Wayback Series - Angelic Layer

"Don't make me wanna go 'Icchan go BOOM!' for this!" -Me

FOREWORD: I apologize for the absence. Since today's the month of August, it was getting near before my blog will turn one this year.

Have you ever had a Barbie collection since when you are a little girl? Well, if you currently collecting Barbie dolls in real life, you have to watch this classic anime when dolls bring back to life and turning into a fighting machine. Welcome to the world of Angelic Layer.

One of CLAMP's most-celebrated masterpieces, the manga is published by Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shonen Ace magazine on July 1st, 1999 to October 1st, 2001 with a total of five volumes, and Tokyopop published originally in English language format, but since been re-licensed by Dark Horse Comics. It was CLAMP's first work to use a quite but different art style in any other series made by the group, in which is use a more distinct pared down style. There is less emphasis on some detail and more on gestures and accentuated posing. Two of the manga: Chobits and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle is then later used for this kind of artwork. The manga later on adapted into a anime series produced by BONES entitled 'Angelic Layer: Battle Doll (Kidou Tenshi Enjerikku Reiya)' which aired on the 1st of April of 2001 to the 23rd of September of the same year with a total of 26 episodes. ADV Films released seven volumes of videos on VHS and DVD formats in 2003. Two years later in 2005, the series was then re-released as a five-volume box set. 

1st row: Sai Jounouchi & Shirahime, Kaede Saito & Blanche, Ringo Seto & Lanka and Madoka Fujisaki & Mao
2nd row: Ohjiro Mihara & Wizard, Shuko Suzuhara & Athena, Misaki Suzuhara & Hikaru and Hatoko Kobayashi & Suzuka

The manga's story centers around a young girl named Misaki Suzuhara, who is a seventh-grader who just moved to Tokyo to live with her aunt Shouko Asami. Misaki watched the battle doll named Athena (named after the Greek goddess of wisdom and courage) on a big screen TV outside of Tokyo Station after arriving in the city, and later becomes interested in learning about a highly popular gamed called Angelic Layer (hence the anime and manga's title), in which the players called the 'Deus (Latin word for 'god' or 'deity')' as they buy and custom-design dolls known as Angels. The Angels can partially move via mental control (or brain-computer interface) when on a field that is called the 'layer.' Of course, the Layers are very expensive; but most users can rent the Layers by the hour in some establishments resembling cybercafes. A man called himself, 'Icchan', who wears a white coat and glasses, encourages Misaki to purchase and create her own angel, and she named the angel Hikaru (after the character from Magic Knight Rayearth), in which she was reading on the train enroute to Tokyo (Yet in the anime, she named the angel Hikaru after her favorite doll from her childhood years). Misaki wants the angel to be a 'short girl, but strong and happy' like Hikaru and herself. Later on, Misaki soon competes in tournaments and is assisted and watched carefully by Icchan, even though she is clueless about the game, until Icchan's identity is revealed to be the co-creator of Angelic Layer named Ichiro Mihara. 

Meanwhile, Misaki begins her education and studying at Eriol Academy, a school which includes grades from kindergarten through high school (This is what the Japanese called 'escalator school (エスカレーター学校)'). Later Misaki became friends with a very intelligent and mature kindergarten girl who is a famous Deus and an expert in the sport named Hatoko Kobayashi. Her angel Suzuka (resembling the appearance of a kunoichi), is a favorite contender in the tournaments. Misaki has got more friends including Kotaro, who is the older brother of Hatoko and his friend fascinated by martial arts named Tamayo Kizaki, and thus both turned out to be Misaki's classmates. Misaki is partially gripped by her past while adjusting to her new surroundings. Her thoughts is often dwell on her mother (Shuko Suzuhara), whom she has not seen her daughter since pre-school. But eventually, she learns that her mother was the key in the development of Angelic Layer, in which she worked on in an attempt to develop a perfect prosthesis for her multiple sclerosis, which has her confined in a wheelchair. Turns out that Shuko is the Deus of Athena (her angel) and the champion of the sport.

The main heroine, and the character of the anime, Misaki Suzuhara, is voiced by none other than Atsuko Enomoto. You know you remembered her role in Yukino Miyazawa in Kare Kano (see the article here!), but she has some many roles in her career since her debut in 1998. Ichiro Mihara is voiced by one of my favorite seiyuus, Masaya Onosaka, who is known in Dynasty Warriors as Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang. Onosaka also played France in Hetalia Axis Powers. Hatoko Kobayashi is played by Yuri Shiratori, who was known in her roles in Revolutionary Girl Utena (as Nanami Kiryuu). Shiratori also played Cherry in Saber Marionette J, Yukina (Mikaela in the Filipino dub) in Yu Yu Hakusho, Angelique in Neo Angelique and Hotaru Sakurakoji in The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn. Jun Fukuyama, who is popularly known for his roles in Code Geass (as Lelouch Lamperouge), Special A (as Kei Takishima), xxxHolic (as Kimihiro Watanuki), Black Butler (as Grell Sutcliff), and yes, Assassination Classroom (as Korosensei). Satsuki Yukino plays the role of Tamayo Kizaki. Yukino is partially known for her roles in InuYasha (as Kagome Higurashi), Full Metal Panic! (as Kaname Chidori), Love Hina (as Mutsumi Otohime) and Trigun (as Milly Thompson). Just last year in 2014, Yukino made an appearance at Animethon 21 as the guest of honor in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Ohjiro Mihara is voiced by Soichiro Hoshi, who is known for his role as Kira Yamato in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, the Principal (YES IT'S THE MEGANE PRINCIPAL) in Chibi Devi, Homare Kanakubo in Starry Sky (he is starred along with Fukuyama), and Kazuki Fuuchouin in Get Backers. The legendary Kotono Mitsuishi plays Shoko Asami. Mitsushi is known for her roles in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, in which she is also starred in the cast along with Hoshi (Kotono plays Murrue Ramius), Fruits Basket (as Kagura Sohma), Nodame Cantabile (as Seiko Miyoshi), and Hummy in Suite PreCure. And lastly, the Angelic Layer champion Shuko Suzuhara, is voiced by Kikuko Inoue, who is known for her career roles in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (as Caridad Yamato aka Kira's mom), the Ah! My Goddess series (as Belldandy), the Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts series (as Akira Yoshii), Mitsudomoe (as Marina Sugisaki), and Ore Monogatari (as Makoto's sister, Ai Sunakawa).

Other voice cast starred in the show were Houko Kawashima, Ayako Kawasumi, Kana Ueda, the late Tomoko Kawakami, Chiemi Chiba, Tomokazu Seki, Yui Horie, and more to mention.

Relive the battles, the matches, the drama, and the determination of Misaki and Hikaru in the world of Angelic Layer!

"Wings of Angel! Gabayan mo ako at si Hikaru! (Angel Wings! Please guide me and Hikaru!)" -Misaki's Angel Entry Phrase as heard in the Tagalog dub