Akira now if only someone could explain the ending
Probably the grand-daddy of all anime/manga films! Still pulls a powerful punch even by today's standards. But you're right, the ending is so far off the curve it's positively in orbit!
I recently re-watched the much-maligned (and box-office flop), "
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" (2001)
The animation is excellent, but unfortunately the story didn't know which direction to take given that "Final Fantasy" is a huge video game franchise, and I guess FF fans were expecting characters and scenarios based on those games; but instead got something completely different. And similarly for SF fans, would have probably loved the tech sides of things, the "Alien" landscapes, involving characters and good story. But would have been put off by all 4th world spirits and the supernatural - elements that were abundant in the FF video games.
So we have a film that falls between two stools, which may explain why it failed at the BO. But watch it with an open mind and it really is a great yarn - with voice-overs from the likes of Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, Steve Buscemi and James Woods