The Charge

The Devils and Angels are at it again…

The Case

Momoko Hanasaki and her friends, Yuri and Hinagiku, are Love Angels, earthly agents for the goddess Aphrodite. Their job is to protect love from being corrupted by the evil Devils, who want the earth to be overrun by hate and fear. Through the use of magical talismans (a mirror, a lipgloss, and a watch), they transform into wedding dresses, the most potent symbol of love, to fight minions of Lady Raine Devila. Pluie has been the biggest enemy to date, with his "Jama" demons he uses to possess and control others. What Pluie and the Devils hate the most is the "love wave"—any strong expression of love from humans. They want to obtain items called the Saint Something Four so they can enslave the Angels and wipe out love. We don't yet know exactly what the Saint Something Four are, but we do know that Momoko won't let them win.

Volume two still has some backstory to tell about the Angels and the Saint Something Four. We find out what the Saint Something Four represent, learn more about what originally created the Love Angels on earth, and get a peek at Momoko's real feelings for Yousuke. Of course, in the meantime there is plenty of butt kicking to go around, and in this set of episodes, a bunch of new devils to fight.

It should be noted that the terms "devil" and "angel" are being used somewhat loosely in this series to describe two sides in a war. Characters don't necessarily remain devils all the time, as in the case of Jama-P, a sprite who used to fight for Pluie, but who was transformed by Momoko's love wave into a cute ally for the Love Angels.

Episode Summaries:
"Take Care Not to Eat Too Much"
The newspaper conducts a poll to find out what guys at school like. Yousuke chides Momoko for such a shallow poll, insisting there is more to fall in love over besides looks, but she ignores him. When all the results are in, the number one trait guys like in girls is a thin figure. It seems the devils are listening, because they poison the town's rice so it is instantly fattening. When the girls start getting fat and dumped by their boyfriends, it's a love crisis only the Love Angels can fix!

"Pajama and the Sleeping Princess"
Pluie is back, this time with a scheme to rob people of their love while they sleep. Even Momoko is targeted, and falls into a deep sleep. The only antidote: a kiss from someone she loves. Who will it be? Yousuke or Yanagiba?

"The Stolen Something Four"
The Saint Something Four is revealed! When a high-profile actress is possessed by a lazy devil and has her wedding accessories stolen, it's up to Momoko and gang to get it back, but Pluie gets in the way first.

"Good Work! Friendship Renewal!"
Momoko, Yuri, and Hinagiku have a huge fight over when they should be working on the newspaper, weakening their Love Angel powers. Their friendship bond has been protecting their true identity from the devils, and it's up to Jama-P to get them back together.

"Time Traveling Hinagiku"
It's the school anniversary in two days, and everyone is joining together to build a huge clock made of flowers so everyone can celebrate. Things get weird when Hinagiku is thrown into the future to witness an accident involving dear Yanagiba. When time resumes, she has to lead Momoko and Yuri on a hunt to find who did it, and why.

"The Beautiful Devil's Love Fortune-Telling"
Reiko, a fellow student who has a knack for fortune telling, is tricked into becoming an agent for an ambitious water devil who wants to impress Lady Raine Devila and make a quick buck on the side.

Overall impressions:
As the story of the Angels, Devils, and Love Angels progresses, we see a gradual change in Momoko's focus. Although she's still clumsy, irresponsible, and boy crazy, she is genuinely concerned for all the loving couples out there who are being targeted by Pluie and his gang, and want to do something about it. It changes her perspective slightly, opening her to her own feelings for her friends and for Yousuke.

Aptly named "Pluie's War," nearly every episode features a new minion to attack lovers in a new and different way, and nearly every episode ends with a liberal use of the "Bridal Flash" technique to purge each devil of all hate. At this rate, who will be left to fight? Some new enemies are being introduced for the Love Angels to fight, but that might mean additional costume changes. In this series, there are two sets of changes—the first, into a wedding dress, and a second, into less cumbersome fighting gear. Each have their own "battle gear change" sequence (at least one per episode) that wears the patience thin after a few back-to-back viewings.

Video transfer for Volume Two is excellent, with clear and colorful visuals for this glossy animation style. Sound quality is also good, with a robust soundtrack and an excellent English voice dub track with performances that are spot-on, and don't lay it on too thick. I especially like the actor for Yousuke, who is slightly snarky, but can be sincere when required. Other extras: a reversible cover, and clean opening and closing animation. With six episodes to a volume, you won't mind the lack of substantive extras.

This release definitely improves on Volume One, as we get to know the characters a little better and things start to get interesting. A couple of new characters that look like they might reappear from time to time are introduced, as well. If you liked the first volume, check it out.

Similar Decisions

• Neo Ranga (Volumes 1 And 2)
• Geneshaft: Mobius (Volume 4)
• Super GALs: A GAL's Heart Never Stops!
• Angel Tales: Sweet Transmigration (Volume 1)

Give us your feedback!

Did we give Wedding Peach: Pluie's War (Volume 2) a fair trial? yes / no

What's "fair"? Whether positive or negative, our reviews should be unbiased, informative, and critique the material on its own merits.