Commenting on Kodansha USA editions

[Sergio Nova]

Commenting on Kodansha USA editions:

To start with, Kodansha USA's price is higher than Viz's.
The new American edition preserved the same translator, what is positive, once someone not familiar to Gunnm universe and the absurd nomenclature engendered by Matt Thorn and Fred Burke would probably make a mess.

The colored pages available in Evening magazine as well as in the tankôhons were simply decolorized in the American version, and even the introductory pages of each volume, with an interesting gray effect, disappeared. The printing quality has decreased when compared to Viz's, and even the spine is poorer (Yes, I have botn the American and the original Japanese editions.).

In volume 16, Kodansha USA did not matter translating the onomatopeias. At least that lack of respect was corrected in volume 17.

In short, the price is higher but the quality is lower.

When Applegate made clear that he would be intransigent with scanlations, I naïvely thought that we would have good editions to balance the time we would wait between the tankôhons. Unfortunately, it did not happen as I expected. Other publishers live together with scanlations exactly because scanlators maintain the interest in the work alive (while in Japan the interest is alive because there are magazines publishing chapters monthly). Having to wait for six months (or more) between so badly made volumes will probably make the readership forget Kishiro's great work.

[Sam]

Well I agree with you, but, as for the onomatopeias I like when it's translated but not erased and replaced, I don't know if this was what you meant.

For the quality, I personnally left my french version for the US kodansha version. For two main reasons:
- the delay is much shorter (we barely are at volume 17 in august)
- the covers are the original ones

This made me forget about the stupid translation of names and the poorer paper quality (which I think is the same as the japanese one now, am I correct?), and the color pages...

[Ben Applegate]

There are no color pages in the Japanese tankobon. We didn't decolorize anything, we simply used the data we received from Japan. You're right that we didn't include the glossy insert at the beginning for cost reasons. (Of course, those inserts didn't exist when Viz was publishing the series, so they didn't add them either.)

Our printer is one of the largest and best in the U.S., and I believe that our printing and paper more than live up to the standard set by Viz. However, if you have any specific problems with the printing, please let me know at bapplegate [at] randomhouse [dot] com and I will do my best to correct them. Without specifics there is nothing I can do.

On your comment about the effect of scanlations, I will just say that I strongly disagree and leave it at that.

[Sergio Nova]

There are no color pages in the Japanese tankobon

If that is true, there is something wrong with the volumes in my bookshelf.

You're right that we didn't include the glossy insert at the beginning for cost reasons. (Of course, those inserts didn't exist when Viz was publishing the series, so they didn't add them either.)

I did not mention that.

Without specifics there is nothing I can do.

1. The colored pages (I insist they do exist in Japanese original edition).
2. The cover quality (the difference is visible to the naked eye).

On your comment about the effect of scanlations, I will just say that I strongly disagree and leave it at that.

Is is just my opinion. Anyway, I do admit it is your right.

[Martin]

I am happy with the new volumes. I can detect some material differences, but nothing I would call a quality deficiency. As a matter of style, I prefer the matte finish covers...I could care less which is more expensive, I find that Saran wrap shiny cover stock to be tacky and commonplace.

Also, the new mega collections are ludicrous!!!! value...I am just waiting for the right person to gift it to.

It is on the shelves, the price seems reasonable. It feels like a good time to be a Gunnm fan, thanks.

[Ben Applegate]

There are no color pages in the Japanese tankobon

If that is true, there is something wrong with the volumes in my bookshelf.

I'm looking right at the Japanese Vol. 16, 17 and 18, and there are no color pages in them.

You're right that we didn't include the glossy insert at the beginning for cost reasons. (Of course, those inserts didn't exist when Viz was publishing the series, so they didn't add them either.)

I did not mention that.

I thought that was what you meant by "the introductory pages of each volume, with an interesting gray effect."

1. The colored pages (I insist they do exist in Japanese original edition).
2. The cover quality (the difference is visible to the naked eye).

The covers have a different finish, but as Martin said, that's a matter of opinion. (Thanks, by the way, Martin. I'm glad you're enjoying them.)

[AR-99]

Well for one I like that Kodansha USA has dropped the angel title theme that Viz had started since those were starting to get ridiculous. I also appreciate the attempts to preserve some of the original names that had been altered. Although, did the F Box remain the F Box or is it back to the original, the P Box? I have no problem with the matte finished covers.

As for the lag time between tankobon and GN releases, I don't know how industry wide that is but even Viz had them, even before the hiatus.

[Sergio Nova]

As for the lag time between tankobon and GN releases, I don't know how industry wide that is but even Viz had them, even before the hiatus.

You did NOT understand what I said.

[Sergio Nova]

I'm looking right at the Japanese Vol. 16, 17 and 18, and there are no color pages in them.

Take a look in volume 16, third chapter (phase 96, former phase 100 in Evening magazine version, and also the first one to be published by Kodansha). Unless we are talking about different editions or different works, you are going to find the colored pages there.

I thought that was what you meant by "the introductory pages of each volume, with an interesting gray effect."

I was referring to the first page just after the cover. I apologize for my poor English, but "an interesting gray effect" was the only way I can refer to the interisting contrast the page has.

