Angel Beats! generic discussion

[Kotohono]

Originally Posted by Scython

OP for those interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQWdFi3sVu8

The OP song is excellent as expected, and I just love lia's singing is just as great here as it was in clannad .

Edit: Also the ED theme is a very soothing piece. I like it too; though not much animation for it.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Scython

OP for those interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQWdFi3sVu8

The song is interesting but I'm not sold on it immediately like I was on Tori no Uta for example (Air's intro). I have the feeling it'll grow on me however and I'll reserve my final judgment for the full version.

Now to wait until I can watch the second episode subbed.

PS: I'm surprised a Key show doesn't have it's own forum while it's already on the second episode. Losing steam are we Key? :P

[Archon_Wing]

Originally Posted by Dextro

PS: I'm surprised a Key show doesn't have it's own forum while it's already on the second episode. Losing steam are we Key? :P

Well, since the others had a (high selling) visual novel as a source there was just more to talk about. Right now, all we have is speculation, and the actual episodes as well as the other material that's lying around.

[Hypernova]

Jesus fuck they must be burning obscene amount of funding on the animation. How long can they keep this up?

[chikorita157]

I was late to the party, but finally got the chance to watch the first episode, finally...

Spoiler for Episode 1:

Episode 1 was decent, but the glass was only half filled. From the looks of it, it was a intro episode and ... yeah, they were working on that OP which was missing in the first episode... Animation was a bit better towards the end...

I enjoyed it, although it will be alot different from what I have seen in the past. I have no expectations... As long it entertains me and the story is good, it will turn out good for me.

Rating: 8.3/10

[Sciel]

The OP was really good , especially loved the bits with Tenshi playing the piano (have to get around to making an avatar/sig based on that soon !) .
As for the episode itself , much better than EP1 . I do agree that Yuri's past is rather over the top . The guild thing was also . Other than that i pretty much liked most of it (some of the deaths were pretty lol tbf) .
Lastly , i'm still not quite sold on the anime's character designs. Maybe its just the whole "key show's always being done by kyo-ani up till now" and not being used to it but w/e .While Tenshi herself looks pretty good , Yuri , Otonoshi and some of the main cast look rather odd to me .

[germanturkey]

dang, Yuri's past is pretty heavy. they didn't go completely emotional, which is good for this type of show. songs are fantastic. ED is very solid. looks like there's a lot of characters who haven't been introduced yet, from the spread at the end of the ED. OP animation is great, song is so so.

i wonder if they'll actually show any "battle damage"

[orangejuicetang]

Well, that was interesting. Yuri's flashback does provide a lot of insight into her character and her motivations. The reason they follow Yuri as their leader is because she was the first to rebel. But the reason she choose to lead them is probably different. Going by her flashback, that event obviously, for lack of a better phrase off the top of my head, made a really big impression on her. As the eldest child, it was her responsibility to lead her other siblings. Their deaths was the seed for her rage and discontent against 'God'. By failing to save them, even though it wasn't her fault, she possibly feels that she 'failed' in her responsibility and her 'leadership'. The SSS may provides a 2nd chance for her to redeem herself in her own eyes in a sense.

Something else I want to mention is a post made a few pages ago about why Tenshi just doesn't wipe them all out. Well, since this series is still ongoing, so I can't say for sure, but her actions sort of remind me of the 'counterforce' from the nasuverse. Basically an overwhelming force that can only act in response to the events. Or in short, it's a reactive force, not a proactive force.

Also, something interesting in the op

Spoiler for op:

Tenshi has angel wings

[DeX-kun]

Originally Posted by orangejuicetang

Well, that was interesting. Yuri's flashback does provide a lot of insight into her character and her motivations. The reason they follow Yuri as their leader is because she was the first to rebel. But the reason she choose to lead them is probably different. Going by her flashback, that event obviously, for lack of a better phrase off the top of my head, made a really big impression on her. As the eldest child, it was her responsibility to lead her other siblings. Their deaths was the seed for her rage and discontent against 'God'. By failing to save them, even though it wasn't her fault, she possibly feels that she 'failed' in her responsibility and her 'leadership'. The SSS may provides a 2nd chance for her to redeem herself in her own eyes in a sense.

