Galaxy Angel

Galaxy Angel is a bishojo sci-fi/comedy anime TV series by Broccoli. It was created in July 2000, when Broccoli launched the multi-platformed project called Project G.A. It recently finished its fourth season, while the first season and partially the second season are available on DVD in the United States. Each broadcast is made up of two fifteen minute episodes -- Much like most American cartoons -- whose titles always contain references to food.

Galaxy Angel is also availabe as dating-sim/strategy video games for the PC and PS2:

• Galaxy Angel
• Moonlit Lovers
• Eternal Lovers

In the video game universe, the Galaxy Angel are the guardians of the White Moon, the sacred planet of the Transbaal Kingdom, and the personal protectors of the White Moon Goddess Shatoyan. The story begins with Prince Eonia attempting a take over of the Transbaal Kingdom along with the power of the White Moon. To counter Prince Eonia, the Angel Troupe along with their flagship; the Elsior are placed in the hands of the kind and ever capable (as well as a girl crazy idiot) Commander Takuto. In addition to the storyline differences, the personalities of the characters were also altered significantly for the anime, and the video game offers a much more indepth look into the Galaxy Angel universe. Due to this, many fans treat the video games as the actual canonical universe for Galaxy Angel.

Broccoli have announced that the video game trilogy will be released in North America, though Broccoli will not be working on the actual game themselves, with a projected release date Summer 2006. All that is currently known is that the games will be subtitled only without an English dubbed cast. However, it is unknown whether it will be the PC or the PS2 version (or both) that will be translated.

A sequel to the game trilogy is also in the works, entitled "Galaxy Angel II", and stars an entirely new cast that includes Apricot Sakuraba, a member of "Lune Troupe" and is the younger sister of Milfeulle Sakuraba.

The Galaxy Angel anime generally abandoned any sense of strict continuity or plot arcs after the first season, so they can be viewed in any order. The cast is frequently abandoned, killed, or transmogrified only to return completely normal in the next episode. However, the fourth season introduced a new character (see below) and occasional references are made to funny events in previous seasons. Many episodes also parody aspects of Japanese culture, movies, and of course anime, often compressing what would be expected to be multiple-episode long stories into a few minutes. Each season also contains one episode which is played straight as a serious, non-parody episode.

The success of the video game and anime series influenced the creation of a manga series based off the video game universe. Volume 1-5 have already been released domestically in North America by Broccoli-Books, with the second series, "Galaxy Angel Beta", being scheduled for release sometime in September 2005.

The animated series can also be cited as a fanservice series in the most basic (but non-sexual) sense. The show is selfpromotional, with absurd humor, spontaneous musical numbers, and elaborate costumes.

Storyline

[ANIME]

The story is about a group of women who goes on government-sponsored humanitarian missions as the Angel Troupe (Angel-tai) to search for Lost Technology, generally a plot device to set up amusing and absurd humor typical of the show, rife with obscure Japanese puns. Many of the devices are designed after extremely mundane objects like sticks or rice cookers, but have fantastic powers like mutating organisms or as destructive weapons.

Characters

Milfeulle Sakuraba (ミルフィーユ 桜葉)

Age: 17 Height: 156cm

[ANIME]

A seventeen-year-old, selfless pink-haired girl who has an incredible amount of good luck with extremely bad luck periodically to counter it. Where the bad luck can cause disastrous outcomes like destroying the whole planet or whole galaxy. Strangely enough, this could be minimized if Milfeulle is happy at those days. The newest member of the Angel Troupe. Her hobby is cooking snacks, particularly cake, and making tea. Her first name is derived from the name for the French pastry mille-feuille.

[GAME]

An original member of the Angel Troupe, Milfeulle is always caring and cheerful, and will never hesatiate to help another person, even people whom are considered by others as enemies. Possessing a supernatural level of good luck, to the point where strange things keep occurring around her, sometimes causing great annoyance to others, but always in some ways beneficial to herself. Even on normal situation, like tossing a coin, she will get all heads or all tails. By the definition given in game, Milfeulle have the ability to fail all probability measures and cause one outcome to be 100%.

