Angel Beats! (2010) User Reviews (53)

Expect nothing, get nearly everything!

[Kenira_ · 8/10 · 5 July 2010]

I can't quite agree with the other review, which is why i'm writing this one.

"Angel Beats!" takes place in the world after death. The protagonist, Otonashi, lost his memories after his death. Nevertheless he joins a mysterious group, which is fighting "Tenshi" (Angel).

The characters are all really likable and you can remember them easily.

What really stands out are the songs played by the band "Girls Dead Monster". For me, the songs were just awesome, but that obviously depends on the music you like.

I have to admit that the story develops a bit slow at the beginning. The first 4 or 5 five episodes i only watched 1 episode at a time, but then i couldn't stop. The end was one of the most touching i ever saw. During the last episode i cried more than once.

Some scenes, also one in the final episode, feel forced and killed the atmosphere, but otherwise it was a pretty touching anime. Due to the fact, that all of the characters already died, it makes you think about your life and what YOU want to achieve in your life.

It is not perfect, rather slow paced at the beginning and i watched it with no expectations at all. But it also is very touching (at least for me), has an interesting topic and likable characters. I give it 8 out of 10 and can easily recommend this anime. If you can forgive some minor flaws and a slow paced beginning, you will probably enjoy "Angel Beats!". Of course there are better animes out there, but there are also tons of worse ones.

Unique, Wonderful, Beautiful

[valentin-frank · 9/10 · 5 February 2011]

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.

Deep and impactful

[Cafelar · 7/10 · 3 May 2020]

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.

An immensely beautiful story

[tomdude0 · 10/10 · 12 August 2012]

Angel Beats is my favorite anime of all time. It has everything that makes a great story. I'd definitely recommend watching a subtitled version as opposed to the dubbed version, as the dub has all sorts of mistakes and the voices do get on your nerves.

Otonashi Yuzuru wakes up in the afterlife with no recollection of how he died. He can barely remember his own name. He meets Nakamura Yuri, the leader of the Afterlife Battlefront, a group of young people in the afterlife who are rebelling against God for giving them cruelly unfair lives. Their main target is "Angel," a girl who they believe is, as the name suggests, an angel created by God to watch over and enforce the rules of the afterlife (which takes the form of a huge boarding school). Abiding by the rules results in disappearing, supposedly due to being erased by Angel and/or God. Otonashi joins the Battlefront, and so the story begins.

Several flashbacks are placed throughout the series to give some of the characters' backstories. Each flashback is very emotional, very real, and, most importantly, human. You can relate to each character incredibly well, because they are presented as human beings, and this sucks you completely into the story.

The musical performances by the fictional band in the anime, Girls Dead Monster, are really exceptional. The animation is spot-on (they even go so far as to match the actual chords that are being played) and the songs are very catchy, even if you don't speak Japanese. They provide a very nice soundtrack to some scenes.

My only problem with this series is that it should've been twice as long. It was originally intended to be 26 episodes, but for some reason was cut down to only 13. They could have done so much more with another 13 episodes. However, the episodes that were made are still more than enough.

Angel Beats makes us ask ourselves, "What do you want to do with your life?" Everyone wants to die without any regrets. Angel Beats explores this theme with a story that is hilarious, emotional, action-packed, tearjerking, human, and, ultimately, beautiful. I've watched it several times, and it never gets old, because the themes are timeless and universal. I highly recommend this anime to anyone.

One of the best Anime's ever. Has a lot in common with Lost.

[jjnoahjames · 10/10 · 7 February 2011]

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).

Very good Animie Series

[KDCarson · 9/10 · 11 September 2011]

***Spoilers***The story deals with a high school located in the afterlife that is a way station for kids whose lives did not end well. The place is sort of a soft purgatory were they find the fulfillment that they did not find in the living world. The group of kids is lead by a girl who had the horror of watching her family die. She rebels against this horror by blaming God for the sins of the killers. She leads the other kids in battles against the student leader of the school who may or may not be an actual angel. Many of these battles use guns and weapons that can't kill the kids because they are already dead. So the first part of the series shows funny death scenes where the kids are always raised back from the dead. Later in the series, the male leader of the group realizes that they all need to find peace to leave the place. He works with the girl called "Angel" to help some of the other kids find peace. Bit by bit the other kids let go of their earthly anger and move on. "Angel" and the lead boy of the series are shown finding each other in a new incarnation on earth in the last few seconds of the last episode. The series is a good one that has a universal religious feel to it. It has some sad moments in the end but it is very well done with good acting and dialog. Worth renting or buying.

