Galaxy Angel

Reviewed by Chris Hori
July 1, 2007

Artist: Kanan Publisher: Broccoli Books Genre: Bishojo, Comedy, Sci-fi Website (U.S.): Click Here Website (Japan): Click Here

The manga for Galaxy Angel is actually part of a multi-platform series that is referred to as Project G.A.  This series consists of multiple manga series, anime series, and games for Windows, Xbox, and PS2.  Within the manga section of the collection, there are 4 series: Galaxy Angel, Galaxy Angel Beta, Galaxy Angel Party, and Galaxy Angel 2.

To clarify any confusion, Galaxy Angel is the first story, consisting of 5 volumes.  This story, however, is unfinished due to the company changing hands.  The final 3 volumes are completed in Galaxy Angel Beta, thus making it an 8 volume series.  Galaxy Angel Party is a comedy spin-off story following the characters on a side adventure.  This series can be read by itself with no prior knowledge of any other Galaxy Angel properties.  Finally, Galaxy Angel 2 is a true sequel picking up after Beta.

Galaxy Angel is the story of 5 girls who have come into possession of space ships known as Emblem Frames.  These ships were built using lost technology which makes them far superior to the ships of that era, claiming that each ship is potentially superior to an entire battle fleet.  The catch is that it takes a special person to be able to pilot the Emblem Frames, and the power and abilities of the ship are directly affected by the emotional state of the pilot.  When the girls are happy, then the ships will respond to their will with great potential, however when the girls are upset, the ships will be unresponsive and almost useless.

The main story focuses around Milfeulle Sakuraba, one of the pilots of the Emblem Frames.  Milfeulla possesses extraordinary luck.  The pilots of the Emblem Frames are assigned to aid Captain Takuto Meyers in his mission to protect a fleeing prince aboard his ship.

The story itself is less important than the character interactions within the story.  All 5 of the Emblem Pilots have various interactions with their charming Captain Takuto, resulting in both comedic and emotional conflict.  All the characters are well aware of the direct relation of the girl’s emotional state and their ability to pilot the Emblem Frames, and it is Takuto’s job to ensure that all 5 girls are happy.  The standard love triangles, innocent misunderstandings, and other plot devices are used here.

If anything, Galaxy Angel is exactly what you would expect out of a story like this.  There are no surprises, and there is little that sets this story apart from others exactly like it.  All character stereotypes are represented and their interaction is what you would expect right down to the mysterious male adversaries that appear to be opposites, possessing black versions of the Emblem Frames, who show up late in the story.

The artwork is good, however at times the pages seem cluttered because there is simply too much going on.  Panels overlap each other, detracting from the quality of each image.  In addition, many panels seem to unnecessarily span two pages, breaking up otherwise great images.  This makes reading them a bit frustrating at times.  It is a little distracting to read when you get to an important scene and the major image is divided right in the middle because the image crosses the center spine.

On a positive note, there are colored pages included in every volume, which is a very nice surprise, and the colored images themselves are very nice.  One of the best aspects of the manga is that the book quality itself is very good.  The pages are thick and the cover is not flimsy at all.  When I first picked it up, I immediately noticed the heavy feel when opening the cover and turning the pages.  The ink is dark and not faded at any parts, and the cover art is rich in color.  Broccoli gets a special nod from me for going the extra mile in the quality of publishing the book.

Overall, if you like Bishojo style stories (pretty girl adventures) you will not be disappointed.  All 5 girls are drawn very cutely, each having their own appeal from the busty starlet, to the shy girl with glasses.  The space fighting definitely takes a back seat to the social interaction of the girls, and there is a nice balance between emotional moments and silly ones.

Galaxy Angel gets 7.5 out of 10.  If you are into this genre, then the entire Galaxy Angel series is for you.  However, the reason for it getting only a 7.5 is because it is not a story that would change anyone’s mind about Bishojo, nor is it original or innovative.  My complaint about the cluttered feel of the panels keeps it just out of reach of an 8.  If you are into Galaxy Angel, then there is an entire line out there just for you: Manga, TV, and Games (on all platforms no less).  What more could a fan ask for? (Besides that they all be imported to the US)!