Battle Angel - Hopefully James Cameron Will Do This Title Some Good.

"Gunnm" was probably the most popular manga when distributors started importing Japanese comics to the States.  The manga was so popular and adored by the biggest celebrity advocates for the product that James Cameron will attempt to adapt it to the live action format in 2011 (realized in 2019).

I have a good feeling that this project will be better than "Titanic (more fun, not as good).  "Aliens" happens to be my favorite film of his, and if Gally (the lead), is Ripley tough, how will the sham of a best picture hope to compare?  Just hope he doesn't take her to the point of Linda Hamilton nuts or Jessica Alba too hot to focus on talent (Of course, neither since Robert Rodriguez directed).

Episodes: Rusty Angel - Tear Sign

When one sees the hype there was about the "Battle Angel Alita" manga you'd figure the anime just had to be good. Well this is one of the rare times I felt disappointed in one of my purchases. I'm sure the manga is good, so when you watch this film, you are left to wonder how is that*.

Maybe it was trying too hard, maybe it was trying to package too much into two episodes, or maybe there is just something that the manga had that we'll never see animated. It is probably a mixture of the three, and after you watch it a second time, you won't be as harsh on it.  Then again that may have been me just being prepared for the disappointment.

There are a lot good things in this series, but it does seem to be a little confused about what it wants to be: very, very dark or bittersweet. This wasn't received well in Japan, and I can see why. Maybe if I was a fan of the manga I could offer a better opinion. All in all, its a chance purchase for the buyer. Maybe that is why I started so many of the sentences with maybe^_^

*So, "Alita: Battle Angel", the Cameron adaptation, is stunning, adequately acted and far more action packed. Sadly, he was a purist and adapted the same stories from the anime (also the first two stories of the manga). These are not great stories, but at least the Rodriguez film worked them out better. It leaves me tempted to read the manga. Maybe the drawing are superior.

Rusty Angel

While sifting through Zalem's dump for spare parts, Dr. Ido finds the body of a living cyborg. He decides to rebuild her as his daughter and/ since she can't remember anything/ gives her the name of Gally. The only thing that Gally can do from her past is fight, and after saving Ido's life from two brain-eating gladiator robots, she decides to become a Hunter Warrior, the only form of law enforcement in Scrap Iron City. This maybe a mistake though when Ido's former partner and now rival, Chiren, decides to repair and upgrade one of the Gladiator's, Greweicia, to humiliate Ido through the destruction of Gally.

Now this was a great introductory episode. We become familiar with the two extremely likable main characters, and we are presented with a decent character foil. The artwork and action are well done except for the finale, and the atmosphere works well. It does seem to try to pack a little too much in one 35 min. film which is pretty common, but there is a feeling that they may have skipped some details about the characters to do so.

The story works, but could have been a lot better. At least it makes you want to see the next film hoping for all the flaws to be worked out. Also this has to be viewed in subtitled form because with such a dark atmosphere, and perhaps overly dark at some points, Gally (Amanda Winn who also does most of the female lead voices for A.D.V. Films) and Yugo (Spike Spencer who also does the voices of most young boys for A.D.V. Films) just sound overly cute and innocent. This is the first time I have disliked A.D.V. Films dubbing, and when most of my Evangelion collection is dubbed that is saying something.

Tear Sign

To help the only person she cares about besides for Ido, Yugo, Gally has increased her hours as a hunter warrior to collect enough money to go with him to the Zalem, this universe's high society. Yugo has his own way of making money, and becomes a target when he tries to steal a fellow hunter warrior's spine. His employer, Vector, decides that using him to make Gally fight as the "Battle Angel" in the gladiator ring seems like a great money making plan, and sends Chiren to capture him. In the mean time Gally has to stop other hunters from catching Yugo and to also convince him to think of more things besides escaping to Zalem.

Now this episode is nothing when compared to the first. There are no great action sequences, the romance seems too hollow, predictable, and too damn cute, and the story does anything it can to depress you. You will feel that they should try another OAV for a definitive Battle Angel, but you also do not want to see another screw up. There just is not anything powerful about this. It sounds like I'm being too harsh.  Ido and Gally are still likable. I still watch it every so oven, so its not overly painful, and this seems to be a love it or hate it show. Again the viewer is taking a big chance purchasing Battle Angel.

Battle Angel © 1993 Yukito Kishiro / Business Jump / Shueisha / Kss, Inc. / Movic