Will play on the viewer's emotions... (positive way)

[toru_kyo_143 · 9/10 · 9 January 2013]

This anime will really make a boy cry. (Which even I did) Only on the ending part. The series is a complete player of the viewer's emotions, will make him smile, laugh, feel the tension, and cry. I wonder if there are any other Anime series with a similar genre as this. This anime proved to me that an Anime series is better than a live-action show, in terms of making the viewer feel the events in the show.

Maybe because I've expected them to be only in a state of comatose made me disappointed. But Otonashi's reason for existence in the Afterlife which was revealed in the last episode suggests my assumption is impossible.

Also, it would be better if the creators would be creating a new season, so as not to waste a nicely-themed anime like this... Thus the 9/10. Good job, anyway!

Great but rushed.

[emma529 · 7/10 · 28 December 2014]

Ah, Angel Beats.

Let me first say, this anime and Ouran NEEDED a extension of episodes.

Beside that I really like this anime but it is VERY rushed.

Many of characters were introduced and you never learned their backstory which really REALLY sucks.

All of the characters are great but the main character is extremely bland and so is his love interest, Kanade.

If the anime had focused on Yurripe or Hinata (which I believe the manga does), it would of been better.

Its a nice watch though, yes it is overrated but good.

Great soundtrack, awesome animation, a decent English dub (it's not super annoying, honestly it isn't), and nice comedy.

If you've watched Clannad and want to watch another anime before Afterstory then put Angel Beats in there. It's a nice anime and has a series of emotional back stories.

I liked Angel Beats and it was nice but it could of been more. I have considered reading the manga as well which I believe doesn't have Otonashi nor Kanade so cool.

But anyway, it's a nice watch and decently enjoyable. Good writing just wished it was longer. No second season please, just a extension.

Really good, but ended too quick

[abbs716 · 8/10 · 28 July 2013]

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.

Good, but could be a little better

[davidrgong · 7/10 · 27 November 2016]

I honestly like this show to the core, but I just don't like how many flaws there are. Honestly the show's plot is very creative and interesting, it's just there's so many things that I question. Such as...

1. When the show continues you realize the SSS and Angel have simply been miscommunicating for who knows how many years. 2. So.. no one has thought about just imprisoning their enemy in like a jail cell or something? Instead of killing them over and over again which has been proved ineffective? Could apply to both the SSS and Angel. 3. I really think this show would have gone better if we knew the other character's histories.

This is just my thoughts, this show is still good, just some tweeks would have helped.

I Love Angel Beats

[Caesarboy5 · 9/10 · 18 August 2013]

Before I begin I must clarify something: I am not very familiar with anime. I've watched the entirety of Death Note, Angel Beats, and am in the middle of Sword Art Online. So I'm reviewing this show in terms of its quality, not how it compares or conforms to other anime.

Word of advice, ignore all the complaints about this show, because when there's so much about a show to hate and so much that shouldn't work, and people everywhere still love it anyways, there's definitely something special about it.

Here's a quick sypnosis. A guy wakes up on a school campus, which he soon discovers is something like a purgatory. He eventually joins a resistance formed by a dozen or so other fellow "students" with the goal of resisting the mysterious Angel. Things get even crazier from there.

Couple this mind-blowing concept with some unforgettable characters, crazy amounts of action, lots of Japanese rock music, crazy gore, buckets of blood, cute comedy, seriously depressing backstories, and the most detailed cartoon guns I've ever seen and you get something that's unforgettable. The ending is breathtaking, too.

Now here's what everyone complains about: the pacing is bad and it's too short. No thirteen episode show should be able to bounce back and forth continuously between these different styles and genres continuously like this one does. Yet it does. And it works. Because when you have so much awesomeness going around, you barely notice until you're done crying over the last episode... for the third time.

As for other complaints made about the series, most of those don't hold much water in my opinion. There's really nothing else working against the series besides its length.

So if you haven't watched much anime this is worth watching. If you're very familiar with anime and have a higher standard, I still recommend you give this a go. It's only thirteen episodes and I'm sure you'll find something you'll like.

