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{{Short description|Japanese manga series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name = Gunnm: Mars Chronicle
| image = Gunnm Mars Chronicle, volume 1.png
| image = Gunnm Mars Chronicle, vol 1.jpg
| caption = First {{transl|ja|[[tankōbon]]}} volume cover
| caption = The cover of the first volume.
| ja_kanji = 銃夢火星戦記
| ja_kanji = 銃夢火星戦記
| ja_romaji = Ganmu: Kasei Senki
| ja_romaji = Ganmu Kasei Senki
| genre = [[Science fiction]]<ref name="vol 1">{{cite web |url=http://kc.kodansha.co.jp/product?isbn=9784063771954 |script-title=ja:銃夢火星戦記(1) |trans-title=''Gunnm: Mars Chronicle'' (1) |website=[[Kodansha]] |language=Japanese |accessdate=27 November 2015 }}</ref><!-- Note: Use and cite reliable sources to identify genre/s, not personal interpretation. Please don't include more than three genres (per [[MOS:A&M]]). -->
| genre = [[Cyberpunk]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Tual|first1=Morgane|last2=Croquet|first2=Pauline|date=19 February 2019|title=" Gunnm ", un monument du manga cyberpunk, du Japon à Hollywood|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2019/02/13/gunnm-un-monument-du-manga-cyberpunk-du-japon-a-hollywood_5423103_4408996.html|language=fr|website=[[Le Monde]]|access-date=1 March 2023|archive-date=1 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301062102/https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2019/02/13/gunnm-un-monument-du-manga-cyberpunk-du-japon-a-hollywood_5423103_4408996.html|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Note: Use and cite reliable sources to identify genre/s, not personal interpretation. Please don't include more than three genres (per [[MOS:A&M]]). -->
}}
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type = manga
| type = manga
| title =
| author = [[Yukito Kishiro]]
| author = [[Yukito Kishiro]]
| illustrator =
| publisher = [[Kodansha]]
| publisher = [[Kodansha]]
| publisher_en =
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher
| demographic = ''[[Seinen manga|Seinen]]''
| NA = [[Kodansha USA]]}}
| demographic = {{transl|ja|[[Seinen manga|Seinen]]}}
| imprint =
| imprint =
| magazine = [[Evening (magazine)|Evening]]
| magazine = {{ubl|[[Evening (magazine)|Evening]] {{noitalic|(2014–2022)}}|Comic Days {{noitalic|(2024–)}}}}
| magazine_en =
| magazine_en =
| first = 28 October 2014
| first = 28 October 2014
| last =
| last =
| volumes = 2
| volumes = 10
| volume_list = #Volumes
| volume_list = List_of_Battle_Angel_Alita_chapters#Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle
}}
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}
{{Infobox animanga/Other
|title = Preceded by
|content =
* ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]''
* ''[[Battle Angel Alita: Last Order]]''
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer|portal=yes}}


{{Nihongo|'''''Gunnm: Mars Chronicle'''''|銃夢火星戦記|Ganmu: Kasei Senki|lit. ''Gunnm: The Martian War Chronicles''}} is a Japanese [[manga]] series written by [[Yukito Kishiro]] as a continuation of his ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]'' series. A sequel to ''[[Battle Angel Alita: Last Order]]'', the series is the "final chapter" in the ''Battle Angel Alita'' franchise.
{{Nihongo|'''''Gunnm: Mars Chronicle'''''|銃夢火星戦記|Ganmu Kasei Senki|{{lit}} "Gun Dream: Martian War Chronicles"}}, also known in its English translation as '''''Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle''''', is a Japanese [[Japanese science fiction|science fiction]] [[manga]] series written by [[Yukito Kishiro]] and, as sequel to ''[[Battle Angel Alita: Last Order]]'', is the third installment of the ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]'' series.

The story of ''Mars Chronicles'' alternates between two timelines: ES 594, three years directly after the event of ''Last Order'', when [[Alita (Battle Angel Alita)|Alita]] returns to her home planet [[Mars]] for the first time in centuries; and ES 373, during Alita's childhood as the young cyborg girl Yoko trying to survive in the war-torn Mars.


