Customer Reviews

Angelic Layer, Vol. 1 (v. 1)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wanted to see Angelic Layer ever since I saw some music videos on the Internet. After watching the fan-subs numerous times I knew I had to have the dvds when they came out. Then I read the manga...

It's hard to believe, but I actually think the manga is better than the anime in this case. In the anime, Misaki is more doubtful and distracted (even during the fights). In the manga, however, she's super-cute all the time, but when she starts a battle that's all her mind is on.

And speaking of battle, I don't think I've seen a manga yet where I liked the fight-sequences quite as much. The back-flipping, cartwheeling, super-graceful movements of the angels on the layer is simply a joy to behold on the printed page.

The dialog of the characters also seems (to me at least) to have more snap to it in the manga than on the show, and Icchan in particular is so incredibly hilarious I couldn't help but laugh out loud many times when reading Angelic Layer. The art style is interesting as well, as the characters are supremely well-defined and well-drawn at dramatic moments but turn into very silly (and very funny) "squid" versions during comedy dialog.

This is one manga that pretty much anyone can read. There's enough action to satisfy the martial-arts lovers, enough cuteness to satisfy a little girl, and none of the sex and violence garbage that could otherwise mar an excellent story.

I can't recommend this Manga highly enough.

Twelve-year-old Misaki Suzuhara is a little afraid, starting a new school in Tokyo. But on arrival, she learns about a whole new phenomenon that's sweeping the world of toys - mentally controlled fighting robots called Angelic Layer. So captivated, she immediately spends all her money to get her own Angel, and she soon proves to be a natural at tournament play. There's a very odd man, who keeps popping up, ready to help her at every step. But, who is this strange man, and what does he want?

This *excellent* little book is one of the best mangas that I have read. The characters are all interesting and believable, with a healthy dollop of fun thrown in. I quickly found myself drawn into the story, it being quite intense, and yet quite friendly (Angel Layer is a game, after all), not as violent as you might expect. A great thing about this book is that it is printed so as to be read from back-to-front, right-to-left, in the Japanese style, helping to give the reader the feeling of entering another world. I really enjoyed this book, and found the story to be absolutely enthralling. I highly recommend this book!

When CLAMP sets out to create a manga, they sometimes pick a genre that's a bit overdone and give it a powerful (or bizarre) new twist. This is one such story.

The basic gist is that in the not-so-distant future, children compete against each other with via small mechanical dolls called "Angels." A country-bumpkin girl, Misaki, comes to Tokyo and immediately is swept up in the furor surrounding these dolls, and purchases her own. Though the premise is a little like Pokemon or any number of "children battle for fame/glory via critters," there's a definite twist to this one. In fact, I'd wager that CLAMP is making a very large point about how easy it is to manipulate children into buying "all the accessories" and toys with crazes like Pokemon, etc.

Satire aside, it's a very funny manga so far with lots of superdeformed comical moments. The humor isn't lewd. It also isn't as intense as Clover or X/1999. No gore or anything, and no real angst. It's really quite fit for all ages and genders (originally written for the boy's manga market, but girls like it too).

I liked it very much and recommend it if you enjoy a lighter reading romp and lots of humor and action!

Angelic Layer is another manga from the hit circle CLAMP. The art is nothing like some of their older series, like Rayearth, CCS, or X. It's different, and very cute nonetheless. This is my favorite style that CLAMP has drawn in, I think. Anyway, the story's really great. A girl named Misaki finds out about the phenomenon called "Angelic Layer," where players control and battle their very own "Angels." Naturally, she decides to get her very own! CLAMP makes lots of references to their other series--Misaki even names her Angel "Hikaru" after "a heroine in a manga" she just read. This volume ends in a cliff hanger, and I definitely want the next one ASAP!

Angelic Layer is one of my favorite mangas. Not only is it exiting but it combines a funny sense of humor with great reading fun. It has awsome characters, and a wonderful plot. I would say that the only downfall, if you really can call it one, is that this particular volume, ends right in the middle of an exciting moment, making it almost imposible to resist buying another. But that is th point isn't? My rating as of previously reading this is five stars, It really is an awsome book. Great for all ages.