Why won't I give the series a perfect ten. Simply because no matter how much the flaws never hindered my enjoyment, they still mean the show isn't perfect. That and the baseball episode which I really just didn't like cause it nearly turned me away from the series. It's probably not so bad now, but at the time there's was just something about it that I didn't like.

Last word of advice: the episodes incrementally get better, so don't worry if you're having second thoughts before the midpoint. Or on the baseball episode :)

Way too short and rushed - but amazing nonetheless

[crazypenguinbob · 13 October 2014]

I'm going to be as honest but unbiased as I can here.

After watching Clannad and Clannad Afterstory, I had become a huge fan of Key and their works, so I decided to pick up 'Angel Beats!'. Immediately I was captured by the music (which, by the way is so good I actually listened to the opening and ending every single episode)and the level of detail in animation (especially the guns!) although this is constant throughout Key's works. However, I feel that this anime was incredibly short, and suffered extremely because of it and I feel the writer (Jun Maeda) who also developed Clannad did not get what he expected. The plot is very confusing, and extra random information is thrown at you in every episode, and half the time you have to figure out 'what on earth is even going on' and 'how does this even make sense' instead of concentrating on the screen.

A guy (Otanashi) wakes up in an afterlife, where teenagers who led unhappy lives and did not get to fulfil their dreams get a second chance in this world, which is like a high school with surrounding rivers and stuff. Once they become happy, fulfil their dreams or behave like a normal student they disappear from this world. Some of the students there are rebelling against God because of their unfair lives, and do not want to disappear. They do this by fighting against the student council president, Kanade (Angel) who is trying to make them behave. But the extra stuff they add in for no reason really over complicated things.

I feel that although all the characters were unique, attractive and fun to watch, there was just not enough time to get attached to them before the end and it seems a lot of the emotion is forced on you, (here's a cute girl saying sad things to sad music, cry dammit!) when really, there is just no 'substance', if that makes sense whereas in Clannad/Clannad AS, the amount of thorough tear jerkers was just too much for me to handle (and I'm a guy!).

The characters did not get enough time to develop, especially the main guy, who I thought was a bit bland. It ended up with major plot holes (What happened to all the other characters? What is HER backstory? What the hell just happened?!) that I felt left a gaping hole in what could have been an incredibly enjoyable anime.

Enough of the criticism. The overall feel of the anime was really enjoyable, and makes you feel both happy and sad at parts. The music is a really big part of this. I liked the backstories of the characters they showed, especially Otonashi, whose backstory I thought was very interesting. The animation is slick and the characters are all likable with the voice-acting on point (none of the irritating over the top moe stuff)and I strongly recommend watching the English sub instead of dub. One reason is one of the characters only speaks English, spontaneously uttering random hilarious phrases, and also I felt the voices fit the characters and convey the emotions better, and the songs and names sound much better in Japanese (in fact Captain Levi plays the main character so what other reason would you not want to watch it?!) The battles are really awesome and get you fired up, but there isn't that much humour; when there is its pretty lame and repetitive.

After all that, it may seem strange to say that I would strongly recommend this anime but it really is one you can't miss. The music, characters and final scene are ones you can't go without saying you've experienced. Though short, it does leave an impact on you for a while (what do you want to do in your life? do things now before its too late!). Considering the huge fanbase, I'd say it could become a classic, but decide for yourself. Perfect mix of action and quite a thriller that keeps you hooked. Watch it, its pretty damn good for a thirteen episode series.If you find yourself uninterested, just remember the half tragic/depressing and half happy ending is worth the wait. I just loved the whole atmosphere and fantasy of it.

Too many characters, not enough screen time.

[joshbunnett · 6/10 · 15 April 2020]

"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.

Nothing Special

[SquigglyCrunch · 4/10 · 10 September 2015]

I've heard a lot about Angel Beats! over the years, with many people recommending it and talking about how depressing the ending is especially. I finally got around to it and I felt it was a bit of a waste of time. The characters aren't super well developed (with only 13 episodes the creators really didn't give themselves enough time to fully develop everyone), the story is overall pretty weak, and the concepts aren't explained well.

