The first "tankōbon" volume, which was released on September 14, 1984, significantly exceeded sales expectations, with its print run increasing from an initial 30,000 copies up to nearly 300,000 copies within two weeks, becoming the number-one best-seller in Japan before eventually selling about 500,000 copies. By 1988, "Akira" had sold approximately 2 million copies in Japan, from four volumes averaging about 500,000 copies each. The manga was published in the United States in 1988, followed by France, Spain and Italy by 1991, and then Germany, Sweden, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Brazil. It was reported by Critique international that by 2000 "Akira" had sold copies worldwide, including in Japan and overseas. As of 2005, "Akira" has been published in more than a dozen languages worldwide. At a price of in Japan and $24.95 overseas, the manga "tankōbon" volumes grossed estimated revenues of () in Japan and overseas, for an estimated total of grossed worldwide.