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Angelic Layer Creator: CLAMP Genre: Action Comedy Trainer Year Made: 2001 Year Dubbed: Not Dubbed Yet Format Reviewed: Fansubs Rating: G (VERY mild, almost non-existent innuendo; intense combat scenes; nothing you wouldn't see from POKéMON) Length: 26 eps |
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Plot Concept Animation Characters Development Music Sound Voice Acting: Japanese English Overall |
 
84%
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90%
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Plot Summary Suzuhara Misaki has always been kind of a shy, low self-esteem girl. She's short, not good at sports, and hasn't seen her mother since she went away at 3. So when Misaki sees a rather small "Angel" win a battle in Angelic Layer, she is compelled to try it out, knowing that her size won't get in the way. Little does she know, though, that the game she will soon dominate is connected to everything in her past. Including what her mother has hidden from her for so many years... Intro Some people are immediately turned off by the concept of Angelic Layer: using telekinetic devices to control dolls that one uses to battle in a special arena. The first thing that comes to people's minds at this point usually is "Pitfall meets Barbie? I'll pass..." This is a real shame, though, beause behind the cute facade lie some of the most intense fights in animé history. Concept: 92% Angelic Layer is an expensive yet fun game that can be mastered by any age (in fact, one of the most elite Angelic Layer combatants is a gifted 5-year-old with incredible mental reflexes) and any gender (though most boys would feel pretty stupid wearing a pink helmet; see the "Misaki VS Misaki" episode for more info). Pay attention; the concept of Angelic Layer is pretty long. The dolls used to fight are called "Angels", and their controllers are called "Deuses". Once an Angel is bought, it can be personalized in terms of strength, speed, flexibility, dexterity, maneuverability, reflexes, and appearance. This way, no two Angels are ever remotely alike. Battles are fought on a flat arena with a 10-meter diameter. This is referred to as the Layer. (Episode 11 introduces the Geosphere, a lifelike computer-generated arena where Angels can fight on realistic mountains, oceans, and even ships. The Geosphere can be altered only by the Angels or the computer generating the Geosphere.) The Angels are controlled by telekinesis-enhancing helmets designed to make the Deus really look like a God. (The helmets also show the Angels' HP and damaged areas.) Battles are won in one of four ways: 1) Opponent's HP and energy go down to zero. 2) Opponent falls out of the Layer. 3) Time runs out; player who has most HP wins. 4) Opponent surrenders. 5) Both Angels are knocked out at once; first player to recover enough energy to stand up wins. Angels can be strengthened by training sessions and battles. Since controlling the Angel involves the mind, though, the only way to really strengthen the Angel is for the Deus to train his/her own abilities at using the Angel. (Misaki, in fact, has an uncanny ability to memorize her enemy's tactics and attacks, so she can use them in future battles.) That's all I'll explain here; explaining further would give away deliciously satisfying surprises. Yes, the concept of Angelic Layer is neat, but there is one significant problem: the Geosphere. Although the Geosphere is a really cool place to fight in, it was introduced way too late into the series. By episode 10, I had lost a lot of interest in the series and was reluctant to go further. After seeing the Geosphere, though, my interest piqued back up. If the Geosphere had been introduced earlier, my interest might have been stronger. What was interesting as well were the elements of the animé. The comedy wias rich, laugh-out-loud fun, and I'm sure kindergarteners all over the world will be talking about Icchan-san's antics once Angelic Layer is dubbed. The action is breathtaking; never before have I seen kids these young create such brutal fighting techniques! The fighting itself is a fast-paced adrenaline rush of pain; many times I could actually "feel" the Angels getting hurt. (i.e. when this one really speedy Angel ran toward Misaki's Angel at lightning speed, jumped in the air, and kneed her right in the face. OUCH.) However, the elements present a problem as well: namely, numerous instances of failed emotion. While some of the emotion is good and solid, a lot of it just feels a bit out of place. Plot: 84% I'll say this right now: Angelic Layer is a "trainer" animé. That is, an anime where you summon creatures/robots/etc. to do the fighting for you. (You may or may not be involved in the fight yourself, but the monsters are there as well.) And creating a deep, intricate plot for a "trainer" anime is extremely difficult, especially since Angelic Layer is based on a "friendly-fighting" tournament. CLAMP managed to pull it off, and though I can't really say the plot is anything that would win an Academy Award, it's a good, solid plot that develops into an intricate struggle for Misaki's love. Which is much more than I can say for most trainer animé (i.e. Yu-Gi-Oh, Digimon, Pokémon, Monster Rancher). Characters: 98% No character is completely insignificant in Angelic Layer. Every single person who plays a role in Angelic Layer is developed immensely. By the end, you know everything about the characters: what happened to Misaki's mother, the reason for Jonouchi Sai's lack of emotion, and much more. The characters themselves have fun personalities and are all likeable; in fact, after watching all 26 episodes, there was only 1 character whose personality I disliked. Development: 89% The plot development is almost as deep as the character development. By the end, we know the real reason why Angelic Layer was created, who has lied to Misaki, and numerous other facts. However, there are a few droning problems as well: 1) The series is WAY too short. 26 episodes is an unacceptably short length for a trainer anime. 2) Angelic Layer ends on a rather abrupt note. Sure, there's a part during the credits that shows the future of all the characters, but that lasts for about a minute. Animation: 91% Animation works two ways. On one hand, the animation is crisp, clear, and smooth. A lot of the animation is digital, and much of the artwork is great. On the other hand, though, fans of CLAMP artwork will quickly realize that the animation, as good as it is, is a bit substandard when compared to CLAMP's other works. It may not seem obvious to non-CLAMP watchers at first, but the ending theme for the second half of AL clearly indicates that they could've done better. Audio: [Music] 81% [Sound] 94% The music used for the atmosphere is generally good. It's cute, catchy, easy on the ears - typical CLAMP music. The battle music, though, is a mixed bag. The battle music for the second half of the series was above average, but I found many of the fight soundtracks for the first half dull and repetitive. The sound is good, except you really can't "feel" the impact of Suzuka's Rolling Thunder; the sound does that with a few other moves as well. Voice Acting: [Sub] 94% [Dub] N/A The voice acting suits the characters almost perfectly, although Misaki's extremely high-pitched voice quickly got on my nerves. Angelic Layer has been licensed, but not dubbed yet. Conclusion Angelic Layer is wholesome entertainment for the whole family. Kids will like Angelic Layer because of its cuteness and fun factor. Teens will enjoy it because of its intense action scenes. And adults will enjoy it because of its wholesome material. Despite its flaws, Angelic Layer is a fun, funny, and fast-paced series that should NOT be missed. Summary Strengths: Intense action Fun comedy Great for all ages Deep development Crisp, clear, and cute animation Great voice acting Loveable characters - even the stupid ones Weaknesses Rather abrupt ending Animation is low quality by CLAMP's standards Geosphere is introduced too late into the series Some sound and music problems Too short Some instances of failed emotion Random Facts You Probably Don't Care About Angelic Layer borrows a few names from previous CLAMP works. So far, I've only noticed two, but I'm sure there are more. They are: 1) Hikaru [Misaki's Angel]; Hikaru Shidou from Magic Knight Rayearth 2) Tamayo [Misaki's friend]; Tomoyo from Card Captor Sakura (no, not the crappy dubbed version) |
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