Angel Beats! is definitely a character driven series, but I didn't feel like the characters were even that great to begin with. Some of the characters were actually pretty annoying, which I understand that's just something that comes to be expected with anime, but I found characters like Yui to be much better/more likable/more realistic than others like Naoi. Yui was defined by a certain trait, which was her energy. Naoi was so bent on the fact that he was god to the point where it didn't even make sense why. It was made clear that he'd abandoned that idea, and although it was funny the first time, it got annoying real quick and made him feel a lot less real that he could have been. Maybe it's just because I prefer the character type that Yui is, but nevertheless hearing Naoi throwing around the 'I am god' line in the last episode really made it difficult to care about him. Some relationships (specifically all the romantic ones) felt extremely forced, and all happened near the end. They felt rushed, when two characters might be hating each other and constantly fighting one moment, the next they fall in love out of absolutely nowhere. It just didn't make sense to me how it suddenly just appeared. I was happy that they didn't give into the anime cliché of every character spilling out their life story in the first few episodes for no apparent reason, which added to the character development more than it did take away. The characters didn't all feel the same in that they're all just a bunch of kids who can't control their emotions. Plus it gets awfully tedious to have to listen to a new life story every twenty-five or so minutes, especially if your only just introduced to these characters.

With a story as unique as this one, it would be kind of hard to get it right, but that doesn't excuse the fact that it wasn't well done. The creators took a risk and it didn't work out. The coolness of the idea gives it some extra points in my book, but it wasn't carried out well. It definitely could have been better if the creators had worked a bit harder.

A few of the key concepts I felt like could have been better explained, like the difference between obliteration and disappearing, and how to achieve both of these. Generally I understood it, but it still wasn't explained as well as it could have been.

Overall Angel Beats! is only worth checking out if your very interested. If not, there's really nothing to see here. The characters aren't as fully-explored as they could have been, the story could have been done better, and the concepts could have used some more clear explanations, so overall the show was just lacking. I did quite like the ending though, it seemed a bit sad at first (more just made one character out to be a bit of a huge jerk), but in the very last scene after the credits rolled there were a few more things explained to me and the series wrapped up really nicely. If you loved it, great, and if you didn't, that's cool too. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you really want to watch it, then go for it.

Really good anime

[sstarswag · 9/10 · 26 August 2020]

It has romance, it has violence, it has fantasy, it's a high school anime, it has lots of good, and the ending actually made me cry. I'm certainly fond of the story, watch it when you feel like it.

one of the Best Animations about Life

[ktthool · 10/10 · 1 September 2014]

Just out of Curiosity, browsing through many animations, I stumbled upon this Anime. I am happy that picking up this anime didn't let me down. I must say ,it is One of the best Anime I came across.

Revolves around bunch of high school students in school located Everything happened on School located in the particular,unknown place that is kept secret a mystery reveled until end of anime.

If you think of it as a normal love stories it is much better. This anime is all about the desire,ambitions of students, character development, plot each and everything is beautifully crafted also music is very very good.

Making the viewer hooked till the end and carve for more excitement until the end.

Funny,charming,emotional makes the viewer to watch it again as your hope for best animation watching will be definitely satisfied.

Anime's ending

[ashfhansaifi · 10/10 · 18 September 2021]

Anime's ending was superb.i mean by that this anime's ending was so perfect.

Praised by many and criticized by a few

[martin_merelesc · 8/10 · 16 February 2022]

Overall, Angel Beats! It is a good anime with some outstanding aspects, accompanied by fragments where it could have been executed much better. A longer duration could have helped a lot, as it could have had a more developed story and characters.

I'd say it's overrated, but being overrated doesn't mean you shouldn't watch it.

Greatness and flaws equally presented

[shihongwu · 7/10 · 11 May 2021]

Well, I mean the concept of an afterlife limbo in order to fulfill what they had regret isn't bad. But the environment itself is kinda monotone and repetitive showing a school life on a daily basis. There could be more added material and components to this afterlife world and I believe that both manga and novel ended up doing it better than the anime.

In addition to the previous point, the length of the episodes also makes this story a little bit rushed, in a sense that the secondary characters of the SSS aren't described or developed to their maximum selfs, leaving a lot of room for a far more immersive watching experience (the sudden disappearance of Iwasawa in ep3 versus a far more developed story line in the novel proves this). And if that ain't enough, some of the events like the Guild and the Tornados are either too childish to be done or filled with vague purposes.

The ending although rushed, with a bunch of SSSs vanishing without even tell; still offers a great plot twist and rather emotional finish, without being too sad like Your Lie in April, giving us a happy ending.