Unfortunately, her luck caused her problems when she was younger, as no one wanted to do anything with her because of the strange situations caused by her luck. However, she has a true friend, Ranpha Franboise, whom she met in the military academy, and later, her meeting with the other members of the Angel Troupe along with the people onboard the Elsior have begun to heal her painful wounds of her past. Milfeulle is also very emotional, and blames herself whenever something goes wrong, often blaming it on her luck. She's also nicknamed "Milfie" by her friends. Like in the anime, she enjoys cooking. She pilots the balanced Angel Frame known as "Lucky Star".

In the first game Galaxy Angels, if Tact chooses to take her to the dance that occurs halfway into the game, she and Tact retire from the military together. However, in the next game Moonlit Lovers a resort planet they're visting together is attacked and they happen to run into the Elsior. They rejoin the other Angels all the way through the events of the game and into the third game Eternal Lovers.

A running joke in Moonlit Lovers is how Tact and Milfie have been a couple for some time, but haven't even kissed yet. Needless to say, the other Angels try to spy on them to catch the magic moment when it happens, but more often than not wind up ruining the moment.

Mint Blancmanche (ミント ブラマンシュ)

Age: 16 Height: 123cm

[ANIME]

A blue-haired girl who loves to wear full body costumes, but will never, ever be seen by her friends while wearing them. Her family is wealthy and she sometimes comes off snobbish. She has a pair of white ear-like appendages just above her normal ears that twitch, rise or droop depending on her feelings.

[GAME]

Possessing telepathic abilities, Mint possesses the ability to read the thoughts of others; even if she doesn't want to. This led to her reluctancy to be with others outside the Angel Troupe. As in the anime, Mint comes from the Blancmanche family, a rich and powerful business family, the family is so powerful that, despite all the Trasnvaal Kingdom failed, it can still provide resources for Elsior. She also enjoys dressing up in costumes and to her horror is seen by Tact while dressed as a giant hamster. She pilots the Angel Frame "Trick Master", which is armed with "Fliers" similar to the funnels or bits of the Gundam series mecha Elmeth, Sazabi or Nu Gundam.

In the first game Galaxy Angels, if Tact chooses to take her to the dance that occurs halfway into the game, there will eventually be an event where her father attempts to take her away from the Elsior and the Angels. Tact personally goes to confront him and bring Mint back. At the end of the game, Mint and Tact develop a powerful psychic bond. In Moonlit Lovers, Mint suffers from some self-esteem issues stemming from the fact that her telepathic powers seemed to be waning (and also removing the bond between her and Tact) as well as misunderstanding an incident when a half-asleep Chitose hugged Tact. Her powers eventually return and she and Tact eventually reconcile.

Ranpha Franboise (蘭花 フランボワーズ)

Age: 18 Height: 161cm

[ANIME]

A blonde, slightly vain beauty usually featured in a red Chinese dress with remarkable physical strength. Her predominant yet ultimately futile obsession is attempting to snag handsome (and preferably rich) men, which rarely appear in the series.

[GAME]

Generally the same, though nowhere near as obsessed with men like in the anime. Became friends with Milfeulle in the military academy and considers her a rival, but is defeated on every occasion due to Milfeulle's luck. Proud and often harsh, some may find it difficult to approach Ranpha, let alone start a conversation with her. However, behind her tough exterior is a kind person whom is always willing to put the feelings of others before herself. She is one of the people least impressed by Tact when they first meet, and challenges him to a practice match. Is the pilot of the Emblem Frame, "Kung-Fu Fighter", which is designed for close range combat.

In the first game Galaxy Angels, if Tact chooses to take her to the dance that occurs halfway into the game, she gets cold feet and runs off, prompting Tact to find her and dance with her in private in an observation dome. At the end of the game, she stays with Tact aboard the Elsior. In Moonlit Lovers, like Mint, Ranpha fears that Tact has fallen for Chitose, but he eventually manages to prove his devotion to her (going so far as to dress up in a pink t-shirt bearing her face and name while wearing a headband and carrying flages all marked with her name and hearts). By the end of the game, Ranpha and Tact refer to each other as "Darling" and "Honey" respectively.

If Ranpha and Tact are a couple, they are perhaps the most expressive of their affection for each other of all the potential couplings.

Forte Stollen (フォルテ シュトーレン)

Age: 22 Height: 175 cm

[ANIME]

A frank, husky-voiced, boyish redhead in a stylized military uniform complete with hat and monocle. Her hobby is collecting guns and other weapons, and is a strong believer in applied force to many situations. She is scared and allergic of rodents.

