Angel is a hentai manga series written and illustrated by U-Jin. The original manga series met with controversy in 1990–1991 in Japan and was retired from its magazine serialization. It was adapted into an OVA of the same name, as well as a sequel called Angel: the women who were healed by delivery host Kosuke Atami. The manga was also followed by Angel: the women whom delivery host Kosuke Atami healed season 1, and again by Angel: the women whom delivery host Kosuke Atami healed season 2.
| Angel #3 published by Shogakukan (1990) | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | U-Jin |
|---|---|
| Published by | Shogakukan Cybele Publishing |
| Magazine | Weekly Young Sunday |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | 1988 – 1993 |
| Volumes | 7 |
| Original video animation | |
| Studio | Humming Bird |
| Released | October 25, 1990 |
| Runtime | 45 minutes |
| Game | |
| Publisher | Cocktail Soft |
| Genre | Simulation |
| Platform | NEC PC-9801 |
| Released | October 1, 1993 |
| Original video animation | |
| Shin Angel | |
| Directed by | Kaoru Tooyoka (eps 1, 2, 3, 4) |
| Produced by | Kotaro Ran Saburo Omiya (eps 3, 4) Osamu Echuu (ep 2) Osamu Koshinaka (ep 3) |
| Written by | Koji Sakakibara (4) |
| Music by | Keisaku Irie |
| Studio | Pink Pineapple Triple X |
| Licensed by | SoftCel Pictures |
| Released | October 21, 1994 – November 22, 1995 |
| Runtime | 29–46 minutes |
| Episodes | 5 |
| Live-action film | |
| Angel: Ichiban Saisho wa Anata ni A.Ge.Ru | |
| Studio | dez |
| Licensed by | Kitty Media |
| Released | February 14, 1997 |
| Runtime | 66 minutes |
| Live-action film | |
| Angel: Shotai Fumei no Joo-sama!? (Hen) | |
| Studio | dez |
| Licensed by | Kitty Media |
| Released | April 4, 1997 |
| Runtime | 70 minutes |
| Manga | |
| Angel: the women whom delivery host Kosuke Atami healed | |
| Written by | U-Jin |
| Published by | Nihon Bungeisha |
| Magazine | Weekly Manga Goraku |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | 2006 – 2008 |
| Volumes | 5 |
| Manga | |
| Angel season 2: the women whom delivery host Kosuke Atami healed | |
| Written by | U-Jin |
| Published by | Nihon Bungeisha |
| Magazine | Weekly Manga Goraku |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | 2008 – 2010 |
| Volumes | 5 |
Story
The plot revolves around the sexually motivated boy Kosuke Atami and his friend Shizuka. It’s a slapstick comedy with eroticism overtones, with the main idea being how Kosuke helps people throughout the story.
Characters
- Kosuke Atami (熱海康介, Atami Kōsuke)
- Shizuka Himenogi (姫乃樹静香, Himenogi Shizuka)
- Yamada (山田, Yamada)
Original manga publication
Angel, also known as Angel: Highschool Sexual Bad Boys & Girls Story (prior to the Japanese controversy), Angel: Delight Slight Light Kiss Story (after serialisation resumed but before its complete ban), and currently Angel: Sexual Boys and Girls Highschool Story (to differentiate it from the sequels), began publication in the Shogakukan magazine Weekly Young Sunday. Because of the controversy, its serialisation was halted in 1991, and Shogakukan only published three volumes. It was later fully reprinted by Cybele Publishing (also known as Cybele Shuppan), who added two new volumes for a total of seven volumes, despite the fact that Cybele volumes had fewer pages than Shogakukan volumes. The legend “We came back!” can be read above the title on the cover of the Cybele volumes, in reference to the incident that caused its temporary ban. The manga was published by Li-Yi in Taiwan, Tonkam in France, and Norma Editorial in Spain in Cybele’s edition.
Volumes
- Shogakukan (Young Sunday Comics, 1989–1990)
| Japanese release date | Vol. | ISBN |
| June 1989 | 1 | 4091511414 |
| December 1989 | 2 | 4091511422 |
| April 1990 | 3 | 4091511430 |
- Cybele Publishing (Cybele Comics, 1993) This version includes several autostereograms. Since foreign versions were based on this one, they also include the autostereograms.
