Angel Beats status as one of the most popular and wellknown anime out there is indisputable. Anyone who is looking for a sad anime will undoubtedly run across this title in some form or another. As such I went into this show with high expectations given the hype surrounding the show over the past few years since its initial release. Unfortunately while Angel Beats is an admirable show that manages to be engaging to the end it suffers from too many flaws in terms of its characterization and plot development to truly deliver a strong and meaningful impact that lasts long after thirteenth episode ends. Not even the shows unique premise and high production values are enough to help the show reach its full potential. Had the show been 24 episodes rather than 13 I am sure that my review of the show would have been more positive. What could have been an amazing experience ends up falling flat. Angel Beats has a fantastic and unique premise that has amazing potential. Taking place in the afterlife a group of individuals fight against God to continue their existence and not be obliterated or otherwise pass on from the afterlife. Protagonist Otonashi finds himself in the afterlife with no memories of his past life and the circumstances surrounding his death. Joining the Afterlife Battlefront SSS he will continue to unravel the mysteries surrounding this new reality. But in spite of its actionpacked description Angel Beats is less of an action anime and more of a characterdriven drama. Unfortunately it is due to its nature as a drama that it falls flat. Due to the massive cast of characters introduced and the low episode count many of the characters are underdeveloped and lack proper characterization. Its a shame too since many of the characters you meet have genuinely interesting traits that make me wonder what their backstories are. The shows ending is generally lauded as one of the most emotional endings that will send viewers on a feels trip but I feel that any tears that were shed as a result of this show were purely because of how effective the director was at generating emotion through excellent shot composition and music selection rather than the story itself. Without spoiling anything I was extremely surprised by the ending for the completely wrong reasons. Angel Beats wants viewers to care about everyone in the story but it fails to do so because it fails to give them a reason why. As mentioned before its a characterdriven drama but ironically its weakest element is the characters themselves. As an action series it excels with excellent cinematography but that is obviously not the focus of the show. But its not a bad show by any means. There are genuinely good moments throughout and when it attempts to deliver emotion for its primary characters it does so extremely well. It may not necessarily be consistent in its execution but Angel Beats does exceedingly well when it has a clear focus. Episode 10 in my opinion is the highlight of the series and is perhaps one of the best written episodes in anime. The tonal shifts between comedy and drama work unlike many other shows. Its never jarring and never feels off which is refreshing especially coming from shows that dont handle it nearly as well such as Your Lie in April which has shifts that sometimes ruin the atmosphere of the show as a whole. And in spite of its uneven characterization the characters that are focused on properly are excellently written each with their own compelling motivations that make it hard not to empathize with them. Its just a shame this treatment wasnt afforded to the rest of the cast. I firmly believe the show could have been better if the cast was either reduced or if the series length was extended. To conclude I can see why Angel Beats is popular in the community. Its hard to deny the appeal it has as an emotional drama but its also hard to ignore the flaws that prevent it from being what it could have been. I dont regret seeing this show and I will continue to have fond memories of it but if I had to compare it to other emotionallydriven works it is nowhere in the same league.
70 /100
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