Reviews & Columns |
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
DVD Talk Forum |
|
Resources |
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
Columns
|
|
Angelic Layer - On the Wing and a Player (Vol. 2)
The show tells the story of a twelve-year-old girl, Misaki, who is instructed in a technological game that involves using robotic dolls. The dolls are programmed to fight in a special arena and the games are quite competitive. The dolls, when put on a special arena surface, come to life and are thought controlled by the owner. Two go into the arena and fight, with various rules and regulations to control aspects of the contest, and how well they do will dictate how many points they get and their ranking in regional bouts.
Episode Five: I Don't Want To Lose! I'm Believing In Hikaru:
Misaki goes back in the ring, this time fighting a much stronger opponent. Due to her lack of self-confidence, she spends all her time ducking and dodging rather than actually fighting back. A quick study, Misaki uses her brain instead of Hikaru's brawn against Vasquez's physical strength and experience.
Episode Six: Suzuka, The Speed Of Light! Hatoko's Declaration Of Rivalry!:
Misaki's wins have earned her a reputation in short order, impressing even her detractors at school. Her next opponent seems like an easy win, a kindergartener, until she realizes it's Hatoko, the reigning champion. With no chance of winning against this opponent, not to mention a friend of hers, how will Misaki acquit herself? Even if Misaki feels completely outmatched, Hatoko knows her opponent has a tremendous amount of potential, yet unrealized.
Episode Seven: Fight At The Edge…Misaki's Last Chance:
Misaki fights Maria, a cold-hearted gal who lives only for the games. Maria's background lends itself to competition but Misaki's doesn't so the clash goes beyond mere fighting, it is a clash of principles too.
Episode Eight: Misaki Vs Misaki? A Dangerous Classmate:
Misaki fights a boy from her class with her last name. Although girls dominate the games, he seems to think that boys are superior fighters and he'll crush her angel. She has other ideas, believing the game serves as a great equalizer. Her growing popularity both in and out of the ring serve her well as she tries for yet another upset.
Okay, I'm not the world's biggest fan of fighting anime but this was fresh enough to suggest with a rating of Recommended. I know it's geared towards younger, and female, fans of anime but it was cute enough and different enough that it was enjoyable to watch. The Japanese vocals were a bit better this time but the audio effects sounded better on the English language dub. I look forward to seeing the later volumes of the show to see if the characters develop more or if this is going to get old quickly as many fighting anime shows do.
Picture: The picture was presented in the usual 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. The picture was very clear and colorful with no artifacts or other problems observed. The transfer was solid and I had no problems with the picture.
Sound: The audio was presented with a choice of either a 5.1 Dolby Digital English track or the original 2.0 Dolby Digital Japanese track. I favored the original track on the vocals but preferred the dub on the effects with the better spatial characteristics. The dub vocals weren't bad, I actually enjoyed them a lot, but some of it was due to the writing.
Extras: The best extra was an audio commentary by Kevin Corn (voice actor for Kotaro) and Monica Rial (voice actress for Tamayo). The two spent a fair amount of time introducing themselves and their background as well as some information about the show. There was a paper insert that described two of the leads and their dolls, clean openings and closings, and some previews.
Final Thoughts: This was a cute diversion from my usual preferences and I hope it gets even better in the future. The combination of cute characters with silly ways and situations that were interesting made this one stand out from the crowded field of anime fighting shows. It was not the first pick of mine out of the ADV catalog when I first saw it but it was better than I thought it would be. If you like cute fighting anime, check it out.
|
Popular Reviews |
Sponsored Links |
|
Sponsored Links |
|
Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices
|