Just remember, they're Japanese!

This post is actually kinda in response to Boonewilliam's comments on the show in the comments section.

Its ok to criticize Angelic Layer of course, and it does have a few flaws [although I personally think its the best Anime I've seen], but what you have to remember is that this program was made for Japanese people for Japanese people; based in Japanese culture. Sure, they're probably very happy that Americans want to buy it and enjoy watching it, but at the end of the day, Misaki and friends are Nihon-jin.

Boonewilliams was particularly upset at the final battle and says

"i waited for the surprise ending where rather than fighting, the two dolls representing mother and daughter embrace and walk off the playing field as something less than champions, but far more profound than mere combatants. however, the message was that winning is everything, even if it means fighting the ones you love"

Ummm, I am not Japanese and know only a little about their culture but something tells me, after reading much about them and watching their shows, that 'throwing in the towel' at the final battle and leaving like that would not be an option. In a cultural context, I too had a problem in the episode where Misaki & Hikaru win by the skin of their teeth but her little friend, Hatoku, is pissed at her because she didn't go for the coup-de-grace and simply squeeked by, a victory 'without honor' as the Klingons might say. But they are Japanese, and they have their own very ancient culture, so you've really got to let stuff like the final battle of mother vs. child and anger at winning by attrition roll off the proverbial duck's back (if it bothers you). At the end of the day, Hatoku was still friends with Misaki and mother and daughter were tearfully and lovingly reunited, the means of getting there is part of their cultural landscape.

Boonewilliams also was somewhat upset at the terminology of the show

"...not to mention the theologically questionable aspect of referring to the dolls as "angels" and the users as "deus," literally translated as gods."

I shouldn't even have to comment on this one. They're Japanese. I think less than 1% of the population of Japan is Christian [I'm assuming that Boonewilliam's beef is 'taking the lord's name in vain' sort of thing]. The majority are Buddist and after that, Shinto (if memory serves). _I_ dont even have a problem with the term Deus (although I was raised in Oregon and Oregonians can get kinda bizzare sometimes) and I have no idea what the 'theologically questionable aspect' of using a perfectly servicable Latin word is. But even if I did have the same problem, once again, its a Japanese show. Something tells me they have no problems saying 'gods' and 'angels' as the source of the beef: Christian theology, the Latin language, and the western concepts of God and angels, are not Japanese.