From a young age, cyberpunk as a concept within fiction was always a fascinating subgenre for me. From the neon-lit skies of Blade Runner, to the worldwide phenomenon of the Matrix trilogy, I was always interested in a dystopian, robotic future filled with chaos, industrial cityscapes, and rowdy crowds. My first encounter in regards to manga that contained this genre was the world-renowned Akira, written by the illustrious Katsuhiro Otomo. Ever since then, I had sought out high quality stories of the same subgenre, but was unsuccessful for a period of time, until a friend of mine recommended Battle Angel Alita. At first, I was a bit concerned if this tale would turn out as bleak and uninspired as well, but those suspicions were subdued by the second chapter. To put it shortly, I consider Battle Angel Alita to be a masterpiece.
Battle Angel Alita was written and illustrated by Yukito Kishiro, which started publication in the magazine Business Jump, and ran from 1990 to 1995, with the manga focusing on the titular character, Alita, and her journey as she relives a sort of pseudo-childhood while discovering more about her past as an ancient martial artists. This is shown primarily through her perspective as she seeks out various challengers that range from psychotic cyborgs, bionic-sport athletes, and even government officials. These enigmatic occurrences happen within the decrepit city of the Scrapyard, a town full of bounty hunters and criminals, looking for any chance to avoid and break the law for the chance to earn chips (the world’s currency)for pleasure, or for revenge.
It is there that Dr. Daisuke Ido, the town cyber-physician, discovers Alita and raises her, while also constantly repairing and upgrading her (mostly) robotic body.
Battle Angel Alita contains various themes that are integral to the plot and showcase one of Kishiro’s greatest strengths: his writing. As the story progresses, Alita goes through an expedition, not only through the Scrapyard, but also within herself as well. The primary motif is the human condition; what makes someone mortal versus what makes someone a machine, and it is discussed for majority of the series, even leading into the sequel. This is apparent with Alita’s encounter with Hugo, a young man introduced in chapter 8 who she immediately becomes entranced with. They share several encounters, until Hugo tragically loses his life by trying to reach Tiphares; a city that is placed above the Scrapyard, which holds a better way a living by means of more advanced technology supplemented by a luxurious lifestyle. Once he perishes, Alita questions what drove Hugo and his dream to the point that it cost his life, and momentarily quits being a hunter-warrior in order to rediscover herself and why humans act the way they do, along with new pursuits. Classism is also another prominent theme, as the dichotomy between Tiphares and the Scrapyard is discussed a multitude of times throughout the manga.
If there is one thing Kishiro excels at, it’s art. Battle Angel Alita has stood the test of time, and is one of the most beautiful looking manga I’ve read in recent memory. The landscapes are gorgeous, the combat is fluid and dynamic, and everything is easy to follow, no matter how fast-paced the action can be. The designs of the various characters all vary, and Kishiro’s designs for all the cyborgs within the story are all unique and creative, ranging from giant, warped beasts to beautiful, emblematic symbols of rebellion. Kishiro does not stray away from showing both the most beautiful and the most ugly parts of the world of Battle Angel, which gives it a primitive aesthetic.
However, the story isn’t without its flaws. At some points, it can feel as though the plot takes a while to move forward, the fight versus an enemy named Zapan is the most notable case in this instance. Along with this, as the story progresses, the stakes grow to an almost absurd amount. Also, the romance between Alita and another character, Figure Four, seems to be relatively rushed and underdeveloped, at least compared to other attempts at romance and interpersonal relationships in the series. The biggest issue for me was when Alita lands on Tiphares, and everything seemed to have sped up several gears, with no time to breathe and little time to take every detail in. As a location that was essentially hyped up since the beginning of the story, I was thrilled to figure out more of the city and the intricacies about it, only for us to move on at an extraordinary pace. Regardless of these concerns, the good of the story far outweigh the bad, resulting in a memorable and invigorating experience.
Battle Angel Alita at its core, is an archive of a person trying to understand the type of person she is, like many of us do at a young age. She does not try to be some waifu-like heroine, or a Mary Sue-esque character. Yukito crafted an amazing heroine, one who goes through immense loss and deep personal struggle to come to an understanding with the world around her, assisted by a radical and dainty attitude. As we advance through the story, we don’t just live through her story, but we evolve with her as well. Not only do we win alongside her in her struggles, but we end up losing as well. And that, along with everything we learn and take, makes for an enthralling and fulfilling experience.
10/10
