Science, the end of the world?

While watching Akira, there were many instances when I would find myself asking, what just happened?  While in some cases this lack of understanding may have detracted from the film, I feel that a majority of the time it added to one of the film’s messages.  This message was to be wary of modern science, because without proper ethics it can be used to harm billions or even destroy the world.  The first and most obvious example of this message is the decimations of Tokyo and Neo-Tokyo.  To begin with, science that resulted in these catastrophes itself was questionable because it involved experimenting on humans, who were both willing and unwilling participants.  Additionally, the fact that the same catastrophe happened twice emphasizes the fact that some forms of science are too dangerous, and there is such a thing as too much knowledge.

             Another aspect of this film that stuck out to me was the inclusion of modern items, such as motorcycles/tanks, and modern problems, such as gangs/poverty, into a futuristic world.  While the technology in Neo-Tokyo seemed futuristic, these connections to our society made it seem more like an alternate dimension rather than the future of our world.

            Both of these elements of the film gave me the impression that the plot should be logical and easy to understand.  However, that isn't the case as the plot was strangle confusing, most likely in an effort to describe the complex and unpredictable nature of advanced science.