Hey there, faithful readers. It’s time for another Rising Sun, and this show is something I never expected to review.

The show in question is Angelic Layer, a sports series created by the legendary artist/writer group CLAMP, who are most well known for the fantasy series Cardcaptor Sakura.

The series, which is a sort of prequel to another CLAMP work entitled Chobits, revolves around a young girl named Misaki, who moves to Tokyo to begin studying at a prestigious escalator school. (one where all grades are instructed) Almost as soon as she arrives, she finds herself intrigued by the game Angelic Layer, in which special dolls called angels are brought to life with neuro-cranial transmitters to engage in martial arts battles. Misaki quickly buys a angel, which she calls Hikaru, and begins her climb to stardom in the arena.

The narrative is very well constructed, with each episode built around Misaki and Hikaru’s bonding. All the characters are there for a reason, and each of them have a likable trait and solid development. There are also entertaining jokes along the way, with the tension of the competitive scene being relieved by the way the game’s co-creator Icchan creates penalty-games for his co-workers. However, it must be noted that one of the earlier jokes, involving Icchan putting an octopus in his male co-worker’s pants, can be seen in very poor taste, given some popular misconceptions about anime. Observant fans can also find enjoyment in looking for nods to CLAMP’s other works. (Here’s one: Misaki’s angel Hikaru is named after one of the three protagonists in Magic Knight Rayearth.)

Turning to the actual look of the series, Angelic Layer doesn’t look very CLAMP-like given it’s time period, but the asthetic fits the series very well. All of the character designs are unique and it’s difficult to mistaken one character for another. The martial arts battles that make up the show’s competitions are also very well choreographed and memorable. All of the backgrounds are also well drawn and suit the modern city feel of the series, and Chobits fans will also enjoy the subtelty of this show’s connection to its followup.

Being someone that doesn’t squeeze much enjoyment out of shows like Beyblade, I can say that everyone can find something to like in Angelic Layer on Hulu, and on DVD come Nov. 24.