Customer Reviews

Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 9: Angel's Ascension

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Despite the degree of excellence found within the entire "Battle Angel Alita" series, I never thought any of the later volumes managed to meet the quality of the brilliant first two volumes (although some came close). But Yukito Kishiro surpassed my wildest expectations by giving us "Angel's Ascension", the final volume in his post-apocalyptic masterpiece, and it's a volume that not only meets the standards of volumes one and two, but also surpasses them in some ways. In short, "Angel's Ascension" is a masterpiece in itself.

By now, my stance on the artwork and the recommended reader's level is cliche: the artwork is beautiful and superb, and the blood and violence and minor nudity makes this a mature series. But my take on the storytelling isn't the same as in my other reviews. Why? Because "Angel's Ascension" is on a level all its own.

The story in volume nine defies simple description. At its basic level, "Angel's Ascension" reveals the secret of Tiphares and finally cues us in on Alita's long forgotten past. But the story is anything but basic. It is so beautiful, so powerful, so moving, so captivating, that to just read it would be a downright shame. A reader has to not only read it, but practically drown himself in it! Yukito started the series with two near-perfect volumes ("Battle Angel Alita" and "Tears of an Angel"), and I'm overjoyed that he decided to end the series on the same note.

After reading and reviewing all nine volumes of "Battle Angel Alita", I can honestly say that the series is one of the greatest manga series I've ever read, on par with classics such as "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" and "Galaxy Express 999". The only disappointment? That the ride is over.

Or is it? Believe it or not, Yukito Kishiro has created another "Battle Angel Alita" series, called "Gunnm: Last Order" ("Gunnm" is the Japanese name for "Battle Angel Alita"). Apparently, before he could complete the first series, "an affair" happened to Yukito and he went through a physical and emotional breakdown that caused him to end "Gunnm" in a way he hadn't planned. Since then, he felt guilty about how he ended the series...so much that in 2000 he suspended his new series, "Aquaknight" (all three current volumes are available by VIZ), so he could write a new "Gunnm" series!

Will we learn new things about Alita we had never dreamed of? Will Yukito create another masterpiece? And the big question: will VIZ bring "Gunnm: Last Order" to the United States? We can only hope. Until then, this nine volume collection should more than keep us entertained!

If I said this were the best graphic novel ever, I don't think I'd be too far off. However, it is a matter of opinion. An invigorating plot, multi-dimensional characters, and a descriptive setting are a must in any story, and this book has got it all - plus eight novels worth of history behind it. Personally I find Angel's Ascension, the end to the Battle Angel Alita series, the best. But there's more! Not only does the plot move you, characters charm and scare you, (Desty Nova has my vote for scariest bad-guy) and setting take you away from the monotony that life can sometimes be, but Yukito Kishiro asks daring questions about the core of our existence:

"What makes us who we are?"

And as the struggle for the Scrapyard's independence comes to a close, Cheif Bigott, Lou, Den, Alita, Kaos, and Koyomi must toil with the question of right and wrong... and battle with the thin line between life and death.

I can only admire Kishiro's way of ending so magnanimally a perfect series in the critical condition he was in. Talk about inspiration. The series could only end in Gally finding happiness or Gally dying, and I was surprised by the ending, my imagination was not prepared for the mental and heart blow he delivered. Do I recommend it? More than that, I urge you all to get the whole series, a must have, a Bible for some of us.

Ok here goes,#9,all I can say is that book is the best manga I've ever read!The art, amazing(this guy can draw),the story is a masterpiece,but I especially loved the ending!Alright, I'm going to stop sucking up, but anyway,in this book,Alita discovers about her past,what her name was,how she ended up in earth,where she came from,and what she was.The secret behind the utopia above the sky is revealed(there are 2,one about the people,and why it was built).Throughout the book Alita is after Nova,and seems to be her enemy at first...

Yukito Kishiro concludes his epic cyber punk series with what is, in my opinion, probably the best offering he has given us (I read it two days ago and I'm still recovering from it). Alita has finally won the battle within herself and can now focus all her attention on psycho doctor Desty Nova. But is Nova her true enemy?

