reflection on volume 1

[kuroro86]

I don't like the first volume and I don't understand what YK end game was. As I see and read it it is simply pointless.
It starts with Alita and Erica drifting alone and it finished in the same way. Every character we meet dies except from the doctor that is left at the end. And the relationship Erica and Alita is the common big sister and little sister.
the only thing we get is that someone hired bunch of idiots to find Alita.

I really can't see the point of the volume. I hope YK doesn't bring the close loop in the next volume.

[Sergio Nova]

That was the beginning of the plot. Since the first arc, Gunnm brings lots of questions that are answered later. It started with a cyborg found in the scrap whose past is completely unknown, and her origins start being explained only in the first volume of Last Order, so what is the surprise? You are not reading Twilight, man. The aim here is entirely different of Saint Seya as well. Gunnm saga evolves in a very complex way.

I would complain about many points in this work, but yours - excuse me - do not make sense.

[kuroro86]

That was the beginning of the plot. Since the first arc, Gunnm brings lots of questions that are answered later. It started with a cyborg found in the scrap whose past is completely unknown, and her origins start being explained only in the first volume of Last Order, so what is the surprise? You are not reading Twilight, man. The aim here is entirely different of Saint Seya as well. Gunnm saga evolves in a very complex way.

I would complain about many points in this work, but yours - excuse me - do not make sense.

I don't follow. I'm no making a analysis or a judgment. I'm expressing a reflection is my personal point of view.
To me the first volume is a loop. it doesn't bring anything else that there is someone interested in Alita. And this is in over 100 pages of story.
I seriously hope it ends up bringing something new. but I don't see what.

And sorry volume 1 is the beginning of the 3* series of Gunnm is not the beginning of the plot. We have already a super villan, allies, old friends in this story. the Mars chronicles are a continuation of Last order. Not a new beginning.


If find my complain quote logical, what you do you believe it doesn't make sense?

[kuroro86]

I think I should point out that big part of my problems of volume 1 is chapter 1 of the second volume. It just feels like the real chapter 1 of the Mars chronicles. Every thing is there we reconnect with the old and we get a new information, another possible villan.

And most of off we get the last page, where the most interesting part of Erica and Alita relationship is given and you can frow the rest given in volume 1 away.

it make me feel like volume 1 is a editorial mandatory. or it was cut, or simply a bunch off idea that never got put properly together.

[MrFaber]

I actually kinda felt the same of Kuroro.

So far the entire flashback of chapters 1 to 6.2 brings almost no information in the story's economy. Basically all it says is "Yoko and Erika are childhood pals, and Erika is the strongest character" but we knew that from the very first issue of Last Order.

Apart from this what do we learn? Something about the baldachin's structure. That someone's looking for Yoko. That Mars was an harsh place back in the terraform war times, which we already knew. And, in the end, that Yoko is some kind of Choosen One, which is pretty lame and so very out of character, since Gally's main characteristic is to be and independent owner of her own destiny, so... predestination?? Lame..

That's not much actually, given the extent of the first 6 chapters.

[VehicleReversing]

I guess the 1st volume's purpose was to
Establish Mar's background, as in the wars bit, and also the weird MBV bit
Set up contrast between past and present characters (from "I'll always be with you" to "The next time we meet, I'm gonna kill you")
Explain why Erica and Yoko would end up learning Panzer Kunst since dropping into a combat school wouldn't be a first choice for most people?

But volume 1's story does suffer from not having a main goal(except not dying) coz the characters are all kids and stuff, and it was mostly those two being affected by occurring events. In the first and second series it was Nova setting up most of the motivation/goals works. I'm guessing that the author's trying to do a [in the past]->[present]->[not as much in the past]->[present].....progression, like an ongoing prequel mixed with a sequel. I hope it would make more sense when the next past sequence pops up......6.2 ended abruptly, and no one in the story seems to know what's going on.

[Sergio Nova]

And sorry volume 1 is the beginning of the 3* series of Gunnm is not the beginning of the plot. We have already a super villan, allies, old friends in this story. the Mars chronicles are a continuation of Last order. Not a new beginning.

I did not say anything different. Whatever!

[Sergio Nova]

Apart from this what do we learn? Something about the baldachin's structure. That someone's looking for Yoko. That Mars was an harsh place back in the terraform war times, which we already knew. And, in the end, that Yoko is some kind of Choosen One, which is pretty lame and so very out of character, since Gally's main characteristic is to be and independent owner of her own destiny, so... predestination?? Lame..

Are you sure we learnt nothing?

[Sergio Nova]

I guess the 1st volume's purpose was to
Establish Mar's background, as in the wars bit, and also the weird MBV bit
Set up contrast between past and present characters (from "I'll always be with you" to "The next time we meet, I'm gonna kill you")
Explain why Erica and Yoko would end up learning Panzer Kunst since dropping into a combat school wouldn't be a first choice for most people?

I do have a problem with this volume 1: it is extremely violent. Children being slaughtered is not my cup of tea. Anyway, I believe this is part of a more intricate environment, so let us wait!

