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  Infobox

Title
Angel's Wing

Author
Tetsuya Aoki

Copyright
2002-2003 PLEX Co., Ltd.

Distributed by
Fanboy Entertainment

Release Info
Volume 1
Pages: 82 Pages
MSRP: $7.95
ISBN #: 0-9679832-3-1
Street Date: April 2002
 
Volume 2
Pages: 88 Pages
MSRP: $7.95
ISBN #: 0-9679832-4-X
Street Date: April 2003

 
 

 

by Timothy Georgi

Article originally appeared in @anime! v5i1.

The topic for this issue’s manga offering is something from an unlikely place for PLEX International Design. Typically known for the planning, design, development and production of character toys for popular series like Power Rangers, Digimon and Gundam, PLEX takes themselves into new waters with the creation of something different, a manga series. In their first go-round, we’re treated to a fun, fast-paced romp from heaven to hell and everything in between from the mind of Tetsuya Aoki in Angel’s Wing.

It’s a legend from ancient times. Feathers from an angel’s wings have the power to grant wishes and every Christmas Eve, an angel descends from heaven and grants the wishes of the lucky individuals it encounters. For centuries, the angel Mashiro has been traveling the world granting the wishes, but it’s come time for her to retire as the messenger from heaven to the world. But before she’s hangs up her hat, she’s chosen to train and pass on the responsibility of wish granting to a young, enthusiastic angel named Mary.

Mashiro has trained Mary as much as she’s able to in heaven and tells Mary that it’s time for her to go down to Earth and continue her preparations to take over. Before she goes, Mashiro gives Mary one of her feathers, telling her to use it if she wants and that it holds special powers. Mary is determined to do the job on her own so she decides to hold on to the feather.

As Mary heads down, she hears a young boy named Ken wishing for help with his dying mother. Before she’s able to get to Ken, Mary is ambushed by a devil from hell named Shion who attacks Mary and steals her wings, knowing that the wings hold great power. Ken approaches as Shion takes off with the wings and decides to help Mary get her wings back. During the pursuit, Ken’s mother passes on, leaving him to fend for himself until he can track down someone to take care of him. Shion is eventually stopped and must now join Mary in an effort to help find Ken’s missing father. And that’s just the beginning of the insanity and fun.

Looking at the concept for Angel’s Wing and then comparing it to the usual fare of what PLEX has produced in the past is a great departure from what they are known for. Going from mecha and action characters to the cute, exciting shoujo world found in Angel’s Wing isn’t what you’d be expecting. Aoki takes the simple concept of the battle between heaven and hell and turn it into a journey that invokes a sense of pure and simple fun.

The artwork in the series is very enchanting. The use of “normal” character designs and super deformed art lends itself well to the comedic nature of the story. Another great positive point is the use of color in the series. Going contrary to the typical black and white art formula in a manga series creates a rich visual presentation that helps keep your attention moving forward with the story. The vibrant colors help combat the one nitpick I’ve found with the series. There are times when the dialog can happen so fast that it’s a bit difficult to keep track of some of the conversations, but the visuals keep things going even in the times of confusion. The story for Angel’s Wing is very simple, but engaging enough to be something that a wide variety of fans will enjoy.

In addition to the manga series, PLEX is also in the process of producing an anime series based on the manga. The animation is some of the best I’ve seen in recent years and has the same vibrant feeling of the coloring of the manga series. It will be something to keep an eye out for if you’re a hard-core shoujo fan or if you just want to have a fun time with some anime. There’s currently no scheduled release date, so look for that coming in the near future. For those that can’t wait, the first two volumes of the manga are available now from Fanboy Entertainment. Check it out!

   
     
 
 

 

 
   
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