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Yes, it’s totally safe to follow a guy in a bear costume. Surely nothing bad will happen. Also, why the heck are the girls screaming their REAL names while in combat and why doesn’t the teacher realize it!? lol
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This will replace Salome!? She may be more competent and actually managed to get a Seven Amulet, but I want mah Shintani Ryouko voice and gatlin gun wielding Salome!!!! D:
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Not even thieves of high-grade vegetables are safe from magical girl duo, the Twin Angels. Aoi and Haruka are middle-school girls by day, attending the prestigious St Cherine Academy and going what normal girls do; but when the need arises, it's into the frilly outfits and off they go to fight evil, aided by their school principal and Aoi's butler. When a prized tiara, one of the Seven Amulets, is stolen, it's up to the girls to retrieve it - but lead villain Salome isn't going to give it back without a fight... There are two shows this season that seem to have been pretty much universally panned: Manyu Hiken-cho, and this little gem. Most of the invective that's been written about it probably has a point, too, but I must confess to something: magical girls are my kryptonite. I am powerless before their charm, and it takes a magical girl show to either royally screw up (Cyberteam in Akihabara) or be aimed rather too low in the age-group department (Sugar Sugar Rune) to turn me away - something I covered in a little blog post a while back. Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Pretty Cure - I love 'em all. I'm the first to admit that Twin Angel doesn't deserve to be named in such exalted company, mind you. It's entirely unoriginal, it panders to certain otaku tastes a little too much (although not in an overly-icky way) and it really isn't as enjoyable as shows in its genre should be - which, now that I think of it, describes last season's contribution from J.C.Staff (Aria the Scarlet Ammo) pretty well, too. And yet, for all that I know that I should drop it and that there's really no redeeming value here, I just can't do it - yet, anyway. I've seen the first three episodes now, and while it does get off to a lousy start, come the end of episode 3 I couldn't honestly call it so terrible that I couldn't continue. So sue me. THE GOOD: It's a magical girl show. Sometimes that's all that I need. Sorry. THE BAD: Deriviative, pandering rubbish, and not in a "so bad it's good" way, either. I'm watching it. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm liking it, and I can feel my IQ dropping throughout, but I'm watching it. You never know, and hey, it's a magical girl show.
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Initial impression – boring and formulaic Haruka and Aoi are the magic girl heroine duo Twin Angel.  During the day they’re just normal jr. high school students, but at night when evildoers come out, they transform into Twin Angel and save the day.  Tomorrow, their school is hosting the presentation of a mystical tiara at [...]
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Your gracious hosts bitmap and Dez answer your questions! We are not affiliated with AnimeNation at all! (Even if bitmap's name is John...) (We were planning on writing on the third episode of Twin Angel proper, but a certain aniblogger hit us up with a question in our inbox, and we couldn't help but answer! Unfortunately, this meant deleting our preliminary 1000-word draft consisting mostly of the word "Kugyuuuu". What a shame!)   Question: Hey Dez and bitmap, I've been noticing a worrying trend these days. This summer, there is a new anime called "Thief Angels Twin Angel" which I just find very distasteful. It's full of fan-service, clichés, and worst of all, the characters are all "moé". The main characters are both 15-year-old girls—that's gross! What ever happened to classy, respectable sex objects in anime like Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop? Also, the mecha designs are terrible. I'm worried that soon all anime will look like Thief Angels Twin Angel. Do you think there's any hope?   Answer: As you may know, our opinions on anime are respected throughout the anime community, and we believe that a large reason for this is our rare enthusiasm for all different types of anime. From the passionate struggles of mecha protagonists to the gruesome twists of horror anime, and even in the juvenile sex-laced antics of the latest romantic comedies, we believe that there is great enjoyment to be found in all sub-genres of the medium. Of course, we manage to watch all of these series while still maintaining the excellent standards that allow us to best evaluate shows as objectively as possible. This approach we take to anime is drastically different from the average fan's, who might think that a streak of shows that don't appeal to