Angelic Layer
Publisher
ADV
Director
Hiroshi Nishikiori
Production
Project Angelic Layer, Dentsu, TV Tokyo
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes
Year
2001
Angelic Layer volume 3: Idol Worship (eps 10-12)
By John Huxley
27th Sep 04  Overdosing on anime can be a dangerous thing. Not literally, of course (although I'd imagine that watching Dragonball in its entirety without pause wouldn't be very good for your health). If you attempt to cram a whole disc full of episodes in to one sitting you're far more likely to garner less enjoyment out of the experience, I think. Not only do you get a numb backside for your troubles (the price of being an anime fan, huh?), you're also watching an animation that was most likely intended to be aired on a weekly basis; not daily or hourly. In doing so you're more likely to expose faults that would have otherwise remained unnoticeable or at least tolerable. Shows that were previously fresh, new and exciting suddenly become tiresome, boring and repetitive because they're overexposed. Pace yourself, watch one or two episodes a night and you'll find yourself enjoying the experience a whole lot more. Unfortunately I was stupid enough to ignore my own advice and just watched all four episodes of Angelic Layer volume 3 in one sitting. Ouch. Unsurprisingly I came away under the impression that Angelic Layer is a overly repetitive show badly in need of a little variety to shake up its already predictable formula. But having had time to sit down and think about it in a more rational (less sore-arsed) manner, perhaps I was too hasty in my apprisal. Angelic Layer is indeed a repetitive show, but that repetitiveness is inflated by a lack of balance present in this particular volume. The first three episodes are dedicated solely to the Kanto regional tournament, with only the fourth episode providing any kind of relief from the relentless onslaught of battle after battle after battle. Looking back on these episodes as a whole I can see more clearly that the variety is there, it's just not spread evenly enough to really have the impact it might have otherwise had. There are simply too many episodes dedicated to Misaki's struggle to become the number one Angelic Layer player and not nearly enough on her relationships and her life outside of this pseudo-videogame. This volume sees our heroine befriend the idol Ringo Seto (who you may remember made a brief appearance in the previous volume, ridiculous pantaloons and all) and come face to face with her toughest challenge yet - a couple of loathsome sisters who will do anything to win, including sabotaging Misaki's angel! Of course, that means plenty of showdowns in the Layer (Angelic Layer's term for the fighting arena) for Misaki and her beloved Angel, Hikaru. Thankfully Angelic Layer's production teams have put a good amount of effort in to making sure that Misaki's opponents are more than just another hurdle for the spirited young rookie to overcome. Each is given a decent amount of screen time to flesh out their respective backgrounds, giving us a reason to care about these characters (or more accurately why we should care that Misaki beats the snot outta them!) because we better understand their motives for playing Angelic Layer. In fighting these opponents Misaki will inevitably learn a valuable lesson about life, relationships and the world around her which will in turn help her to improve as an Angelic Layer deus (player). And once they've been resoundly beaten by Misaki's superior skills her old enemies don't just fade away into the background never to be seen again; they'll more often than not stick around to cheer our plucky little heroine on having overcome their differences on the battlefield. Aww. If all this sounds a little too cheesy for your liking, well, that's because it is cheesy. But blue stilton or no blue stilton, Angelic Layer is a solid show that remains surprisingly enjoyable despite the glaringly obvious shortcomings. The atmosphere is just so up beat and friendly that, against your better judgement, you can't help but fall in love with the adorable characters, cute designs and accessible narrative. You'll soon find yourself cheering for Misaki even though you're well aware of the outcome before it's even started. Predictable, far-fetched and repetitive - most certainly. But more importantly, lots of fun.
R2 DVD Notes
Features: English 5.1 & Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, voice actor commentaries, production artwork, ADV previews
Release information: UK: 16th August 2004, ADV
Notes: The cover features a colour scheme similar (but not identical) to the first volume with a new montage of character artwork. Whilst it's not the most successful cover of the series so far it is still very pretty indeed thanks to that distinctive CLAMP artwork. And if you like the artwork in this series you'll love the A5 poster which shows Misaki and Hiakru enjoying a nice relaxing bath (quite how Hikaru operates outside of the Layer remains a mystery, however!). There are also a few character profiles on the reverse side, each listed with a piece of colour artwork and a few vital stats. The disc menus are unspectacular yet functional, and while the extras aren't exactly plentiful they should still keep you entertained for a few minutes between episodes. Not bad at all.
-- John Huxley 27th Sep 04
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