Angelic Layer: Omnibus
The latest CLAMP series to be re-released in omnibus edition is Angelic Layer, a prequel to Chobits, where Misaki Suzuhara has just moved into Tokyo City to live with her aunt, Shouko. Upon arrival she becomes fascinated with Angelic Layer, a game involving dolls that come to life and battle other players’ Angels with the power of their minds. With the help of a mysterious man in a lab coat, calling himself ‘Icchan’, Misaki makes her first Angel (named after the main character of Magic Knight Rayearth; ‘Hikaru’) and learns the rules of Angelic Layer. It’s not long before Misaki shows incredible natural talent for the game and finds her way into the local championships. As she proceeds to the semi-finals, she discovers that a mysterious woman seems to be following her, and other high members of the Angelic Layer community have taken a sudden interest in her.
Angelic Layer is CLAMP dipping its toes into the shounen pool with a ‘collectable’ angle, similar to the likes of Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon. As a result it has a lot of similar tropes; such as the main protagonist being incredibly skilled at the game even with little experience, having a different outlook on the sport compared to other players, and being able to qualify for a major tournament rather quickly. This in turn goes hand-in-hand with common CLAMP elements, from the likeable and cute protagonist to the multiple nods to their other works (not just the naming of Misaki’s Angel). As a result, a lot of the first omnibus can be read on autopilot; you’ll pretty much know how each chapter will go because it follows a similar formula you would already have seen before if you’re a shounen and/or CLAMP fan. Some of this is due to the cast being rather young, so the series is mainly aimed at a younger audience. However this doesn’t exclude the older CLAMP fans; although it’s not a masterpiece, it still has a lot of what CLAMP’s other series are beloved for – heart. Misaki is genuinely a very sweet person, passionate about Angelic Layer and also quite innocent – completely missing some of the subtle changes in tone the series occasionally takes when hinting at something bigger happening in the background. Her sorrow at hurting her doll Hikaru when battling is sweet to see, plus she’s also kind, determined and uses her skills of observation to her advantage in battle. Some may find her too sweet for their liking but with this type of series, it’s to be expected.
Misaki is also surrounded by an eccentric cast: the supportive aunt Shoko, the highly-efficient-in-karate Tamayo, and her friend Kotaro. But most notably we have Icchan; an odd-looking man wearing a lab coat and glasses, popping out of nowhere to help Misaki with apparently no strings attached. He also disappears when other characters come into the scene, and says many ominous lines to drive the plot along. If another manga group was behind this story, he would have easily been written as the perverted creep character; whilst Icchan can cross the line to ‘unnerving’ now and then, his heart however always seems to be in the right place. He’s also one of the best comic relief providers, including the running joke of threatening to kill his assistant if he doesn’t meet his silly demands (it’s funnier in the manga than it sounds in this review). His involvement in the plot and his mysterious plan are easily the most interesting factors of the story, and will be the driving force of the series for those older than thirteen years of age.
The art in the series is very close to CLAMP’s more modern style; taking a more light and dynamic style that complements the action scenes very well, whilst still giving their characters the rounded, big-eyed familiar look seen in other CLAMP works. Overall it looks very nice, especially as it’s meant to tie in with Chobits, which also follows the same style.
The book contains the first two and a half volumes of the original manga, including extra colour pages and a bonus side story focusing on Icchan’s employees.
Angelic Layer is an easy breezy read that’ll be ideal for young manga readers with its likeable characters and well-drawn battle scenes. The older easy-going reader will also enjoy the simple flow of a nice-enough story. If you’re a CLAMP fan or just want something you don’t have to think too deeply about, add this to your collection.
