AKIRA Theatrical Film to Be Rebroadcast on NHK E-Tele on July 18, 2026

The theatrical anime film AKIRA is set to be rebroadcast on terrestrial television. The broadcast will air on NHK E-Tele on July 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM. The announcement has sparked excitement on X (formerly Twitter), with many fans expressing their joy.

AKIRA is a 1988 theatrical anime directed and written by the original manga creator Otomo Katsuhiro. Animation production was handled by Tokyo Movie Shinsha (now TMS Entertainment). Set in a futuristic Neo Tokyo in 2019, the story follows a group of biker gang members, the military, and guerrillas as they become entangled in a conflict surrounding the mysterious entity known as “Akira.” The film is renowned for its stunning animation and music, and is considered a landmark of science fiction anime.

The production took three years and cost a total of 1 billion yen. Approximately 1,300 staff members produced around 150,000 cels, an extraordinary amount of time and effort compared to typical anime of the era.

This rebroadcast follows a previous terrestrial airing on E-Tele on January 3, 2026 at 10:00 PM. The NHK Anime official X account announced the rebroadcast on July 6, stating: “Theatrical anime ‘AKIRA’ rebroadcast decided! The pinnacle of SF anime that amazed the world with its meticulous art and innovative direction. Don’t miss it. E-Tele 7/18 (Sat) 2:00 PM. NHK ONE simultaneous and catch-up streaming planned.”

NHK Anime Official on X

Fans have been vocal in their excitement, with comments such as: “なにィ！？！？！？！？！AKIRA再放送決定だ！！！！！！！！！！”, “嬉しいな何度でも見たいそして漫画も読みたい”, “やったあああ！！！！”, “Eテレ！！！？！？！？あれをEテレ！！！！？？？！！！？！？”, “また観られるのかい！”, and “え土曜のお昼にAKIRAやるのNHK大丈夫!?”

Synopsis

In July 1988, a new type of bomb was used in the Kanto region, triggering World War III. 31 years later, in 2019, the megalopolis Neo Tokyo, built on Tokyo Bay, is preparing to host the Olympics the following year and is slowly regaining its former prosperity. Kaneda, leader of a healthy delinquent biker gang, spends his days racing through the decaying city and engaging in turf wars. One night, his friend Tetsuo encounters a strange experimental subject during a ride and crashes, getting injured. As Kaneda and his friends watch in shock, the military takes Tetsuo away to a research facility. Kaneda attempts to infiltrate the facility to rescue Tetsuo, but there he witnesses a crazed Tetsuo who has awakened a new “power” through excessive human experimentation. Meanwhile, in a special baby room within the facility, a young female subject predicts the awakening of the top-secret “Akira.” Tetsuo begins to approach the sleeping “Akira” deep underground to uncover the mystery of his own power.

Staff

Original Creator: Otomo Katsuhiro
Director: Otomo Katsuhiro
Script: Otomo Katsuhiro / Hashimoto Izō
Composition and Conducting: Yamashiro Shōji
Character Design: Otomo Katsuhiro
Animation Director: Nakamura Takashi
Assistant Animation Director: Morimoto Kōji
Art: Mizutani Toshiharu
Music: Geinō Yamashirogumi
Sound: Akitagawa Susumu
Recording: Segawa Tetsuo
Photography: Misawa Katsuji
Editing: Seyama Takeshi
Animation Production: Tokyo Movie Shinsha (now TMS Entertainment)
Production: Akira Production Committee

Cast