Search - I'm Gonna Be an Angel (Vol. 1) on DVD

An Incredible Series

ljfnord | Garland, TX USA | 12/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an unbelievably incredible series which has yet to really receive its due from American anime fans. The original Japanese title is "Tenshi ni Narumon!", which roughly translates to, "I'm Gonna Be an Angel!" The title is appropriate, but at the same time pretty deceptive. This series is definitely NOT your run-of-the-mill cutesy kid anime. While it does have more than its share of kawaii elements, it also has a very deep and very dark subplot which is foreshadowed in the opening seconds of the first epsiode. This darkness erupts in the middle episodes, and it practically explodes in the final story arc.Describing the show is a little tricky. It features a high school boy named Yuusuke and a girl named Noelle, who just happens to wear a halo. As the series starts, Yuusuke is on his first day of living by himself, and he's quite happy about his freedom. On his first day alone, and on the way to school that morning, no less, he "stumbles" across Noelle in the woods (okay, he falls off of a bank and lands on her). She is naked and unconscious, for reasons that are too complicated to explain. Suffice it to say that when Yuusuke lands on her, he accidentally kisses her, and this of course wakes her up. She immediately assumes that Yuusuke is now her husband (so will her family - more on that later). Yuusuke runs away in a blind fear, but his problems have just begun. So has the series, in fact - all of this takes place in just the opening minutes of the first episode!By the end of the first episode, we learn that Noelle is now a student in Yuusuke's class, and that her "family" has moved themselves (and their entire house!) to the spot where Yuusuke's house had been. We also learn that Yuusuke has a crush on another girl (Natsumi), even though she won't spare him the time of day because of several unfortunate and embarrassing incidents. It is during his attempt to apologize for one such incident that we hear Yuusuke compare Natsumi to an angel: Noelle, upon overhearing this, later pledges to become an angel for Yuusuke. The series centers upon this pledge and how everyone handles the consequences it creates.The dramatic side of the series is excellently offset by its comedic side. By far, the funniest part of the show involves Noelle's "family." They're from the "Demon World," and they can only be described as a cross between The Munsters, Bewitched, and a Fisher-Price commercial. The father is especially funny in the original Japanese series: he's an enormous Frankenstein's monster who wears glasses and a business suit, and he speaks in an *extremely* polite Japanese dialect. The mother and grandmother are witches, the brother is a vampire, the little sister is a mad scientist in training, and the big sister is invisible. The whole family is extremely naive as to the ways of the "human world," which invariably results in trouble for all (usually at the expense of the humans involved). As strange as these characters may seem, they're mild when compared to the "villains" of the show. All of the characters are eventually developed to a degree that you normally won't see in a series like this, and none of them (especially the "villains") are what they would at first seem to be.The first 7 or 8 episodes (out of 26 total) are heavily laden with slapstick, but like I mentioned earlier there is a very deep plot that stirs slowly throughout. There are two major story arcs later on in the series that must be seen to be believed: one happens right in the middle, and another that spans the last 5 episodes. The ending arc is especially impressive, and is in fact the only piece of anime that has ever moved me emotionally. Seriously - it is REALLY that good.In short, this is a series that you can't afford to miss, and one that is bound to go down as a classic of the genre. Incredibly good stuff, and a must have for any serious anime fan."

Great Title For New Viewers of Anime

John D. Knox | New York City | 09/06/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this at the AnimeExpo in New York recently, and bought it soon after.The plot (understand, Japanese cartoons sometime have quirky and erratic plots)is: A stork carrying a new angel is attacked, and the angel inside splits into 3 parts. We won't know what happened to the other 2 parts for a while, but one apparently ends up in the demon world and raised by the Munsters, for want of a better description. A teenage boy whose parents have left him in Japan while they work overseas is enjoying his first day of independance when he comes across a girl naked in the park; this girl is Noelle, one of the pieces of the complete angel. She immediately falls for Yu-ske and declares him her husband. He considers her nuts and runs away to school, where she ends up at later as a student. Later, when Yu-ske rides his bike home, he finds the Munsters have re-decorated his house (did they ever), and Noelle is part of this family. He's introduced to them as her future husband, and they inform him they're moving in, having left the demon world. Strange stuff, and not just the obvious. The family has dances for practically every occasion.Meanwhile, there's an evil...Harliquin that desires Noelle because she's imperfect (he has a thing for imperfection) and stops at nothing to have her in his possession. Of course, this involves numerous kidnap attempts by his minions and the family's battles against them. Again, funny and wierd.I'm glossing over a LOT of stuff, but that's the beauty of Anime; so much goes on in just 1 episode you look at it more than once.The disc comes with both the original Japanese and English dubbed. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the better dubbing efforts by far, sticking very close to the original translation. Moreover, Noelle's voice actress for English is a dead ringer for the Japanese one, which is great.The animation is clean and smooth, with abstraction only when the story calls for it.This series is great for kids 8 and up; just a tad risque in some places, but always in good taste and never overt. Parents who are already into similar things will enjoy the quirkiness.Definately worth purchasing."

A spiffy dvd

ljfnord | 06/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tenshi ni Narumon (I'm Gonna Be An Angel) is a great series. It has everything from manic hyperness, dancing and singing to a much calmer, darker perspective in the later episodes.
This DVD is amazing. A great dub track, in addition to the origional Japanese. Also, two nice sets of subtitles - one a more literal translation, and one more processed for those not wanting to think half in japanese.
The DVD contains the first five episodes of the 26 episode series. I personnally can't wait for the next DVD.
The animation is high quality, the plot and voice acting are awesome. If only more anime translation companies put in this much effort. Support this amazing company by buying this DVD."

Monsters, Mecha, Angels and more! Lite (and dark) fun!

John D. Knox | 05/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Definitely an intriguing show, I'M GONNA BE AN ANGEL! both makes fun of the romantic animation titles that often spring out of Japan and explores the different levels of love, liking and relationships.Noelle is sweet and over-excitable. She is innocence personified. Her pure love for Yuusuke is the driving force in her quest to become an angel. Her mysterious past and strange family are not very endearing, at least to Yuusuke, who's major secret crush on the star of the girls diving team has been revealed to all. This DVD comes with a lot of extras, including a alternative subtitled track with more cultural nuances and feel. There are prodigious amounts of culture and liner notes (8 pages in thankfully large text). There are also outtakes and karaoke versions of the songs sung in the show. The English dub is as entertaining as the Japanese version. The animation quality is superb. With hand colored cels, the animation really pops out and the colors are beautifully saturated, bringing you into a world where rice cookers CAN turn into fighting MECHA robots! I really recommend this title. There is sensuality in it, but it will go over the heads of most children. In fact, my kids really enjoyed watching it."