Galaxy Angel 3

It's no secret at this point that I enjoy weird, zany comedies. And that includes the Galaxy Angel franchise, which I have talked about before, twice. This time around, we're looking at the third series. This one aired from late 2002 to early 2003 with each episode containing two separate acts, except for the last one which I'll definitely get into. Let's dive right in.

Story:

We open with the Angel Brigade having gone their separate ways and Commander Volcott having to get them back together to rival the newly formed Twin Star unit and save his job. It's the same as the other instalments ... in the franchise in that the episodes quickly become only loosely connected and all have their own little comedic arcs and gimmicks.

I actually have the same issue with this series as I have with the previous two. Except that its actually worse in this. Instead of one random serious episode that sucks, there are three random serious episodes, including the double-lengthed finale. There's one where Ranpha encounters a hologram on a tragic voyage (38). One where Milfeulle has to persuade a depressed veteran to abandon his old post before the planet is destroyed (42) and the finale where the group uncovers a tragic, old case that could lead to disaster. None of these episodes are funny nor are they trying to be. Its almost like there are writers on the staff who really want to prove that they could do serious sci-fi. The problem is that the characters and scenario as a whole aren't designed for serious sci-fi. They're quirky and hilarious. The serious episodes are just out of place and fall completely flat. This is also the first instalment that has a comedic episode that isn't really funny. Basically, there's an episode based off of the old legend about Princess Kaguya being found in the bamboo stalk but the "humour" is all based around the Angels going baby crazy and becoming obnoxious mothers. You know the type, the ones who think they can do whatever they want because they're mothers and everyone hates them. It's honestly a pretty annoying episode.

With all that being said, this series does have some of the funniest episodes in the franchise thus far. The one where they get turned into children, the one where they're dangling from a cliff, the one where Ranpha sets them up on a group date, the one where Milfeulle dimension hops, Vanilla getting a love letter, having to play shiritori to save the universe, the one where they lampoon super sentai shows. All of those episodes stand out as exceptionally hilarious. Which does mitigate the damage caused by those serious episodes and the one comedic one that falls short.

Characters:

All our old favourites return and they're just as hilarious as ever. They also continue to mesh perfectly for comedic purposes. The addition of the twins, Malibu & Cocomo along with their commanding officer, Mary, actually works really well. The writers do a good job of integrating them into the dynamic and finding niches for them to fill that provide for enhanced comedic opportunities. It also helps that they only get used when they enhance the comedy. Like that aforementioned episode where the Angel brigade gets turned into children.

Art:

The anime looks pretty good. There are some strong visual gags, the designs are good and the animation flows pretty nicely. Like with the previous series, the comedic shifts might be overdone for some people but I maintain that they suit the comedy.

Sound:

I've already talked about how good the main cast is and they're still really good. But let's talk a bit about the people who voice our new secondary characters. We have Ohara Sayaka, Saeki Tomo & Sanpei Yuko. All three of them perform their roles really well and bring a lot of energy to their performances. One thing every person in the cast, old and new, excels at is knowing when to be more subdued and when to get a bit exaggerated. I also really love the music. The theme tunes are goofy, well composed and wonderfully performed. The one good part of Final Dish Rebecca is the song, In the Chaos. I'd still suggest skipping the episode, but look up the song for certain.

Ho-yay:

There's a little bit. The series has the occasional scene that reads as having a touch of les-yay, just like the previous series. And like them it's nothing too substantial.

Areas of Improvement:

1. Stop with the serious episodes. Having an hour worth of serious episodes really doesn't work in a series with twelve hours worth of absurdist zany comedy. Especially in a series like this where the characters regularly die for comedic pay off. The tonal shift is too awkward.

2. If you're going to have an episode where parenting is a key part of the humour, actually find something comedic about parenting first. Don't just make your characters act like the worst type of entitled parent.

3. Don't end your zany comedy series with a serious episode. Frankly, having serious episodes at all doesn't work, but it's particularly egregious to make one the finale.

