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Angelic Layer is sweeping the nation! In the newest electronic sport, players enter their Angels in tournaments and battle for fortune and glory. Twelve-year-old Misaki just discovered Angelic Layer, and she's already captivated by the game. But building a winning Angel takes money and experience, and Misaki's short on both counts. With the help of a crazy scientist and a very special Angel of her own, she'll give it her all to win the Angelic Layer crown.

174 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1999

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783 people want to read

About the author

Clamp

747 books3,141 followers
Ōkawa Nanase 大川七瀬
[born: 2 May 1967; Ōsaka, bloodtype: A]

Mokona Apapa もこなあぱぱ
[born: 16 Jun 1968, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]

Nekoi Mick 猫井みっく
[born: 21 Jan 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: O]

Igarashi Satsuki 五十嵐さつき
[born: 8 Feb 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]


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.

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5 stars
772 (32%)
4 stars
663 (28%)
3 stars
684 (29%)
2 stars
181 (7%)
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49 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
Profile Image for Sushi (寿司).
611 reviews162 followers
May 18, 2019
Rilettura. Ho ritrovato un casino di roba by Clamp. Adoro i rimandi agli altri loro lavori. Duklyon è qui da rileggere, Sakura devo finirlo da tempi ormai lontani e devo farlo perchè questo mese esce Card Clear e Rayearth devo comprare la seconda serie.
Profile Image for Sandra.
739 reviews7 followers
February 14, 2025
Naja, es ist alt, aber nett.
Die Angels sind halt toll, weil sie an BJDs erinnern.
Aber sonst ... ne 5-jährige Kämpferin, die in der obersten Riege mitmacht? Yeah right, als ob *snort*
267 reviews40 followers
April 26, 2015
Very cute for teens and tweens, it's kinda a spin on the Bayblade series, more geared for girls. In this world, dolls become connected to their owner and become capable of fighting and action,thanks to scientists. It's pretty cool and the story is cutesy.
Profile Image for Moi Self.
Author 4 books15 followers
April 13, 2019
Se c'é qualcosa che adoro sono le citazioni.
In questo caso, le Clamp si auto-citano da sole con il karaoke della sigla di Card Captor Sakura, la gelateria Duklyon (come la polizia scolastica) e, citazione suprema, l'Angel viene chiamato Hikaru come la protagonista di Magic Knight Rayearth (e viene detto chiaramente dalla ragazzina che la vuole chiamare "come la protagonista di un manga" e la vera Hikaru Shido viene ritratta di spalle).

Che dire?
Adoro.

Ho proprio idea che sarà un manga di formazione e che saprà distruggere i feels pezzo per pezzo.

Ho già le mie idee su Icchan e sul rapporto che ha con la bambina.

Di sicuro è bello movimentato con scene d'azione, al contrario di Chobits, di cui Angelic Layer è un prequel.

Vedremo cosa riserva la lettura del 2 numero (anche se so per esperienza che le sadiche mettono i colponi di scena tutti nell'ultimo volume, quindi non mi illudo 😂)
Profile Image for Bibliothecat.
1,748 reviews77 followers
October 12, 2020

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.
Profile Image for Alex Cassiopeia.
445 reviews19 followers
February 5, 2024
Es un trabajo bastante sencillo en historia, pero como siempre Clamp es impresionante con sus ilustradoras.
Mucho dinamismo gráfico.
Profile Image for Madeline.
839 reviews47.9k followers
July 10, 2009
Apparently this was an anime series originaly. I think they should have just kept it as a TV show; mini-mind-controlled-robot battles don't translate well into manga.
Profile Image for Yoyomaus Die Büchereule.
2,222 reviews31 followers
September 16, 2018
Die kleine Misaki ist allein bei ihren Großeltern aufgewachsen, nachdem ihre Mutter sie mit fünf Jahren verlassen hat, um in Tokio zu leben. Als sie selbst mit zwölf Jahren zu ihrer Tante Shoko-San zieht, um in Tokio die Mittelschule zu besuchen, wird sie gleich bei ihrer Ankunft von einer großen Leinwand in den Bann gezogen, auf denen zwei Menschen zu kämpfen scheinen. Sofort ist sie restlos begeistert von den tollen Kostümen und den schnellen Bewegungen. Durch einen kleinen jungen, der gar nicht glauben kann, dass sie so unwissend ist, erfährt Misaki, dass es sich bei den zwei Kämpfenden lediglich um Puppen handelt, die durch den Willen ihrer Schöpfer in Bewegung bleiben und so miteinander kämpfen. Sofort ist Misaki Feuer und Flamme. Ein neuer Fan des Angelic Layer ist geboren.
Beobachtet wird Misaki von einem Mann in Arztkittel, der sich schließlich als Onkelchen vorstellt und mit ihr gemeinsam die ersten grundlegenden Dinge für die Schaffung eines Angels - so heißen die Puppen - kauft. Während Misaki an der Kasse steht, verschwindet der geheimnisvolle Mann wieder. Doch nun besitzt sie einen Angel. Nachdem Misaki erschöpft bei ihrer Tante ankommt, macht sie sich sofort daran ihren Angel Hikaru zu kreieren. Als sie am nächsten Tag ihren ersten Schultag hat, begegnet Misaki ihren neuen Mitschülern Kotaro und Tamayo , die sie sofort ins Herz schließen. Und auch lernt sie die kleine Schwester von Kotaro kennen, welche mit ihren jungen Jahren ein ganz großer Star unter den Spielern von Angelic Layer ist. Ehe sich Misaki versieht, trifft sie wieder auf Onkelchen und befindet sich in einem Trainingscenter und übt die Steuerung ihres Angels. Das schafft sie so gut, sodass sie auch bald an einem Wettkampf teilnimmt. Mit der Unterstützung von Onkelchen, Kotaro und Tamayo ebnet sie sich ihren Weg in die Reihen der ganz Großen.

