MangaFinished
Gunnm
Battle Angel Alita
Illustration & Story byKishiro, Yukito
ActionSci-Fi
Published: Nov 1990 to Mar 1995
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Synopsis
The utopian metropolis of Zalem soars high in the skies, its presence dominating the horizon. Beneath it is the noxious underbelly known as The Scrapyard, where the city stockpiles all of its waste. Living amongst the vast heaps of garbage are humans and cyborgs, surviving by any means necessary. Daisuke Ido, a doctor specializing in cyborg repairs, finds the head of a young female cyborg while scavenging a pile of old android parts. Proceeding to build her a new body, he names her Gally. Upon activation, Gally does not seem to remember anything about her past life. Nonetheless, she does not seem to mind as long as she stays by Ido’s side. However, she soon discovers that Ido has a side job as a hunter-warrior, a bounty hunter working for The Scrapyard’s government. Despite Ido’s warning, she decides to become one herself, awakening her forgotten knowledge of fighting techniques. Equipped with newfound strength, Gally is determined to fight through the alleys of The Scrapyard and beyond, retrieving fragments from her past to rediscover her true identity. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Background Context
Gunnm was published in English as Battle Angel Alita by VIZ Media in comic book format, with 68 VIZ Select Comics issues split into eight parts from July 1992 to March 1998. It was republished under the VIZ Graphic Novels imprint from July 6, 1995, to December 6, 1998, and again under the VIZ Action imprint from December 31, 2003, to March 1, 2005. Kodansha Comics took over the license and released the series digitally from May 26, 2017, to July 31, 2018. The series was also published in Brazilian Portuguese by Editora JBC; in French by Glénat; in German by Carlsen Verlag; in Spanish by Planeta DeAgostini; in Italian by Panini Comics; in Dutch by Glénat Benelux; and in Polish by Japonica Polonica Fantastica. Oscar winning director James Cameron was introduced to Gunnm by fellow director Guillermo del Toro, and subsequently purchased the rights to a live-action film adaptation in 2000. Production was halted numerous times due to Cameron's commitment to other projects, until October 2015, when Cameron handed over the director position to Robert Rodriguez. The film premiered on February 14, 2019.