22 years following the series’ conclusion, Battle Angel Alita’s popularity has only grown, with a persistent legacy among fans and a new live-action adaptation slated for release next year from director Robert Rodriguez. In the lead-up to its release, publisher Kodansha will reissue the series in a collection of deluxe hardcovers this fall, following a now-available digital release of the first three volumes on comiXology that restores the manga to its pre-Americanized glory.
Makoto Ozaki is no one special – first year high school student, class doormat to a popular clique of students, pitied by the former class doormat; Ozaki is a timid young boy simply trying to survive school. But one night Ozaki has a chance encounter with a mysterious girl that rips him out of his mundane life and into a world of bloody horrors. This is Happiness.
Mangaka Shuzo Oshimi begins with a familiar premise of an average kid whose life is forever changed when he’s turned into a vampire (spoiler), but where many stories would immediately show you the power fantasy of new strengths and abilities after becoming a vampire, Oishimi instead gives you the mental and emotional toll of this dark change.
When Ozaki starts developing a deeper blood lust the art begins to warp, becoming more finely rendered but distressed – really conveying an unraveling of control. As Ozaki’s stress and thirst heightens the art begins to transform like Ozaki into something more sinister, adding to the darkening tone of the story.
Happiness elevates a potentially average vampire origin into something greater by allowing the art to break the quiet normalcy of Ozaki’s timid life with horrifying scenes rendered in perplexing, terrifying, yet often, beautiful ways.
If you’re a fan of slow-burn horror like Let the Right One In I highly recommend Happiness.
Reviewer’s Note: Happiness Vol. 2 just became available on comiXology 11/29/16.
Ivan Salazar is the PR & Events Specialist at comiXology and is a part of the Marketing team.