==Plot==
==Plot==
''Mars Chronicle'' takes place on a colonized Mars. The story alternately tells about the events of the childhood of the main character (373-374 BC{{efn|In ''Last Order'', the system of reckoning used in the world of World of Battle Angel Alita becomes known - "satellite era" (e.s.). The starting point is the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kishiro|first=Yukito|title=Battle Angel Alita: Last Order|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=2006|isbn=978-4-08-877123-6|language=Japanese}}</ref>}}) and about her further adventures in 594 AD.
Alita travels to [[Mars]] to discover the secrets of her past.<ref name="ANN launch">{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-09-19/new-battle-angel-alita-gunnm-manga-to-launch-in-october/.78937 |title=New Battle Angel Alita/Gunnm Manga to Launch in October |date=19 September 2014 |website=[[Anime News Network]] |accessdate=27 November 2015 }}</ref>


Long before mastering the {{Nihongo|Panzer-Kunst|パ ンツァークンスト|Panza kunsuto}} technique, {{Nihongo|Yoko|陽 子}}, originally known as Galli, tried to survive in the conditions of post-war Mars along with another orphan, Erica. Thanks to Dr. Finch, the cyborg girl and her friend end up in an orphanage for girls in a small Martian settlement. However, Yoko and Erica do not find shelter there for long - the town is attacked by the military. After escaping the attack, the two go in search of Erica's parents.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Martin|first=Theron|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle GN 1|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/battle-angel-alita/mars-chronicle/gn-1/.127212|access-date=18 January 2023|website=[[Anime News Network]]|archive-date=21 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521153510/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/battle-angel-alita/mars-chronicle/gn-1/.127212|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the military, mercenaries arrive, whose mission is to find and kidnap Yoko.
==Release==
[[Yukito Kishiro]] announced the series on 1 January 2014, with a premiere set for the second half of 2014. His ''[[Battle Angel Alita: Last Order]]'' manga ended later that month.<ref name="ANN announcement">{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-01-02/new-battle-angel-alita/gunnm-manga-to-start-in-2014 |title=New Battle Angel Alita/Gunnm Manga to Start in 2014 |date=2 January 2014 |website=[[Anime News Network]] |accessdate=27 November 2015 }}</ref><ref name="CR announcement">{{cite web |url=http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/01/02/battle-angel-alita-manga-relaunch-planned |title="Battle Angel Alita" Manga Relaunch Planned |last=Green |first=Scott |date=2 January 2014 |website=[[Crunchyroll]] |accessdate=27 November 2015 }}</ref><ref name="FP announcement">{{cite web |url=http://www.fandompost.com/2014/01/02/yukito-kishiro-announces-the-martian-war-chronicles-manga/ |title=Yukito Kishiro Announces ‘The Martian War Chronicles’ Manga |last=Beveridge |first=Chris |date=2 January 2015 |website=The Fandom Post |accessdate=27 November 2015 }}</ref> The manga was launched in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Evening (magazine)|Evening]]'' magazine on 28 October 2014.<ref name="ANN launch" /><ref name="FP launch">{{cite web |url=http://www.fandompost.com/2014/09/19/new-battle-angel-alita-manga-slotted-for-october-debut/ |title=New ‘Battle Angel Alita’ Manga Slotted For October Debut |last=Beveridge |first=Chris |date=27 November 2015 |website=The Fandom Post |accessdate=27 November 2015 }}</ref> ''Gunnm: Mars Chronicle'' is set to be the "final chapter" in the ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]'' series.<ref name="final chapter">{{cite web |url=http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/10/13/final-chapter-of-gunnmbattle-angel-alita-manga-to-start-on-october-28 |title=Final Chapter of "Gunnm/Battle Angel Alita" Manga to Start on October 28 |last=Komatsu |first=Mikikazu |date=13 October 2014 |website=[[Crunchyroll]] |accessdate=27 November 2015 }}</ref>


Three years after the [[Battle Angel Alita: Last Order|10th ZOTT]], Alita visits Mars to honor the slaughtered inhabitants of an orphanage she lived at during childhood. At the memorial site, she re-encounters her childhood friend and fellow Künstler [[List of Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle characters#Erica|Erica]] — the infamous assassin known as "Frau X" — and is immediately drawn into a Martian power struggle. The plot repeatedly shifts back to Alita's childhood memory after the young Yoko (Alita) and her sisterly companion Erica were saved at the minefield by Gerda and later left in the care of an elderly wandering medic Finch, and the adventures the pair had to endure in order to survive in the chaotic Martian civil conflicts leading up to the Terraforming Wars. Determined to save her childhood companion from the control of the Einherjar, Alita vows to unveil the truth and discover the cure of Necro-Soldiers.
===Volumes===