him means that the overall quality of anime is decreasing. We've heard from many doomsayers predicting the end of anime through our long history as otaku, but our experienced selves know better than to lend these scaremongers an ear. And of course, to this day, none of these predictions have been accurate; anime is as brilliant and captivating as it ever was, if you know where to look. In our eyes, Mysterious Thief Twin Angel (Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel) is no exception to the idea that there is no show without inherent value. But perhaps to understand better where Twin Angel is coming from, a brief history of the pedigree of the franchise is required. Mysterious Thief Twin Angel was originally a franchise for pachinko slot machines. It seems that anime producers are increasingly adapting these "moé slot machine" properties into full-fledged shows; other shows that hail from these franchises in recent years include Rio: Rainbow Gate, Battle Girls: Time Paradox (Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox), Yoshimune, and Umi Monogatari: Anata ga Ite Kureta Koto. Interestingly enough, anime properties have also made the reverse leap, and both pachinko and slot machines based on popular shows now reside in the many gambling parlors of Japan; among them are Galaxy Angel, Tokimeki Memorial, Nurse Witch Komugi, Rose of Versailles, Ranma 1/2, Speed Racer, Kaiji, When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni), and of course, the ubiquitous Neon Genesis Evangelion. As for the topic at hand, the idea of strong and classy women, or sex objects, in anime being replaced by underaged waifs has little basis in reality. It certainly is true that, at a cursory glance, recent seasons seem like they are saturated with shows primarily featuring young and frail female characters that pander to the hardcore otaku and "lolicon" audience; some that have stood out in the past year include Shukufuku no Campanella, Strike Witches, Mitsudomoe, MM!, Ore no Imouto, Squid Girl, KissxSis, Milky Holmes, Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Yumekui Merry, Gosick, Is This a Zombie?, Dragon Crisis!, Dog Days, My Ordinary Life (Nichijou), A-Channel, Softenni, Astalotte no Omocha!, Aria the Scarlet Ammo, and [C]. Even this season is full of such shows immediately recognizable as "moé" shows, such as Double-J, Ro-Kyu-Bu!, Kami-sama no Memo-chou, Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth (Ikoku Meiro no Croisée), Yuru Yuri, Bunny Drop, A Dark Rabbit has Seven Lives (Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi), and Dantalian no Shoka. But to say that this means the death of strong-willed female sexual interests is a baseless, reactionary stance, seeing as the past year has given viewers many series featuring strong, sexy women such as High School of The Dead, Manyuu Hikenchou, Occult Academy, Tiger & Bunny, Shiki, The Legend of the Legendary Heroes, Qwaser of Stigmata, Kamisama Dolls, Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector, Freezing, Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, and Star Driver. The women in these shows are just as charming and alluring as the Fujiko Mines and Lum Invaders of yesteryear; this is one character archetype that is sure to stay its welcome for many more generations of anime fans to enjoy. So in conclusion, no, moé characters are not a direct threat to classic female characters, empowered yet sensuous. It is all too easy to look at the shows that are currently airing and foresee the end of anime as we know it; however, we must always keep in mind our biases in favor of earlier shows. Mediocre shows come and go; this has been true in the past, and still holds today. Anime fans simply are highly passionate individuals, easily led to become defensive; this, combined with their natural tendency for pessimism and a penchant for excessive nostalgia, leads to flawed assessments about anime based on sweeping generalizations. The key is to relish the great shows—the true gems of the medium—when they come, but also to sit back, relax, and enjoy the other shows for what they are. After all, anime is supposed to be fun! How easy it is to forget this simple fact. Permalink | Leave a comment  »
