martin

Angel Sign

Parts of this extremely, uncomfortably cheesy “feel-good” Korean indie-coded stuff were directed by Tsukasa Hojo, author of Cat’s Eye and City Hunter or Angel Heart which this Angel Sign is in no way connected with. Though he’s far from a manga author I like (or respect), it’s difficult to deny that he’s good at making engaging stories and frame good-looking panels filled with jokes and action. It’s kind of generic mainstream stuff, but a well-made one. None of that is in his segments (nor in the other ones, for that matter, but I won’t go into them, just trust me that they're as derivative as this). Instead, we get the most saccharine and cheap-looking stinky cliche cheese that’s more like a life insurance ad than anything else. There’s even an appalling CGI blue butterfly ghost of a dead pianist that gets reunited with his cellist lover at the end, with all the corny music by a person who’s only listened to Yoshiki but wants to be a “serious” classical composer. If I want men reborn as insects, I’d totally choose Eega or even The Acid House, cause revenge flies are way cooler than butterfly boyfriends.