Angela (アンジェラ), also known as Steve, is a French musical star and a member of France's secret rescue team.
Description[]
Angela has long, wavy blond hair and large, sparkling green eyes. She is usually shown wearing a costume from her latest musical, and she always carries a rose.
In the Japanese version of Sonic Wings 2, Angela describes herself as 男装の麗人 ("a beauty dressed as a man"), such as the all-female Takarazuka Revue musical troupe. However, in the English version, Angela is depicted as a male punk rock star named Steve. The localization of the later Aero Fighters Special, the English version of Sonic Wings Limited, is more accurate to the original with the character appearing as the female Angela.
Several factors have led to much debate over whether Angela is a man or a woman: her attire, her English name of Steve, her use of masculine language in the Japanese games, and her appearance as a man in some game endings. However, both the defunct official Video System website and the sketchbook Pseudo Sky Rascals emphasize that the character is a woman, stating that the endings showing her as a man weren't meant to be taken seriously.[1]
Sonic Wings 2[]
The famous French musical dancer is actually a member of a secret rescue team; she is the team's most expert member and possesses superior talent for combat. She fights because of liberty, equality, and philanthropy. As in Takarazuka, she gives the impression similar to a beauty disguising herself as a man; she also has many fans but is something of a narcissist (although Angela herself denies it). She is 25 years old, based on appearance?
From France with Love
Famous French dancer. Also famous as one of the leading members of the French Secret Rescue Squad.
—Aero Fighters 2 game manual
As a member of France's secret rescue team, Angela is an expert in dogfighting according to the game manual. She declares that she "fights for love," but she's still happy when peace returns to the planet and she can return to performing. She wears a red, military-style costume and carries a pink rose.
In two-player mode, Angela can be paired with any of the other pilots:
- Arthur: Most of Angela and Arthur's dialogue consists of discussing the battle and enemies. After the final boss battle, Lord River-n-White appears in a cameo, telling the two that they have saved the world due to their bravery.
- Cincia and Ellen: Cincia and Ellen think that Angela is arrogant and stuck up (with good reason), while in fact, the duo are the better fighters. After the final boss battle, the three decide that they need to get into better shape and go train with Keith Bishop.
- Hien: Hien does not get along well with Angela; each finds the other to be cocky, and in the English version, despite Hien's efforts to understand "punk," Steve loses patience with him. Still, there's something Angela does like about Hien; after the final boss battle, Angela pulls off her clothes (revealing herself to be a man in this ending) and demands that Hien accept their affection. Hien does not oblige.
- Mecha-Keaton: Angela is hurt that Keaton doesn't know who she, "the musical star," is, and he apologizes saying that he's been "away from the world for a while." He also asks if she's a man or a woman, to which she replies doesn't he know the phrase "男装の麗人" ("a beauty dressed as a man"). When she declares that she is fighting for love, Keaton is taken aback. Once they get past this initial awkwardness, they work well together, with Keaton on the offensive and Angela covering him. She warns him to be careful when he gets too enthusiastic about fighting, but she is also impressed with his bravery. In the English version, their dialogue is completely different, with Keaton at first skeptical of Steve's arrogant attitude and a little confused by him. However, they each end up deciding the other is "not so bad after all," and they admire each other's "coolness." After defeating the final boss, Angela's Rafale M crashes. Keaton is at first sympathetic, then shocked when Angela's torn jacket falls off, revealing the corset she's wearing underneath. Poor Keaton then gets punched by the embarrassed Angela, who wails for him not to look at her.
- Mao Mao: Angela and Mao Mao work well together, possibly because they are both performers with similar, indefatigably cheerful personalities. Mao Mao admires Angela and thinks that she's quite cool; after the final boss battle, Mao Mao happily declares that she'll join Angela's musical group. However, she doesn't work hard enough for Angela, who gives her a position on the band's cleaning crew.
- Silver: Angela is not overly respectful of Silver, calling him "wacky" and "old man" in the English version of the game. Silver puts up with it through the battles, but he's finally had enough of Angela after the final boss battle. She interrupts Silver's thoughts of his lost comrade Randy, earning a sound kick from him.
- Whity: Whity and Angela don't talk to one another very much, other than for each to argue in favor of their own brand of power. Whity finds Angela to be stuck-up, although Angela doesn't seem to understand that this is a bad thing. After the final boss battle, Angela tells Whity (for the second time) that he should join a circus, which leads to the dolphin opening fire on the musician and shooting her out of the sky.
Sonic Wings 3[]
Angela appears during Chaika and Pooshika's 1P end sequence. Lord River-n-White gives the twins' pay to someone else, so Angela offers them a job cleaning up after her musical group.
Sonic Wings Special/Sonic Wings Limited[]
From France with Love
A hugely popular musical dancer. A beautiful woman dressed as a man, she has many fans, both male and female, because of her dignified demeanor. She is also a member of a peacekeeping organization and has outstanding abilities. A pilot who fights for liberty, equality, and fraternity.
—Sonic Wings Special manual
Angela now wears a white costume and carries a white rose. Her hair is curlier and in some appearances, styled on the other side of her face. In two-player mode, she is paired with Ellen and Cincia.
Angela also appears in Chaika and Pooshika's 1P ending if the final stage is Another World. The twins find that Lord River-n-White has given their pay to someone else, so they work for Angela to earn money.
One-Player Mode Endings[]
- Fight in Orbit final stage: After defeating the boss, Angela returns to Paris where she drinks coffee in front of the Arc de Triumph, commenting that this is a better lifestyle for a star like her.
- Another World final stage: Angela's plane crashes, and her costume falls apart, revealing her corset. She hits Gill and Glen for looking at her, and Lord River-n-White is shown as well.
- Bermuda or Mars final stage: Angela appears on stage along with many other members of Project Blue, where the game is revealed to be a long-running musical.
Two-Player Mode Endings[]
- Fight in Orbit final stage: Angela declares that Ellen is the one she's been searching for. She pulls off all her clothes, revealing herself to be a man, and asks Ellen to accept his love. Ellen kicks him.
- Another World final stage: Angela wants to go shopping with Ellen and Cincia in Paris, but she's late. When she finally does show up, she's wearing an incredibly fancy outfit which Ellen finds ridiculous.
- Bermuda or Mars final stage: Ellen, Cincia, and Angela go to Malcolm for training, but they're uncertain about the effectiveness of his techniques. This angers Malcolm, who attacks them with his "Malcolm Flash."
Inspiration[]
According to Pseudo Sky Rascals, Angela's design was inspired by the character Oscar de Jarjeyes in the manga and anime Berusaiyu no Bara (also known as Berubara, Rose of Versailles, or Lady Oscar). Oscar was raised as a boy by her father and leads the Royal French Army in the years leading up to the French Revolution. She and Angela couldn't be more different in personality; Oscar is serious and level-headed where Angela is vain and can be flighty.
However, Angela mimics Oscar closely in appearance and dress. Oscar has wavy blond hair and "shoujo" style eyes, although hers are blue whereas Angela's are green. In addition, Angela's musical costume in Sonic Wings 2 is very similar to Oscar's elaborate royal uniform. Angela also carries a rose, echoing the rose theme found throughout Berubara. Video System's developers even referred to Angela as "Oscar" while they were working on Sonic Wings 2.[1]
Voice Samples[]
- Music and voice from Angela's ending in Sonic Wings 2
Gallery[]
