsuo has a run in with a weird boy who has psychic powers." (19:01)

• Significance in Sci-Fi/Manga:

  • Otomo’s push for “serious” or adult sci-fi in manga paralleled international trends (e.g., Blade Runner, William Gibson) (27:16).
  • Akira’s style and tone influenced future manga, anime, and even Western media.

• Genre Breakdown:

  • Andrew summarizes major manga genres (48:29):
    • Shonen (boys’ adventure), Shojo (girls’ stories), Seinen (older males, e.g., Akira), Josei (older females), Kodomo (kids).
  • Subgenres: battle, mecha, slice of life, Isekai, harem/reverse harem, food/cooking, magical girl, etc.

3. The Story of Akira’s Western Release & Localization

How the manga was adapted for US audiences and its challenges.

• Left-to-Right "Flipping" and Colorization:

  • US releases mirrored the art and reading order ("flipping"), resulting in oddities like everyone being left-handed (32:59).
  • “On the one hand, all characters appear to be left handed...the mirroring problem becomes more obtrusive in certain plot elements.” (Andrew quoting comics researcher, 32:59)
  • Early US editions uniquely colorized (hands-on by Steve Oliff with input from Otomo; 34:48).

• Translation Process:

  • No single translator: Kodansha supplied English script, then Marvel/Epic’s Joe Duffy “Americanized” it, and Kodansha’s editors revised it further (38:28).
  • “It’s interesting because it doesn’t have an individual who is responsible for the translation...It was, like, done in house and then doctored up by other people.” (Andrew, 41:59)
  • Duffy’s background at Marvel and DC, experience with Star Wars and Naruto adaptations (40:16–41:45).

• Epic and Dark Horse Editions:

  • The colorized Epic Comics version is now out-of-print; current releases are mostly black-and-white but left-to-right, with a recent purist hardcover reissue restoring original art and layout (37:12–42:49).

4. The Akira Movie & Its Cultural Legacy

• The 1988 anime film was a sensation, cementing anime’s popularity in the West and Europe; known for a huge budget and groundbreaking fluid animation (43:53).
• Ongoing debate about dubs vs. subs for viewing the film (45:13).
• Numerous failed attempts at live-action adaptations; Otomo requires final script approval and recognizes necessary changes (45:53).
• Discussion of recent attempts at adapting other anime (Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, One Piece) and their limitations (46:31–47:18).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Overdue's own relationship to manga:
  “We haven’t really covered [manga] on the show much at all in over a decade now.” (Craig, 06:54)

• On the challenge of covering manga in audio:
  “Manga… it’s a little bit harder to do in an audio medium. They do tend to just run pretty long to… do a whole one instead of just like a slice.” (Andrew, 07:14)

• On genre labels:
  “Most of them boil down to is this for boys or for girls? …there’s Shonen manga which are for tween or teen boys… Shoujo manga… Seinen manga… Josei manga…” (Craig, 48:29)

• On flipping for Western readers:
  “This reading experience must have been particularly odd for readers who had seen the unmirrored Akira animated film which was released around the same time as the manga.” (Andrew quoting research, 33:39)

• On the translation process:
  “It’s interesting because it doesn’t have like an individual who is responsible for the translation… it was, like, done in house and then doctored up by other people.” (Andrew, 42:06)

• On Western adaptations:
  “They’ve tried for 20 years now to get a live action Akira off the ground. Otomo has said, sure, whatever. I just like you have to show it to me… but… they just can’t get it together.” (Craig, 45:53)

• On the “Jeff Manga” persona:
  —Andrew invents a character "Jeff Manga," riffing on Neutral Milk Hotel (“Neutral Pill Hotel”) and promises ridiculous parodies in future episodes, but demurs due to a cold (05:09–06:17).

Key Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Akira Series Introduction & Project Structure: 06:26–07:39
• Hosts’ Histories with Anime/Manga: 08:27–13:53
• Anime/Manga Genre Explosion in US: 09:39–11:33
• Otomo’s Childhood & Influences: 21:06–22:22
• Creation & Publishing History of Akira: 29:14–30:16
• Localizing Akira for Western Audience: 31:35–42:49
• Genre Breakdown (Shonen, Shojo, Seinen, etc.): 48:29–51:03
• Film & Adaptation Discussions: 43:53–47:42

Tone & Style

Andrew and Craig’s signature humorous, conversational, and slightly self-deprecating style pervades this episode. They riff back and forth with jokes about “Jeff Manga” and “Neutral Pill Hotel,” and lightly poke fun at their own limitations as manga commentators, but also demonstrate genuine excitement and curiosity for the topic.

Useful For

• Listeners curious about the context and complexity behind Akira’s creation, international influence, and translation.
• Anyone seeking a primer on manga genres and the history of anime/manga in English-speaking countries.
• Those looking for an accessible, insightful, and funny breakdown of both Akira and the broader world of Japanese comics and animation.

Next Steps (Patreon Promo)

Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the Overdue Patreon at the “long read tier” to get timely access to the full Tokyo Drifters series and bonus content, including additional volumes and thematic deep-dives.