Final Thoughts:

This isn't as good as the second series. The one failed comedic episode and multiple serious episodes do drag it down a bit. That being said, it does have some exceptionally hilarious episodes and everything good about the franchise is still present in force. For fans of absurdist comedy, it's a must watch with all the weirdness and over the top goofiness you could ask for. But I would recommend skipping past Bamboo-Cutter Platter, Galactic Rose Tea, Sub-Zero Hot Hot Dog & Final Dish Rebecca. But check out the song, In the Chaos because it's amazing. My final rating is going to be a solid 8/10.

What can I say? The third season of Galaxy Angel is continuing with the quality bar set by the second season, which means it's great. It's still the same Galaxy Angel, which means the same show with no real story. Our heroes are still looking for some vague Lost Technology and that's about it. Every episode is different and they don't rely on each other. Every episode is independent. It could be described as slice of life. Slice of life from space. If you are looking for some mindblowing story, well, this is not the animeme for you. But if you're looking for something very ... fun, brainless and enjoyable, well, look no further. I think the last time I had this much fun watching anime was few years ago.

Characters are the same as you know from the first and second season. And they are still as lovely as ever. All of them are great, there is not a single character that would suck. They are all very different, with different personalities, but they fit together PERFECTLY. I gotta say, my favorite character is still Mint.

What I found kinda funny was the fact that they introduced few new characters in this season, but then I got the feeling they realised they kinda sucked, so they really weren't in most of the episodes. So if you're not that happy with the first episode where they are introduced, like I was, just keep watching, they will disappear eventually, I promise!

The music and sound is excellent, as is always the case with things produced by Broccoli. I especially loved the second ending. It always felt like the great end of the alcoholic night. The song used in second ending and its atmosphere is so... celebratory. Animation and thing in second ending is really simple, when you think about it, but it works very well. I can imagine watching it on New Year night.

I loved the art. It felt kinda old school, but in a good way. It looks like very solid, older anime. Anyway, to summarize this - I recommend this anime and you should definitely watch it if you need some cute, funny no-brainer. And I enjoyed this season so much, I am not afraid to rate it as masterpiece.

This is going to be a short review.

This is basically more of the same thing as in Galaxy Angel 1 and in Galaxy Angel Z. The difference is that this time episodes are even less connected with each other and the "mysterious/serious episodes" that were present in Galaxy Angel Z are next to non-existent (I think there was only one episode like that).

Overall.. it is a gag comedy. Individual episodes share characters, but otherwise are not connected to each other, and can probably be viewed in any order. The show usually takes some sort of a strange idea and runs with it for the ... duration of an episode (episodes are short - there are two stories per episode, meaning in 26 minute episode you'll have two unrelated 13 or so minute long episodes. Usually).
The humor however is not exactly top notch, but isn't bad either. Which makes it a decent anime to kill time.

Details below:

Story: 5/10. There is a smaller number of serious episodes compared to galaxy Angel Z, so it is slightly worse in my opinion. The story isn't horrible, but it is centered around gags and silly ideas, so it doesn't take itself seriously to begin with. There's larger number of anime parodies, comparable to previous seasons, but overall it is more or less the same thing - a show that doesn't take itself seriously and is mostly about silly fun.

It is worth mentioning that this time it is incredibly common for story lines fail to finish. Meaning you could have an episode that ends up with some sort of disastrous consequences, and in the next one, everything starts from the blank state, as if the previous story never happened. This is extremely common, which is why I say it is possible to watch this anime pretty much in any order.

Art: 5/10: It is decent but those are budget series. Meaning overall it has low level of detail, and doesn't really excel in a visual department.

Sound: 5/10: Music is okay. Same applies to voice acting. The music doesn't stand out.

Character: 5/10: Those are gag characters that stick with their typical role, and do not try to do something beyond that. So, no significant character depth, just characters playing their parts. Still, for the comedy show they're believable enough.

Enjoyment: 5/10 : I found it to be okay. It was not a very existing show, but it wasn't a horrible one. So I didn't hate it.

Overall: 5/10: Worth a watch if you want to kill some time or to have some cheap lights. it is not a masterpiece level material, but it isn't bad either.