The Fujisaki sisters are back! Misaki Suzuhara, rising star on the Angelic Layer scene, has already bested the older sister, but now she must face Arisu, a mechanical genius with one thing on her mind revenge. For this long-awaited grudge match an all-new layer is unveiled a winter wonderland that can freeze an unsuspecting angel. Can Misaki's warm heart melt this cold competition and get her to the final battle? The battles get personal in the final volume of Angelic Layer. Fight on, Misaki!
CLAMP originally began in 1989 as a twelve-member dōjinshi circle, but by 1990, the circle had diminished from twelve to seven. Of the remaining seven, Tamayo Akiyama, Sei Nanao, and Leeza Sei left the group during the production of the RG Veda manga. Other former members of CLAMP also included Soushi Hishika, O-Kyon, Kazue Nakamori, Yuzuru Inoue and Shinya Ōmi. Currently, there are four members in the group.
In 2004, CLAMP's 15th anniversary as a mangaka group, the members changed their names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi (her name is pronounced the same, but written with different characters) respectively. The August 2004 issue of Newtype USA, a magazine specializing in events of the anime and manga subcultures, reported that the members of CLAMP simply wanted to try out new names. In a later interview with Ohkawa, it was revealed that initially Mokona wanted to drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking, while Nekoi disliked people commenting that her name was the same as Mick Jagger's. Ohkawa and Igarashi, wanting to go with the flow of Nekoi's and Mokona's name changes, changed their names as well.
In 2006, they made their first USA public debut at Anime Expo in Anaheim, California. They were well received at the convention, with 6,000 fans in attendance at their panel.
Un final digno para esta serie. Manteniendo su tono y esencia hasta la ultima página. La revelacion de quien es la madre de Misaki fue un poco obvia y la razon por la cual se alejó es un poco tirada de los pelos, pero no llegó a arruinarme el resto de la historia. Creo que la gran debilidad de esta serie es que nunca tenes que preocuparte de si la protagonista va a perder o ganar. Llega un punto en qué es medio obvio y si bien no son muchas las conveniencias para hacer que gane, si llegan a ser circunstancias que te llaman un poquito la atención. Igualmente es una serie bastante entretenida y que engancha bastante. Otra serie de las autoras que no decepciona.
¿Qué decir del manga del cual tomé la imagen prestada para componer la inmortal (?) imagen de Deadwish? Una vez más CLAMP demuestra que se puede hacer una buena historia sin villanos. Este manga continúa en otra serie distinta de CLAMP, pero no voy a decir cual porque es casi un secreto :P
Review for complete series Moving to Tokyo doesn't only introduce Misaki to city life, but also the popular electronic game Angelic Layer. She wastes no time in procuring her own Angel doll with which she can compete in battle against other players.
Angelic Layer is qualitywise definitely not the worst of CLAMP's works, however, I found it incredibly boring. To be fair, I've never been interested in these kinds of electronic or virtual games in manga, but this one's overreaching plot is minimal and not well executed.
The entire 5-volume series features Misaki and her Angel competing in two competitions - she's a natural and picks things up easily. The rules and system behind the game aren't developed well enough - new rules, criteria or techniques just crop up as the story progresses - where are the limits of this game? And all characters keep going on about how Misaki is talented and wins because she loves the game. Her reasons for winning often strike me as luck or just the authors writing out the story in a convenient way.
I also didn't like Misaki particularly much. She's the naive type that just doesn't work for me - I mean, manga often feature naive characters, but there are some that are just unrealisticly so. Misaki is not the worst of the lot, but she falls in line with CLAMP's other characters like Hikaru (Magic Knight Rayearth) and Hina (Suki). I also don't really understand why every other character likes her so much.
Other than Misaki wanting to win the competitions, the overreaching plot is bringing her back together with her mother. Misaki has been living with her grandparents for long enough to not remember her mother who is working in Tokyo and too busy to see her. It turns out that her mother isn't busy, she's just too shy to see her own daughter. I mean, I know people can get shyness to the point where it's paralyzing, but seriously, it's her own daughter, that's just ridiculous and lousy parenting.
As much as I love CLAMP's art, this is also not their best. It's pretty, but not as nice as many of their other works. I think it's mainly because the lineart is quite thick, it just doesn't look as smooth. Anyway, I'm rating this above my actual level of enjoyment, mainly because a lot of it comes down to this simply not being my cup of tea. Someone who enjoys gaming stories might appreciate this a lot more.
So, as I mentioned in my review of Vol. 1, I had read the first few volumes of this series when I was like 12, and since I'm older now, I thought it would be interesting to see what the series ending was like. Can I say that I was a little disappointed? Not hugely so, but a little bit. The series was a lot faster than I remembered it being, and far more manic. Characters were somewhat disturbing and cartoonish (especially Tamayo and Shoko). The violence that Tamayo rains upon Kotaro stopped being funny after the second or third time, and really remained somewhat irritating at best and disturbing at worst).