{{Graphic novel list/header
Two orphans, with the help of Dr. Finch, find Erica's house, which turns out to be burned down, and many of her memories of her parents are lies. Meanwhile, Finch finds a connection with Yoko's mother. The girls part ways at Yoko's mother's homestead in the province of Kydonia. The mercenaries chasing Yoko catch up with Finch's van, but are interrupted by a masked man claiming to be the villain Baron Muster. He becomes interested in Erica, believing she holds the key to one of Mars' greatest treasures, and decides to make her his apprentice.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/956692653|title=Ganmu kasei senki. 3.|date=2016|publisher=Kodansha|others=Yukito Kishiro, ゆきと 木城|isbn=978-4-06-377488-7|oclc=956692653}}</ref> Adopted by Muster, Erica demonstrates an inborn attraction to the bad, and her fresh look of a child allows her to reach the end in search of the Martian treasure.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brooke|first=David|date=28 August 2018|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle 4 Review • AIPT|url=https://aiptcomics.com/2018/08/28/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-4-review/|access-date=18 January 2023|website=aiptcomics.com|archive-date=18 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118034648/https://aiptcomics.com/2018/08/28/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-4-review/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Kishiro|first=Yukito|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle. Vol. 4|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|year=2018|isbn=9781632366184}}</ref>
| OneLanguage = yes

| Language = Japanese
==Publication and creation==
| Width = 75%
{{external media
| LineColor = B22222
| float = right
}}
| caption = Demonstration of the manga creation process
{{Graphic novel list
| VolumeNumber = 1
| headerimage=
| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_AFQ_gomqA Characters ] (Japanese)
| RelDate = 22 May 2015<ref name="vol 1" />
| video2 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te8EqVLgcf8 Elements of the environment] (Japanese)
| ISBN = 978-4-06-377195-4<ref name="vol 1" />
| video3 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7wyjDvu_Ao 3D modeling] (Japanese)
| LineColor = B22222
}}
}}
[[Yukito Kishiro]] announced the series on 1 January 2014 with the premiere set for the second half of 2014.<ref name="ANN announcement">{{cite web|last=Loveridge|first=Lynzee|date=2 January 2014|title=New Battle Angel Alita/Gunnm Manga to Start in 2014|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-01-02/new-battle-angel-alita/gunnm-manga-to-start-in-2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102213843/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-01-02/new-battle-angel-alita/gunnm-manga-to-start-in-2014|archive-date=2 January 2014|access-date=27 November 2015|website=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref><ref name="CR announcement">{{cite web|url=http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/01/02/battle-angel-alita-manga-relaunch-planned|title="Battle Angel Alita" Manga Relaunch Planned|last=Green|first=Scott|date=2 January 2014|website=[[Crunchyroll]]|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-date=18 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118022545/http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/01/02/battle-angel-alita-manga-relaunch-planned|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="FP announcement">{{cite web|url=http://www.fandompost.com/2014/01/02/yukito-kishiro-announces-the-martian-war-chronicles-manga/|title=Yukito Kishiro Announces 'The Martian War Chronicles' Manga|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|date=2 January 2015|website=The Fandom Post|access-date=27 November 2015 }}</ref> The manga was launched in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Evening (magazine)|Evening]]'' magazine on 28 October 2014.<ref name="ANN launch">{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|date=19 September 2014|title=New Battle Angel Alita/Gunnm Manga to Launch in October|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-09-19/new-battle-angel-alita-gunnm-manga-to-launch-in-october/.78937|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920033724/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-09-19/new-battle-angel-alita-gunnm-manga-to-launch-in-october/.78937|archive-date=20 September 2014|access-date=27 November 2015|website=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref><ref name="FP launch">{{cite web|url=http://www.fandompost.com/2014/09/19/new-battle-angel-alita-manga-slotted-for-october-debut/|title=New 'Battle Angel Alita' Manga Slotted For October Debut|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|date=19 September 2015|website=The Fandom Post|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111205716/https://www.fandompost.com/2014/09/19/new-battle-angel-alita-manga-slotted-for-october-debut/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:イブニング 2014年22号|url=https://evening.kodansha.co.jp/evening/2014/22.html|website=[[Evening (magazine)|Evening]]|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|access-date=17 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603010642/https://evening.kodansha.co.jp/evening/2014/22.html|archive-date=3 June 2019|language=ja}}</ref> ''Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle'' was announced as the "final chapter" in the ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]'' series.<ref name="final chapter">{{cite web|url=http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/10/13/final-chapter-of-gunnmbattle-angel-alita-manga-to-start-on-october-28|title=Final Chapter of "Gunnm/Battle Angel Alita" Manga to Start on October 28|last=Komatsu|first=Mikikazu|date=13 October 2014|website=[[Crunchyroll]]|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-date=27 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327024243/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/10/13/final-chapter-of-gunnmbattle-angel-alita-manga-to-start-on-october-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Evening'' ceased its publication on 28 February 2023 and the series resumed on the ''Comic Days'' website on 16 January 2024.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hodgkins|first=Crystalyn|title=Kodansha's Evening Magazine Ends Publication in February After 22 Years|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-12-26/kodansha-evening-magazine-ends-publication-in-february-after-22-years/.193338|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=27 February 2023|date=26 December 2022|archive-date=26 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226150236/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-12-26/kodansha-evening-magazine-ends-publication-in-february-after-22-years/.193338|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:イブニングが23年間の歴史に幕、最終号に「アザゼルさん。」「ギャングキング」読み切り|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/514631|website=[[Natalie (website)|Comic Natalie]]|publisher=Natasha, Inc.|access-date=1 March 2023|language=ja|date=28 February 2023|archive-date=28 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228032529/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/514631|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Pineda|first=Rafael|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Manga's Return Delayed Until Summer|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-03-01/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-manga-return-delayed-until-summer/.195442|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=1 March 2023|date=1 March 2023|archive-date=1 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301214221/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-03-01/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-manga-return-delayed-until-summer/.195442|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:LOG:047 奥義(ゲハイムニス)(前編)|url=https://comic-days.com/episode/14079602755570179687|website=Comic Days|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|access-date=16 January 2024|language=ja|date=16 January 2024|archive-date=16 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116122446/https://comic-days.com/episode/14079602755570179687|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2024, Kishiro stated on his personal blog that ''Mars Chronicle'' is set to end with its 56th chapter and that the story will continue with a new series in 2025.<ref>{{cite web|last=Tai|first=Anita|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Manga Ends With New Series Slated for 2025|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-11-25/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-manga-ends-with-new-series-slated-for-2025/.218293|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=26 November 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126005939/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-11-25/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-manga-ends-with-new-series-slated-for-2025/.218293|archive-date=26 November 2024|date=25 November 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Graphic novel list

