Angels of Death
Comedy and anime have always been things that go hand in hand. Even the most serious anime will have comedic moments that you don't expect. Series such as Demon Slayer or Attack on Titan features some fantastic comedy that makes us laugh. However, a proper, purely comedic anime becomes a highlight in an industry so hell-bent on making serious content.
I didn't expect Angels of Death to be so incredibly funny, deliciously intelligent, and wonderfully witty when I went in blind, expecting bad humor. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and now for the past few weeks, the jokes from this series have been engrained within my brain.
The funny story beats have been popping in and out of my brain and randomly making me laugh until I am sore. There is just something magical about a comedy series that is ironic yet takes itself so seriously. Let's talk about Angels of Death and why it's the funniest anime I’ve seen in a while.
When most people go into this series, they expect a horror show. Yet that's not what Angels of Death is at all. In fact, it is more like a buddy comedy or an otome game instead of your typical horror series.
That's the one thing that it does that puts viewers off from it, it advertises itself as a horror series, but in truth, it is anything but that. It has a funny Ash Vs. Evil Dead thing going on, where it is a comedy series at its core, yet it does feature horror elements that aren’t very important to the majority of the show’s design, if at all.
The story follows 13-year-old Rachel Gardner, who is so dead and lifeless inside that her only wish is to be finished on the outside as well. She just wants to die, that's it! Her whole arc within this series is to get the kiss of death and remain in a sweet slumber forever. However, things aren't that simple.
She wakes up in the basement of a building, with no memory of how she got there in the first place or who she is. The only thing she knows is that she still wants to die. This is where she stumbles across a bandaged mass murderer named Zach.
This is the beginning of the journey as Zach and Rachel join together to escape the building. Zack's motivation is escaping this horrible maze of a building, and Rachel’s motivation is escaping so Zack can kill her.
I don't know how to put this politely, but it gets a bit annoying after a while that Rachel keeps asking Zack to kill her on repeat. Though that is fun of it all, Rachel wants to die, and Zack is a mass murderer. It should be a match made in heaven, yet he refuses to kill her of all people. As the two go higher up the building, they face tons of different people who are as maniacal and crazy as our two anti-heroes.
Yet, even after killing so many other people, Zack is motivated not to kill Rachel because he thinks her intelligence will help him escape. To be fair, the characters are entertaining, especially the two protagonists. The side characters are also kind of fun, though they do get annoying after a while because they're all just crazy.
The thing that I dislike the most about this series is that the characters see no growth, even though the episodes have a decent continuity structure to them. Sure, it’s fun to see characters remaining themselves even after all they go through; but after a couple of episodes of the same thing, the audience requires some sort of rewarding growth for the characters they’re rooting for.
That particular aspect kept this series from blossoming to its fullest potential, in all honesty, which is a huge missed opportunity because it could’ve made the series so much cooler for players to dive into. What makes this even sadder is the fact that this series has some of the best humor you could ask for, from light-hearted loli jokes to dark humor about murdering a bus full of pedestrians; it’s violent and crunchy.
I'm candid; I didn't know this was a JC staff show! The art is absolutely amazing, and it looks exquisite. The characters are distinct, each having their personalities and lives showcased within their design. What makes the art even better is the location. Each floor of the building has a unique setting, from darker colors to a vibrant and bright color palette; the artwork shines.
The animation? One word; fantastic. It is pitch-perfect, especially when it transforms like a butterfly during the action sequences. The combat and the special effects look breathtaking because the animation and art quality are above the standard.
JC staff have outdone themselves with Angels of Death, making a series that looks and feels good to watch, a sight for sore eyes. This is a violent series, though, so there's a lot of blood. So, if you're not into that, this series might not be up your alley for sure.
The soundtrack is just fine, though, I mean, there was a lot of potential for it to be great, yet it didn't really hit that sweet spot. It fits well with the series and works well with the sequences for both action and relaxing moments, yet it isn't something I would listen to personally on my own time.
The songs aren't too memorable, nor are they unique enough to be added to my personal playlist. However, that is my subjective opinion; perhaps you guys will have a different perspective.
While I do think that the series gets repetitive, the soundtrack isn't something unique, and the plot isn’t fantastic. That doesn’t change the fact that Angels of Death is perhaps one of the most memorable anime series of the past five years. There is just so much to love about this series, from the fantastic characters and the fantastic artwork and animation design; there is nothing you can definitively hate about this series.
It is a simple yet effective horror-comedy series. It is also a buddy comedy and a weird, bizarre mixture of different slasher and horror tropes combined into one series. Sure, a few missed opportunities, such as character development, would have brought even more nuanced and depth to this ironic comedy. I appreciate it the way it is.
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