[GAME]

Similar to the anime, and is the leader of the Angel Troupe. Being the oldest, Forte acts as the big sister of the group, often giving advice to others. Like many of the other characters in the first game, Forte is less than impressed with the appointment of Tact as the commander of the Elsior and bluntly tells him that she will not consider him her commander until he proves himself. He eventually does, and she begins to trust him as much as she would her teammates on the Angels.

In the first game Galaxy Angels, if Tact chooses to take her to the dance that occurs halfway into the game, instead of dancing the two of them share a drink together. Later on, after Forte is injured and Tact is visiting, Forte mentions how the others think the two of them are a couple and asks if he's against the idea (predictably, he says no). At the end of the game, Forte is assigned as the Vice-Commander of the Elsior while Lester is transferred elsewhere (to the regret of one of the operators, Almo, who has a crush on him). Of all the couplings, Tact and Forte is the most mature, with Forte often advising Tact.

Vanilla H (ヴァニラ H)

Age: 13 Height: 132cm

[ANIME]

A green-haired pale-colored young girl who rarely speaks, and always in a calm, deadpan voice. Most of the time, when she speaks, she refers to God. She has a strange machine, known as the Nanomachine, in her room. Despite all of this, she is quite caring and always follows orders. She is also apparently the possessor of a hot temper, but keeps it well-hidden.

[GAME]

Vanilla possess the ability to control nanomachines to perform various things, such as altering her appearance to healing wounds. However, she requires a great deal of mental control in order to control the nanomachines, and thus suppresses her emotions in order to utilize the nanomachines more efficiently. Despite seemingly acting without emotions, Vanillia is very caring, and often works herself helping others to the point of exaustion. Is the pilot of the Angel Frame, "Harvester", which is a giant nanomachine colony and is used to repair/resupply the other Angel Frames during combat. Her pet cat that is always seen on her is actually constructed out of nanomachines.

In the first game Galaxy Angels, if Tact chooses to take her to the dance that occurs halfway into the game, Vanilla is reluctant to dance until Tact takes her hands and positions them before taking her out to the dance floor. Tact later learns that Vanilla, because of her ability to heal, takes death very hard. This is made clear when Vanilla drives herself to exhaustion trying to save her pet, only to have it die anyway. Tact and the others eventually help her overcome her grief.

In Moonlit Lovers, Chitose mistakenly believes the relationship between Tact and Vanilla is a sibling-bond, prompting Vanilla to become more expressive of her affection for Tact. This is not easy for her, since she has spent so long suppressing her emotions she is unsure as to how to express them. The other Angels, notably Ranpha, chip in with various advice with mixed results.

Of all the Angels, Vanilla is the one who is the most shy if paired with Tact, sometimes going so far as to flee the room when her embarrassment becomes too much.

Chitose Karasuma (烏丸 ちとせ)

Age: 17 Height: 157cm

[ANIME]

Introduced in the fourth season, Chitose is a purportedly sickly girl who join the Angel Team. Although she wishes to make friends, she is very clumsy about it. Her attitude towards the team (especially Milfuelle) flipflops between vengefulness and self-imagined ostracism. Some consider her as an attention whore, albeit with good intentions.

[GAME]

Introduced for the first time in Moonlit Lovers, Chitose became the replacement for one of the original Galaxy Angel members who left the team in order to be with Tact. A traditional, polite, and soft-spoken young woman, Chitose joined the military for two reasons; for her respect and admiration for both her father and the Angel Troupe. Extremely intellegent, Chitose became an elite within the military, scoring the highest marks ever in the military exam, defeating even Milfeulle (whom scored the second highest due to her luck).

Highly experienced in archery, Chitose ends up being chosen as the pilot of the 6th Angel Frame, the "Sharp Shooter", which is designed for extreme range sniping. Chitose greatly respects her friends/teammates in the Angel Troupe, to the point where she wishes not to do anything that might offend them, even to the point of forcing herself to suppress her growing feelings for Tact.

Originally, Chitose did not have a route unlike the other Angels. However, in the PS2 version, she has her own storyline. In it, she takes time adjusting to Tact's fairly laidback leadership style as she was expecting him to be a model soldier (befitting his reputation as the hero of Transbaal). She eventually becomes comfortable enough to address him as Tact-san instead of Commander Mayers.

