Every so often an anime is released that receives mixed reviews, not because it's good or bad, but simply because the context is ambiguous. Battle Angel Alita is one such example of this.
The series began as a manga by Kishiro Yukito in 1990, and after a short time the OVA was produced and released to Japanese and Western markets in 1993.
This is where the ambiguity comes in. To many who have read the manga, the story appears to be incomplete at first glance, especially given the numerous changes that have been made in the OVA. To those who haven't read the manga, there seems
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to be nothing too wrong with the plot, aside from the odd inconsistency that is. Where the ambiguity occurs is in the consideration of the plot - is it good or not? If you've read the manga then you can readily pick faults with the OVA, however there is one important point that is missed from this perspective. Likewise, if you have only seen the OVA, then you may be under the impression that the story doesn't really go anywhere.
I should mention before continuing that another source of ambiguity is the fact that the OVA has been released by both ADV and Viz Media (only in the UK, Europe and Australia though), and that both releases feature different nomenclature for certain characters and places.
Now here's the important bit. The Battle Angel Alita OVA was never intended to be a standalone tale. It's only purpose was to serve as an introduction to the manga, much like 3x3 Eyes or, more recently, Ga Rei: Zero. The OVA is simply a compressed (and altered), form of the first tow volumes of the manga after all, and when one considers that the whole thing was simply one big marketing tool, then the question becomes "Did it make me want to read the manga?" (which I'll answer in a bit).
The OVA is split into two episodes, the first being Rusty Angel, followed by Tears Sign. As stated, these episodes are nothing more than compressed and altered version of the first two volumes of the manga, however, I found that they worked rather well in their own right. The changes that were made actually served to hold the plot together, and whilst purists may argue that it should have stuck firmly to the manga, it's surprising how often playing fast and loose with the original can actually improve the new version. Battle Angel Alita is one of those titles that, whilst having it's own plot problems, is able to hold it's own against the manga.
The artwork for the OVA is very good indeed, especially as this is an early 90s anime. There is a penchant for pointy chins, however this can be overlooked given the atmospheric nature of the scrapyard city. Animation is also a big plus for the OVA. The action sequences are very smooth, and character movements are surprisingly well executed on the whole. The character designs tend to stay close to the manga, something which allowed the creators to concentrate on other areas of production.
The sound is also good for its time. The music is generally very good throughout the OVA, however there are moments when the action and the music don't mix too well, giving the scenes in question an incomplete feel. The sound effects are well used, but can be a little on the "clunky" side. The voice actors in both the Japanese and English dubs are pretty good on the whole, although I have to say that I prefer the Japanese version nowadays, although this is simply a matter of choice rather than any comment on the quality of the english dub.
The characters are well done on the whole, but are also another source of ambiguity. There are characters whose roles have been upscaled or downplayed, who have been removed altogether, combined into one, or who have been brought in as completely new. This is the main reason why I feel the OVA should not be judged on the basis of the manga. Rather, I prefer to view the OVA as an alternate beginning to the manga.
The main character, Alita, was originally called Gally in the manga. She is an amnesiac cyborg who whose head and upper torso was found in stasis on a scrap heap by her surrogate "father" Ido Daisuke. Because of her amnesia, her character appears innocent, almost angelic at times, one of the reasons for the title. The other "main" character in the OVA is Yugo, a local boy who is acquainted with Ido.
The most interesting aspect of the OVA, and one which was successfully transposed from the manga, was the development and deterioration of both Alita and Yugo respectively. The OVA is effectively a baptism of fire for Alita, however it is quite the opposite for Yugo. It's nice to see that the producers decided to keep the core of the story whole, something which helps to develop both Alita and Yugo during the course of the anime.
The other characters only really receive minimal development, however given that this is only a two part OVA, and is nothing more than an introduction to the manga, this can be excused.
I found that I enjoyed this immensely. The action was very good, and whilst some of the drama was clearly hammed up,the characters were rather refreshing, especially as I was unfamiliar with the manga when I first viewed the OVA.
This is a good effort on the whole. It does have its issues, however given that it is simply an advert for the manga (something which should be kept firmly in mind when judging this show), these are understandable. That said, the producers have made the effort to ensure that the OVA can stand on its own, and what they have produced is a rather charming, quirky, and somewhat violent piece of work. The dystopian future envisioned by Kishiro Yukito has transposed well to anime, and the fact that the producers have decided to be creative rather than staid has helped to produce something which is more than an advert.
My hope now is that this OVA, along with 3x3 Eyes, will go the way of Tetsuwan Birdy.
Altogether now........... REMAKE!
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Ganmu, Tsutsu Yume: Gunnm, Battle Angel, Hyper Future Vision: Gunnm
Japanese: 銃夢 GUNNM
More titlesInformation
Type:
OVA
Episodes:
2
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Jun 21, 1993 to Aug 21, 1993
Licensors:
ADV Films
Studios:
Madhouse
Source:
Manga
Theme:
Mecha
Demographic:
Seinen
Duration:
30 min. per ep.
