Welcome to ANIME WEEK here at CAND. Now, I know I'm primarily not an anime reviewer, but hell, why can't I do this? So, each day this week, I'm going to upload one anime review. I'm still going to be doing my comic reviews when they come out, so keep an eye out for those. So, let's start with an anime that I'm very fond of, warts and all...
ANGEL BEATS
This anime just goes to show, that in Japan, there is no life beyond high school. When you die, you just !@#$ing go back to high school, and I can't imagine a worse kind of hell.
So, Angel Beats is a supernatural action/comedy/drama show, about this kid named Otanashi. He wakes one day in a high school to find out he's dead, and the first thing he sees is this girl named Yurripe trying to kill another girl named Angel, who is apparently the overlord of the purgatory (hell) that they live in. He gets drafted into the SSS, a fighting force working day and night trying to ruin Angel's life. Now, let me just point out, that Angel Beats's premise makes it sound like it's a very action oriented anime, but it's not. It's more of a slice-of-life comedy with some action and supernatural elements. First, let's start with the good. The story of Angel Beats goes in a direction you wouldn't expect for it to go about halfway through the show. Some people with roll with it, others won't. I was fine with it. Angel Beats's biggest strength is the genuine emotion of the series. It was written by Jun Maeda, writer of Clannad: After Story, one of my favorite anime. If you didn't know, Clannad (a show you must watch NOW) is a very tragic show, and there are some moments where it's just like After Story. On the other side of the emotional spectrum, the comedy in the show works very well. There were a few moments where I laughed out loud, and another where I had to pause it just because I couldn't stop laughing (Rocket chairs). Now, the bad. Angel Beats has a very large supporting cast, and by the end of the show, only a few members are really fleshed out. In the show's context, each character has a tragic past, and you never get to know the story of about 75% of them. The show's other flaw, is the second to last two episodes really bring the show down, with a threat that seems to come out of nowhere, but thankfully, it all leads into one of the best last episodes of any show I've ever seen (again, I'll get to that later). And, there are two episodes I want to commend for being some of the best character building I've seen in a while. You know how I mentioned that only about 25% of the show's huge cast gets fleshed out? Well, there are a few episodes dedicated entirely to a character's backstory, and episodes 3 and 10 are just amazing. If the show had made more of these episodes, then it would have been much better for it. (For those of you who haven't finished the show yet, you will start liking Yui, no matter how annoying she seems.)
Now, Angel Beats has a HUGE cast of characters. Our main character, Otonashi, is sort of generic, but he's a character you just can't help but like. He's one of those people who wants to help everyone out, but he has memory loss, so he slowly pieces together his tragic story. Then, there's Yurripe. She's basically what you would get if you took Marvin from the Red series, made him a Japanese schoolgirl, and put her in high school. Yeah, pretty crazy. And then, there's Angel. At first glance, she seems like an anime Kristen Stewart, but as the show goes on, she becomes a much more layered character. The show boasts a massive and colorful supporting cast, and despite mostly not being fleshed out, they're all very likable and quirky. TK is freaking awesome, and Iwasawa is another tragic character. And then, there's Yui. She gets on your nerves very easily, but you can't help but like her.
The show's animation is top notch. It was very colorful and very clear. The show looks great during the action scenes, and I love that during the flashbacks, they use a much darker color palette, but in the purgatory, they use much brighter colors.
And you can't review Angel Beats without talking about the soundtrack. In the show, there's this band called GirlsDeadMonster, that basically distracts the rest of the school as the SSS tries to kill Angel. Their music makes up most of the show's score, and every song stands out. Among my favorites, is My Song (used during the climax of episode 3), My Most Precious Treasure (which is used during the show's saddest scenes, to great effect) and of course, the opening, My Soul, Your Beats. Oh yeah, and Brave Song. ROCKET CHAIRS! (Note: On YouTube, there's a channel called leeandlie, where there are English covers of a large portion of the soundtrack, and I must admit, some of the covers eclipse the show versions)
(SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT) The ending of Angel Beats is a very mixed bag. First, you have the second to last two episodes, which I just do not like. It involves some poorly done deus ex machina, and the big enemies, just come out of nowhere. But, then, there is Episode 13. This is one of the best final episodes of any show that I've ever seen. The gradual disappearance of the show's central characters was very well done, but the real meat of the conclusion, has to be the scenes between Otanashi and Kanade. Seriously, I was on the brink of tears when Kanade left Otanashi alone. Thankfully, one of my friends told me there's something after the end credits, and I'm happy I'm waited (even though it really frustrated the !@#$ out of me).
(SPOILERS END HERE)
So, Angel Beats is a very good anime. Despite its flaws, and the score I'm going to give it, it's actually one of my favorite anime. It will always be the anime that got me back into watching, after a long hiatus. And before this review ends... Rocket chairs.
STORY: 3.5/5
+ Very emotional
+ Lots of twists and turns
+ Well done character episodes
- Lack of development of the supporting cast
- Second to last episodes really bring it down
CHARACTERS: 4.5/5
+ Otonashi is likable, despite being generic
+ Freaking Yuri
+ A quirky and likable supporting cast
ANIMATION: 4/5
ANIMATION: 4/5
+ Looks great
+ Very colorful
SOUND: 5/5
+ Incredible and effective soundtrack
+ Very powerful during the more emotional scenes
ENDING: 3.5/5
+ One of the best and most tragic last episodes ever
- Second to last episodes really bring it down
VERDICT: 4/5
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