I loved the anime series for this as well. The drawing is well done; similar to other CLAMP works and the characters are very much the same from the anime, if you have already watched it. I like the humor of the series and how the main character Misaki is always going, "Eeeks!" And mad scientist Icchan and his "Icchan went boom!" mantra always makes me laugh as well.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Clamp. I've read/seen many of their series and I've loved them all. Unfortunately, I found Angelic Layer to be exteremly disappointing and if I had to choose a least favorite Clamp series, it would have to be Angelic Layer. The biggest problem I had with this manga was the characters. None of the characters struck me as particularly interesting and Angelic Layer is completely devoid of any character developement. Gone is the usual love-triangle angst fest that are practically staples of Clamp series, all the characters in Angelic Layer remain virtually the same. Then, at the end of the series some characters are just randomly coupled together in ways that don't really make sense. The plot is highly predictable and the ending is just downright terrible.

Misaki's mother's reasons for leaving her (which I won't reveal her for spoilers' sake, so don't worry) is way too cheesy. Thank goodness Angelic Layer was only five volumes long. I think I would have given this series up if it were any longer. However, that isn't to say that there isn't anything good about Angelic Layer. Icchan was a wonderful character that I loved to bits. He's actually my favorite Angelic Layer character. There's lots of comical moments in the manga that really make me laugh and as predictable as they were, the battles in this series were fun. The artwork is also fantastic, as to be expected from Clamp, and I like the way they drew the characters all squid-like during certain comedy scenes.

If Angelic Layer was Clamp's first series, I would have given it a higher rating, since it's still a cut above the rest of the crap that's out there. But Clamp is more than capable than producing better series than this, so I have to unfortunately judge it harshly. One other good thing about Angelic Layer is that it's the safest series Clamp has. There is abosuletly nothing objectionable in Angelic Layer at all. So, if you know any little kids that like anime or manga, Angelic Layer would be the perfect series to use to introduce them to Clamp. I've heard that the anime version is better than the manga, and from what little I've seen of the anime, I have actually liked it more, but this manga was just very disappointing. The only reasons why I can see why one would want to read Angelic Layer is if you're either a diehard Clamp fan or a little kid. But if you want something that truly represents Clamp at their best, I recommend reading something like Cardcaptor Sakura or Chobits instead.

Angelic Layer is a great manga, I love it and Tokyopop is torturing me by taking so long to get the 2nd volume out. Misaki very likable, cute, and funny. Her friends, Tamayo and Koutarou-chan were very funny too! Icchan was hilarious!! I loved it when he popped out of the air duct and said "Icchan go boom!" There are obvious mysteries surrounding Misaki's parents, Icchan, and her aunt and I'm sure they have to do with the creation of Angelic Layer. An interesting note was that the manga character Misaki named her angel after was the main character of CLAMP's Magic Knight Rayearth, Hikaru. The only real problem I had with the book was that Hatoko being a preschooler was way too unbelievable. In a stretch of imagination, I would believe a second of third grader, but not preschool. Anyhoo, it's a really good manga and I highly reccomend it.

I Liked this manga cuz well, it reminded me of pokemon and pokemon was a national phenomonon so if its alittle bit of pkmn then its gotta be sweet. Its also not like those sugary sweet mangas like sailor moon(my god)Or Cardcaptor Sakura(Disgusting) Its a bit more like saint tail. You get action and a respectible main charactor thats not perfect(sakura) It doesent make you think girls must all be [silly]... Ya like action and cool manga superheros?? Then this is the book for you!

I actually watched the anime first and thought it was pretty good. The manga that it is based on is almost as good.

I like the story and characters. Misaki's eeking can be a little annoying, because she does it every time she gets scared, but it didn't bother me too much. I like her and how she 's excited to play Angelic Layer. I like all the other characters as well. Icchan is especially hilarious being the weirdo lab scientist. There is a running gag of bystanders commenting how he's so strange or creepy.

I think the main problem I see so far is that it doesn't go into as much depth as the anime. In the anime, the characters are fleshed out much more. The anime also does a better job of depicting the battles, because the manga relies too heavily on speed lines when the battle dolls are fighting, and it's hard to get a good sense of their movements.