Angel

This is the type of manga you rarely see in the states, and it's such a refreshing change. This volume consists of a series of short stories, each loosely connected by the presence of a silent, sometimes invisible angel. The characters are varied and their troubles are complex, but maybe the reassuring presence of a guardian angel could help them find their own answers in life. The stories, like the artwork, are nuanced and subtle. The author's storytelling style involves a light touch and a gentle hand. Sakurazawa doesn't go overboard here, but I was really touched by all the stories in this book. If you think all manga are simple, straightforward stories, give this one a look. It may touch your heart.

I was really surprised by the negative comments about the art in this manga - different strokes for different folks I guess. Personally, I absolutely adore the art. It is very simple, with a minimal number of lines being used to draw a person or set a scene, and at the same time it is very elegant, and Erica Sakurazawa has an incredible sense of composition - not one line is out of place, like a visual poem. I guess if you like cluttered, overdetailed art you wouldn't like it, and those that like traditional shoujo or shonen styles won't like this because this looks like neither, but if you like elegant, etherial illustration, this is right up your alley. Anyway, enough about the art - how is the story you say? Well, to tell you the truth I generally don't like Erica Sakurazawa's manga - I find her characters shallow, full of themselves, too pretty for their own good, and more interested in screwing than in trying to build an actual relationship. This manga is an exception though - maybe because she is not writing about love per-se, I really like her writing here. Angel is a collection of several short stories with a common theme - an angel appears in the lives of a series of unhappy people. She looks like a young girl in a nightgown with wings, and cannot be seen by anyone except those in whose lives she is involved. She does not talk, does not eat, but does drink Blue Bombay Gin :) Rather than being an active instigator of change in the lives of the people she interacts with, she is rather a quiet, comforting presence who offers support through her very being to the people who need her. When her job is over, she leaves, only to appear to another person. The stories contain a quiet melancholy, and a sense for the rythm of life I rarelly see elsewhere. They bring a quiet smile to your face. Tokopop took a gamble by bringing Erika Sacurazawa's works to America. She is an author who writes for adult women, and her stories seem to have gone over the heads of most teenage fangirls. The books have not really found an audience, which is a shame - if they had been more popular, more adult manga would have been brought over. As it is, enjoy what we have :)

This may not be the most appealing manga visually, but when it comes to its story, it hits a home run. I picked up Angel on a whim (didn't really like Between the Sheets) and was glad I did. This is one of the better comics out there right now. The stories are uplifting, and yet, far from sappy. Honestly, they felt real, even though they deal with supernatural elements. Nothing felt forced, and nothing felt like a trick to make us care. And the story about the young girl and her mother nearly had me in tears (and anyone who has seen a guy cry would say that its an amazing feet). A deffinate pick. The only reason I gave it four stars was because of the art. While not bad, it is rather odd, and sometimes hard to deal with. It also can distract from the over all feel. Luckily the story makes up for that.

(Yes I'm the first one to review!)As with Kare Kano, I wasn't sure about this book either since I just wanted to find a good read but it turned out to be pretty good. The drawings are slightly different from traditional manga but the short stories about several sorts of people with problems with their lives are what you should really pay attention to. It all starts when Kato picks up a strange girl who turns out to be an angel. The angel stays with Kato at his apartment and helps out other troubled people with their problem-filled lives.The short story of the young girl who is often neglected by her mother is heart-felt and was my personal favorite. Another short story is about a girl who is angry at the world and hates her life. In the end, Kato (as well as the others that the angel helped) finds what he is missing in his life. I recommend this to the suggested 'older teen' (which is age 16+) and to girls who prefer to read romance mangas.