The book contains all of the mind-numbing violence and stunning visuals of its predesessors infused with the usual thought provoking philosophy and heart renching character profiles that make Kishiro one of the best graphic story tellers it has ever been my privilage to sample. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

By the way, check out "Ashen Victor", Kishiro's Motorball series previously mentioned by Mr. Super Dave

Angel's Ascension is a stunning conclusion to Yukito Kishiro's gritty cyberpunk masterpiece. Alita finally discovers the ghastly secret of Tiphares, but to shatter the myth of the paradise in the sky, she must first _save_ the floating city from destruction! Kishiro's ending is an incredible conclusion to this deeply psychological, highly technical, yet also action-packed (and romantic?!) series. Alita's search to find her true self is one that is mirrored in each of us. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Alita, as she finally finishes her heartbreaking path to discover what it means to be human. For after all, if even a cyborg can experience the human emotions of love and pain, what does that say for the rest of us?

This one is almost pure action as Alita faces off against Desty Nova and his nasty henchmen! She's finally in his lab, and is chasing him with the help of Kaos, and Kaos is trying to stop the Barjack leader Den at the same time!

The ending leads Alita to the famous (or infamous) "Utopia", and is beautiful and totally satisfying. A great ending for the best manga ever, IMO!

Battle Angel Alita is a series I wish I could like more, and while it was good, it seemed to lose its soul after the second volume. It had equal parts romanticism and graphic death. Once Alita got past that, especially when she became a part of the RollerBall/DeathSport thing, this series began to take a downturn. So it's not a surprise that the final volume of Alita comes to an unsatisfying and hokey end.

Alita has a final confrontation with Desty Nova as the mad scientist tries to conquer Alita's will from the inside out, by deceiving her mind. But we just might find out that that Nova has a soft and cuddly side during the process. And after all, he finally does reveal the hidden secret of Tiphares, a secret that drove Dr. Ido mad! Meanwhile, the forces of Den and Barjack embark on a hopeless mission to destroy Tiphares and bring it crashing to the ground.

This last volume of Alita suffered from the same faults as most of the series. It's just plain goofy. The characters, while going through horrible ordeals, never rise beyond Walt Disney caricatures. It just doesn't seem like much deep thought went into the plot or the conflicts that the characters endure. You could've went into some social commentary instead of following the insane ramblings of a Godzilla size Centaur. And the ultimate sacrifice that Alita makes in this comic is totally contrived and really disrespects her. You're left wondering at the end of the book, "Is that it? This is the great resolution that the entire series has been working towards?". The only thing that saves this series is the lead character herself. If only the story constructed around her had went somewhere.

All good things must come to an end, at least temporarily. With this volume, Yukito Kishiro lifts ramps Alita's story up to a surprising new level, as the final stages of her battle with Desty Nova unfold. Nova, surprised that Alita has broken free of his mental trap, uses the truth about the citizens of Tiphares to cause enough confusion to escape. Alita follows, and is trapped again in Nova's mental coils. This time the Doctor seeks to sap her will to live. As the struggle develops, we get flashes of what might have been parts of Alita's past and future, which are in many ways the only explanation we will ever get.

At the scrap yard, Lord Den and Koyomi have arrived for the final assault on Tiphares. In a last dramatic gesture, Den challenges the might of the sky city on his own, little realizing that the real struggle for the city's survival was happening elsewhere, as Alita challenges Nova and the city for the last time. Suffice it to say, the book becomes one incredible series of images after another, as Alita transcends her limitations in an entirely mind-boggling and innovative fashion.

I always feel slow on the uptake when I completely miss a mystical reference. Until I was staring at the final imagery of the series, I failed to realize that the names Tiphares (and Ketheres) are drawn from the Sephiroth of the Kabalah. Tiphares means beauty, and Ketheres is the crown. These have a natural explanation in the story, so it is hard to decide how deep this metaphysical layer runs. I'll leave it for readers to judge for themselves. It is curious how often such symbolism works it's way into Japanese anime as a metaphor for the mysterious. Of course Evangelion comes to mind, and recently, X (the series) has made such references. A surprise addition to an already complex tale.

In any case, this phase of Alita's story comes to an end with a complete transformation of the order of her world. We know there is more, because a new volume is promised. This is a special manga, combining an intensely violent action story with an underlying theme of the nature of humanity and love. One can find material to think about while watching the parts fly, all beautifully illustrated by an artist who should be considered one of Japan's best. 'Ascension' is a unique work of art in an already outstanding series. I hope that Kishiro will keep the series alive for further incarnations.

I fell in love with this series when I first saw "Battle Angel", the animation. Although it was only an hour long, it left me dying for more. I decided to find out what happened next by buying and reading the manga, and I was not at all disappointed. The drawings are beautiful, and the story gets even more intense and compelling as the series progresses. If you loved the series up until the last volume, you will not be disappointed by the last volume. Without spoiling any of the details, let me just say that this volume gives a fitting ending for one of the strongest and most admirable heroines I have ever found in fiction.