| Japanese release date | Vol. | ISBN |
| June 1993 | 1 | 4915858758 |
| July 1993 | 2 | 4915858782 |
| September 1993 | 3 | 4915858812 |
| September 1993 | 4 | 4915858847 |
| October 1993 | 5 | 4915858871 |
| November 1993 | 6 | 4915858901 |
| December 1993 | 7 | 4915858944 |
- Cybele Publishing (Cybele Bunko, 1995–1996)
| Japanese release date | Vol. | ISBN |
| November 1995 | 1 | 488332401X |
| December 1995 | 2 | 4883324052 |
| January 1996 | 3 | 4883324079 |
| March 1996 | 4 | 4883324117 |
| April 1996 | 5 | 4883324133 |
| May 1996 | 6 | 488332415X |
- Ohzora Publishing (also known as Chu Shuppan) (Missy Comics, 2007–2008)
| Japanese release date | Vol. | ISBN |
| October 2007 | 1 | 978-4776793946 |
| October 2007 | 2 | 978-4776793953 |
| November 2007 | 3 | 978-4776794127 |
| December 2007 | 4 | 978-4776794264 |
| January 17, 2008 | 5 | 978-4776794400 |
Along with this volumes, there is another collection which combines Angel with Konai Shasei, another manga by U-Jin. The collection is simply called Konai Shasei X Angel (校内写生×ANGEL, kōnai shasei x angel). Instead of a regular numbering, each volume has a different subtitle.
- Ohzora Publishing (Missy Comics, 2006–2007)
| Japanese release date | Vol. | ISBN |
| February 2006 | Densha Bishōjo Hen | 4776719002 |
| May 2006 | Gakuen Bishōjo Hen | 4776719428 |
| July 2006 | Hokago Bishōjo Hen | 4776719762 |
| September 2006 | Koisuru Bishōjo Hen | 4776720280 |
| October 2006 | Imouto Kei Bishōjo Hen | 477672068X |
| February 2007 | Junkoi Bishōjo Hen | 4776721368 |
| April 2007 | Shiroi Bishōjo Hen | 978-4776721796 |
The series is also available in ebook format by eBookJapan.
Media
OVAs
Angel
On October 25, 1990, Pioneer LDC’s brand Humming Bird released the first OVA, a single episode anime titled Angel, on VHS and LaserDisc. Tairiku Shobo later re-released it. Happinet Pictures (a division of Namco Bandai) released the anime on DVD on October 25, 2001 under the standard number GBBH-1896 under their Green Bunny label.
New Angel
The second OVA consisted of five episodes. New Angel (新・エンジェル, Shin Enjeru), was originally released from October 21, 1994 to November 22, 1995. It was produced by Pink Pineapple and Triple X.
| No. | Title | Length | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “New Angel” “shin enjeru” (Japanese: 新・エンジェル) | 46 mins. | October 21, 1994 |
| Kozuke and his classmate Shinoyama meet a girl who smiles at Kozuke while taking obscene pictures. Shinoyama takes a photograph, and they later discover that she is a ghost. Shinoyama spreads the rumour that Kozuke is cursed, and everyone at school, except Shizuka, avoids him. She suggests they seek assistance from a medium. While Shizuka waits, Kozuke discovers that the medium is a beautiful woman with whom he must have ‘physical contact’ (sex) to break the curse. However, the curse remains. Later, a man informs Kozuke that the “ghost girl” wishes to meet with him. Kozuke faints while meeting the girl, waking up to find the girl giving him a blowjob and they are having sex. Kozuke discovers that the girl is indeed a ghost. He meets Shizuka outside a temple and then goes after Shinoyama for spreading the false rumor. | |||
| 2 | “Flying Angel” “soratobu tenshi” (Japanese: 空飛ぶ天使) | 29 mins. | April 21, 1995 |
| Kozuke witnesses Ochiai Miki attempting suicide while meeting with Yamada. Kozuke persuades her to have sex with him first. He discovers that Kawamura Kunihiko threw Miki’s love note away without reading it. Kozuke discovers, with the assistance of Shizuka, that Kawamura never received Miki’s note. Later, Kozuke discovers that Kawamura wrote his own love note. They try to locate Miki, but the girl who is causing the problems stops Kozuke and flees with Kawamura. She later has sex with Kozuke in order to obtain photos for blackmail. The mysterious girl tries to blackmail Shizuka when she goes to find Kawamura while Kozuke goes to watch Miki.Shizuka instead beats her up to find Kawamura’s location. As part of Kozuke’s plan, Miki falls of a plane with a parachute, coming to the conclusion that she doesn’t want to die. Afterwards, Kawamura and Miki confess their feelings. | |||
| 3 | “Blue Experience” “aoi taiken” (Japanese: 青い体験) | 29 mins. | June 30, 1995 |
| 4 | “A Bride for a Week” “isshuukan no hanayome” (Japanese: 一週間の花嫁) | 33 mins. | August 25, 1995 |
| 5 | “The Last Night” “saigo no yoru” (Japanese: 最後の夜) | 31 mins. | November 22, 1995 |
SoftCel Pictures released the OVA in the United States. It was first released in VHS format in 1995, 1996, and 1998, with the first four episodes available in both uncut and edited versions. The same company also released it on DVD in two volumes, the first on May 13, 2003 and the second on June 24, 2003.