[MrFaber]

So far, nothing much. Even the children massacre doesn't add much to Yoko's and Erika's character development. They already witnessed an even more sadistic children massacred back in the minefiled, in Last Order chapter 1. Basically Last Order chapter 1 includes the whole first 6 chapters on Mars Chronicle in a few panels.

But now that i think about it, it makes sense. One could have started to read Gunnm with Mars Chronicle, so, it had to be repeated.

[Vendigo]

I believe the story arc about Colonel Payne and the infant infantry was supposed to be a lot longer (after some substantial build-up and and a rallying speech by Alita, the entire subplot was concluded within a few pages with a simple "oh, the final flag already, go us") and the Mars orphanage massacre would've provided context why Alita would've gone so far out of her way to try and save those children as to temporarily abandon her top priority quest of retrieving Lou's brain and also give some more insight on Alita's past.

Also, Alita's reconciliation with her past was a big deal in the story, but there is a significant gap in her reminiscence; there was precious little of bridging between being a cyborg toddler and an interplanetary terrorist to be executed. I believe YK intended to have Alita's past explained in far greater detail.

As things turned out the way they did, YK never got the chance to tell about Alita's early years on Mars, and so I think he probably wanted to use some of the unused history to establish the characters in the new series. It's a bit redundant, but it does give a bit more depth to the characters by showing just how bad it was (all Alita can remember is death, and very violent so) and that she really was a klutz and not just petulantly dismissed by disgruntled instructors.

[MrFaber]

The point is it doesn't. Nothing so far added more depth to the characters.

Actually, in Last Order, we see Gerda rescuing Erica and Yoko from the minefield, then the 2 girls a little younger then teenagers, sparring togheter under Gerda's supervision. It's kinda implicit that, somehow, Gerda 'adopted' the girls, taking care of them and training them.

The story didn't need more on this side. We already established that the girls grew up in a bond as sisters, eventually becoming rivals later.

And the sequence of event was logical: Mars is a violent place, communities get annihilated and kids slain for fun. How to protect 2 girls? To drop them to the nearest community soon to be whiped out or to keep them in the stronghold of the most badass warriors in the planet?

On the contrary, dropping them careless in an orphanage, which is a "civilized" uncaring course of action, only to, somehow, pick them up again years later to train them... why? What's the point? Did Gerda change her mind after the past christmas ghost's visit?

Even Mars background don't get any broadened. Mars is a battleground for sadistic mercyless warring factions? We knew.

The only new element is the Baldachin sorority. Probably it will have a big role in the story developement but until now? They stated that Gally is a big karma hero. Really? Nova is telling so since, like, the 5th volume of original Gunn,

And then we have a brand new Jerk Ex Machina who, suddenly, is the fulcrum of all solar system's conspiracies, even if there wasn't any trace of him early. Even that kunstler out of Aqua Knight who worked for Mbadi seemed not to have a clue. And, just in case, he is the master of Gally (Wasn't it Gerda? Wasn't it the guy with a remarkably useful metal cylinder stuck in his mouth?) and, very likely, a colossal ass kicker.

And he is so sudden and unintresting as a villain.. he surely has not the charme, and exoticity, and the feel of danger Mbadi had. He was ambigous, creepy, he seemed to knew everything and to have schemes with endless ramifications...

This one is more like "hey! I'm so a criminal! Don't mess with my kickassness or.. you know? u'll get your ass kicked!" and that is pretty much all.

Let's see how things develope.

[Sergio Nova]

Even that kunstler out of Aqua Knight who worked for Mbadi seemed not to have a clue.

What? Whom are you talking about?

[MrFaber]

I don't remember the name. The guy Gally meets in Ieru's lower levels, who sticks microexplosives on her and has a detachable head. And the only Kunstler who works for Mbadi, actually.

[Sergio Nova]

I don't remember the name. The guy Gally meets in Ieru's lower levels, who sticks microexplosives on her and has a detachable head. And the only Kunstler who works for Mbadi, actually.

I see. You mean Tzykrow (Raven Tsai). He has a sort of double in Aqua Knight, but they are different characters.

[MrFaber]

Yes, him.

I didn't mean that he comes from AK. Just that the character design is a reproposition of the AK character. A self quote, basically.

[Vendigo]

MrFaber, you sure do hate context and backstory, don't you? All of your posts are basically about how you do not wish to know more than a sketchy description of how Yoko came to be Alita.

[MrFaber]

Not really. I'm pointing out that we are not getting to know more of how Yoko got to become Gally, so far. Only stuff we already knew got re-stated with no new information nor deeper undestanding of the old ones.

[Martin]

It is not the view from the top of the mountain you remember, but the hike up it.

I LOVE the meandering plot. Can't wait to find out about Venus...I think she had/bio-printed a baby.

[Sergio Nova]

It is not the view from the top of the mountain you remember, but the hike up it.

I LOVE the meandering plot. Can't wait to find out about Venus...I think she had/bio-printed a baby.

WHAT????