Tact learns that Chitose's father was a military man who captained a ship and died in an accident when she was young. While saddened, she was proud that he had died doing his duty, the way he'd wanted. However, when Tact volunteers to help her pilot the super weapon meant to defeat the Val-Fasc warship O-Gaub ravaging Transbaal and is accepted, she attacks and knocks him out just before the launch.

She reveals that she is uncertain that whoever pilots the weapon will survive and while she is willing to die to carry out her duty, she is not willing to see another person she cares for do the same. Tact manages to convince her otherwise and they manage to destroy the ship. Unlike the other Angels, who are already familiar with Tact and have accepted her feelings, Chitose keeps hers under wraps. Unbeknownst to her, however, Tact has begun thinking of her more often as well.

Game only characters

Takuto Mayers (タクト マヤース, a.k.a Tact)

The newly appointed commander of the Elsior along with the Angel Troupe. Is widely known to be both a skirt chaser as well as a slacker. Seemingly completely carefree, Takuto may seem to be an incompetent captain, but when things get serious, his personality changes completely, becoming serious and devoted to the task ahead. Is close friends with his first officer Lester Cooldaras.

During Eonia's invasion, Takuto and Lester were patrolling a fairly distant part of the Transbaal Empire. Their small patrol fleet was attacked by Eonia's forces but they were saved by the arrival of the Angels and the Elsior. The Elsior at the time was commanded by Ruft, an old soldier who happened to be Takuto and Lester's teacher at the academy. To their surprise, Ruft offered Takuto command of the Elsior and the Angels, partially because Ruft himself had enough of a reputation as Prince Shiva's protector to be a target and partially because Takuto was an unknown. Ruft's plan was to use himself as a decoy while Takuto protected Prince Shiva.

Takuto's rather carefree attitude did not sit well with many of the Elsior's crew, including the operators Almo and Koko. Even among the Angels, Forte and Ranpha were the most vocal in questioning Takuto's ability while the others at least had their doubts. Most would've preferred the more serious Lester be put in charge, if only because he seemed to be taking the entire affair seriously.

Ruft's belief in Takuto is vindicated, however, when he manages to fight off successive attacks from Eonia's forces. Takuto slowly earns the trust of his crew, eventually getting together with one of the five Angels (which one depends on the actions the player took during the course of the game).

By Moonlit and Eternal Lovers, Takuto has become famous as a hero of the Transbaal Empire, with fame possibly surpassing even that of the Galaxy Angels themselves.

Lester Cooldaras (レスター・クールダラス)

The first officer of the Elsior, Lester spends most of his time either making sure that Takuto is doing his job as a commander, or trying to find Takuto as he goes off on one of his crazy adventures with the Angel Troupe. Has known Takuto since the military academy, and has been with him ever since.

In the first game, unlike virtually every other character Lester has complete confidence in Takuto's ability to lead despite his occasional irritation at how laid-back his friend is. He spends most of his time on the bridge keeping an eye on things while Tact spends time befriending the Angels. While many others would resent the fact that they're stuck on the bridge while their superior is off having fun with a group of cute girls, Lester is well aware that the H.A.L.O. System is dependant on the feelings of the pilot. Therefore, the better the Angels feel about Tact, the better the system responds and the more powerful the Angel Frames become.

A straight man in the truest sense of the word, Lester takes Takuto's somewhat goofy antics in stride and never hesitates to put his friend back on track. While he is well aware of Tact's ability in combat, it's the way he is outside of battle that worries him. He is also apparently completely unaware of Almo's crush on him.

Almo (アルモ) and Koko (ココ)

Bridge crew and operators of the Elsior. Almo is a purple-haired girl, while Koko has brown hair and wears glasses. Like many other characters in the first game, they were dubious at best of Takuto Mayer's ability to lead. Almo in particular felt Lester would've made a far better commander (partly because she had a crush on him). Tact eventually won them over and they accept his unorthodox leadership style.

Almo has a huge crush on Lester that is obvious to all but Lester himself, while Koko takes an interest in the assorted relationships occurring around her. Koko is also apparently a fan of male-male love, as evidenced by her glee whenever Takuto and Lester demonstrate some degree of closeness (such as finishing each other's sentences or guessing each other's thoughts).

