Angelic Layer, released domestically by ADV Films, takes place in a near-future CLAMP universe where a fighting game played with mentally controlled dolls has become quite the rage.
The series follows Misaki, a middle school girl who arrives in Tokyo at the beginning, and is introduced to the sport of Angelic Layer the same day, when she sees the broadcast of a battle involving a stunning white Angel.
At its heart, Angelic Layer is a sports drama, with Misaki facing and overcoming each new competitive challenge, at the same time tackling the challenges in her life . Being CLAMP, the story is filled with colorful characters, such as "Icchan," the mysterious man who gets Misaki to "buy" her Angel and begin playing the game.
The angel fights are well animated and quite fun to watch, particularly towards the end of the series, when the competition is high, and a variety of environments are used as arenas for the fights. I've also always been a sucker for CLAMP character designs, and this series doesn't disappoint; the numerous Angels showcase a wide array of intersting designs.
The series does have its share of cliches, especially those common to sports dramas, but it executes them well. A large amount of humor, a dose of cuteness, some emotional scenes, and the entertaining Angel fights make this an enjoyable series.
Content Ratings (out of 5)
Comedy - 3: A constant level of humor pervades the series.
Character Designs - 5: The angels in particular provide a lot of well designed characters.
Animation - 4: The Angel fights are very well animated and fun to watch.
Kawaii - 3: This series gets a kawaii rating due to the lead, Misaki, who can be quite teeth rotting cute at times.
Ranking: Top 25 (see here, 1st paragraph)
Angelic Layer domestic site.
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