I also had a lot of issues with the big reveal of Misaki's mother, Shuko. Honestly, I kind of hated her. I spent multiple volumes thinking that she was keeping her distance because she was worried about her daughter for some reason or her work kept her away and she felt funny coming back. But, no. She was staying away because "the more she loves someone, the harder it is to be around them." What?
Seriously. She loved her daughter too much, so she stayed away from her. Are you kidding me? What kind of ridiculous...Ugh. Your daughter lived essentially as an orphan because you were too shy?? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Also, does that mean she doesn't like Icchan? Because she spends an awful lot of time around him, without fainting or running away in tears.
Misaki is cute and sweet, but a bit too much of a fluff to feel like a fully realized character at times. Honestly, Icchan was my favorite part, and I think he deserved more "screen time". The same goes for Sai, who I would love to see more fleshed-out as a character.
The art was fun, but it was hard to follow some of the panels, which were so packed with "action lines" that you couldn't really see the angels. I think this would be much better as an anime, and I'm curious to see that instead.
So. Am I glad that I picked this up? Yes. It was a fun trip down memory lane and I was excited to finally see what had happened. But, it did not exactly hold up to my expectations, and honestly, if I had been reading it for the first time as an adult, I'm not sure if I would have finished it or not. Still, it was a fun time regardless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Misaki und ihr Angel Hikaru haben es ganz weit nach oben geschafft und sehen sich nun einem der besten Spieler von Angelic Layer gegenüber. Ojiro - der Neffe des Erfinders von Angelic Layer - und sein Angel Wizard machen es Misaki und Hikaru nicht einfach. Doch Misaki wäre eben nicht Misaki, wenn sie nicht auch in diesem Kampf mit Geist und Geschick voran gehen würde. Durch ihre Willensstärke gelingt es dem jungen Mädchen den erfahrenen Ojiro zu schlagen und so ziehen Misaki und Hikaru ins Finale der Angelic Layer -Spiele in Kanto ein. Dort trifft Misaki auf einen unerwartetetn Gegner. Denn Arisu Fujisaki, die mit ihrem unfairen Spiel Misaki einst das Leben schwer gemacht hat, hat es ins Finale geschafft. Und dann taucht plötzlich noch jemand auf, mit dem Misaki bei weitem nicht gerechnet hat.
- Achtung Spoiler - Mit dem letzten Band rund um Misaki und ihren geliebten Angel stellt das Autorenquartett CLAMP noch einmal ein wirklich großartiges werk auf den Markt. Die Zeichnungen sind gewohnt supersüß und es macht einfach Spaß Misaki durch ihre Geschichte zu begleiten. Mut und Willensstärke, aber auch Freundschaft und Fürsorge stehen bei diesem Band wieder ganz hoch im Kurs. Dabei lernt der Leser, dass es sich immer lohnt für etwas zu kämpfen, auch wenn die Situation noch so ausweglos erscheint. Als großen Bonus decken Clamp in diesem Teil auf, warum Misaki allein bei ihren Großeltern aufgewachsen ist und es gibt eine Reunion von ihr und ihrer Mutter und das natürlich im ganz großen Stil auf dem Layer, denn ihre Mutter ist ebenfalls eine berühmte Spielerin. Und damit geht für Misaki nicht nur ihr Wunsch in Erfüllung ihre Mutter wieder zu sehen, sondern auch gegen die große Athena anzutreten, die sie im ersten Band so bewundert hat und sie sie quasi mit zu Angelic Layer motiviert hat. Somit deckt sich auch auf, wie der verrückte Professor Onkelchen auf Misaki aufmerksam geworden ist. Ein wirklich schöner Abschluss, so harmonisch und so zuckersüß, dass man einen Zuckerschock bekommt.
And thus the end of Angelic Layer is here! Overall, this is one of my favourite CLAMP series, and it's been a pleasure to re-read it again after so long. Overall, the series is very enjoyable, especially for younger audiences; but there's a few things that stop me from giving it a full five stars;
- The pacing is INCREDIBLY fast. It makes sense when it's only five books, but there's so many characters introduced and you never really get a chance to get to know them or watch them develop. - There's some uncomfortable sexual jokes made about the main character, who is underage. -
If I remember correctly, the anime is much better paced and has better tension. This is one of those cases where I'd recommend the anime over the manga!
La típica historia de la chica (o chico) nueva que entra a un juego y de pronto es la más poderosa, porque "cree en sí misma"; con nada pero nada de desarrollo de historias.
Parece más la historia pretexto para vender, como con yugioh, pero creo que no había forma de vender la historia como videojuego o algo así. Los giros de trama son obvios desde el primer número y todo, nada especial.
