Found that the Battle Angel OVA was up on youtube and only an hour long, so I figure why not?! Watching this I actually have more appreciation for the new adaptation. It does a really good job crafting it's own experience based on the established material and there's stuff I like in both more than the other, even though I know the OVA chopped out a lot of what the manga had. Like right off the bat, I generally find Yugo and Alita (Gally based on some weird translation decisions) more likeable in the OVA. Their relationship is super rushed, but just generally I liked who they were more. Didn't seem so forced. In the new movie, their relationship is just cliche and kinda lame I feel and I never really liked either character. Flipping that, the new movie handles Ida and Chiren way better and makes who they are and their goals much more clear and well handled. On the other hand, because the OVA cut out the motorball stuff, it made the OVA ending much more of an ending and less goofy compared to the new movie, which is really wonky.
Rushed pacing aside I think it's a fun enough watch. The new movie does a lot of new things right, but the snappier feel of the OVA kinda works in its favor if you don't have any knowledge of the manga, which I only know through a few bits I've read.
