angel devil analysis
hi this is all from the top of my head so if something isnt 1000% accurate kill me dead ok im a little rusty. CSM PART 1 SPOILERS BTW
Besides Angel's design one thing I find really interesting about his character is how much more human he is compared to most devils.. He's the only one we see that had a good relationship with humans from the jump (besides nayuta) and the first that we see fall in love with one. Over time we see that he's benevolent at heart despite what he tells others, and probably what he tells himself. It's sad seeing him in some panels act like he doesn't care because he's a devil yet he just proves himself wrong with every action he makes and every small detail shown. He defends Aki from gunfire when they first meet, he comforts a human in their dying moments, he tries to convince Aki to leave public safety because he cares about him, and ultimately 'dies' trying to save them both. I also find it interesting how Aki reminds him of that girl from the village.. fujimoto i see you. akiangel is most definitely implied (fork found in kitchen) especially with how they paralleled rezeden but that's a whole can of worms for another day, and ifykyk
In so many ways Angel Devil is the closest a devil can get to a human. Despite how much he fools himself he is empathetic, he does care, and he's more sensitive to the well beings of others than most devils. This was pointed out by someone else first but I've also noticed it- Angel is most definitely touch starved at least from what we've seen in his official art. Hugging his own arm, petting his wings, it just makes the akiangel scene during the rezeden arc all the more gut wrenching. How long has it been since he was held like that? When was the last time he felt the skin of another person, let alone with the intent to save him? I cant even begin to fathom the perpetual loneliness he had felt after being caught by Makima.
Going back to his empathetic nature, Angel Devil represents the lowest in the 9 choirs.. Angel. The hierarchy in Angelology isn't sorted by power, it's sorted by how close in proximity the angels are to God (nonhuman appearance) and how close they are to are to humanity. (humanoid appearance) Angel being in the lowest choir, closest to humanity, adds to his character and it's over all just something I find very interesting.
Another thing I'd like to add is that I don't think he can fly? At first I considered that he doesn't due to lack of motivation, but after thinking about it more I think he just.. Cant. There's a few situations where he could've flown if he wanted to, but I could always be wrong since it's pretty much never confirmed.
ANOTHER another thing (sorry) is that I think he's from a village in the Pacific Islands. Partially because I'm projecting BUT my reasoning is because of the architecture of the village and the environment.. Also because of the fact that Hawaii is implied to be it's own country(?) since WW2 never happened in the CSM universe, and I wouldn't put it past Makima to travel across the ocean to grab a potential "weapon" she could use. Actually now that I'm thinking about it that's pretty symbolic historically but I'm getting ahead of myself. Anyways
Moving on, I hate what the fandom has done to him regarding flanderization and sexualization. There’s genuinely more to him than just liking ice cream or being a ‘femboy.’ (he literally isn’t one at all anyways he’s just androgynous.. People take that one art of him and run with it as if it wasn’t just denji’s imagination) Like every character in CSM you have to read in between the lines to understand him, which unfortunately most of the fandom isn’t able to do. With this I think most of his personality is overshadowed by what people want it to be, like your stereotypical ‘tsundere’ or nothing at all because they want him to revolve around Aki only. Which brings me to my point that we should appreciate Aki and Angel individually before we appreciate them together! This goes for all ships honestly
Anyways, I think people brush over the fact that Angel's pretty blunt/straightforward and kinda an ass at times.. Mayhaps even sarcastic. (He also has a sense of humor lol) Yes he's kind at heart, but I think its a part of him that people tend to not notice besides his laziness and lack of motivation. I also think people tend to skip over the part that he's pretty? depressed? Rereading the manga made me realize more just how miserable he must've been in public safety, especially with the notion that he was the one who killed his village despite the truth. Angel must've been living with a soul crushing guilt for a while, especially due to the fact that the people who's lifespans he absorbed literally HAUNT his dreams. This is probably the main reason why he has such a reluctance to use his powers, even apologizing before he does so.
the shaky speech bubble 💔💔💔💔💔
TLDR I think his attitude, lack of motivation, and 'laziness' that's really just a desire to die is the result of his situation (+ repressed trauma) and doesn't reflect who he is at heart. I wish we could've gotten more of him back when he was at his village. The Angel we see in part 1 is likely at his lowest.
Angel Devil is a tragic character, there's no doubt about that. Fujimoto's writing, even when it comes to side characters, is phenomenal and leaves a lot of things up for discussion. I wish we could've gotten more about his lore but honestly, I'm grateful for what we have.