Angel Densetsu

I found this manga by looking through Reddit threads recommending good gag manga to read. Of course, Angel Densetsu is not a gag manga. Angel Densetsu is a very strange blend of comedy, romance, combat, and delinquent manga, and it does not suffer for it.

If you have any interest regarding Angel Densetsu, read the first chapter. The formula of the first chapter is what you can continue to expect moving forward.

At first blush, Angel Densetsu can read a little one-note. Going through the first couple chapters I was concerned the humor was going to primarily be derived from characters' reactions to Kitano's appearance. Trust me when I write that Angel Densetsu has a bizarre talent for containing effective comedy to a single panel. It is very impressive, and oddly flexible. Kuroda is an obvious example, he talks so much and provokes so much reaction from characters around him that much of his humor begins and ends in the same panel, allowing the story to keep its pace. I will say, there were a few times that I thought Kuroda entering a scene exclaiming his affection for Ryoko was growing stale.

Kitano is a very good character, and his actions, particularly near the beginning and at the very end of the manga made me very emotional. It felt very nice to finish, and I was satisfied to see Kitano and Ryoko's romance finally reach a conclusion (maybe I should read more romance manga?)

There is a brief sour spot near the beginning of the end of the manga, when Leo gets Ikuno to fight Kitano again. Kitano becoming friendly with Sana felt like the point at which he and the reader had properly "earned" the trust of the Halford family, so for Leo to still be so fearful, and for so long at that, took me out of it a bit (I know he's a kid). Ikuno so easily agreeing to fight Kitano similarly felt like a step backwards for her character. When I thought she'd reveal that she was only acting in such a way to convey a message to Leo, her dialogue would then suggest that she actually wanted to fight Kitano again. The resolution to this side plot wasn't very satisfying either, a small blemish.

The final tiny issue I have is still one regarding Ikuno. The romance between Kitano and Ryoko felt very naturally developed, even if it did come up somewhat quickly. I think it gets a pass given Ryoko is the first character to recognize Kitano's true nature. Ikuno suddenly being suggested to also have a crush on Kitano just felt forced to me, and totally out of character for her. Maybe I'm being picky.

I found Angel Densetsu to be a fantastic read. It's funny, emotional, has a satisfying ending, and not one wasted character.