EX RENTAL REVIEWS - BATTLE ANGEL ALITA BY SAMI SADEK

Battle Angel Alita Ova (1993) *Minor Spoiler Review*

This is another classic that overtime has developed a deserved following because of its story, world and characters and surprisingly was able to tell so much under such a short running time. However the problem with this as an adaptation is that this was made out of disinterest and had this lasted either as a TV series or as even longer OVA with actual development it could have easily been something groundbreaking as cyberpunk anime.

Based off the manga by Yukito Kishiro that ran from 1990 to 1995 as well as it’s follow up sequel Battle Angel Alita: Last Order that ran from 2000 to 2014 the anime covers the first two volumes of the manga in two OVA’s. Earth has now become a radiated and barren wasteland and people have to scrounge through the scraps of metal to survive and adapt to the harsh climate of the dead planet, the story focuses on Alita (Gally) a cyborg discovered by cybermedic expert Daisuke Ido who rebuilds her and takes her in his care. As she is revived she learns abit about Dr. Ido and about herself specifically that the one thing she remembers is the legendary cyborg martial art Panzer Kunst, which leads to her becoming a Hunter Warrior alongside Ido.

All whilst that is going on Ido is being persuaded by Chiren (an anime only character) a possible love interest who worked alongside him during their years on Zalem (Tiphares) as well as try and find a way off the dying planet to what can be described as paradise.
The story for the most part really focuses on Gally’s development as an up and coming bounty hunter and uncovering her past as well as establishing a relationship between the character of Yugo and what would eventually lead to his gruesome death whilst trying to get to Zalem and escape the nightmare of his past and his until most recently changed cyborg body.

Both OVA’s run for about 30 minutes long and in that time we are engaged with the characters and immersed in the world and the mythology and end at a point where in the manga the story really, truly begins. This is an anime that sadly came along at the time when Kishiro was still busy writing the manga to really dedicate any time or interest in adapting this, which seeing as how much is shown here it clearly deserves something of another chance of being revived. What I really liked about this was it tells a bleak and depressing tale of how thanks to so much destruction the world has been completely destroyed and those left on the earth have to survive in primitive environments whilst those who are rich and powerful are able to leave the lifeless husk and escape to a manmade paradise. The greedy and corrupt are able to buy their way to freedom whilst those left behind are forced to die, the manga in its story runs deeper and that’s what makes this a story to get really invested in.

What’s another thing to like about this are the characters, Gally is both likeable and caring and whilst parts of her development to gaining new limbs her is trimmed down unlike the manga we clearly see her story grow overtime and care more for those around her. Daisuke Ido is also a supportive and helpful side character acting like a father figure to help push Gally in the right direction in life, Yugo’s story is more based on tragedy and just trying to make a name for himself while at the same time

really wishing to make enough money to escape the remains of the earth and make a better life for himself and not end up dead like his family. Other characters from the manga such as Gonz, Zahriki and Gime (Clive Lee) also show up to contribute to the story, however here the story is vastly trimmed down due to the length as their stories are much larger and integral to the plot of the manga.

From a production side of things, everything is high in design and aesthetic. Done by Studios KSS, Madhouse Studios & MOVIC and directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi, the world of Battle Angel Alita in this is presented as both harsh and dead but at the same time sad and depressing. This is the definition of a Cyberpunk anime based on the world and what goes on it, the animation is clear and well animated with some incredible locations and the character designs really help make this stand out. Done by Nobuteru Yuki (Angel Cop, Escaflowne, Chrono Cross, Record of Lodoss War) the look of the characters because of their appearances are a product of the 90s and fine example of something in Anime today we don’t see much anymore, both 3-Dimensional and incredible in detail the character designs are an important part of this that helps make it deliver its charm.

From an Audio Perspective it’s appealing on both sides. The music by Kaoru Wada while not being 100% memorable offers a level of gritty and primal struggle in the moments where the characters fight and deliver crucial plot points and at times when it offers a much more gentle and melancholy side to when there are moments of great sadness being delivered in the story by the characters.

From the English Dub side of things they actually show a great deal of drive and commitment from the voice actor. Done by ADV films as one of their early works Amanda Winn Lee plays Gally with both that likability and ferocity whilst adding a childlike innocence to the character, Guil Lunde plays Daisuke Ido much like a parent with a level of care for the protagonist but times line delivery seems a little forced and out of shape for the character, and then there’s Spike Spencer as Yugo which

honestly I feel more connection with him as this character than I really ever did when he played Shinji Ikari from Evangelion. Something about how Spencer delivers his lines and emotes to push the scene forward makes you want to care about this character and see him succeed when you know he won’t. Spike Spencer’s usually been one of those actors who has been casted in Anime mostly I feel because of his way to go so over the top and it feels unwelcome and only there just because, here the over the top behaviour when it happens feels earned. Other ADV names such as Tristan MacAvery, Bryan Bounds, Tiffany Grant, Brett Weaver, Aaron Krohn etc each bring something to the supporting cast that make their parts worth lending an ear to.

 However originally there was a dub of this done by Manga UK that includes Larissa Murray, Bill Roberts and Edward Wakefield, but the problem is that because this is only available on VHS in the UK it makes this dub something of a lost relic that needs to be rediscovered.

As it stands plans to re-adapt Battle Angel Alita are non-existent except for an upcoming live action movie directed by James Cameron which has been on/off for a few years so it feels as though this movie is in a rut of development hell. Not to mention the plot and the similar themes have been used in the 2013 film Elysium directed by Neill Blomkamp, which at the moment is the closest we will get to seeing something similar to Alita happen.

Overall this is a gem from the cyberpunk years of Anime in the 90s that still holds up because of its plot and theme relevance and dated but still amazing animation. The story is engaging and when it ended feels as though it left you wanting more, with how long the manga has been going for with as much story as the OVA had to offer we could have seen Gally uncovering more about her past, taking part in Motorball and meeting up with characters from the manga such as Jashugan, Koyomi K, Desty Nova, Shumira etc.

This is a classic that deserves to be looked at and re-watched as many times as possible, the source material of the property is rich and the story really is ripe full of imagination and diversity in its cast of weird and unique characters.

Highly Recommended.

Sami Sadek is a lifelong Transformers and Anime fan, and can often be found propping up bars or appearing in the background of Auto Assembly vids. He has also talks on Youtube, Tumbls on Tumblr and doodles on Deviantart. He has never had a swordfight atop a church whilst a crow watches. Honest.