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A not-entirely non-fictional exchange between bitmap and Dez heavily based on the works of Pontifus and Otouto-kun Dez and bitmap strike back with a vengeance for Twin Angel episode 2! This time, we're lovingly plagiarizing paying homage to the very prolific Pontifus; more specifically, his episodic exchanges for the timeless Strike Witches with his brother, fittingly named Otouto-kun, and for Strike Witches 2, OneGreatTurtle. The "not-entirely non-fictional" part is a necessary clause here because the following exchange is heavily trimmed and edited because a lot of it ended up being my (bitmap) claiming every other character in the show as "mai waifu". You can understand. So, without further ado: (00:24) Salome is so hot. (00:26) Just sayin'. (00:37) Also a hikki. (00:48) -ssho~ (01:05) Yeah, she's totally a NEET thief. (01:10) Like a NEET detective, but the opposite. (02:12) It's a Milky Holmes thing, you know. (02:27) Man, you keep forgetting I have good taste. (02:33) And didn't watch Milky Holmes. (03:14) And yet, here we are, watching Twin Angel together. (03:21) So we are. (03:22) So, how did this shitty Tamagotchi-looking thing get so popular? (03:27) Don't they have like... actual games? (03:31) I like how it's a "game". (03:34) That's what it's called. Game. (03:46) Well, it sure wasn't because of that title. (03:58) Man, that thing is huge. (04:06) Do you really want to keep that in your chest? (04:06) Oh, this girl; I love this girl. (04:19) And apparently she has a name. (04:45) Why does the girl whose only role is to drop shit everywhere have a name? (04:53) She just carries those chopsticks with her everywhere she goes. (04:57) Wait, doesn't everybody do that? (05:10) Also, of course her name is Nyan-chan. (05:19) Also also, for the last episode, I was chastized over Twitter for using "crawfish" instead of "crayfish." (05:21) Too white trash? (05:49) Yeah, not Japanese trash enough. (06:28) "Tell me eeeeverything that was stolen." (06:37) It just sounds so bad if you assume he's the thief. (07:58) Seriously, this seiyuu does a really good creepy voice. (08:07) I know I'm creeped out. (09:10) You know, it seems like making this door 3D would be more work. (09:15) J.C. Staff just cares that much. See the full gallery on Posterous (10:09) How come these eyecatches aren't sexy? (10:13) I feel ripped off. (11:21) Yes, walk around the school in a towel. (11:26) What a reasonable idea. (11:53) In case the viewer forgot in the last 5 minutes that Aoi is a boob monster. (11:59) This would be solved if they didn't take showers in school. (12:07) Like regular people. (12:18) But you don't want to smell like chlorine! (12:33) I mean, we're not barbarians here. (13:47) He totally knows Aikido. (13:51) Just like Steven Seagal. (14:00) He's the Steven Seagal of anime. (15:22) How did a stuffed animal break a window? (15:26) That bear is going to have to pay damage repairs. (16:00) Salome is still pretty much just a Rozen Maiden reject. (16:11) Wait, how does she know exactly where the tiara is? (17:34) And what about the bear being all menacing and shit? (17:52) A brilliant red herring. (17:56) Pappy is a creepy name to call anybody, never mind your butler. (18:04) Well, he is a creepy dude. (18:19) Let's go fever time!! (18:29) Haruka's transformation is nice. (18:36) Aoi's is just... *boing*. (18:52) How does the arrow... (18:54) What did it even do just now? (18:58) Just kill the wrecking ball's momentum? (19:01) It's an Angel Arrow. (19:01) It can do anything, as long as it's convenient for the plot. (19:24) Oh, right. Silly me. (19:51) Why isn't Haruka dead by now? (19:58) Or at least missing a foot? (20:14) More importantly, what the hell is with that monkey statue? (20:45) "I wonder which one of us is the true dumb-ass..." (20:49) Man, Misty Knight tries way too hard to be cool. (21:10) Can you just make up combo moves like that? (21:15) Angel Tornado... (21:18) Oh, and Attack as well. (21:19) This show doesn't have very good names. (21:46) I love my Kugyuuuuuu, but why is she on the roof? (22:02) Because Twin Angel? (22:10) Because Twin Angel. (23:26) Oh, on a last note, I should take the time to point out that the translator translated "KyunPara", the trendy abbreviation Haruka made up last episode preview, as "From today" for some reason. (23:34) It's a perfectly valid localization! (23:40) Foreigners just wouldn't get it, you know. (23:45) Lousy foreigners.   Permalink | Leave a comment  »
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A post co-written by bitmap and Dez The first few weeks of the summer season have passed, and they have not been without their pleasant surprises. But one show has managed to capture our imagination beyond all others. It signals the long-awaited return of a certain infamous director back working on a television series; full of sexually-charged imagery, it's a show just waiting to be dissected as the weeks go on. The first episode threw so many things at us on a thematic, visual and conceptual level that we found it a welcome relief amidst the myriad of moe-pandering shows the industry cranks out. To be frank, we were left speechless, and more importantly, eagerly awaiting the next episode. And so, we, bitmap and Dez, decided that we had to episodically blog it. Of course, we're talking about Kaitō Tenshi Twin Angel ~Kyun Kyun☆Tokimeki Paradise!!