| VolumeNumber = 2
[[Kodansha USA]] have licensed the manga for English release in North America.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sherman|first=Jennifer|date=3 July 2017|title=Kodansha Comics Announces Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, Fairy Tail S, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card in Print|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-03/kodansha-comics-announces-battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-fairy-tail-s-cardcaptor-sakura-clear-card-in-print/.118330|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704181942/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com:80/news/2017-07-03/kodansha-comics-announces-battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-fairy-tail-s-cardcaptor-sakura-clear-card-in-print/.118330|archive-date=4 July 2017|access-date=3 July 2017|website=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref>
| RelDate = 20 November 2015<ref name="vol 2">{{cite web |url=http://kc.kodansha.co.jp/product?isbn=9784063773576 |script-title=ja:銃夢火星戦記(2) |trans-title=''Gunnm: Mars Chronicle'' (2) |website=[[Kodansha]] |language=Japanese |accessdate=27 November 2015 }}</ref>

| ISBN = 978-4-06-377357-6<ref name="vol 2" />
At the end of the second volume, Hibotaki Tobi's one-shot {{Nihongo|Mu-kai|霧界||{{lit}} "foggy world"}} was published, the story of which won the award for the best science fiction story. The illustrations were done by Kishiro. The plot of the one-shot tells about a boy stuck in a world where time has stopped.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brooke|first=David|date=24 February 2018|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle 2 Review • AIPT|url=https://aiptcomics.com/2018/04/24/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-2-review/|access-date=18 January 2023|website=aiptcomics.com|archive-date=18 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118172819/https://aiptcomics.com/2018/04/24/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-2-review/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| LineColor = B22222

}}
While working on illustrations for the manga, Kishiro uses both manual work and computer graphics. Background elements, dashed lines and various mechanisms are drawn by hand by Kishiro's assistant, his younger brother Tsutomu.<ref>{{Cite web|last=木城ゆきと|date=30 November 2017|script-title=ja:新・きまぐれゆきと帳: 仕事道具15_ペン入れ|url=http://yukitolog.blogspot.com/2017/11/15.html|access-date=18 January 2023|website=新・きまぐれゆきと帳|archive-date=7 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207195456/http://yukitolog.blogspot.com/2017/11/15.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Yukitopia|url=http://jajatom.moo.jp/E-top/frame.html|access-date=18 January 2023|website=jajatom.moo.jp|archive-date=7 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207043749/http://jajatom.moo.jp/E-top/frame.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Graphic novel list/footer}}