Dieser Manga ist so niedlich, dass mir einfach die Worte fehlen. Obwohl es eine Reihe für junge Leser ist, hat mich dieses Werk sofort in seinen Bann gezogen. Die Zeichnungen sind gewohnt detailliert und ein wahrer Augenschmaus. Die Charaktere sind sehr gut ausgearbeitet und haben ihre Stärken, aber auch ihre Ecken und kanten. Die Angels mit ihren Kostümen haben alle ein ganz eigenes Design und lassen das Herz eines jeden Mangafans höher schlagen. Der Manga begeistert wie eigentlich jede Reihe des Autorenquartetts CLAMP mit Spannung, Emotionen und Witz. So kommt es neben nervenaufreibenden Kämpfen, bei denen Misaki sehr schlau handeln muss, auch immer wieder zu lustigen Szenen, wenn z.B. Onkelchen in seinem Arztkittel bei Misaki auftaucht. Immer wieder freut sie sich ihn zu sehen und bekommt Hilfe von ihm, während Passanten denken, dass er ein Perverser ist und ihn immer wieder von der Polizei oder dem Sicherheitspersonal wegbringen lassen. Man kann gar nicht anders, außer sich halb tot zu lachen. Außerdem findet man in diesem Manga immer wieder Charaktere aus anderen Serien der CLAMP-Autoren. Si treffen wir auf Hikaru, den Angel, welcher in der Mangaserie Magic Knight Rayearth ebenfalls eine Hauptrolle hat oder wir begegnen Designs, die die Autoren immer wieder und gern verwenden.

Misaki als Charakter ist ein sehr mutiges und starkes Mädchen. Sie ist allein bei den Großeltern aufgewachsen und übernimmt viele verantwortungsvolle Aufgaben, da sie zur Selbstständigkeit erzogen wurde. Misaki ist mutig und zielstrebig, was sie immer wieder in den Kämpfen beweisen kann. Auch beweist das kleine Mädchen immer wieder Köpfchen, was ihr in so mancher Situation sehr hilfreich ist. Trotzdem ist Misaki ein sehr emotionaler Mensch. Sie ist mitfühlend gegenüber ihren Mitmenschen, sorgt sich um ihren Angel und wird sehr schnell traurig, wenn sie die eine oder andere Situation nicht verstehen kann. Man muss sie einfach lieb haben und sie auf ihrer Reise begleiten, man kann gar nicht anders.

Empfehlen möchte ich diesen Manga allen Fans von CLAMP und denen, die eine gute Geschichte mögen. Ihr werdet diese Reihe einfach lieben! Sie gehört einfach in jedes Regal!
Profile Image for Emmy.
2,505 reviews58 followers
February 22, 2022
I read Angelic Layer years and years ago...I must have been twelve or thirteen, and my friend had just discovered manga. It wasn't like today, when you "discover" something that has been on the shelf for years. Libraries were just starting to stock titles, the selection would be considered a bit odd by today's standards (mostly titles that I don't hear much about anymore, such as Ah! My Goddess , Rave Master, and a ton of series by CLAMP.

This was my very first manga. Or, rather, my first read-it-right-to-left-and-call-it-manga manga. I had already perused series like The Electric Tale Of Pikachu! years before, but read them in the Western style and didn't know they were anything different from all other "regular" comic books.

And reading it now, certain moments come back to me like the remnants of a dream. It's nice. But, the series is also a bit different than I remember. It feels more manic, and Misaki, while adorable, feels less relatable now. Thirteen-year-old Emmy could imagine herself in Misaki's shoes. Adult Emmy is prepared to call the police on Icchan.

