The appeal and reviews of "Mobile Angel Angelic Layer": moving battles and character depth

Mobile Angel Angelic Layer

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

April 1, 2001 - September 30, 2001

■Broadcasting station

TV Tokyo affiliates

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 26

■Original Story

・Original work: CLAMP Monthly Shonen Ace Kadokawa Shoten

■ Director

・Director: Hiroshi Nishikori

■ Production

Produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu, Bones

■Works

© CLAMP / Angelic Production Committee, TV Tokyo

■ Story

The protagonist, Misaki Suzuhara, is a first-year junior high school student. She moves to Tokyo to attend Eriol Gakuen Junior High School, relying on her aunt, Shoko Asami, a news anchor. On her way to Tokyo, she happens to see Angelic Layer, a pseudo-fighting game in which dolls called "Angels" fight each other on a TV screen. Captivated by the game, Misaki buys Angel Egg. With the help of Icchan, a suspicious old man in a white coat (who is actually Chief Mihara, the creator of Angelic Layer), she creates her own angel, Hikaru. After training with Icchan's help, Misaki enters an Angelic Layer tournament held by her town and wins. This is her chance to finally challenge the official Angelic Layer tournament. Will Misaki and Hikaru be able to secure victory against the strong opponents that appear one after another?

■Explanation

The original work by CLAMP, which has produced numerous hits, has been animated by the talented Bones. Director: Nishikori Hiroshi, series composition: Okouchi Ichiro. "Angelic Layer" is a battle game in which players control small dolls and engage in combat on stage. Attracted by the game's appeal, the protagonist Misaki enters a tournament with her angel Hikaru, and as she competes with numerous rivals she achieves great growth. Highlights include the angels' beautiful looks and costumes, and the splendid battle action. Don't miss the warm interactions with the people around Misaki who support her, and the humor sprinkled throughout the series. Through fierce battles, Misaki finally comes face to face with her mother, from whom she lives apart. A refreshingly moving story of love and growth. [Anime critic Hikawa Ryusuke] Source: Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Misaki Suzuhara/Atsuko Enomoto/Ichiro Mihara/Masaya Onosaka/Torataro Kobayashi/Jun Fukuyama/Tamayo Kizaki/Satsuki Yukino/Hatoko Kobayashi/Yuri Shiratori/Ojiro Mihara/Soichiro Hoshi

■ Main staff

・Original work: CLAMP
・Director / Hiroshi Nishikori・Series Supervisor / Shinichiro Inoue・Planning Cooperation / Kazuhiko Ikeguchi・Series Composition / Ichiro Okouchi・Character Design / Takahiro Komori・Mechanic Design / Junya Ishigaki・Setting Cooperation / Shigeru Morita・Art Director / Nobuhito Sakamoto, Takashi Hiruma・Color Design / Sayoko Yokoyama・Director of Photography / Shuichi Binshi, Atsushi Takeyama, Harutsugu Ishiguro・Sound Director / Yota Tsuruoka・Music Production / avex mode
・General Producer: Takayuki Nagasawa ・Producers: Shinsaku Hatta, Taihei Yamanishi, Masahiko Minami ・Music: Kohei Tanaka ・OP theme "Be My Angel": Atsuko Enomoto ・ED theme "☆the starry sky☆": HAL "After the Rain": Moeko Matsushita

■ Main Characters

A first year middle school girl who attends Eriol Academy. Although she is bad at sports, she has exceptional dynamic vision and concentration, and is also good at housework. She admires the "White Angel" and creates a lightweight angel that emphasizes speed just like the "White Angel". The angel's name is "Hikaru".

Kobayashi Kotaro is Misaki's classmate in Class D, Year 1 at Eriol Academy. He cares about Misaki. His family runs a karate dojo, and he is a karate practitioner himself.

Kizaki Tamayo is Misaki's classmate and Kotaro's childhood friend. She is an unrivaled martial arts fanatic. She is the one who gave Misaki her nickname "Misakichi". She is usually very excited.

Hatoko Kobayashi is Kotaro's younger sister. She is in the Rabbit Class at the Eriol Academy Kindergarten. She is 5 years old. She behaves and speaks like a grown-up for her age. Despite still being a kindergartener, she is an experienced pilot who has won an official tournament. Her angel's name is "Suzuka." She is also known as "Lightspeed Suzuka."

・Ichiro Mihara He takes an interest in Misaki and teaches her the basics of Angelic Layer while hiding his true identity. He calls himself "Icchan." He is actually the president of Piffle Princess and the chief developer of Angelic Layer.

Ojiro Mihara: The younger brother of Ichiro Mihara. He is one of the strongest pilots of the angel "Wizard" and is known as the "Prince of the Layer."

Shoko Asami Misaki's maternal aunt. She is a news anchor and often talks about Angelic Layer.

Seto Hayashiko is an active idol and one of the best pilots in the Angelic Layer world. Her angel is "Ranga". She is nicknamed "Dancing Ranga" for her enchanting dance and her deadly dance.

Jounouchi: One of the strongest pilots in the Kanto region, his fighting style is said to be like a precision machine made in the extreme cold. He is best friends with Kaede. He pilots the heavy angel "Shirohime" with an emphasis on guarding.

Saito Kaede: She has a soothing smile and controls the white angel "Blanche," who resembles a nurse.

Hagiko Suzuhara is Misaki's mother and Shoko's older sister. She is extremely nervous, and the more she likes someone, the more she panics. She is also a member of the Angelic Layer development team, and pilots Athena, the angel and goddess of war that Misaki admires.