==Critical reception==
[[File:Battle Angel Alita, Mars Chronicle.png|right|thumb|Manga fragment showing Yukito Kishiro's art style]]
[[Anime News Network]] reviewer Theron Martin noted that ''Mars Chronicle'', in dealing with Gally's formerly mysterious past, is a self-contained story that does not require familiarity with previous works. Speaking about the plot, Martin noted Kishiro's creative style, which is characterized by a constant balancing act between "charmingly cute and incredibly ugly". The critic also praised the mangaka's attention to detail in the futuristic setting and action scene, which, like previous entries in the series, are full of violence and dynamism. Theron criticized minor characters, including the orphan Ninon and the antagonist who appears later, and also noted that part of the audience may find the existence of scenes of violence against children disturbing.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Martin|first=Theron|date=4 February 2018|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/battle-angel-alita/mars-chronicle/gn-1/.127212|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=18 January 2023|archive-date=21 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521153510/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/battle-angel-alita/mars-chronicle/gn-1/.127212|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Martin|first=Theron|date=15 July 2018|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle GNs 2-3|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/battle-angel-alita/mars-chronicle/gns-2-3/.132934|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=20 January 2023|archive-date=1 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601172607/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/battle-angel-alita/mars-chronicle/gns-2-3/.132934|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' magazine editor Toussaint Egan stated that this installment of the franchise is the least suitable for new readers, and Kishiro's aforementioned work on the setting and action scenes has become weaker according to Egan. Summing up, the critic expressed the opinion that the first chapters of the Mars Chronicle are aimed more at presenting the details of the universe already known to fans than at telling their own story.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Egan|first=Toussaint|date=24 January 2018|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol.1 Lays the Groundwork for Better Things to Come|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/comics/yukito-kishiro/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-vol1-lays-the-gr/|website=[[Paste Magazine]]|access-date=20 January 2023|archive-date=20 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120041847/https://www.pastemagazine.com/comics/yukito-kishiro/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-vol1-lays-the-gr/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a review from Anime UK News, Yukito Kishiro's future Mars was called "an apocalyptic nightmare", while the German names and the theme of the resettlement of refugees, according to the critic, refer to the Second World War and some contemporary events. Mars Chronicle, the reviewer continues, shows Kishiro's experience as a mangaka. For example, his use of reversals to convey the significance of the moment, or the way he uses scale and the sharp contrast between shadows and light in action scenes.<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 March 2018|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Volume 1 Review • Anime UK News|url=https://animeuknews.net/2018/03/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-volume-1-review/|access-date=20 January 2023|website=Anime UK News|archive-date=4 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204154041/https://animeuknews.net/2018/03/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-volume-1-review/|url-status=live}}</ref>

AIPT critic David Brooke, describing the work as a whole, wrote that the Mars Chronicle carries an important message about the war, and also reveals the world of Gunnm from a new perspective, telling about life on Mars. David also noted that at the time of release, this part of the franchise is Kishiro's best work in technical terms. So, according to the critic, the artistic part is executed with attention to detail, and the moments of emotional intensity touch to the depths of the soul. In addition, the mangaka's environment work, David continues, makes clear the difference between colonized Mars and Earth.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brooke|first=David|date=23 January 2018|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 1 Review • AIPT|url=https://aiptcomics.com/2018/01/23/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-vol-1-review/|access-date=20 January 2023|website=aiptcomics.com|archive-date=20 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120060523/https://aiptcomics.com/2018/01/23/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-vol-1-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> Speaking about the further development of the plot, Brook was indignant at the narrative jumping from the past to the future, and the excessive amount of exposition.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brooke|first=David|date=24 April 2018|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle 2 Review • AIPT|url=https://aiptcomics.com/2018/04/24/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-2-review/|access-date=20 January 2023|website=aiptcomics.com|archive-date=18 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118174109/https://aiptcomics.com/2018/04/24/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-2-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the return of the story to the young Yoko and especially Erika in the fourth volume was received with interest by the critic, praising the adventure in search of the Martian treasure.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brooke|first=David|date=28 August 2018|title=Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle 4 Review • AIPT|url=https://aiptcomics.com/2018/08/28/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-4-review/|access-date=20 January 2023|website=aiptcomics.com|archive-date=18 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118034651/https://aiptcomics.com/2018/08/28/battle-angel-alita-mars-chronicle-4-review/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}