Rating:
R+ - Mild Nudity
Statistics
Ranked:
#39222
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#2790
Members:
61,802
Favorites:
263
Available AtResources | Reviews
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Your Feelings Categories Sep 16, 2009
Every so often an anime is released that receives mixed reviews, not because it's good or bad, but simply because the context is ambiguous. Battle Angel Alita is one such example of this.
The series began as a manga by Kishiro Yukito in 1990, and after a short time the OVA was produced and released to Japanese and Western markets in 1993. This is where the ambiguity comes in. To many who have read the manga, the story appears to be incomplete at first glance, especially given the numerous changes that have been made in the OVA. To those who haven't read the manga, there seems ... Jun 23, 2008
This 2 episode anime OVA is not great. In fact, it could use a lot of work.
Why? Well let's start with the good. Well, I do like the themes and the concept of the story. It's a post-apocalyptic world where the poor are literally forced to live in the garbage dumps of the rich. While the aristocrats live in a rich, floating city, the poor are forced to live in a brutal, criminal ridden underworld where murderers, assassins, and bounty hunters thrive. The art and animation are definately great. The character designs seem to have heart and soul in them, unlike many of the newer animes ... Jul 23, 2010
In my honest opinion the anime and the manga are a masterpiece, reflecting many people's lives.
Yugo's dream of reaching Tiphares (which may represent one's goals in life) swiftly coming to an end and after risking his life, and eventually lose it, in order to obtain what he dreamt for, he realised that what he really needed was at arm's reach. However he ended up losing even that - something which happens often nowadays. On the other hand, Alita, who had nothing in life (she was raised from the actual scrapyard) learnt to appreciate life and those things she experienced everyday. This can be seen clearly ... Apr 3, 2015
I was recommended this title by a good friend of mine and decided to purchase this along with Voices of a Distant Star after trading in some anime DVDs I didn't want anymore, and am really, really glad to have seen Battle Angel. My only regret is that I didn't pick that title up in my early years of anime fandom since I clearly remember seeing a VHS display for this at the local Hollywood Video back in the day.
STORY Battle Angel takes place in a hellhole known as Scrap Iron City. Above Scrap Iron City is a much fantasized floating paradise named Zalem. ... Jul 19, 2009
Oh, if only all anime titles could be as magnificent as this little gem. Sure there may be little flaws here and there and it's an incomplete story but it's definitely a gem nonetheless. Battle Angel is a vintage classic that any true anime connoisseur worth his or her grain of salt should already have as part of their collection. If you have never seen or heard of Battle Angel Alita and you are into anime, sci-fi or both...then this comes highly recommended.
This show came out in the early 90's [I want to say...1992?] and yet the art still looks fabulous, even by today's standards ... Apr 3, 2015
Battle Angel is an action anime with sci-fi elements that manages to be a lot more than a bloody spectacle. It examines many themes: love, hope, freedom, obsession, and the thin line between good and evil. The anime succeeds in meshing all of these together with a coherent storyline, character development, and action without making anything seem artificial. What makes it so impressive is that it's pulled off in a mere two episodes with a 25 minute run time each; while you have many anime with 12 times the episodes completely incapable of doing this. Despite everything it does right though, there is so much
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Apr 7, 2012
Horrible mutilation of an amazing manga. They completely destroy one of the most incredible story arcs in the first installment, and the second arc is just a shell of what it was. Top it off with blatantly rushed animation, and poor voice acting on both the japanese and english audio tracks and it leaves you with an adaption that is so bad its inexcusable.
Do yourself a favor, if you're interested in BAA, read the manga. Its one of the best. Don't waste your time on this. Nov 30, 2015
I went into this expecting robots, examination of the robot condition and a predictable plot. I did not get that. I therefore did not appreciate it until I was told that what this OVA is about is the setting.
The setting is visually striking - the rich are living in a city called Zalem high above Scrap Iron City (which is basically Zalem's dumping ground). This is set in Scrap Iron City. This story is about the effect that Zalem has on the people of this policeless city. Look out for the hints people give about what they think of the people around them, because not ... Nov 29, 2009
This is the first anime I have ever seen. My lackluster review will be because of the fact that it was so long ago, yet I can say with certainty that it started me on a love affair with anime that has not slowed down.
