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Angel Beats! Is an animation that involves Key, the makers of Kanon, Clannad and other works. Like those works, this anime has several "soul crushing" moments. I will attempt to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

Story (7/10)
The story focuses on Yuzuru Otonashi, a young male transported into the world of Angel Beats! Amongst the first things he finds out is that this is a world for the dead. Indeed, Angel Beats! takes place in what some could consider a type of purgatory. In this world, one can die and be reborn only minutes later. Why are people transported to this world? What are they ... to accomplish? These are the questions the viewer has early on in the series.

To avoid spoilers, I will merely state that these questions are answered as the series progresses. Do note, however, that there are some plotholes towards the end, hence 7/10 rating for the story.

Art (8/10) + Sound (8/10)
I normally do not like the art direction key chooses to take, especially in Kanon. Granted, this anime does a much better job. Art, like music, is subjective, so I can't give a perfectly unbiased rating here.

Characters (10/10)
One of the best selling points of this series was the characters. From the hot-headed Yuri Nakamura to the enigmatic Angel, one gets a good sampling of various character archetypes.

Enjoyment (9/10)
From the hilarious scenes with the various "idiots" to the SSS to the heart-wrenching scenes at various points in the story, I really loved the anime. I could recommend this to anyone based on the enjoyment alone.

Overall (9/10)
Despite the few gaping plot holes, this was a fantastic, short anime. I feel that any anime fan that wants an anime Key is involved in to give this a try.

I should first say that I did not like this anime. For whatever reason, this anime reminded me a lot of Paranoia Agent, which I hate with a passion. Maybe the low rating is a result of recalled trauma from that time period.

I should also state this is my first review on this site. Why do I wish to review this specific anime after all my time on here? It's one of the bigger disappointments. I had expected a top-tier anime, yet I got one of the most boring anime movies I have ever seen.

Story: 2/10
The story did not captivate me in the least. ... The whole "treasure town" aspect was sort of appealing in the beginning, but the anime quickly lost my interest. If pressed, I doubt I could give a proper plot synopsis. I only recall my friend and I blankly watching the screen hoping for it to end on an interesting note, which did not happen.

Art: 1/10
The art, while unique, was not my style. There is a fine line between creative and hideous. Gankutusou is an example of an anime that pulled off a unique artstyle. This anime, however, failed in that aspect. Terribly.

Sound: 4/10
I recall very little about the sound. Maybe my pencil tapping the desk anxiously awaiting the end of this torture blocked it out.

Character: 1/10
I am stuck on trying to figure out why Black and White are touted as interesting characters by so many. White was amongst the most annoying characters I have ever seen in an anime. Sure, I know he's supposed to be mentally deficient, but I do not see why this is an appealing factor. Black just seemed like a disturbed kid - much better anime about deranged children are out there.

Enjoyment: 1/10
In case my other thoughts did not spell it out enough, I did not enjoy this anime. At all.

Overall: 2/10
The one redeeming factor this anime has is that it's unique. I'll give it an extra point just for that. I do not see why so many love this anime. I won't judge, however, since I like many series others despise. Nevertheless, when given the choice the day I watched this anime, I wish I had chosen just about anything else.