==References==
==References==
===Trade references===
# {{cite book
| title = Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, Volume 1
| isbn = 978-1632366153
| date=23 January 2018
| first = Yukito
| last =Kishiro
| publisher = Kodansha
}}
# {{cite book
| title = Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 2
| isbn = 978-1632366160
| date = 24 April 2018
| first =Yukito
| last = Kishiro
| publisher = Kodansha
}}
# {{cite book
| title = Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 3
| isbn = 978-1632366177
| date = 5 June 2018
| first = Yukito
| last = Kishiro
| publisher = Kodansha
}}
# {{cite book
| title = Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 4
| isbn = 978-1632366184
| date = 28 August 2018
| first = Yukito
| last = Kishiro
| publisher = Kodansha
}}
# {{cite book
| title = Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 5
| isbn = 978-1632366580
| date = 18 December 2018
| first = Yukito
| last = Kishiro
| publisher = Kodansha
}}
# {{cite book
| title = Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 6
| isbn = 978-1632367181
| date = 30 April 2019
| first = Yukito
| last = Kishiro
| publisher = Kodansha
}}
# {{cite book
| title = Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 7
| isbn = 978-1632367846
| date = 20 July 2021
| first = Yukito
| last = Kishiro
| publisher = Kodansha
}}
# {{cite book
| title = Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 8
| isbn = 978-1632369031
| date = 5 June 2022
| first = Yukito
| last = Kishiro
| publisher = Kodansha
}}
# {{Cite book
| title = Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 9
| isbn = 978-1646519378
| date = 12 September 2023
| first = Yukito
| last = Kishiro
| publisher= Kodansha
}}

===Other references===
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Official website|http://evening.moae.jp/lineup/436|''Gunnm: Mars Chronicle''}} at ''[[Evening (magazine)|Evening]]'' {{ja icon}}
* {{Official website|https://evening.kodansha.co.jp/c/gunnm_marschronicle.html|''Gunnm: Mars Chronicle''}} at ''[[Evening (magazine)|Evening]]'' {{in lang|ja}}
* {{Ann|manga|17399}}
* {{Anime News Network|manga|17399|noparen=true}}


{{Battle Angel Alita}}
{{Battle Angel Alita}}
{{Series in Evening}}


[[Category:Battle Angel]]
[[Category:Battle Angel]]
[[Category:Comics about genetic engineering]]
[[Category:Comics set on Mars]]
[[Category:Cyberpunk anime and manga]]
[[Category:Exploratory engineering]]
[[Category:Fiction about brain–computer interface]]
[[Category:Fiction about cyborgs]]
[[Category:Fiction about megastructures]]
[[Category:Fiction about nanotechnology]]
[[Category:Fiction about prosthetics]]
[[Category:Fiction about robots]]
[[Category:Fiction about terraforming]]
[[Category:Kodansha manga]]
[[Category:Kodansha manga]]
[[Category:Prequel comics]]
[[Category:Seinen manga]]
[[Category:Seinen manga]]
[[Category:Science fiction anime and manga]]
[[Category:Sequel comics]]
[[Category:Mars in fiction]]
{{manga-stub}}

Latest revision as of 09:41, 11 December 2024

Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle
First tankōbon volume cover
銃夢火星戦記
(Ganmu Kasei Senki)
GenreCyberpunk[1]
Manga
Written byYukito Kishiro
Published byKodansha
English publisher
Magazine
  • Evening (2014–2022)
  • Comic Days (2024–)
DemographicSeinen
Original run28 October 2014 – present
Volumes10 (List of volumes)
Preceded by
icon Anime and manga portal

Gunnm: Mars Chronicle (銃夢火星戦記, Ganmu Kasei Senki, lit. "Gun Dream: Martian War Chronicles"), also known in its English translation as Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, is a Japanese science fiction manga series written by Yukito Kishiro and, as sequel to Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, is the third installment of the Battle Angel Alita series.

The story of Mars Chronicles alternates between two timelines: ES 594, three years directly after the event of Last Order, when Alita returns to her home planet Mars for the first time in centuries; and ES 373, during Alita's childhood as the young cyborg girl Yoko trying to survive in the war-torn Mars.

Plot

[edit]

Mars Chronicle takes place on a colonized Mars. The story alternately tells about the events of the childhood of the main character (373-374 BC[a]) and about her further adventures in 594 AD.

Long before mastering the Panzer-Kunst (パ ンツァークンスト, Panza kunsuto) technique, Yoko (陽 子), originally known as Galli, tried to survive in the conditions of post-war Mars along with another orphan, Erica. Thanks to Dr. Finch, the cyborg girl and her friend end up in an orphanage for girls in a small Martian settlement. However, Yoko and Erica do not find shelter there for long - the town is attacked by the military. After escaping the attack, the two go in search of Erica's parents.[3] Following the military, mercenaries arrive, whose mission is to find and kidnap Yoko.

