Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Angelic Layer: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 5, 2018

Battle Doll Angelic Layer, released in 2001, has proven to be something of a visionary program what with its premise centered around, essentially, the "toys to life" concept that was until recently all the rage in the video game industry but has since plummeted in popularity with all of the big boys -- Skylanders, Disney Infinity, and LEGO Dimensions -- throwing in the towel (that said, a newcomer of sorts, Starlink, is headed to store shelves this fall). The game depicted in Angelic Layer is a bit more complex, with players customizing their one and only doll and controlling it not through a plastic portal and a wireless game controller but a slick headset that telepathically moves the figure within the battle arena.

My angel...

12-year-old Misaki is barely off the train in Tokyo when she sees a battle playing out on a big screen, which has drawn the eyes of everyone around her. It’s a magical, eye-opening, jaw-dropping experience. “Awesome” is her first response to it. It’s “Angelic Laser,” she learns from a pair of young fans. And she’s instantly hooked when the smaller fighter defeats a larger opponent in come-from-behind fashion. The fighters are “Angels,” which are dolls come to life that people can control with their minds. And since anyone can buy one, her first mission is to track one down at a store. Along the way and through her first steps into the game's addictive world, she meets Icchan, a mysterious man in a lab coat, who helps her get off the ground with her Angelic Layer. Unfortunately, the doll and all of the accessories costs her all the money in her possession, which means taking a long distance walk to her aunt’s place, where she's staying. She excitedly builds her Angel and names her “Hikaru.” Her first battle, which she inadvertently enters, is a surprise success, even as she learns to control Hikaru on-the-fly. As time passes, her confidence grows, her skill improves, she meets new friends, and finds herself in a high-stakes tournament that may lead her to a destiny beyond simply winning it all.

The crux of Angelic Layer's story is sort of a hybrid of virtual reality, telekinesis, and an almost symbiotic bond between human and doll. It's facilitated by very advanced technology but is truly driven by mutual understanding and friendship, even as the doll is a lifeless lump when it's not being controlled in the game. Misaki's journey, at least the exterior ebbs and flows, revolves around picking up the game, building her angel, learning the game's intricacies and her angel's (and her own) capabilities and fighting styles, and building relationships with others around her. Throughout the show, she unravels a few mysteries and her path leads her to a place well beyond the game's circle, and it's through that deeper human drama that the show truly shines.

Beyond the battles and the excitement surrounding the game, not to mention the wonder and spectacle of the entire process, is a very intimate, personal, and human character and journey. Misaki begins the show enthralled by the game and enamored with the opportunities it affords her, and her success, which is fueled by dumb luck (and partly by Icchan's words of wisdom, who is sort of like her Angelic Layer guardian angel), grows into confidence and understanding certainly as they pertain to the game but more importantly as they pertain to herself. Misaki's character journey, growth, and destination outside of the game (which often intersects in some way with the game, particularly as revelations are made towards the show's end) are the true story highlights, the qualities that make Angelic Layer truly worth watching. For all the external noise and dazzle and technology and characters, this is a fairly intimate character portrait. Misaki grows into her hobby and into herself in a very satisfying narrative arc that puts everything in perspective while still having a lot of fun with the superficialities and the game that move the story forward but give way to the character’s heart and connection to the real world around her.

Angelic Layer: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Battle Doll Angelic Layer: Complete Collection features a 1080i transfer framed at approximately 1.33:1, which places "black bars" on the right and left hand sides of the HD display. Though this is an upconverted SD image, the results are very impressive. While occasional swaths of banding, shimmering along some solid objects (look at the Angelic Layer toys on the shelf at the 11:40 mark), and occasionally splotchy bursts of noise are present, Sentai's Blu-ray does a very good job of accentuating the positives and overcoming any source and native resolution deficits. The Blu-ray is in fact very pleasant, holding firm with quality textural integrity and revealing characters and environments alike with a good, appreciable level of sharpness and stability. Colors are punchy and while the source lacks the intensity and nuance fans will find on many newer animated high definition releases, the palette proves satisfyingly robust as it is, bursting with a barrage of bright, intensive colors throughout the run. Fans should be very pleased with the end result on Blu-ray.

