It’s been a while since I last picked up an Angelic Layer DVD. The entire 7-volume series should be on the shelves right now, so I’ve got a fair chunk of catching up to do before I’m finished with CLAMP’s toy-based fighting drama. And to be honest, I’m not entirely sure if I’ll be happy or sad to see the back of it...

Anyway, on to volume five. The first episode kicks off with Tamayo, Kotaro and the whole gang throwing a big party for Misaki to celebrate her victory at the Kanto regional finals. But the festivities take a back seat when Misaki realises she must chose a second in preparation for the national games - a partner who will aid her tactically in the layer. Several Deus vie for the position in a lighthearted winner-takes-all competition, but ultimately it is Misaki who must make this decision for herself.

High on the cheese factor, this episode only served to remind me how I could so easily grow to dislike Angelic Layer. As with much of CLAMP’s work, Angelic Layer is covered with a layer of sickly sugar and icing that would have even the most

limp-wristed of mincers vomiting chunks. Seemingly every cliche in the book is dragged out in an attempt to curry favour with adolescent kids who seem to think the whole thing is just so ‘kawaii’ ^_^. The inclusion of an adorable fluffy squeaking hamster was simply the last straw. Now, I don’t want to appear too harsh here (whoops, little too late for that John), but I just have to admit that Angelic Layer simply isn’t aimed towards people like me. Whilst I’ve enjoyed much of CLAMP’s work in the past (X/1999 and Magic Knight Rayearth in particular), as is the case with Cardcaptor Sakura they’ve made little or no attempt to balance the experience in order to appeal to a wider audience including myself.

Astonishingly, according to Sasha Paysinger and Mariela Ortiz’s commentary on this disc (the actresses who play Hatoko and Ringo, respectively), Angelic Layer was CLAMP’s first genuine attempt to appeal to the male market. Whilst they’ve toned down the heavy romantic elements of their previous works, I felt X/1999 with its dark and foreboding atmosphere was much more successful in this respect. No wonder Sasha Paysinger sounded so surprised.

However, if you

did enjoy Cardcaptor Sakura there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself warming to Angelic Layer’s suitably sweet charms. And to be fair, as the second episode goes some way to exemplify, there is still a fair amount here that I actually find quite enjoyable. Wasting little time with the pre-tournament buildup, this episode jumps straight into the action with a couple of much welcome fight sequences. And behind the scenes, Misaki moves a step closer to her mother when she watches the reigning champion battle it out on the layer.

Again, the action is hardly extraordinary in its execution yet the drama that surrounds each fight really helps to make things that much more exciting. As if to prove the point, the two fights in this particular episode feel strangely hollow partially because they’re missing the same kind of procrastinated buildup that usually comes packaged alongside Misaki’s fights. As a result they end up feeling more like filler material than anything else. We’re forced to wait until the next episode before we’re back on track with Misaki fighting a behemoth of an opponent who seemingly harbours a grudge for our diminutive heroine. Can you

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possibly guess what the moral of this story is?

Formulaic though it may be, there’s a rather guilty pleasure to be had from watching the all too predictable outcome run its course - provided you can stomach the unbearably cute paring of Misaki and Hatako, of course. Such is the sheer unbridled enthusiasm of these primary coloured characters that you’ll find it increasingly difficult not to get swept away with the energy of it all. And before you know it, you’ll be cheering Misaki along with her self-proclaimed cheerleaders. Watch Angelic Layer with an empty head and you should find yourself having a surprisingly good time. Begin to ask questions, however, and you’ll quickly find yourself reaching for the remote.

And so my love/hate relationship with Angelic Layer continues. If it can keep up the pace long enough to see the final two volumes through, I’m likely to leave Angelic Layer with mostly positive recollections. However, as the story reaches its dramatic conclusion I quite reasonably fear that CLAMP will spread the parmesan just a little too thick for my liking. This is certainly recommended viewing for CLAMP fans, but everyone else should tread cautiously.