~ (localized as Twin Angel - Twinkle Paradise for online English distribution). Let's go fever time! bitmap: Well, I think the part of this first episode that really stands out in one's mind is its recurring sexual visual motifs. It's not unexpected, of course, considering the director, Yoshiaki Iwasaki, notable for his directorial work in Revolutionary Girl Utena, although he is perhaps most familiar for having directed both Love Hina and the first season of The Familiar of Zero. The most immediately accessible image that we as the viewers are exposed to is that of the cherry. As the school logo of St. Cherine's Academy, it features prominently in both the female school uniform, which has cherry-shaped ornaments connected to the front ribbons, and in decorations such as windows and paintings. The cherry persists as a symbol of purity and virginal sanctity in both Western culture (as in "to pop the cherry") and Japanese flower symbolism (hanakotoba, lit. "the language of flowers"). This interpretation ties in well with what Iwasaki is trying to do with the loaded sexual imagery in Twin Angel. I don't think it is too much of a leap to see the meaning in these schoolgirls symbolically wearing their virginity on their sleeves (or chests, as it is). And when Haruka and Aoi transform into Twin Angel, it's no surprise that we see the cherries glowing, their chastity the apparent source of their power. However, these cherries disappear during the transformation sequence; this, combined with the standard fare of the girls being stripped before their costumes materialize on top, helps to cement the idea that the Twin Angel transformation is a metaphor for loss of innocence, and more to the point, virginity. Of course, suggesting that Twin Angel is unique in this aspect would be unfeasible, but in this case, the analogy can be extended further. Twin Angel are described in the first episode as "two, acting as one," and their success is dependent on their teamwork. Would it be reading too much into it to suggest that Twin Angel symbolize the twin female reproductive organs, the ovaries? I think not. See the full gallery on Posterous Fig. 1: Of cherries and magical girl transformations. Dez: Another important theme in Twin Angel is responsibility and how it ties with fate. Early on in the episode we're introduced to an important character, the butler, Heinojou. Heinojou has the eerie habit of appearing without notice, as when Haruka and Aoi are leaving the toilet,  to inform them of their next task. He is presented as an ominous figure that is aware of everything and is always watching the main characters. This, combined with his role of giving out tasks, leads me to believe that he represents responsibility and fate. Even in their most vulnerable moments, as in the toilet, they can't escape from him. Their encounters with Heinojou make it undeniably clear that they cannot avoid their fate as Twin Angel, and what initially appeared to be a miracle turned out to be a service that they must now pay for by fighting for the headmistress. Fig. 2: The trapdoor of fate. Dez: After the main conflict is resolved we're presented with a scene that is strikingly similar to Heinojou's introduction, where he assigns another task to the girls. Haruka acts displeased―one might even say disgusted―with this development, while Aoi accepts it as something that can't be helped. This demonstrates their opposite approaches to fate: while Aoi submits to fate and accepts it as an inevitability, Haruka wants to decide her role in life by herself. The show gives us a hint on why Aoi acts this way when Heinojou refers to her as "Heaven's Envoy". All humans are fated to reach the afterlife, the final stop in the train line of life. Aoi, as an agent of Heaven, the place where fate converges, knows how utterly meaningless it is to resist. This fundamental difference in the way the main characters approach the concept of fate will most definitely be the source of a major conflict later on in the series. I was already excited about this series before the season started, due to the director's track record, and now we have genuine reasons to look forward to it every week. bitmap: I agree wholeheartedly. A great first episode makes the viewer ask questions, and Twin Angel has done just that. Just what is "Heaven's Envoy?" What of the hunt for the mysterious "Seven Amulets?" And most importantly, just what is the true identity of the handsome yet mysterious "Misty Knight?" I, for one, am sticking with the show, if just to find the answers to these mysteries. What about you, Dez? Dez: Well I know with absolute certainty that I'm going to be watching this riveting show. bitmap: Most excellent. I hope you, the readers, look as forward to reading our next post as we do to writing it! Permalink | Leave a comment  »
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Synopsis: “Haruka Minazuki and Aoi Kannazuki are freshman high school students and best friends. During the day they help with school activities but at night they thwart enemies like Black Auction and other villains as Red Angel and Blue Angel, the Twin Angel team.” Thoughts: Ever watch something and wonder why it was made in [...]
