Akira is a white-haired, tattooed teenage boy with a prosthetic leg, capable of flight despite his goggles serving no practical function for this ability. He resides in the Asylum, an abandoned stadium commune for social outcasts facing imminent demolition by authorities. As a leader among the residents, he initially resists an elder's proposal for a defensive underground rock festival but later joins resistance efforts. Artificially created as a cyborg for an unspecified past war, he bears a red identification number tattoo on his back—crossed out to reject this designation. During clashes with police, he defiantly paints large-scale graffiti across urban structures. While hiding under a bridge after police intervention, he connects with Hiyoko, a runaway art student, sharing his origins and beliefs. In the climax, he creates street art during a mock Shinto festival parade, distracting authorities and enabling the community to overpower the police.