Sacred Mother of the Moon Shatoyaan (月の聖母シャトヤーン)

Revered by the people of Transbaal, and said to be the one whom brought peace and prosperity to the Transbaal Kingdom, Shatoyan resides within the White Moon itself. When Prince Eonia initiated his coup d'etat, Shatoyan sealed both herself and the White Moon within an energy barrier, which is completely unbreakable by any known means. Shatoyan also sent both the Angel Troupe as well as the Elsior to ensure Prince Shiva's safety. Other than Prince Shiva, Shatoyan is the only other person with knowledge of what the White Moon really is...

Prince Shiva/Empress Shiva (シヴァ皇子／シヴァ女皇)

The only surviving member of the royal family of the Transbaal Kingdom, Prince Shiva is the target of assassination of Prince Eonia, and is under the constant protection of both the Angel Troupe and the Elsior. Raised on the White Moon, he is somewhat antisocial towards others and would rather remain secluded within his room onboard the Elsior. Also quite belligerent to Takuto at first, demanding that the Elsior head straight back to Transbaal and stop Eonia at once. Possesses a heavy burden of being the last of the royal family, with knowledge that he must become king at such a young age.

Through the course of the first Galaxy Angels game, if Takuto manages to build up a good enough relationship with Shiva, he learns that Shiva is actually a girl. Later still, Tact also learns that Shatoyan is Shiva's mother. In the sequels Galaxy Angels: Moonlit Lovers and Galaxy Angels: Eternal Lovers, Shiva's gender is public knowledge and she rules as queen. It's also hinted that Shiva may have a slight crush on Tact.

Anime only characters

Commander Volcott O'Huey

Boss and occasional father figure to the Angel Team. He is close to retiring and has variable patience with the girls. According to one episode, when he is flustered or panicked, he starts vaccuming things.

Normad/Nomad

An AI recovered from a missile that was floating in space. He is later placed into a stuffed animal vaguely resembling a rotund, pink cat/penguin. Normad usually has endless praise for Vanilla but cynicals view toward the rest of the Angel Team, especially Forte, who likewise doesn't hesitate to fire off rounds into the stuffed doll.

Cocomo and Malibu

Two young boys who make occasional appearances. They work under a female commander much in the same was as the Angel Team, but seem more capable. They coincidently resemble the young boys in another Broccoli production, Di Gi Charat (the characters of whom make a few very brief cameos).

Ships

Angel Frames

Designed with Lost Technology, all Angel Frames possesses more advanced technology than even the latest military starship, with equipment such as Gravity Generators, Shielding, as well as a Chrono Drive System, which allows them to travel at high speeds across the galaxy. It is said that just a single Angel Frame is equivalent to that of an entire fleet. However, it is discovered in the first game that the simulation of a single frame defeating the entire fleet happens to be just Milfeulle's luck. The computer system eventually controlled the fleet to fire at each other and losing to Lucky Star without almost any resistance. Each Angel Frame is controlled by both the pilot's thoughts and emotions (via the H.A.L.O. System), and if their emotions become unstable, the less efficient the Angel Frame becomes, to the point where it ceases to function all together.

GA-001 Lucky Star

Designed as an all-purpose fighter, Lucky Star is the most well rounded of the six Angel Frames, and possesses the ability to fight in any situation. However, there are numerous power stability problems, and thus Milfeulle is the only one capable of piloting it due to her extreme luck. Its most powerful weapon is the Hyper Cannon, a powerful weapon that can blast through entire ships.

Length: 49.6m Height: 28.0m Width : 21.0m

Weaponry: Laser Cannon, Beam Gun, Missile Launcher, Electro-Magnetic Launcher, Hyper Cannon

GA-002 Kung Fu Fighter

Designed as a close combat fighter, Kung Fu Fighter possesses extraordinary close range combat abilities, with fast agility as well as electro-magnetic claws allowing it to grapple enemy ships at close range. However, its defensive power is lowered as the result. Its final attack is the Anchor Claw, where the two gigantic claws are launched at the target. While only hitting one target at a time, it almost certainly destroys the target. Piloted by Ranpha Franboise.