Three years after the 10th ZOTT, Alita visits Mars to honor the slaughtered inhabitants of an orphanage she lived at during childhood. At the memorial site, she re-encounters her childhood friend and fellow Künstler Erica — the infamous assassin known as "Frau X" — and is immediately drawn into a Martian power struggle. The plot repeatedly shifts back to Alita's childhood memory after the young Yoko (Alita) and her sisterly companion Erica were saved at the minefield by Gerda and later left in the care of an elderly wandering medic Finch, and the adventures the pair had to endure in order to survive in the chaotic Martian civil conflicts leading up to the Terraforming Wars. Determined to save her childhood companion from the control of the Einherjar, Alita vows to unveil the truth and discover the cure of Necro-Soldiers.

Two orphans, with the help of Dr. Finch, find Erica's house, which turns out to be burned down, and many of her memories of her parents are lies. Meanwhile, Finch finds a connection with Yoko's mother. The girls part ways at Yoko's mother's homestead in the province of Kydonia. The mercenaries chasing Yoko catch up with Finch's van, but are interrupted by a masked man claiming to be the villain Baron Muster. He becomes interested in Erica, believing she holds the key to one of Mars' greatest treasures, and decides to make her his apprentice.[4] Adopted by Muster, Erica demonstrates an inborn attraction to the bad, and her fresh look of a child allows her to reach the end in search of the Martian treasure.[5][6]

Publication and creation

[edit]
External videos
video icon Characters (Japanese)
video icon Elements of the environment (Japanese)
video icon 3D modeling (Japanese)

Yukito Kishiro announced the series on 1 January 2014 with the premiere set for the second half of 2014.[7][8][9] The manga was launched in Kodansha's Evening magazine on 28 October 2014.[10][11][12] Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle was announced as the "final chapter" in the Battle Angel Alita series.[13] Evening ceased its publication on 28 February 2023 and the series resumed on the Comic Days website on 16 January 2024.[14][15][16][17] In November 2024, Kishiro stated on his personal blog that Mars Chronicle is set to end with its 56th chapter and that the story will continue with a new series in 2025.[18]

Kodansha USA have licensed the manga for English release in North America.[19]

At the end of the second volume, Hibotaki Tobi's one-shot Mu-kai (霧界, lit. "foggy world") was published, the story of which won the award for the best science fiction story. The illustrations were done by Kishiro. The plot of the one-shot tells about a boy stuck in a world where time has stopped.[20]

While working on illustrations for the manga, Kishiro uses both manual work and computer graphics. Background elements, dashed lines and various mechanisms are drawn by hand by Kishiro's assistant, his younger brother Tsutomu.[21][22]

Critical reception

[edit]
Manga fragment showing Yukito Kishiro's art style

Anime News Network reviewer Theron Martin noted that Mars Chronicle, in dealing with Gally's formerly mysterious past, is a self-contained story that does not require familiarity with previous works. Speaking about the plot, Martin noted Kishiro's creative style, which is characterized by a constant balancing act between "charmingly cute and incredibly ugly". The critic also praised the mangaka's attention to detail in the futuristic setting and action scene, which, like previous entries in the series, are full of violence and dynamism. Theron criticized minor characters, including the orphan Ninon and the antagonist who appears later, and also noted that part of the audience may find the existence of scenes of violence against children disturbing.[23][24]

Paste magazine editor Toussaint Egan stated that this installment of the franchise is the least suitable for new readers, and Kishiro's aforementioned work on the setting and action scenes has become weaker according to Egan. Summing up, the critic expressed the opinion that the first chapters of the Mars Chronicle are aimed more at presenting the details of the universe already known to fans than at telling their own story.[25]

In a review from Anime UK News, Yukito Kishiro's future Mars was called "an apocalyptic nightmare", while the German names and the theme of the resettlement of refugees, according to the critic, refer to the Second World War and some contemporary events. Mars Chronicle, the reviewer continues, shows Kishiro's experience as a mangaka. For example, his use of reversals to convey the significance of the moment, or the way he uses scale and the sharp contrast between shadows and light in action scenes.[26]

AIPT critic David Brooke, describing the work as a whole, wrote that the Mars Chronicle carries an important message about the war, and also reveals the world of Gunnm from a new perspective, telling about life on Mars. David also noted that at the time of release, this part of the franchise is Kishiro's best work in technical terms. So, according to the critic, the artistic part is executed with attention to detail, and the moments of emotional intensity touch to the depths of the soul. In addition, the mangaka's environment work, David continues, makes clear the difference between colonized Mars and Earth.[27] Speaking about the further development of the plot, Brook was indignant at the narrative jumping from the past to the future, and the excessive amount of exposition.[28] However, the return of the story to the young Yoko and especially Erika in the fourth volume was received with interest by the critic, praising the adventure in search of the Martian treasure.[29]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ In Last Order, the system of reckoning used in the world of World of Battle Angel Alita becomes known - "satellite era" (e.s.). The starting point is the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957.[2]