The bounty hunter concept was new to me at the time, I must admit, just as the sheer horror and shock of it all was a refreshing dose of novel imagination. The story is lacking, yet I believe you will feel the same when you watch it and think it was something exceptional and worthwhile. Maybe ... Jun 15, 2011
Battle Angel seems very cliche on the surface. I know what you're thinking a story about a cyborg mercenary in a post-apocalyptic future, cliche? Well, yes. Even when the manga came out in 1990 the post-apocalyptic future involving cyborgs was cliche and had many examples including Appleseed and Bubblegum Crisis being two examples. However, Battle Angel stays original in many ways. It opens with the protagonist, Gally, being found broken in a junkyard by Doctor Ido. He takes her to his laboratory and repairs her. She has no memory, yet another cliche but it works so I won't say too much about it. She sees
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May 3, 2012
As you may know already or not, it is based on the manga written by Yukito Kishiro, about a cyborg that lost all her memories and is taken care by cybernetics expert Daisuke Ido and he names the cyborg Alita (or Gally by the original Japanese translation), after his dead cat. Now I would talk about the many adventures that she has throughout but I am only covering the anime, which is only 2 episodes. Keep in mind that I don’t usually read much manga and I do want to acknowledge both versions and know the differences between them and hopefully not sound like an
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Mar 20, 2010
Hmmm, a half decent action anime that consists of 2 parts. It's a bit short, but it's not too bad. The animation is ok... the face of the doctor is longer than that of a horse, but apart from that there isn't anything seriously out of place. "Battle Angel Alita" had nice background music going for it, which lent it some good atmosphere. The story had some good ideas, but is somewhat incomplete. Heh, that's the main trouble with "Battle Angel Alita" actually. It felt like a chunk was missing between the two parts that it comprises, with the relationship between the characters suddenly taking
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Jun 10, 2009
Quick Review:
I haven't saw this for ages but what I remember of it, I thought The story was quite diffrent and nice, I really enjoyed this OVA, I heard there was a manga, and this only covers the first 2 chapters, I haven't read the manga, but after watching this, I want to read it. Give it a try, if you want the infomation at the top of the page sounds good to you, check it out! Oct 24, 2010
This was one of the first anime I ever watched, so I'll also have a soft spot for it, but the bleak post-apocalyptic technological world is a perfect dystopia is excellent and indicative of the paths Japanese animation would take in the future as well as the influence that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had on the country and the animation industry in particular.
The music and animation style has dated somewhat but is 'classic' anime as in at the beginning of its infiltration of the Western world. It doesn't take away from the series at all. Mar 3, 2019
YUKITOPIA!!
Welcome to the stupendous and imaginary world of Kishiro Yukito-sensei! GUNNM (Battle Angel Alita) proves to be a deep and breath-taking work, brimming with charming and intrinsic characters, a powerful and driving story, and a cosmogony as beautiful as it is gloomy, being, after a fashion, a dystopia of a fallen world, once one has delved into it. In Gally (or Alita) we found the drive and valour of a cyborg girl searching for her lost memories, the gore and goose bumps across the skin amongst extraordinary battles as she becomes a Hunter Warrior. Moreover, the nascent, ambiguous and poetic love between man and machine; ... Dec 31, 2012
Not for the fainthearted!!! This short anime ova from 1993 is one of the BEST short story i´ve ever seen for a cyberpunk anime. And more of it that most of the ppl in the story are shrouded in mystery by past and the survival of the fittest sci/fi genre.Even more so is that the main charachter Alita(Gumnn in japan) is almost totally unknown in the anime by past, and present, Tiphares the mystery city, cyborg-enhanced criminals, doctors with a sort of ápproval'mark on their forehead... too bad that are no further animeplans to continue it but the manga is satisfying!
Jul 3, 2012
Ok, who is the person that decided to give her a name like ‘Gally’? Someone really didn’t have any idea how to create a name. Gally isn’t like a normal girl, she just laughs when someone says she weighs a ton. It’s interesting how she is extremely strong and yet the only thing that was found was her head and part of her chest. She also seems to sweat which I really don’t think that cyborgs need to do so. There are a lot of inconsistencies that make this feel a bit off.
Ido is a freaken jurk. Pretty much when Gally asks to be ... Jun 28, 2012
Everyone has at least one anime that defined and dictated there journey into the realm of anime.For some its Evangelion,Astro Boy or Akira.For me it was battle angel.From the begining this anime grips you and dont let go.
This anime uses a cyborg girl to portray a message of survival and ask the viewers how far they would go to gain success in life.The story shows a world of hardship in which everyday is a new challenge for survival as a young girl tries to find her place in the world. The action is fast pace and intense.The drawing style is deep and vivid in its ... Feb 20, 2016
Studio Madhouse’s style is very much present here in this post-apocalyptic crazy cyber-punk setting. Taking place in a run-down city, which is basically a slum located directly below a floating city called Tiphares. Of course, Tiphares is the utopia in which all the people in the slums strive and dream to go one day.
In this terrible world, cyborgs are where mankind is mostly. One day, a doctor/mechanic named Ido finds a preserved female cyborg and decided to rebuild and revive her. This cyborg is Gally and slowly learns the harsh realities of the world she now lives in. A world where underground fighting, human spines ... Jan 2, 2017
It's an OVA. It's cyberpunk. If this doesn't make you want to watch Gunnm then you're a lost cause. The adaptation of this legendary manga only covers a part of the series, but manages to be the best execution of that limitation in that it tells a complete story arc that doesn't end on too much of a cliffhanger. Gunnm centers around Gally, an amnesiac android recovered by the benevolent mechanical engineer Ido. The two live in Scrap Iron City, a run-down wasteland where robots and humans alike struggle simply to survive and make the best out of their meager means. Amidst the dangers of
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