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In a season with the likes of Ro-Kyu-Bu and Sacred Seven, it’s hard to be labeled the most derivative offering currently airing. But Yuru Yuri, being the overachiever that it is, takes the award for most unoriginal first episode, as well as the award for most boring imitation of Lucky Star. Congratulations K-ON, you’ve been [...]
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So what did I watch/suffer through today?  Mysterious singing robot summons, vampire cats and squeaky magical girls…….yeap that would be Kamisama Dolls, Nyanpire! and Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel Kyun Kyun Tokimeki Paradise. Kamisama Dolls I really liked this first episode – so far its the best of the season for me.  So much happens, but [...]
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Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel - Kyun Kyun Tokimeki Paradise Short Synopsis: Our lead character are magical girls who fight crime. What the..? This is really weird: at first sight this series seems exactly like the OVA. In fact, the entire first scene was completely borrowed from the OVA. However, as the series went on, it became [...]
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Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel: Kyun Kyun Tokimeki Paradise!! TV series (July) Blu-ray vol.1 will be released on 9/30. 7980yen. Amazon links: vol.1, vol.2, vol.3, vol.4, vol.5, vol.6 Special/Bonus features: - Audio commentary - Angel Voice Comic (~10 min, ada..
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Clayz is going to release the Resi-Carat Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel 2 ( 快盗天使ツインエンジェル2 ) Angel Ver. ( エンジェルVer. ) non-scale cold cast GK from the Pachinslot/OVA/anime series “Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel 2” ( 快盗天使ツインエンジェル2 ). Will be released in July 2011. Around 60mm tall, 10,000 yen for a set of 3. Kit will be [...]
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Clayz is going to release the Resi-Carat Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel 2 ( 快盗天使ツインエンジェル2 ) School Uniform Ver. ( 制服Ver. ) non-scale cold cast GK from the Pachinslot/OVA/anime series “Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel 2” ( 快盗天使ツインエンジェル2 ). Will be released in July 2011. Around 60mm tall, 10,000 yen for a set of 3. Kit will [...]
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Anyways, I’m going to do my best to get trailers and announcements up but forgive me if I miss a few. So alright, first one I’m coming across is a new anime (of some sort) based on the magical girl slot machines Kaito Tenshi Twin Angel… wait, seriously? (looks again) Yeah, alright, awesome… what is [...]
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Comiket 79 is currently going on and, as usual, cam footage of trailers for upcoming titles make their way on the net. Below you’ll find a selection of videos that have been uploaded already. There will be more to come as the event progresses. 「Lotte no Omocha」 Show ▼ External Link *** 「Hanasaku Iroha」 Show [...]
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RC Berg is going to release the White Angel ( ホワイトエンジェル ) non-scale color resin cast GK from the Pachinslot/OVA series “Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel 2” ( 快盗天使ツインエンジェル2 ). Will be released in April 2010. Around 170mm tall, 13,650 yen. 9-color 54 parts+decals. Kit is not pre-painted nor assembled. Some of you may still remembered the [...]
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I know I'm pathetically slow to receive news sometimes. Well, more like all the time. Still, it wasn't until I was looking through random Youtube videos that I heard about the second set of anime episodes (webcast, if I read it correctly) for Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angels. I would watch it if only for Yukari Tamura [...]
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In recent years, there have been many attempts to cash in on the popularity of mahou shoujo anime with the otaku crowd by balancing the ordinarily shoujo genre with moe and fanservice elements. With this wave of magical girl shows aimed at an older demographic, several anime have decided to play a darker take on the genre, as seen in the likes of Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and Uta Kata. Kaitu Tenshi Twin Angel could be said to have an almost notoriously adult background, being based on a pachiriko game-cum-fanservice manga. The anime rides the 'dark magical girl' bus and does so to great results.
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