Source: Bandai Channel

■Subtitle

・Episode 1: Nice to meet you! My very own angel ・Episode 2: Good luck, Hikaru! Your first fight!!
・Episode 3: Who are you? Misaki's exciting lesson ・Episode 4: The day the angel descended ・Episode 5: I don't want to lose! Believe in Hikaru...
Episode 6: Suzuka at the speed of light! Hatoko declares herself her rival!!
・Episode 7 / A close battle... Misaki's last chance ・Episode 8 / Misaki vs. Misaki? A dangerous classmate ・Episode 9 / Sing! Misaki Deus is an idol!?
Episode 10: The mean sisters! Hikaru is targetedEpisode 11: The conclusion! Hikaru and Mao's serious battleEpisode 12: Misaki and Kotaro (heart) An exciting date for the twoEpisode 13: Pure white Blanche, Kaede's smileEpisode 14: Don't give up! And an angel was bornEpisode 15: Shirahime vs Suzuka! The secret of the ice machineEpisode 16: The final match! Hikaru's last attackEpisode 17: I choose you! The person Misaki choseEpisode 18: Full of strong opponents! The long-awaited national tournamentEpisode 19: The system goes down! ? A stormy battle on the shipEpisode 20: The enemy is Icchan? A confusing second round!
Episode 21: Summer Sea! Someone is in love with someone. Episode 22: Suddenly alone, a secret double date. Episode 23: Break the magic wall! Misaki vs. Oujiro. Episode 24: Send this feeling to Misaki! Across the rainbow. Episode 25: A fateful reunion, an angel covered in tears. Episode 26: Angel's wings! Please invite me and Hikaru.

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Be My Angel
Lyrics by Goro Matsui, Music by Takahiro Ando, ​​Arrangement by Takahiro Ando, ​​Singer by Atsuko Enomoto

・ED1
・☆the starry sky☆
・Lyrics by H∧LNA
・Composition: Toshiharu Umezaki, Atsushi Sato ・Arrangement: H∧L
・Song: H∧L

・ED2
・After the Rain・Lyrics by Chisa Tanabe・Music by Kazuhiro Hara・Arrangement by Takao Konishi・Singer by Moeko Matsushita

■ Review

"Mobile Angel Angelic Layer" is an anime series based on the original work by CLAMP, which aired on TV Tokyo in 2001. The 26-episode series follows the story of young girls who control small dolls called "Angels" and fight in the fighting game "Angelic Layer." It centers on the protagonist Misaki Suzuhara's growth and challenges as she moves to Tokyo, encounters Angelic Layer, and creates her own angel, "Hikaru."

The appeal of this work lies above all in the beautiful designs of the Angels and the magnificent battle scenes. CLAMP's unique character designs are animated, highlighting the individuality of each Angel. Hikaru's design in particular has a purity and strength that seems to reflect Misaki's pure heart, leaving a strong impression on viewers. The battle scenes are also worth watching, as they depict strategies that make use of each Angel's characteristics.

The story depicts Misaki's growth and the deepening of her relationships. Through Angelic Layer, Misaki deepens her bonds with her classmates and family. In particular, her friendship with classmates Kobayashi Kotaro and Kizaki Tamayo, as well as her master-disciple relationship with Mihara Ichiro (Icchan), add warmth to the story. Misaki's reunion and confrontation with her mother also reaches a moving climax. Through her relationship with her mother, Misaki is shown coming to terms with herself and growing, which is sure to deeply move viewers.

The music of this work is also of excellent quality. The opening theme "Be My Angel" features Atsuko Enomoto's powerful singing voice, and is a song that symbolizes the theme of the story. The ending themes "☆the starry sky☆" and "After the Rain" also have beautiful melodies that match each scene, and have a soothing effect on the viewer's heart.

The production staff is also impressive, with a lineup of talented people including director Hiroshi Nishikori, series composer Ichiro Okouchi, and character designer Takahiro Komori. The beautiful images and meticulous direction produced by Bones have the power to draw viewers into the world of the story.

"Mobile Angel Angelic Layer" is a touching story about a girl's growth, friendship, and family love, and is a fascinating work with beautiful battle scenes between angels. It is a work that can be recommended not only to CLAMP fans, but to all anime fans.

■Recommendation

To enjoy "Mobile Angel Angelic Layer," we recommend paying attention to the following points when watching.

1. **Angel Design and Battle Scenes**: The angels, animated with CLAMP's unique character designs, stand out for their beauty and individuality. The battle scenes, which make the most of each angel's characteristics, are worth watching, so be sure to pay special attention to them.

2. **Misaki's Growth and Relationships**: Misaki's growth through Angelic Layer and the process of deepening her bonds with her classmates and family are the core of the story. In particular, her reunion and confrontation with her mother reaches a moving climax, so don't miss it.

3. **Music**: The opening theme "Be My Angel" and the ending themes "☆the starry sky☆" and "After the Rain" are important elements that enhance the atmosphere of the story. By paying attention to the music while watching, you will be able to enjoy the work more deeply.

4. **Production Staff**: The series is staffed with talented people, including director Hiroshi Nishikori, series composer Ichiro Okouchi, and character designer Takahiro Komori. The beautiful images and meticulous direction produced by Bones have the power to draw viewers into the world of the story, so we hope you will also pay attention to the skills of the staff.

"Mobile Angel Angelic Layer" is a touching story about a girl's growth, friendship, and family love, and is a fascinating work with beautiful battle scenes between angels. It is a work that can be recommended not only to CLAMP fans, but to all anime fans. Please give it a watch.