Week 10

This week I read Battle Angel Alita and this is not a story I enjoyed very much. I don’t mind reading manga but there are a few things that bother me with this one in particular. It has a very rushed sense about it and it all very chaotic. I like action but not when it becomes chaotic and difficult to see whose leg belongs to who. And it somewhat follows the “born sexy yesterday trope” that I find rather unappealing. In order for this character to be successful she for some reason has to be put into this attractive, fully developed body despite being the brain of a young girl. And there is also blatant sexism in the beginning of this manga. When the female cyborg is put up against this large robot two characters she is helping protect are dismayed that she is not a big strong man and seem to accept that she will be unsuccessful as a result of her gender. And despite fully having her memories she still wakes up somewhat naïve and out of touch. She is also very skilled in an aspect that men will respect, that being combat. She takes down large machines with nothing but her fists and this is another big part of the trope. Despite her being a main character and could be interpreted as a successful female lead I do not find this to be the case.