Finally, my conclusion is that the storyline and character's descriptions are way below average, but the ending is quite good, although ruined by such a bad storyline.

All-around wonderful show with lovable characters

[zhinata317 · 10/10 · 15 July 2013]

This is one of the few anime series where I like every single one of the characters. There were times when certain characters annoyed me, but by the end I loved the, all. One character in particular annoyed me, but then there was a much-needed episode about her background, which made me like her more.

I think each one of the characters reached that point in their lives when they just felt lost and had no idea how their lives could possibly get better. Then they died in their youth before being able to really experience adulthood. That's how they ended up in this purgatorial world where they get a chance to attend high school and move on from their lives. A few of their backstories were revealed, and they were all sad and interesting.

Instead of normally attending classes, a group of people led by Yuri Nakamura fight against Angel in hopes of finding clues about God, but I believe that there is more to it than that. People are confused by why they fight against Angel, but I think there is a reason. Staying with Angel and enjoying a normal high school life would sorta mean accepting their life on Earth. I think that deep down they also want to fight so that they can stay in the purgatorial world longer with their friends.

I really love how this show has some action and comedy and still blends in some drama and just a touch of romance. Really, there are low chances that the romance in this show will annoy you, unless you want a lot of it. Personally, I get tired of romance after a while, so I like how it was done in this show.

And also, let's not forget the music. I loved all the songs in this show. Honestly, I kinda loved this show from the second it began because of the opening. There are also a lot of other great songs in this show.

Before you judge this show, you should at least watch the first and second episode, and maybe the third one. Also, know that it will get better. The first episode will probably confuse most people, but because the show is short with only 13 episodes (not including the hilarious OVA), the beginning is pretty fast and got me interested quickly. The second episode is pretty funny, and you start to know the characters more. Then at the end of that episode a backstory is revealed, and you realize that the show can get pretty serious and that the characters are pretty strong.

I think this show is one of my favorite anime series, and I would recommend it to anyone, whether they watch anime or not. I would recommend trying to be openminded though. I really love the characters, artwork, and music. The show had action (though not that much), comedy, drama (it gets more serious towards the middle/end), and just a hint of romance. I also love the concept of the show, and I definitely think it's worth watching and rewatching and remembering for years to come.

A decent anime about life, love and understanding oneanother

[lightningbarer · 7/10 · 25 December 2019]

I don't want to see a "SPOILERS BELOW" tag here so I'll just keep things from a general review.

The series hits all the beats it needs to make you love characters, to enjoy the ride they go through and to root for things. Its heart wrenching in places and it doesn't pull any punches.

And does all this while pretending to be a shounen battle military anime.

Amazing show and one of my favourites of the early 10's

Overall Outstanding, Exceeded Any And All Expectations!

[jtnovak · 10/10 · 11 May 2015]

So....I have this list of anime to watch. And last week I had decided to edit it and add any anime that seemed like I had been ignoring. The first one to come to mind was Angel Beats! and somehow someway it ended up at the top of my list within minutes. I don't know how but I'm REALLY glad it did. The first episode could have been a lot better, but from there on out it was simply amazing! Everything from the absolutely brilliant music to character development and anything else you could ask for from an anime. The storyline is very original and the characters are all unique and memorable in there own ways. Tachibana (Kanade/Angel....I just call her Tachibana) could quite possibly be my favorite anime character of all time. No joking, the way her character develops and the mystery remaining behind her as well as her somewhat unintentional and unexplainable charm will leave you breathless. Yuri, Iwasawa, Naoi and Yui's backgrounds and stories will leave you thinking, feeling, and pondering your life, in a good way of course. Otonashi as the main protagonist does a fantastic job of not hogging up the spotlight throughout the series yet does exceptionally well at maintaining a good guy status and being very likable. Lets get the elephant out of the room.....THE ENDING THOUGH. This definitely isn't the first time Angel Beats! will play with your emotions. Me personally, for awhile I had been wanting to see Tachibana and Otonashi embrace....not even necessarily kiss or confess there love. But just see Tachibana let her emotions out. And the ending made that happen in a bold, beautiful, sad, and bittersweet way. I truly, cry every time. Overall, this isn't my TOP show that I've seen. Its verdict on that part probably comes from its shorter length and occasional gaps in the plot. Personally I would have loved to have seen more of Tachibana coming out of her shell. The way she did in the last two episodes or so was remarkable and I wanted alittle more of that. Also, the show tried to hard for awhile to mix its serious themes with humor sometimes, which left me confused how to feel sometimes. Nevertheless, its positives far and beyond overpower any down points to the point where I would rate it a perfect 10. HIGHLY Recommended.

