Angel Beats!

Death is one of many mysteries that has left humanity in the dark since the dawn of time. However, the burning question of what happens to the soul after one dies is soon answered to 17-year-old Yuzuru Otonashi. Waking up with no previous memories in a dimension between life and death, he discovers the unsettling truth of the afterlife.

Taking the form of a high school, this bizarre dimension is designated to shelter those who died unwanted deaths. Feeling wronged by God during their earthly lives, the school's residents have decided to form the Afterlife Battlefront—a rebellious faction determined to oppose their god-like student council president, Kanade "Angel" Tachibana. The group's leader, Yuri Nakamura, recruits Otonashi in their fight against Angel in order to take control of their own lives. However, questioning the morality behind their actions, Otonashi takes a step behind the enemy lines to understand the opposing side of their common fate.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tachibana, Kanade Main

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Nakamura, Yuri Main

Sakurai, Harumi Japanese

Otonashi, Yuzuru Main

Kamiya, Hiroshi Japanese

Yui Supporting

Kitamura, Eri Japanese

T.K. Supporting

Rivas, Michael Japanese

Iwasawa, Masami Supporting

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Hinata, Hideki Supporting

Kimura, Ryouhei Japanese

Naoi, Ayato Supporting

Ogata, Megumi Japanese

Shiina Supporting

Saito, Fuko Japanese

Noda Supporting

Takagi, Shun Japanese

Horikawa, Kenji Producer

Toba, Yousuke Producer

Maruyama, Hiroo Producer

Tsuji, Mitsuhito Producer

Reviews

Nov 25, 2024

DELLspencer

Recommended

Reflections on Angel Beats!

As I prepare for college, I find myself reflecting on Angel Beats! in a deeply personal way. Like many high school graduates, I feel the anxiety of stepping into a new chapter, leaving behind the comfort and safety I’ve known all my life. The fear of the unknown, the weight of regrets, and my insecurities often make me wish I could go back in time to fix my mistakes before moving forward.

This anime mirrors those struggles with its poignant themes—letting go of past regrets, accepting the pain and joy of life, and embracing the journey rather than focusing solely on the destination. ... It’s a message I resonate with profoundly. Watching this story has encouraged me to view my life as my own unique journey, shaped by every experience, mistake, and achievement. It’s reminded me to find peace in who I’ve become and to keep moving forward with hope and courage.

Angel Beats! has helped me at such an important moment in my life. It helped me confront my insecurities, accept my regrets, and gain a more positive outlook on the unknown future ahead. This anime exemplifies the power of storytelling and its ability to touch hearts, even years after its release.

Final Thoughts

This is truly my Anime of 2024—a masterpiece that holds a special place in my heart. Its bittersweet yet uplifting ending, combined with its powerful message of moving forward, has left an indelible impact on me. It’s a reminder to never forget the bonds I’ve formed, the experiences I’ve gained or lost, and to accept every part of my journey, whether good or bad.

To Jun Maeda and Angel Beats!: Thank you for this unforgettable story.
Rating
Anime: 10/10 – A Masterpiece

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by DELLspencer (2)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Aug 18, 2024

AniSabii

Mixed Feelings

The first and only other time I saw Angel Beats was around 2012, towards the end of middle school and the start of high school. I remember first watching it and almost being brought to tears. Many years later, I finally decided to watch it for the 2nd time and realized it's still a decent anime. I've noticed more irregularities and plot holes now than before, but it still doesn't take away from the show's allure.

I don't feel like this will be an easy watch for the newer crowd of anime fans unless you're used to dry spouts here and there. Towards the end, ... the tempo didn't match the same cadence as the first 6 or 7 episodes, but there were still moments where the anime could show its best features throughout the show in its entirety. The comedy moments were top tier and I enjoyed those moments the most. Especially seeing Hinata getting blasted into the roof by rockets repeatedly. More than the comedy, though I enjoyed the character backstory it drew me in a lot closer as the viewer.

Overall, if you're a more seasoned anime fan looking to knock down some bucket list-tier anime I highly recommend it. Also, If you're looking for something quick to watch I recommend it since Angel Beats has only 12 episodes. From my first impressions as a kid, I would've given this anime an 8. Today, Angel Beats stands at a solid 6.8 for me mainly because of the nostalgia factor. Lastly, if you're looking for something to watch with your significant other and don't want to worry about obsessive fan service I highly recommend it. Talk anime with me on X @anisabii (^o^)y

No disrespect to the people who put this anime together at all though just a hobby for me. I know how it is to create things and havent it judged harshly just got to keep creating for the love of the craft.

