Burst Angel

Did You Know?

• Jo is described by ADR Director Christopher Bevins as 'like a female cross between Clint Eastwood and Wolverine'.
• Meg's red hair is initially depicted as black in the monochrome episode 'Wild Kids'.
• Amy carries a pink stuffed animal that conceals a laptop, and her hacking activities originally attracted government scrutiny before Sei recruited her.

Plot

In the near future, a rise in crime leads Japan to legalize firearm possession and establish the Recently Armed Police of Tokyo, which exterminates criminals rather than arresting them. College student Kyohei Tachibana, aspiring to be a pastry chef, becomes caught in a shootout between a silver-haired woman and a gangster. He later works as a cook for four female mercenaries—Jo, Meg, Amy, and Sei—who operate as agents for the international group Bailan. The group investigates mutated human monsters with glowing brains causing chaos in Tokyo.

Characters

Three of the four girls—Jo, Meg, and Amy—are named after the March sisters from Little Women. Jo is the group's primary combatant and pilot of the mecha Django, prioritizing Meg above all else; romantic undertones suggest her feelings for Meg. She enjoys horror films and was genetically engineered, later rediscovering her origins. After being reprogrammed at Hinode, she escapes during a battle with her counterpart Maria, who regains her humanity. Jo leaves to end RAPT, rendering Meg unconscious and leaving her jacket as a memento. Meg, with red hair and cowgirl attire, uses a revolver and anti-tank rifle. Frequently captured, she relies on Jo for rescue. Their partnership began when Jo found Meg as an orphan in New York City. While the anime shows subtle affection, the manga explicitly depicts Meg's romantic attraction to Jo, including sexual fantasies. After learning Jo's origins, Meg opposes her combat role, leading Jo to incapacitate her. In the finale, Meg finds Jo's scarf at RAPT's ruins and later appears in Jo's outfit with an Orange Django. Sei, Bailan's composed leader, wears a blue jacket and black bun hairstyle. Born into a powerful Chinese syndicate, she inherited leadership from her grandfather. When clan members allied with RAPT, she rebelled with his counsel. Her fate is unresolved after the RAPT headquarters' destruction.

Media

Burst Angel, animated by Gonzo, directed by Koichi Ohata and written by Fumihiko Shimo, aired for 24 episodes on TV Asahi from April 7 to September 22, 2004. The opening theme is "Loosey" by the Stripes, and the ending theme is "Under the Sky" by Coudica in Japanese and Caitlin Glass in English. Funimation released the complete DVD collection on January 2, 2009, including episodes 1–24 and the OVA, followed by a Blu-ray on September 29, 2009. The series was available on PlayStation Network's Video store in 2008 and added to Crunchyroll in September 2022. A manga prequel, Angel's Adolescence, written and illustrated by Minoru Murao, was serialized in Dengeki Comic Gao! from January 27, 2004, to June 27, 2005, and collected in three volumes. It depicts the romantic relationship of Jo and Meg. Tokyopop licensed the manga for English release in 2008, and Titan Comics licensed it in August 2023, releasing the first volume on July 2, 2024. The series was added to Crunchyroll Manga in November 2025. The OVA Burst Angel: Infinity, released in Japan on March 23, 2007, is a side story about Jo and Meg visiting Sam in New York after episode 14. It includes a short preview, Burst Angel Heavenly Moon Burst Crimson, showing characters five years in the future. Funimation released the OVA on November 13, 2007.