P.S. Watch the SUB please :D

It'll definitely surprise you.

[Abyss47 · 7/10 · 15 March 2013]

Just finished all the episodes of this after a friend recommended it to me a little while back.

Very cool show.

I like how it progressively got more and more interesting as it went on. Comparing the first few episodes to the last ones is like comparing two different shows. In only 13 episodes, it gives you a lot to digest. My only complaint would be that not all the characters get a backstory, making them underdeveloped. Aside from that, it's certainly entertaining, and the action scenes were well animated and generally engaging. It packs so many various elements, too, so much that it can get pretty overwhelming, yet it somehow all comes together in the end. All the characters being souls who went to a different world to escape their past in order to defy God's plan for them was quite an interesting concept, and well utilized at that. It wasn't as philosophical as I expected, which is good because enough was going on under the surface anyway. Otonashi and Angel were both fascinating characters and I was actually anxious to see their relationship develop. They completely overshadowed everyone else, including Yuri, who was basically the trigger of all the events. I also admired the ambiguity in the ending. Did Otonashi stay behind to help other souls who come into the world or was he reborn alongside Angel in the real world where they met again? Some have said both happen, with one occurring long after the other, which is definitely possible.

This show made me understand why I hate comedy in anime

[Protogeist · 4/10 · 11 March 2019]

Angel Beats is one of the more praised shows I have heard of. With half a million people on MAL and said to have one of the best soundtracks and emotional moments out of all the anime seen. So going into this I was very excited to see where all the praise came from. And sadly, I couldn't find it.

Angel Beats is about Otanashi, a regular 17 year old who is mysteriously transported to a place he hasn't been to, meeting people he hasn't meet. He learns that he has arrived in the afterlife, but without any of his memories. This concept gave me mixed feelings at first. Many of the comedic scenes used the fact that they couldn't die, which was really fun. It felt like it made fun of many anime that had came out at that point in time. But I was also scared that I wouldn't care about the characters fates, since none of them could die.

But as I continued watching the show, these statements would falsely represent my feelings. The introduction of obnoxiously loud characters and badly timed jokes made the comedy a lot worse. I have never really been a fan of comedy in anime. There are exceptions to that "rule", but for the most part, the comedy doesn't work for me. And I think it's this show that made me realize why that is. Obnoxious characters annoy the sh*t out of me. Examples would be Yui and Yuri from this show, Misa from Death Note and Kaori from Your Lie in April. A lot of it's comedy is just a character crying really loudly or screaming. The show is a subject of "dramas with unfitting comedy", with anime like Your Lie in April and March Comes in like a Lion (S1). There are many serious moments where they put in a joke that just feel jarring.

Another aspect that was very praised was the music. And while I really liked the soundtrack by itself, the usage of them really annoyed. It felt like they used the same two songs over and over again. That wouldn't have been a problem if it was kept unnoticed. But every time they played either "Decisive Battle", "Toy of Spring" or "Critical Point" (Could be other songs too) I remember that this song was played 100 times before. It took me out of the show is what I'm saying. Still, really unique and pretty good overall.

But what surprised me the most was how much I didn't care. If you go to any "what anime made you cry", I assure you that Angel Beats will show up at some point. Every single one. But unfortunately, that never happened to me. I never really attached myself to any of the characters, or at least enough to cry for them. There were moments where I felt sad. I guess the end made me a little sad. But it was rarely more than knowing that it was supposed to be emotional.

Eh, as you can tell I was a little disappointed in the show. It is fine of course if you love it, I can understand why it is so loved. But personally, it never got to me. A 6.2 from me, so still positive.

best short anime series

[cooltanand · 9/10 · 30 June 2017]

just so beautiful, at first i think its just one messy action anime with some emotional content but after 5 episode i realized its was so different. some episodes and moments will shake your heart . ending really makes me cry just an amazingly beautiful and sweet anime series start is some what slow but entertaining beautiful themes some inclusive characters each have their own back story last 4 episode really touching.