Story: 7
Art: 8
Soundtrack: 8
Characters:6
Rewatch Value:5

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by AniSabii (11)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jul 31, 2023

ffrx4

Not Recommended

I finally decided to watch this show, after years of seeing it get highly praised by the community, and i am pretty disappointed.

-Plot: Angel Beats is a show that in 13 episodes tried to do what not even a longer anime would be able to. Watching the series felt like getting bombarded with new plot points and plot twists almost every episode, just to then resolve them quickly and never talk about them again; this anime had so many chances of getting more interesting, but it seemed to just have an adversion against going deeper into world-building and actually explaining things that otherwise just make ... no sense.
-Characters: the characters were hit or miss, I don't think they were all unlikeable, but most of them just had absolutely no personality, including part of the main cast. The problem with characters like Hinata or Naoi is that even if they were given a backstory, they didn't really stand out much more than the side characters did; some of the better written characters were probably Yuri and Otonashi, because other than having a backstory, they also seemed to have their own resolve and goals contrary to the other characters which seemed to just change their way of thinking based on the way the story was progressing, instead of acting based on their peronalities.
-Comedy: I'm aware of the fact that comedy is subjective, but I really didn't find this show funny, the supposedly comedic moments felt out of place and forced, seeming more like a weird attempt to make the series be percieved as more lighthearted, which just makes no sense in the context of the anime's premise. Also the presence of useless comedic relief characters was incredibly annoying.
-Art: there's really nothing bad to say about the ar, the style is consistent and the color palette is pleasing to the eyes; the animation is also discrete.
-Music: Angel Beats puts quite a bit of emphasis on its muisc, sometimes seeming even out of place in a non-music-focused anime; there's pretty long concert scenes in a couple of episodes that honestly could have been avoided.

In conclusion, Angel Beats can be considered the definition of wasted potential, with a premise that could have been something much better, and some really interesting plot points that were just tossed aside for the sake of adding more and more, until it became a big mess that somehow managed to end in the most boring and predictable way.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by ffrx4 (2)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Decent anime but not favorites

by mydaddy

19 Entries · 7 Restacks

VALUABLE ANIME

by NoLongerAtsushi

50 Entries · 3 Restacks

Time for a Good Cry (Tear-Stained Cheeks)

by ManicPixieTerror

30 Entries · 50 Restacks

NHK Announces Best 100 Anime

To commemorate one hundred years of Japanese anime history, NHK has announced a list of 100 Best Anime on Wednesday at NHK BS Premium. The list is based on the audi...read more

May 3, 2017 7:07 AM by tsubasalover | Discuss (548 comments)

'Angel Beats!' Gets New OVA

According to the Aniplex x Key Project and Angel Beats! New Information Press Conference on Nico Live today, Angel Beats! will get a new OVA, titled Hell's Kitc...read more

Dec 22, 2014 6:03 AM by tsubasalover | Discuss (148 comments)

	Poll: Angel Beats! Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) ShibuyaRiver - Jun 25, 2010	1,774 replies	by tmoverbeck »» Yesterday, 9:30 PM
	Poll: Angel Beats! Episode 4 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) ShibuyaRiver - Apr 23, 2010	449 replies	by actuallyaladdin »» Dec 2, 5:09 PM
	Poll: Angel Beats! Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) game8910 - Apr 16, 2010	482 replies	by actuallyaladdin »» Nov 30, 8:50 AM
	Poll: Angel Beats! Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) game8910 - Apr 2, 2010	678 replies	by Meriurin »» Nov 28, 12:04 AM
	Poll: Angel Beats! Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) game8910 - Apr 9, 2010	486 replies	by actuallyaladdin »» Nov 25, 8:58 AM

In Numbers: The Best Anime of the Decade

What's the #1 anime of the 2010s? Which year was the best? What studio had the most hits? We have the answers to all these questions and more!

by Shymander

648,524 views

Top 25 Best Anime Opening Songs of All Time

Everyone has their own favorite anime opening, but is the one you cherish featured on this best of list? Let's take a look at 25 of the best and most famous anime openings in anime history!

by FreeNightFalls

1,240,065 views

RecommendationCollectionMusicVideo