This is one of those manga that you can't put down once you get into it not because of the gripping plot or the dynamic action, in fact it is rather light in both of those areas, but because you fall in love with the characters so deeply that you just want to keep hanging out with them in their world. The length is both a blessing and a curse, while I ended up falling in love with all of these characters it would be nearly impossible to keep the story fresh at that point without either completely changing the narrative setup or flanderizing Kitano to the point where the misunderstandings are too ridiculous to be plausible. What we are left with are 80ish chapters of heartwarming moments between very well flushed out characters and ridiculous moments of hilarity and badassery, all accomplished through misunderstandings.
You might think 'how can you keep that fresh for 15 volumes?' well, this leads to a very interesting and poignant point made in this manga. People being unfairly discriminated against for reasons outside of their control do not suddenly stop being discriminated against once you know the reasons for their ostracization are groundless. It can be, and usually is, an ongoing, ceaseless struggle that can shape every aspect of their lives. In a sense Angel Densetsu covers the subject of racial/ethnic discrimination and the consequences for those subjected to it in a way that allows us to examine it outside of the lens of our own implicit bias’. Think about it this way, we can laugh out loud at the ridiculous situations he has to deal with because of his looks, but what if instead of him being a scary looking kid in japan he was a black kid in America? Is it still funny that his white neighbors look outside, see their neighbor’s appearance, and completely lose their shit in terror? What about when Kitano was out for a jog and gets assaulted by a fellow pedestrian who ‘feared for their life’ and is left in a ditch? That sounds too similar to a lot of news stories to be anything but sad. I’m not trying to sit here and say that the Mangaka was trying to make political commentary about The United States when he wrote this manga, just that this Manga allows us to look at discrimination through a lens that allows us to see if for what it is at its roots, a baseless rejection of anything outside of the established norms of society. Kitano is the ’Angel Densetsu’ because his kindness, sincerity, and ability to forgive past transgressions creates a haven for all the other students who live isolated, on the peripherals of society. In a sense Kitano is the embodiment of Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I have a dream speech’. He is proof that love is the ultimate weapon against hate.
Character analysis:
Kitano - Honestly how can you not love this guy? His kind ways combined with his naivete and his intimidating appearance lead to some truly amazing and hilarious moments. Kitano will say something to his friends and it will be completely misinterpreted, turning a matter of fact statement about how brooms are needed to sweep up garbage into Kitano claiming that the army of thugs up ahead are so far beneath him he considers them trash. His friends look on in awe, marveling at how much of a badass Kitano is, while he casually heads to the park to sweep up trash.
Kuroda - The former guardian and your generic 90s manga high school delinquent, 2 cronies and all. I liked Kuroda but he's just...too much. As a loud and brash young man he interjects himself into situations all the time where his inclusion makes them less interesting.
Takehisha - This kid is a certified badass and my favorite character in the entire series. I find him especially interesting because even though he gets very little screen time outside of acts where he takes center stage he has the most complete character arc of any anyone in the series. Takehisha comes to us as, basically, a super Saiyan delinquent. He's super strong, super tough, doesn't give a fuck about what anyone thinks. After being defeated by Kitano Takehisha he pledges his allegiance to him, bestowing upon himself the title of ‘little brother to the devil’. Later we find out that Takehisha's story is one fairly similar to Kitano's in a number of ways. His short stature and naturally brown hair made him the target of many a hooligan, but unlike the pure hearted Kitano who accepts the worlds treatment of him with practically Christ-like understanding and patience, Takehisha fought back and got strong enough where he believed his strength could allow him to reject the society that ostracized him. When he became fed up with a Teacher constantly harassing him about the color of his (natural) brown hair he decided to dye it. However, he didn’t dye it Black, like most Brown-haired Japanese did in order to fit in, but platinum blonde. It was as if he was trying to say ‘If you can’t accept me as I am then I’ll become what you hate the most’. Over time hanging out with Kitano he eventually understands that Kitano is basically just an ordinary guy, not this legendary thug that he swore his allegiance to. This shakes Takeshisha's entire worldview at this point, and it is in that moment when members of his old group of delinquents show up. They've learned that Kitano is just a normal kid too and they planned to go jump him to make a name for themselves. On paper this is perfect for Takehisha, he gets to be the guardian of the school and make a legendary name for himself in the streets. With everything he set out to accomplish at the beginning of his journey right before his eyes he rejects his former worldview and dives into a 3 on 1 brawl. This is the first time Takehisha fights anyone in the series not to satisfy his own ego, but instead to protect his friend. The thugs, perplexed at his actions, ask him why he would go so far for a ‘nobody’ in their world he replies 'So what if he's not a delinquent, Kitano is strong, and most important of all, he is my best friend in the entire world'. What makes this such a powerful moment to me is that in this moment Takehisha is acting as a shield, but what he is guarding is not his friend’s safety, but rather his ‘peace’. Kitano's friendship provided Takehisha for the first time in his life a space where he was accepted unconditionally for who he was. He never criticized him for his delinquent ways, never scolded him or shamed him, and in return Takehisha found he no longer found a need to act out in protest of his situation. It is a truly beautiful moment and honestly, for me, might be the reason I hold this manga in such high regard.
Ryoko - I very much enjoyed this character and how interacted with this wacky world that is their town. I love how much it works that she is the actual certified badass that people believe Kitano to be, but because she's pretty nobody gives her a hard time about it. I really wish she had more screen time that didn't involve Kuroda bursting through the page screaming his undying love for her.
Ikuno - she sort of enters the manga with the grace and subtlety of the Kool Aid guy, she seemed to be a one dimensional throwaway antagonist who's entire personality was 'I must do the thing that moves the plot'. But after her initial task in the story was completed she just kind of lingers around on the edges. Then she very much organically makes herself into the main cast of characters because she's not afraid of Kitano, so she doesn't avoid him. Kitano, being the embodiment of grace, looks past her past misdeeds and offers her his friendship, because Kitano offers literally everyone his friendship. Her once flat personality finds folds and wrinkles to it and becomes more and more endearing as you get to know her. Again, through interactions with Kitano, a character is able to find a space where they are accepted for who they are, not what they can do, and through that interaction they begin to be able to accept themselves.
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