Angelic Layer: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Battle Doll Angelic Layer: Complete Collection's packaging and menu screen both claim that a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is included, but playback offers only an English language DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 presentation. That's what the review Oppo BDP-203 and the Denon AVR-X6400H both read and decode (with the same results testing through an Xbox One X and a PS4 Pro both connected to the same audio receiver), so it appears that both the menu and packaging are incorrect. Regardless the English language 2.0 track is just fine, a pleasant listening experience with intensive and engaging elements across all episodes.

The track is impressively large. The Angelic Layer battles -- beginning with the first one when Misaki watches the game with the crowd, fresh off the train -- open wide with impressive stage dominance, even limited to the front two channels only. There's a pleasing sense of movement and sound depth, impressive given the lack of a subwoofer channel to handle the deepest details. The opening title music is generously wide and surprisingly potent; it thumps even without a low end channel at its disposal. Clarity throughout the musical range is excellent, and every element -- instruments and lyrics -- present in seamlessly blended and balanced excellence. The track opens with impressive ambience in various locations, such as at the store where Misaki buys her doll in the opening episode. Good little bits of din flutter through, with some width, here and elsewhere throughout, as needed, including larger crowd din at battles large and smaller alike. Dialogue is clear and precise, never missing a beat with its seamless front-center-imaged positioning.

Angelic Layer: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Battle Doll Angelic Layer: Complete Collection contains extras on all three discs, highlighted by a handful of commentary tracks for select episodes. No DVD or digital versions are included. The release ships without a slipcover.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: For Episode 1, "How Do You Do? My Very Own Angel!:" Jessica Boone (Misaki) and Andy McAvin (Icchan). For Episode 6, "Suzuka, The Speed of Light! Hatoko's Declaration of Rivalry!:" Kevin Corn (Kotaro) and Monica Rial (Tamayo).

Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: For Episode 11, "Finish It Off! Hikaru & Mao's Important Game:" Shelley Calene-Black (Madoka) and English ADR Director David Williams. For Episode 15, "Shirahime Versus Suzuka! Secret of the Ice Machine:" Tiffany Terrel (Kaede) and Tiffany Grant (Sai). For Episode 17, "I've Made My Mind Upon You! The One Misaki Selected:" Sasha Paysinger (Hatoko) and Mariela Ortiz (Ringo)

Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries : For Episode 23, "Break Up the Magic Wall! Misaki Versus Ohjiro":" Christopher Patton (Ohjiro) and English ADR Director David Williams. For Episode 25, "Reunion of Destiny. Angels Wet With Tears:" Christine Auten (Shuko) and Kelly Manison (Shoko).
• Production Artwork (480i, 1.78:1, 9:42): Predominantly a collection of character sketches with the last couple of minutes featuring a few objects and environments.
• Clean Opening Animation (1080i, 1:32): Textless intro videos.
• Clean Closing Animations (1080i, 3:45): Textless outro videos.
• Also Available from Sentai Filmworks (1080p): Previews for Little Busters EX! (1:32), Gatchaman Crowds Insight (1:32), RE-KAN! (1:32), and RIN-NE (1:31).

Angelic Layer: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One can only wonder if the future of human and digital interaction may some day look like this, when the realms of digital games, physical commodities, and human users are so tightly knit at a level beyond hand-eye coordination and physical inputs. But what's great about Angelic Layer is that it's not just a show with an eye for the future of tech. It's a very intimate, personal journey for a character who finds herself not necessarily in her avatar but certainly through her avatar. The show is fun, adventurous, creative, expansive, and very personal; this is a superior Anime. Sentai's Blu-ray release of Battle Doll Angelic Layer: Complete Collection offers solid video and audio and features a welcome allotment of bonus content that goes beyond the usual Sentai fluff in the form of half a dozen or so commentary tracks. Very highly recommended.