Los jugadores y personajes están padres. Que sí quedaría mejor para unos videojuegos o algo. Pero la historia meh.
Diría que lo que me ha impedido darle a este tomo las tres estrellas que sí que le di a los demás ha sido la relación y reencuentro con su madre, ya que en este tomo predomina más que en los otros. Me parece difícil de creer que por mucho que entiendas los motivos por los que alguien puede alejarse de ti no sientas ni un ápice de tristeza o sentimiento egoísta y, además, el motivo en sí es un poco raro de mantener a lo largo de tanto tiempo.
En fin, es un manga corto y bastante agradable de leer, los personajes y sus ángeles tienen buenos diseños, ojalá la historia hubiese sido un poco más profunda.
What's this? A CLAMP manga that has no tragic back stories, mind-boggling plots, or uncomfortable age-gap relationships??? UNHEARD-OF! Joking aside, this is an adorable little "fighting" manga series, with CLAMP's great art style, and adorable characters. I definitely want to check out the anime now!
La série aurait mérité d'être plus longue et mieux développée mais elle reste excellente. Les dessins sont fluides, les persos sont tout mignons, c'est vraiment feel good. Une sorte de Pokémon sans maltraitance animale ! Et en mieux.
me da algo de pena porque tenía buenas expectativas, pero vaya desilusión de manga
para empezar, el pacing es ridículamente rápido (aún para ser una serie de sólo 5 tomos), en ningún momento he llegado a sentir emoción durante las peleas (en el tomo 2 ya te das cuenta de que la cosa no va a cambiar y misaki va a seguir ganando una vez tras otra) ni respecto a la trama, la curiosidad que me pudo despertar en algún momento se apagó con las explicaciones más que predecibles que me encontraría más tarde
hay demasiados personajes y detalles con potencial que nunca llegan a desarrollarse o explicarse, ni siquiera de forma rápida al final, y entiendo que se trate de una serie corta y que quieras centrarte en cerrar la trama original, pero sabiendo que no vas a poder desarrollar todo, quizá no deberías irte por las ramas y meter tantas cosas que luego vas a dejar en el aire. a lo largo de la serie hay varias ¿bromas?/menciones? acerca de la ropa interior de la protagonista, que son completamente innecesarias y bastante incómodas, la verdad, más teniendo en cuenta que se trata de una niña
las peleas apenas se entienden y durante ellas se repite constantemente el mismo diálogo, a veces siento que simplemente te lo ponen para que puedas decir que estás leyendo y no simplemente mirando viñetas
si te estás planteando leerte este manga porque te ha gustado chobits (o el mismo anime de angelic layer, en el que se justifica mucho mejor la trama de la madre de misaki, y es en general mucho más entretenido y fácil de entender en cuanto a peleas), a menos que seas muy fan de clamp y quieras conocer todas sus obras, aquí no vas a encontrar gran cosa, me parece que está muy mal llevado y que si verdaderamente te interesa conocer esta historia, lo mejor que puedes hacer es verte el anime, aunque cambie algunas cosas (cambios que en mi opinión hacen la obra mucho mejor, pero después de todo, es mi opinión y es subjetiva)
Series Re-Read: August 2022 Format: Paperback Genre: Middle School Battle Manga Content: scenes of simulated fighting, characters "playfully" beating each other up with karate moves
This is a cute and quick middle grade battle manga about a seventh grade girl who moves to the big city, immediately discovers and becomes obsessed with a toy fighting game, and in five volumes . Unrealistic, but a fun read with playful characters, lots of humor and heart, and as always with CLAMP imaginative and expressive art. It was a definite favorite when I was younger and although I've rather outgrown it I still adore the over-the-top characterization and squid movements. Would definitely recommend as a safe and exciting read for young'uns who devour children's graphic novels and want to try manga.
Misaki is an extremely cute and adorable heroine. I loved her enthusiasm for playing Angelic Layer and her determination to strive to do her best. Reading this story made me want to have a doll of my own. I loved all of the cool technology that went into the plot and characters making the story more enjoyable to read.
I did see the anime and truthfully I liked that better because the characters were so much more present. They had past lives and a lot more feeling than CLAMP was able to bring into the manga.
The final volume! I still think it's super weird that her mother basically abandoned her child because of anxiety issues. I understand anxiety is shitty and impacts your life, but lord have mercy, go get some professional help and anti-anxiety meds instead of ABANDONING YOUR ADORABLE LOVING CHILD. I also wish that Misaki and her mother had tied in the final round, just to make it seem like they were on equal levels, but it looks like it worked out for Misaki and Hikaru in the end.
I probably wouldn't have been so unsatisfied with this final volume if I hadn't watched the anime first. Several things resolve quite differently in the anime, and in comparison the manga's end felt poorly thought out and not particularly logical.