B.'s Reviews > Akira, Vol. 4

** spoiler alert ** “That doesn’t explain why Akira’s powers are so immense.”

“How do you explain your own powers? You can move things by the power of your mind and destroy with but a thought. If you chose, you could lay waste to all the energy mankind has amassed. Compared to the power within you, the total energy of the world is nothing more than a gentle breeze.

Man is incapable of seeing past the end of his nose. He huddles upon the ground, staring at his own feet. It is only when he is afraid that he considers the other world, and then he will gladly sell his soul to whatever god or buddha offers him hope.

In reality, we are all part of the flow of the cosmic stream. Even scientists don’t grasp what their calculations truly show them. Infinity... time without space... eternity... space without bounds... energy beyond imagination... and what do they do with their findings? Announce them at society dinners for plaques and the recordings of their names in the annals of history. No more than that!

But even so... the stream flows beyond our awareness. When a man tries to see into the distance, what does he do? He narrows his eyes. Even with your eyes opened as wide they will go, you cannot perceive something so large that it is beyond the range of your vision.

The universe flows toward the ultimate conclusion. What is higher becomes lower... destiny grows thin... order seeks entropy... the ultimate trend toward the uniformity of all things is inevitable and irreversible. Men gather together as though they would reverse the cosmic steam, but in truth they are only driftwood.

Yet, even as the stream sweeps them along they possess one power capable of stopping the stream. When this power is used, the stream will stop for an instant... and then resume its course with doubled intensity.

When it is before them, people recognise the stream for what it is and fear its power, as you’ve already seen.

Look beyond form and consider substance.

Akira is not in the stream.”