Angel Beats!

After my friends and I got out of our Full Metal Alchemist and Fruits Basket obsessions, we needed a new anime show to watch. So while I was on Netflix searching the anime section, I came across a show called Angel Beats!. I turned it on, thinking it looked okay, and was immediately sucked in. The story had lovable characters and a good storyline and it was perfect. After watching the first three episodes, I noticed that there was only 13 episodes in the entire series! I thought, 'This sure isn't long enough to finish this story!' But continued to watch anyway. And after the 9th episode, the story almost completely changed and I was left confused. They got it back together in time for the final episode, but I still think that the story ended too quickly. It was a perfect ending though, if you're willing to stick through the entire episode. And don't forget your tissue box, it'll come in handy through the whole series! And I'm normally really tough and don't cry easy, but there were tears rushing down my face the entire last episode, especially the final sequence before the credits. I still think that I could have lasted longer, like Full Metal Alchemist or had a fuller and more clear storyline like Fruits Basket, but it was good in its own way.

"Angel Beats" was at best an average show. The show had potential to be really great, but was severely flawed in character development.

The supporting cast was far too large and had too much presence throughout the series. This left little room for developing the three main characters (Yuzuru Otonashi, Yuri Nakamura, and Kanade Tachibana), and led to the inevitable let down at the end of the series where we see the emotional climax. It was difficult to feel emotional at this part because the series did a poor job making the viewer develop an emotional connection to the characters. With more time spent developing the main characters, this could have been much, much better.

For my concluding point, the main problem was that the series tried to accomplish too much in a short amount of time, and this caused each arc to feel very mediocre. Perhaps if the series was longer it wouldn't seem so rushed, but a good 13 episode series is absolutely doable. Take "Anohana" for example. There were two main characters (Jintan and Menma), and a small supporting cast, which left plenty of room for strong character development and made the ending so much better.

Overall a decent series. 6/10, would recommend.

Angel Beats! is my definition of a sleeper hit of a series. When I first set eyes on in it, I knew nothing about it, and did not expect anything either. I never heard of any merit about for this series, so I dismissed it as mediocre before I even saw it. Boy, was I wrong. This show exemplifies non-mediocrity in every fiber of its being. Heading things off is the premise, which is wonderfully unique and is so abstract and alien that it will take most of the series to get used to it. I do not wish to spoil anything, but it takes a refreshingly unique and non- religious view on an afterlife scenario. This leads to a style of storytelling that is rarely, if ever, found in anime. The characters are also well made. The main group is a very quirky, funny group of people who still, despite all humor, are the definition of friendship and companionship. This leads me into another facet of Angel Beats that I thoroughly enjoyed, which is how serious sections transition directly into absolutely hilarious one in mere seconds. Not only is there a huge and sudden contrast between these two feelings, but the serious is truly serious with emotional and epic moments, and the funny is uproariously hysterical. In the end, the show is bizarre, unique, and has a feeling that is anomalous to anything I've ever seen. This does not however mean that standard emotions are left out this. In fact, the ending, if viewed properly, is one of the saddest and most beautiful scenes I've ever seen. All this emotion, humor, and story is helped by a stunning soundtrack that is mind-blowing in how much emotion is in itself, let the series as a whole. The only pity about the series is it's length. Angel Beats! is a 13 episode series of 20 min. episodes. Still, in retrospect, the sweetness of the series comes out of how as soon as you settle in to enjoy, it's over, just still lasting in impression. All in all, this helps to create an incredible "Life is Good" vibe that I have never seen like this anywhere else.

Definitely watch this series if you are looking for a unique, short series with wonderful humor, yet beautiful and bittersweet ending to it.

Everything starts looking like a joke, it gets molded with each episode, some tears, but the depth doesn't end, the characters are developed, their stories are shown and we are more passionate.

It is worth watching, talk about reparation and freedom, the weight of our choices and the real interpretation of that.

Angel Beats! is a story about the afterlife in which unruly girl, Yurippe, starts a rebel group to fight against an army of people trying to delete them forever led by Angel.

This series is a ten for many reasons. The first being that it's a short series, spanning 13 episodes. This is important since many T.V. shows, especially Anime, are too long. Even Death Note, which was amazing, was stretched out a little much. Angel Beats doesn't falter like this. Also the story has a lot of clever writing up until the very end, which sucks you in.

Additionally the characters are clever in every way and for the most part we get to know each unique personality quickly and in depth. I would like to know some characters a little more but I'm satisfied.

Most importantly there is something thing that makes this Anime a "resistance fighter" as I like to call it. Angel Beats! has little to no Ecchi or Fanservice and thank God. It has no Moe (younger than teen characters with annoying voices and sexual suggestiveness).

Beats! has all the great Anime traits and hit's a home run with them. Similar to how Paprika is like Inception. Angel Beats! is similar to Lost. So if you like Lost and Anime you will like this.

Angel Beats! conquers and soars. Showing what a great Anime can do, and be with ease.

(NOTE: this review is for the Subtitled version not the Dub which is much worst and could be different).