Length: 36.1m Height: 38.2m Width : 19.4m

Weaponry: Warhead Launcher, Missile Launcher, Beam Gun, Anchor Claw x2

GA-003 Trick Master

The most unique of the Angel Frames, Trick Master possesses powerful sensor and communication equipment, allowing Mint to quickly analyze and provide information to the Angel Troupe. Equipped with three 'Fliers', small attack drones controlled by Mint via telepathy, Trick Master is capable of both engaging multiple opponents at once as well as being able to attack from more than one direction. Its most powerful attack is the Flier Dance, where the Fliers zip all over an area, firing on all enemies from multiple directions (similar to how Newtype pilots in the Gundam series use their Funnels and Bits to attack). Piloted by Mint Blancmanche.

Length: 36.8 m Height: 37.6 m Width : 17.4 m

Weaponry: Warhead Launcher, Fliers x3, Shooting Lasers

GA-004 Happy Trigger

Designed as a heavy assault fighter, Happy Trigger is filled to the brim with weaponry of all types, and possesses the greatest firepower of all the Angel Frames. However, its extreme weapon loadout sacrifices agility and speed, making Happy Trigger the most sluggish of the Angel Frames. Its final attack is the Strike Burst, where the entire payload is unleashed on a single victim. Piloted by Forte Stollen.

Length: 62.7 m Height: 33.5 m Width : 19.2 m

Weaponry: Laser Cannon, Missile Launchers, Electro-Magnetic Launchers, Electro-Magnetic Cannon

GA-005 Harvester

Designed as a support fighter, Harvester carries onboard a nanomachine colony, allowing it to repair the Angel Frames while in battle. However, it possesses relatively weak weapon systems, but possesses the highest defensive abilities of the Angel Frames. Possibly the most vital of the Angel Frames, its most powerful ability is the Repair Wave, which releases nanomachines all over that repairs all other Angel Frames, often able to bring a badly damaged teammate back into battle instantly. Piloted by Vanilla H.

Length: 40.6 m Height: 50.4 m Width : 19.2 m

Weaponry: Laser Gun, High Output Electro-Magnetic Launcher

GA-006 Sharp Shooter

Designed as a long range sniper, Sharp Shooter is equipped with both a High Performance Scope as well as an advanced radar system. It is capable of striking targets from ranges of up to 6000 km away, with its most lethal weapon being the Fatal Arrow (taking advantage of the pilot's superb archery skill). Piloted by Chitose Karasuma.

Length: 60.3 m Height: 40.4 m Width: 23.7 m

Weaponry: Long Range Electro-Magnetic Cannon, Fatal Arrow

GA-007 (no name)

Found at the same time as the GA-006 Sharp Shooter, the GA-007 or "nanabanki" ("unit #7") is equipped with a Field Canceller and Chrono Break Cannon when the Val-Fasc Nefulia attacks Transbaal empire with the giant warship O-Gaub, the Field Canceller is made by Noa to neutralize the O-Gaub's Negative Chrono Field, and the Chrono Break Cannon is to destroy the ship. Because a lot of power is needed for this, the most powerful pilot in the team is chosen to pilot it, and Takuto is also asked to go on the ship to support the pilot. Later, the Val-Fasc Wein attacks the White Moon and steals the GA-007, and uses Lushati to increase its power output to 100% so he can fire the Chrono Break Cannon. It is damaged beyond repair later when Wein betrays the Val-Fasc and escapes to Eden.

Elsior

Flagship of the Angel Troupe, and under the authority of Shatoyaan herself, the Elsior is like the Angel Frames, the construction of Lost Technology. The Elsior is a ceremonial ship of peace, and thus is not equipped with weapons of any kind; and relies completely on the Angel Frames for defense (it is armed with fireworks instead). It is large enough to contain a huge park, a convenience store and a massive room known as the Kujira (Whale) Room where many animals (including Vanilla's Space Rabbits) are kept. In addition, in times of great need the Elsior can be equipped with a devastating weapon known as the Chrono Break Cannon.

Like the Angel Frames, the existence of the Elsior is surrounded in mystery, and there are things onboard that no one knows nor understands completely. No one, except perhaps the Goddess Shatyarn herself...

It was claimed in the first game that, since the crew of the ship is mainly the lost technology research staff from the white moon, they are mostly female.

Formerly under the command of General Ruft, the Elsior is now under the command of Tact Mayers, with Lester Cooldaras as his second in command.

External links

• Official Japanese website
• Official American website