One thing needs to be explained before we start the review: when the manga was published in the U.S.A. , the guys from Viz changed several of the key names including the title (was renamed to Battle Angel Alita ) and the main character ( from Gally it was translated to Alita). The names I use are the original ones that are used in the Japanese and European editions.The good part is it made me learn French so I could read the Glénat edition.
Gunmm is a manga created by Yukito Kishiro , who counts the story of Gally, an amnesiac female cyborg. She is found in the middle of the scrap with her head and upper torso intact by Daisuke Ido, a cbybermedic expert. Living with Ido and without memory of her past , she learns how to survive in Scrapyard, a place full of violence and death and represents the cyberpunk hell Earth has transformed into. all life there is dominated by the omnipotent floating city, Zalem.
After a series of events , Gally fighting insticts come back and it’s found that she is a fighting expert of Panzer Kunst, the ultimate humanoid cyborg martial art developed in Mars. Following Ido , she turns into a Hunter-Warrior and begins a quest to find her true identity.
The characters are extremely well developed, including the villians, giving them a unique human feel into them. The drawing is very detailed , with a special attention on face and body expressions. Most of the times you can can understand how the character feels just by looking at him. Another strong part are the fighting sequences: well choreographed and presented, with a great expression of speed, specially on the Motorball arc of the story.
One minor setback is the gore of some kills. Although it fits well in the cyberpunk enviroment, it may draw some readers away. Another flaw are the latest 2 volumes. Yukito Kishiro , at the time , was extremely sick and had to prematurely end the manga, giving it a rushed up ending.
Unhappy with the result, he tried to continue the plot with 3 short stories and a Ps1 game. Finaly, in 2001 , he was able to release the sequel Gunnm: Last Order, which ocurred some events in Gunnm not being canon (specially the part after the Granite Inn events).
Gunnm was one of my first mangas I’ve ever read, so it holds a special place in my preferences. But I find it odd Gunn hasn’t had any anime adaptation so far, only having 2 OVA’s made. In the future, with the promise of George Cameron wanting to make a Live action film out of it, Gunnm will have the anime it deserves.