References

[edit]

Trade references

[edit]
  1. Kishiro, Yukito (23 January 2018). Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, Volume 1. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1632366153.
  2. Kishiro, Yukito (24 April 2018). Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 2. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1632366160.
  3. Kishiro, Yukito (5 June 2018). Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 3. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1632366177.
  4. Kishiro, Yukito (28 August 2018). Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 4. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1632366184.
  5. Kishiro, Yukito (18 December 2018). Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 5. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1632366580.
  6. Kishiro, Yukito (30 April 2019). Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 6. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1632367181.
  7. Kishiro, Yukito (20 July 2021). Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 7. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1632367846.
  8. Kishiro, Yukito (5 June 2022). Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 8. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1632369031.
  9. Kishiro, Yukito (12 September 2023). Battle Angel Alita Mars Chronicle, Volume 9. Kodansha. ISBN 978-1646519378.

Other references

[edit]
  1. ^ Tual, Morgane; Croquet, Pauline (19 February 2019). "" Gunnm ", un monument du manga cyberpunk, du Japon à Hollywood". Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  2. ^ Kishiro, Yukito (2006). Battle Angel Alita: Last Order (in Japanese). Shueisha. ISBN 978-4-08-877123-6.
  3. ^ Martin, Theron. "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle GN 1". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  4. ^ Ganmu kasei senki. 3. Yukito Kishiro, ゆきと 木城. Kodansha. 2016. ISBN 978-4-06-377488-7. OCLC 956692653.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ Brooke, David (28 August 2018). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle 4 Review • AIPT". aiptcomics.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  6. ^ Kishiro, Yukito (2018). Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle. Vol. 4. Kodansha. ISBN 9781632366184.
  7. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (2 January 2014). "New Battle Angel Alita/Gunnm Manga to Start in 2014". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  8. ^ Green, Scott (2 January 2014). ""Battle Angel Alita" Manga Relaunch Planned". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  9. ^ Beveridge, Chris (2 January 2015). "Yukito Kishiro Announces 'The Martian War Chronicles' Manga". The Fandom Post. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  10. ^ Loo, Egan (19 September 2014). "New Battle Angel Alita/Gunnm Manga to Launch in October". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 20 September 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  11. ^ Beveridge, Chris (19 September 2015). "New 'Battle Angel Alita' Manga Slotted For October Debut". The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  12. ^ イブニング 2014年22号. Evening (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  13. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (13 October 2014). "Final Chapter of "Gunnm/Battle Angel Alita" Manga to Start on October 28". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  14. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (26 December 2022). "Kodansha's Evening Magazine Ends Publication in February After 22 Years". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  15. ^ イブニングが23年間の歴史に幕、最終号に「アザゼルさん。」「ギャングキング」読み切り. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  16. ^ Pineda, Rafael (1 March 2023). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Manga's Return Delayed Until Summer". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  17. ^ LOG:047 奥義(ゲハイムニス)(前編). Comic Days (in Japanese). Kodansha. 16 January 2024. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  18. ^ Tai, Anita (25 November 2024). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Manga Ends With New Series Slated for 2025". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  19. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (3 July 2017). "Kodansha Comics Announces Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, Fairy Tail S, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card in Print". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  20. ^ Brooke, David (24 February 2018). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle 2 Review • AIPT". aiptcomics.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  21. ^ 木城ゆきと (30 November 2017). 新・きまぐれゆきと帳: 仕事道具15_ペン入れ. 新・きまぐれゆきと帳. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Yukitopia". jajatom.moo.jp. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  23. ^ Martin, Theron (4 February 2018). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  24. ^ Martin, Theron (15 July 2018). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle GNs 2-3". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  25. ^ Egan, Toussaint (24 January 2018). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol.1 Lays the Groundwork for Better Things to Come". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  26. ^ "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Volume 1 Review • Anime UK News". Anime UK News. 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  27. ^ Brooke, David (23 January 2018). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 1 Review • AIPT". aiptcomics.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  28. ^ Brooke, David (24 April 2018). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle 2 Review • AIPT". aiptcomics.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  29. ^ Brooke, David (28 August 2018). "Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle 4 Review • AIPT". aiptcomics.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
[edit]