This was a show that started off with a lot of promise, but dissolved into standard tropes and traps of a girl-heavy anime. This is ”Gabriel DropOut” (“Gavurīru Doroppuauto”). We are in Heaven (but I can’t seem to find the gift shop!), attending a graduation ceremony.

You see, upon passing angel school in Heaven, these newly-minted angels are sent down to Earth, where they must learn about humans and guide them towards the correct path in order for them to become better people and for our graduates to become true angels.

However, Gabriel White Tenma (blondie), the top angel in her class, becomes addicted to video games upon arriving on Earth and turns into a complete slob as a result. The story follows Gabriel, along with other angels and demons who have descended to Earth, as they attend a real high school to help people. Or, In Gab’s case, ‘help’ people. On her side is Raphiel Ainsworth Shiraha (standing behind Gab), who is not as pure and demure as she projects herself to be. But image is everything.

On the opposing side, we have the Demons, who are the tandem of Vignette April Tsukinose (black hair) and Satanichia (Satania) McDowell Kurumizawa (red hair). I assume they are there to undo whatever Gab is trying to do, but Gab is a major slouch. She sleeps in class, as she has spent the entire night futzing with her latest MMORPG-LS/MFT game and is proving to be quite unangelic. The stories contend themselves with their lives on earth.

Aside from their theological backgrounds, this is nothing more than another all-girl school comedy. The angels are no more effective in combating evil than a screen door on a submarine. The demons are so diffused in their efforts, nasty-tasting medicine could do a better job in souring people. In fact, they spend more time tormenting each other than going after regular folks. It’s just that I would have liked to have seen more in their overall plans, which are deflected with amazing ease. In fact, Satania spends most of her time dealing with a dog that steals her melon bread. How do you expect to enslave the souls of humanity if you can’t protect your melon bread? From a stray dog!

I was expecting more, a lot more. I was actually hoping for a role-reversal here: the demons were more angelic than the angels and did a better job of saving people than the ‘angels’ could. The angels were guilty of the Seven Deadly Sins….all at the same time! Near the end of the season, Boss Angel comes down and is not fooled one little bit by anything Gab tries to hoodwink her with, so we do get a lot of comedic episodes, but that doesn’t cover the glaring problem in that there really wasn’t a cogent idea as to what to do with these beings. In the end, it failed. They should all be recalled and reeducated to try again.

On a scale of 1 to 10:

Artwork           7 (Everyone is a trope)
Plot                  7 (Not enough done with it)
Pacing              7 (Dissolved into standard approaches)
Effectiveness   7 (Should have been more of it)
Conclusion       7 (It reaches a ‘coupler point’, but hasn’t ended)
Fan Service      2 (A similar show would be “Okamisan”)

Overall            7 (Lack of commitment shows)

And remember, it’s first run until you’ve seen it. I’m a great angel!