Angel Beats! - Review

Art (9/10)
The visuals were truly amazing during the short Girls Dead Monster concerts. Most of this anime's budget must have went into those concerts alone. Nonetheless, the other parts of the anime also had stunning visuals. From the scenery to the characters, it is obvious that a lot of detail has been put into them. The battle scenes were also animated quite well.

Characters (8/10)
Out of all the characters, I found Otonashi Yuzuru, Tachibana Kanade and Nakamura Yuri to be developed the best throughout the 13 episodes. Part of the reason for this is because they are main characters. However, Yuzuru and Yuri's background stories made me sympathize with them. All that sadness and pain they both had to go through really made me realize how lucky I am to be alive. As for Kanade, even though not much was revealed about her, the whole ordeal of getting attacked by the SSS even though she was trying to help them "graduate" from the Afterlife really shows how kind and caring she is. The most memorable side characters were Iwasawa Asami, Hinata Hideki, Yui and TK. First off, Iwasawa also had a depressing past that is commonly heard of so it was easy to understand the kind of pain she was in. Being able to survive in a household that contained a abusive father shows how strong she is. I also respect her passion for music, especially when she decides that she will try to make a living off playing music. Her desire to be a musician no matter the costs is really commendable. Hinata and Yui's story was very heartwarming and really brought out Hinata's kindness. I'm sure Yui was relieved to know that someone out there wanted to marry her even though she is permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Some people say "it's not about what's on the outside. It's what on the inside that counts" but most of them aren't able to live by that. Hinata, on the other hand, loves Yui so much that he is willing to sacrifice everything to be by her side because of who she is on the inside and not who she is on the outside. I found that the show was a lot funnier with TK being the comic relief character.

Sound (10/10)
As a fan of Key and their anime soundtracks, I found that the music fit perfectly into every situation of the anime. From the dramatic scenes to the comedic scenes, the background music played an important role in drawing me into the scene. Like in Clannad, the background music for the sadder scenes had me close to tears. The OP and ED also fit the anime very well. Prior to watching Angel Beats!, I didn't particularly like "My Soul! Your Beats!" but after listening to it a few times, I began to appreciate the elegance of the piano and the overall melody of the song. Unlike in Clannad After Story, the ED did not ruin the mood of any ending as Brave Song was a soft and slow song that matched the mood of most of the endings.

Story (9/10)
What would you do if you ended up in the Afterlife after death? That was the question that Yuzuru had to answer. As the story goes on, some of questions get answered, while new ones appear. The background stories of a few SSS members were emotional and moving. Each one of their lives had been a struggle and now, while living in a seemingly perfect world, they agree to rebel against it. Their primary target has always been Tenshi, who Yuri believes to be an angel from Heaven (TL Note: Tenshi = Angel). As the battle between the SSS and Tenshi rages on, Yuzuru slowly learns more about Tenshi through conversations, eventually befriending her. It's hard to show the excellence of the story without totally spoiling it so I'll leave it at this: Though not at depressing at Clannad After Story, Angel Beats! is another Key masterpiece with a brilliant story that will touch the hearts of many viewers.

Overall (9/10)
What can I say? As a Key fan, I thoroughly enjoyed Angel Beats!. Everything from the art to the story was top-notch and I really don't have many complaints about it. If I were to have one piece of criticism, it would not be about the anime itself, but the length of the season. I find that 24 episodes would have been better, given the fact that the background stories of the other SSS members were not told. I would've especially loved to find out how TK got into the Afterlife. Aside from that minor piece of criticism, Angel Beats! is a solid anime that I would recommend to anyone who liked Clannad. Even if you don't like Clannad or haven't watched it yet, I still recommend you to try Angel Beats!. Simply put, Angel Beats! is like a buffet: it contains a bit of everything; with themes like comedy, drama, romance, action and many more.