Angelic Layer Volume 4: Faith, Hope & Love - Underland Online
- Underland Online
- Mike
- 04/01/01
- click here
Angelic Layer Vol. 4: Faith, Hope & Love
It seems like it was just yesterday that I sat down and watched the third volume of Angelic Layer. Okay, so it was, but in a surprising turn of events, I actually found myself a bit more interested in the series than what I had believed I would be, and that resulted in almost immediately sitting down and taking in the fourth volume to get caught up on not just the story, but also this huge stack of discs that just keeps building each and every time I manage to get it worked down to one of two titles. Volume four marks the ending of the Kanto Games, and it's going to feature battles that are more taxing than what the Miracle Rookie, Misaki, has faced so far.
There are some great elements that are brought into the thick of things here, and the most noticeable is a change with the layer itself. Normally, the players have a flat, featureless playing field to enter their Angels into, but there's been a slight change. Now the players, and the fans, are treated to a holographic terrain than can mimic just about anything that can be thought of, and it goes far beyond just physical appearance. The laws of nature apply here as well, so if players are fighting in the sand for instance, something that does happen in the Kanto Games, their Angels will have a slight amount of difficulty moving around. Overall it's a nice touch, and makes it more or less the equivalent of jut about every video game that is in the fighting genre.
One of the more important areas of focus however is some of the background on the characters and Angelic Layer itself. Back when Misaki was in kindergarten, her mother discovered that she had a nerve disorder and instead of being truthful with her daughter, she lied to her, stating that she needed to go off to Tokyo for a job. I can understand why she didn't want to tell her, she didn't want to worry her, but it's been quite a while now, and personally I think it's time to come clean. Her disease however is what lead to the creation of Angelic Layer in the first place though as it was originally a medical attempt to get the mind to operate the mechanical dolls in the hopes of advancing it to use with prosthetic limbs. But, due to low financing, the solution was to market the dolls as a game with the profits going to further aid in researching the full medial application. This is actually one of the more interesting and inventive ideas that I've ran across in anime in quite a while, so my hat goes off to CLAMP for this one.
While I'm starting to become more interested in the show, and a borderline fan at this point, but I'm still really not a fan of the extras on the disc, which tend to be mainly a rehashing of what has been released on the previous discs. I don't mind checking out the production artwork, and I've often enjoyed looking at the work of CLAMP, but then there's the other extra features. The clean open and closing being included on every disc just grows tiring, and normally I take a look at them on the first volume, and pass on the volumes after that. Also, the commentary isn't bad, but what I've noticed from most of the volumes is that it ends up being more or less a BS session and isn't terribly pertinent to the anime itself.
So, I bet at this point, you're wondering who comes out on top at the end of the tournament, considering that these are the final rounds of the Kanto Games. If you think I'm going to tell you, you best think again. For the most part, this isn't a site that's all about the spoilers, and by me telling you, there really isn't too much of a reason to watch the episodes, aside from the pure and simple enjoyment. So, your best option is going to be to go out and pick it up as this is one of the best collections of Angelic Layer episodes to date and certainly shouldn't be missed by anyone who calls themselves a fan, or even the casual viewer like myself.
Episode 13 - Pure White Blanche. Kaede's Smile
The finals of the Kanto Games are finally here, and it's going to be the top for only one and the end of the line for the others. There's also a new terrain generator that is introduced into the Layer to make things more interesting. The first fight is Misaki against Kaede, and with two Angels that use speed as their weapon; it's going to be one of her toughest challenges yet.
Episode 14 - I Won't Give Up! And an Angel Was Born
The battle between Kaede and Misaki continues, and it looks as though she's about to throw in the towel with Hikaru, especially since she's learned that she isn't going to be able to see her mother. But, it may be the cheers of the crowd that cause her to change her mind and continue the battle.
Episode 15 - Shirahime Versus Suzuka! Secret of the Ice Machine
As the Kanto Games continue, the next bout is Sai versus Hotoko, and it's going to be one of the quickest fights seen yet. The two competitors manage to drain each other entirely of energy with one simultaneous blow, but it's Sai's Angel that stands first, winning the match.
Episode 16 - The Final Game! Hikaru's Last Chance
The final battle of the Kanto Games begins, and it's Misaki going up against Sai. This is the biggest challenge yet, and one that Misaki may not be ready for. And the winner is . . . .
-mike-
Genre:
Shounen, comedy
Series Director:
Hiroshi Nishikori
Written by:
Ichiro Ookouchi
Based Upon the Manga by:
CLAMP
Original Japanese Title:
Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer
Also Known As:
Battle Doll Angelic Layer
Voice Cast:
Atsuko Enomoto (Misaki Suzuhara)
Masaya Ohosaka (Icchan)
Kotono Mitsuishi (Shoko Asami)
Yuri Shiratori (Hatoko Kobayashi)
Satsuki Yukino (Kotaro Kobayashi)
Kana Ueda (Ringo Sato)
Houko Kuwashima (Madoka)
Ayako Kawashima (Alice)
Yui Horie (Hiromi Fujimori)
http://www.phantasmagoriaonline.com/reviews/anime/alvol4.htm
Posted on Sunday, April 01, 2001 (Archive on Tuesday, May 01, 2001)