Battle Angel Alita is the kind of manga that has a fan base that isn't necessarily huge, but seems to be incredibly avid about the book. This makes sense, as it is the kind of cult classic that isn't quite cult, but still remains classic. The book is an excellent sci-fi story with a very distinct art style and intriguing world. It is also one of the early stories that could be classified as cyberpunk.

The manga is about Alita, a cyborg who is discovered by Dr. Ido in the junkyard with no memory of her past. It follows her as she lives her life and discovers who she is, going from place to place and doing all sorts of incredible things. It is violent and often sexual, with sometimes unnecessarily exposed breasts as fan service rather than the panty shots of modern anime. Blood and gore splatters throughout, with eyeballs falling out of sockets and brains being eaten and kept in all sorts of places that brains don't belong. Though somewhat gratuitous, this all makes sense within the context of the story, which is set in a dystopian future in a place full of deranged and violent cyborgs known as the Scrapyard.

This is a book that is very much a product of the 90s. It looks and feels like most manga and anime to come out of that time does. The art is interesting because it is so stylized, while remaining true to anime form. The story itself starts out rather dull, but picks up pace as the series goes on leading to some high energy sequences and a satisfactory conclusion.

Although I enjoyed the book, it is not the kind of thing I feel needs to be read by everyone. I do not think I would be any less of a fan of the medium had I not read it, and after finishing, I did not find myself incredibly compelled to read the sequel/reboot (Battle Angel Alita: Last Order). This being said, it is a good read if you enjoy cyborgs and blood sprays, and I can see why so many people are so enraptured with this manga.

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