Still, the nostalgia has been great and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. All those years ago, I only got through the first two or three books (I could never find the rest at the library). So, it will be fun to see how the story ends.
Profile Image for Tinita125.
297 reviews
October 8, 2021
Bueno bueno, hello there!
Hace un par de semanas (creo), que no hago una reseña jajajaja Justo estaba en época de parciales.
Para empezar, me gustó más de lo que pensaba Angelic Layer. Pero la verdad es que no es nada del otro mundo.
En cuanto a trama, me pareció buena la idea y me gusta esto de las peleas, me hizo acordar a Naruto en los exámenes Chunnin. Me gusta mucho el tema de las muñecas y los diseños. El pacing es horrible, va muy rápido y encima la pendeja no pierde nunca, salvo al principio. Tampoco me pareció que los motivos por los cuales hacerla ganar fuesen tan wow. Literalmente, se daba cuenta después de dos patadas cuál era la debilidad del otro y fin. Los dibujos bastante pedorros por momentos, que me daba un poco de risa. Realmente pienso que estuvo bien, un poco mejor de lo que esperaba pero nada del otro mundo. Clamp tiene mangas mejores.
Siento que no ayudó mucho haberlo leído entre medio de todo mi quilombo mental, pero bueno... así es la vida jajajajajaj
No se si lo leería otra vez, pero me da ganas de ver el anime. Siento que va a ser mucho mejor y se va a poder apreciar más. Medio como MKR, solo que eso me gustó más jajajajaja
Ahora me queda Suki y ya se viene Lawful Drug, amo <3 <3
Profile Image for cristel-is-reading.
35 reviews8 followers
August 11, 2020
Really cute, reminds you of Medabots, but more geared for girls. A quick, entertaining read. Nothing amazing, but easy to get hooked on. The characters are likeable, and the game itself looks exciting to play, so it does a good job of selling that fantasy. If I had found this as a kid, I could see myself asking to buy the toys.

On the negative, I'm a fan of CLAMP and the artwork is... not what I've come to expect from them. It's not so bad that it's a deal-breaker —you do get used to it— but it could have been smoother. Specially since it makes fights harder to follow, and in a series ABOUT doll fights that can be a problem.

Pretty solid overall, specially if this genre is your thing. I want to finish the series (it helps that it's relatively short at five volumes), and will probably watch the anime at some point if I have time to kill, but it's not the kind of thing you get super obsessed with.
18 reviews2 followers
September 17, 2018
Rating: 9 out of 10
Violence: Low (Dolls fighting)
Fan Service: Low (One of the dolls is a bit detailed)
Sexual Content: None
Type: Young Gifted Girl
Read: 3 Volumes
More?: Yes
Plot Analysis: Misaki has just moved to Tokyo to go to school nearer her mother who she has not seen in several years. She discovers a game called Angelic Layer, where dolls controlled by their owners mind fight each other, a game where being small (as she is) does not affect your ability to win.
Review: A very fast paced story, alternating between character building and fighting. The fighting is also somewhat character building, watching the young girl grow as she gains strength in the game. All in all, a good, all around manga.
644 reviews
May 19, 2022
Otro comienzo de obra de Clamp que promete una historia bastante entretenida. Con el tipico humor un poco ridiculo de las autoras, es una historia que avanza rápido. La trama es sencilla pero me resulta encantadora. Misaki es una protagonista bastante inocente y simpatica, que me gusta seguir mientras navega el mundo de Angelic Layer. El concepto de los angeles me parece que está bueno, pero habiendo leido por lo menos parte de chobits, en comparación no es tan interesante. Y por lo menos en este tomo no creo que lo hayan explotado al máximo. La cantidad de referencia que tuvo este tomo me sorprendió. Fueron lindos guiños a las historias anteriores de Clamp. Tengo los siguientes 5 tomos ya listos para leerlos, asi que pronto seguiré con esta serie.
Profile Image for Ikayuro.
363 reviews6 followers
November 21, 2021
I've been eyeing this series on my shelf off an on for about a month now, and decided to re-read it again; I think the last time I read it was... ~ 10 years ago, maybe more.

The first book is definitely a lot faster-paced than I remember, but considering the whole series is only five books long, it's not really surprising! So far, it's just as enjoyable as I remember it being. <3
Profile Image for Adrian Santiago.
1,176 reviews21 followers
September 29, 2024
Un montón de referencias a Clamp, hasta el profe cantando el intro de Cardcaptors.

En la historia está interesante, no me cautivó y es más una historia más tipo beyblade o así. Pero con CLamp no se sabe, luego empiezan los giros de trama.
Profile Image for Aaron Meyer.
Author 9 books57 followers
June 1, 2025
An awesome blend of old school action and comedy. I do enjoy the bouts of goofiness from Icchann especially knowing how serious he is on the back side. Can't wait to see Misaki battle her way higher into the levels of Angelic Layer as the series goes on.
Profile Image for R.
2,256 reviews6 followers
December 8, 2017
Interesting and fast paced story. Love the illustrations and concept! Clamp is amazing!
Profile Image for May.
114 reviews
August 14, 2019
This was a really cute and enjoyable read with Japanese that was easy to read.
I love CLAMP so much.
I'm looking forward to the next volume.
Profile Image for Robin.
620 reviews31 followers
December 21, 2020
L'action est fluide, les dessins sont beaux et le style des CLAMP est inimitable.
Profile Image for Conejo Literario.
579 reviews229 followers
June 23, 2021
Todo sucede demasiado rápido, pero la historia es una ternura así que seguiré leyendo.
Profile Image for Vicky.
182 reviews2 followers
November 15, 2021
Re-reading this Manga from my childhood. I remember wishing this was real so badly! The pace moves a bit quicker than i realized back then but its still cute and an interesting story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews

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