[Ben Applegate]

I'm looking right at the Japanese Vol. 16, 17 and 18, and there are no color pages in them.

Take a look in volume 16, third chapter (phase 96, former phase 100 in Evening magazine version, and also the first one to be published by Kodansha). Unless we are talking about different editions or different works, you are going to find the colored pages there.

You're right. I apologize, I forgot about that insert since it was in the middle of the book.

Well for one I like that Kodansha USA has dropped the angel title theme that Viz had started since those were starting to get ridiculous. I also appreciate the attempts to preserve some of the original names that had been altered. Although, did the F Box remain the F Box or is it back to the original, the P Box? I have no problem with the matte finished covers.

The F Box is still the F Box, since we're using Viz's files for most of the omnibus pages (albeit with many/most of the lines retranslated). However, it should be much more consistent now, at least. (I've changed four or fives pages from "P" to "F" that Viz missed.)

[Sergio Nova]

to Ben Applegate:

Have you got plans to publish Ashen Victor? I ask that because, once I have the entire collection in Eastern reading, it sounds schizophrenic to have a particular volume the Western way.

By the way, do you intend to publish the extra stories? I have the "Other Stories" volume, but only the Japanese original, needless to say.

[Ben Applegate]

to Ben Applegate:

Have you got plans to publish Ashen Victor? I ask that because, once I have the entire collection in Eastern reading, it sounds schizophrenic to have a particular volume the Western way.

By the way, do you intend to publish the extra stories? I have the "Other Stories" volume, but only the Japanese original, needless to say.

Unfortunately, for Kodansha Comics to publish something, it has to be issued first by Kodansha in Japan, and as far as I know, none of the original Alita series (including Ashen Victor and the short stories) has been published by Kodansha Japan.

[Martin]

it seems that YK's no bullshit business manner makes a consistent production format impossible. The fact that the series has the history of, "oh yeah, forget that book happened, it wasn't a dream sequence or some bullshit, just forget it happened." has always been among the reaasons that compelled me to recommend the series.

[AR-99]

Got my copies of Vol. 18 and the 2 omnibuses. I haven't found mention that omnibus 2 includes previously unpublished material from YK, so I appreciate that it does. I've also noticed changes in some of the names. The Barjack City that Sechs mentions in Phase 26 where Elf and Zwolf used to work appears to be the same Bashaku that shows up in Vol. 18 with identical kanji used in the tankobons.

Footnotes in Vol. 18 as mentioned elswhere are crunched together and difficult to read, especially in Phase 106 where the text is white on a black background. It's a little easier in the other chapters but not by much.

[Ben Applegate]

Got my copies of Vol. 18 and the 2 omnibuses. I haven't found mention that omnibus 2 includes previously unpublished material from YK, so I appreciate that it does. I've also noticed changes in some of the names. The Barjack City that Sechs mentions in Phase 26 where Elf and Zwolf used to work appears to be the same Bashaku that shows up in Vol. 18 with identical kanji used in the tankobons.

Footnotes in Vol. 18 as mentioned elswhere are crunched together and difficult to read, especially in Phase 106 where the text is white on a black background. It's a little easier in the other chapters but not by much.

Thanks for your feedback. I'll instruct our letterer to tweak the footnotes so they're easier to read.

[Sergio Nova]

I had not read the introductory pages before, so when I decided to take a look on volume 18, I found this:

The Future.

The development of cyborg technology cheapened human life. The sky city Tiphares came to dominate life on the surface of Earth, and directly beneath it, built on the trash it threw away, was a unique community called the Scrapyard.

It was there that Ido, a cybernetic doctor, found the head of a cyborg, hundreds of years old, in a pile of rubble. Miraculously resurrected, the girl was called Alita. She had lost her memory, but her flesh remembered the legendary martial art, Panzer Kunst.

With Ido by her side, she became a bounty hunter and started down the path to self-discovery. An incident triggered a hunt for the mad scientist Nova, ending in a battle against Tipharean oppression.

Alita went into space. To save her friend and her homeland, she participated in the ZOTT, the solar system's grandest combat tournament. Alita's team, the Space Angels, advanced to the finals with help from Zazie and Ping. They battled the Space Karate forces, struggled through Mbadi's interference, and emerged victors. However, Mbadi ejected the arena, and if it's not stopped, it will crash into the cities on the lunar surface!

Such a précis, obviously, was written by someone who has never read the series.


1. Tiphares dominates the Scrapyard… and only.
2. Beneath Tiphares there is a pile of trash, certainly, but the Scrapyard in much more than that. It is the remains of Star City, as it was clearly explained in volume 09.
3. Hundreds of years old is an exaggeration. It is repeatedly mentioned that Alita was thrown on Earth atmosphere around two hundreds years before the plot.
4. What sort of flesh is that? It is clear that she is not more than a brain.
5. Alita has never been in a battle against Tiphares oppression. Actually, she has even operated as a tuned agent.
6. The way it is written, it gives the idea that Ping took part in the finals, while he was in comma.
7. Mbadi ejected the Onion Frame, for God's sake.


In general terms this volume 18 is highly positive, and it would have been much better if the précis had been written by someone who had some information on the series, obviously.