Shin Angel was also released in France, on VHS by Katsumi vidéo and on DVD by Anime Erotik, as well as in Spain on VHS and DVD by Manga Films (though only the first four episodes were released by Manga Films) and on television by Arait Multimedia.
Video games
A video game for the NEC PC-9801 based on Angel and with the same title was released in October 1, 1993 by the Japanese company Cocktail Soft.
Live-action films
Two adult live-action films based on the manga were produced. The first one, Angel: Ichiban Saisho wa Anata ni A.Ge.Ru (エンジェル 一番最初はあなたにア・ゲ・ル, enjeru ichiban saisho wa anata ni a.ge.ru), was released in February 14, 1997 and the second one, Angel: Shotai Fumei no Joo-sama!? (Hen) (エンジェル 正体不明の女王様！？【編】, enjeru shōtai fumei no joō-sama!? hen), was released in April 4, 1997. Both films have the participation of Japanese Adult Video actresses Yui Kawana and Mizuki Kanno and were released by the company dez.
Both films were released in the US by Kitty Media in DVD format in July 8, 2008 as a single release called Angel Collection.
Manga sequels
In 2006, a sequel of the original manga started in the magazine Weekly Manga Goraku published by Nihon Bungeisha, titled Angel: the women whom delivery host Kosuke Atami healed, also known as Angel: Renai Hoshi Jin Atami Kosuke (ANGEL～恋愛奉仕人・熱海康介～, ren’ai hōshi jin atami kōsuke) and more commonly simply as Angel. Also created by U-Jin, this manga follows the new adventures of Kosuke Atami, now a divorced 34-year-old man who works as a host and helps people in a similar way as he did as a highschooler.
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 17, 2006 | 978-4-537-10555-1 |
| 2 | May 18, 2007 | 978-4-537-10654-1 |
| 3 | September 20, 2007 | 978-4-537-10708-1 |
| 4 | February 18, 2008 | 978-4-537-10790-6 |
| 5 | June 19, 2008 | 978-4-537-10839-2 |
Following the previous sequel, Angel season 2: the women whom delivery host Kosuke Atami healed, more commonly known as Angel season 2, was released in 2008, also in Nihon Bungeisha’s Weekly Manga Goraku. The manga, which is also done by U-Jin, follows the same premise as the previous manga series.
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 19, 2008 | 978-4-537-10912-2 |
| 2 | May 20, 2009 | 978-4-537-10960-3 |
| 3 | December 9, 2009 | 978-4-537-12538-2 |
| 4 | May 10, 2010 | 978-4-537-12597-9 |
| 5 | October 8, 2010 | 978-4-537-12648-8 |
Reception
Criticism and controversy in Japan
The manga depicted high school students in a variety of sexual situations. Following the murders of young girls in Saitama, there was a moral panic against otaku, and several manga, including Angel, were singled out for their content. PTAs were successful in forcing the manga to be suspended for a time, and volume 3 was Shogakukan’s last, and the tankbon was banned. The issue centred on housewives who believed Angel was too sexually explicit for a seinen publication, despite the fact that the manga had become quite popular.
The incident with Angel resulted in the formation of the Comic Hyogen no Jiyu o Mamoru Kai (komikku hygen no jiy o mamoru kai, loosely translated as Committee to Protect Comic Freedom of Expression).
As a form of protest, U-Jin included a “message from the author” chapter while the manga was still being serialised in the magazine. When it was temporarily re-serialized, the sexual content was toned down and the subtitle was changed to Delight Slight Light Kiss Story, until it was finally banned.
Years later, publication resumed with Cybele Publishing, which re-published Angel from the start to eventually publish the entire manga, now labelled as Adult Comic ( seijin komikku).
Youth controversy in France
Angel was prohibited from being displayed in stores in France following the release of the third volume. The anti-manga argument, as relayed by the press at the time, was that manga is dangerous for youth because of the eroticism and violence it spreads. Tonkam, whose Angel was the first erotic manga, finished translating all seven volumes.
New Angel
Stig Hgset, writing for THEM Anime Reviews, thought New Angel was technically good, with good art and animation, but thought the story was “boring and stupid.” Chris Beveridge pointed out that the episodes were not scripted by U-Jin, so they lacked some of his distinct style, and believes it is an example of a hentai series that simply “spices up” a “regular” anime series. Bamboo Dong of Anime News Network felt that the series’ writing made it “fun to watch,” with humour and interesting backgrounds for the female characters, and that the sex scenes are “pretty graphic.” Bamboo Dong felt that the transition between non-sex scenes and sex scenes in the second volume was not smooth.
source- wikipedia