That is most likely the case but I also believe that she just wants to simply ask "why?" Why does something so unreasonable have to happen to her younger siblings? Why, when they did nothing wrong. She can't change the fact that they're already dead so she just wants to fight with "God." Redemption is a good way of putting it.

I'm glad that we got some good character development for Yuri this episode because I feel like her reasons for rebelling are justified in a way, I can sympathize with her. Since she said that her death wasn't caused by suicide, I'm now curious to know how she actually died. I'm sure this will be a focal point later on but I must say that this was a pretty entertaining episode although, the comedy/gags feel kind of out of place.

There's a possibility that pacing is the reason for this but I hope that the 3rd episode does a better job at balancing between comedy and drama.

[dark998]

Spoiler for Episode 2:

Very fun episode, lots of action compared to the first one and some needed background information about Yuri and the origin of their arsenal. Hilarious how the team lost members one by one as they were descending.

Highlight was definitely the flashy Tenshi vs Yuri encounter.

And about the OP/ED, both are great. OP has Tenshi playing the piano like an angel and ED has that awesome group shot.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by DeX-kun

That is most likely the case but I also believe that she just wants to simply ask "why?" Why does something so unreasonable have to happen to her younger siblings? Why, when they did nothing wrong. She can't change the fact that they're already dead so she just wants to fight with "God." Redemption is a good way of putting it.

I'm glad that we got some good character development for Yuri this episode because I feel like her reasons for rebelling are justified in a way, I can sympathize with her. Since she said that her death wasn't caused by suicide, I'm now curious to know how she actually died. I'm sure this will be a focal point later on but I must say that this was a pretty entertaining episode although, the comedy/gags feel kind of out of place.

There's a possibility that pacing is the reason for this but I hope that the 3rd episode does a better job at balancing between comedy and drama.

I agree that this episode gave her some good development. Having gone through that I can understand why she is doing this. The motivations have to be mixed here. Part is probably seeking redemption for her failure, partly anger at 'God' for allowing that to happen, and really she probably just wants to fight back against something. Back then she couldn't do anything and being dead she can never do anything about those criminals. At least there in that situation she can take action and fight back. Life can be unfair and cruel, but that doesn't mean you aren't left simply asking why.

In terms of Yuri's death I'm still uncertain. She responded pretty strongly against the implication, but that doesn't mean she didn't kill herself. Plus it's a weird statement to say no one there killed themselves. If true that's a strange thing that makes you wonder. Still her death will probably be answered eventually.

The second episode was weird. You have that horrible past and comical deaths. I mean really it was hilarious to see Noda get owned by that trap. He's been a jerk so far so seeing him die numerous times isn't bad. Like the answers about where their supplies come from and it makes sense why the traps are like that. I mean the Resident Evil laser trap and the classic giant ball rolling down a cavern trick . It's weird, but I think the mixture of comedy and seriousness works.

[klare]

eps 2 surprised me, it is much better than i expect

Yuri is no Haruhi, accept it!

this is not good, i think i fell in love with the piano-playing angel...

[Ice Block]

Originally Posted by Free

What's with this "those who suicide don't come here" thing? Not really a Buddhist thing as far as I know. Nor a Shinto one. Maeda's off to create another religion once again~

Christian. Suicide = instant hell. Also, I believe several other religions look at suicide quite negatively.

And I don't really think Yuri died of suicide, despite her getting suspiciously worked up about it. She claims that suicide doesn't take you to their place, since apparently she hasn't met anyone who "died" of suicide. However, if we take the coma route, she could have had a failed suicide attempt -- though if she really did try suicide she wouldn't have had the spirit to rebel in this "afterlife".

[Syntron]

2nd Episode was like watching Takeshi's Castle while having some of TK's weed...

OP is epic, ED is nice.


And now for a riddle:

Spoiler for spot the yuri:

[Eater of All]

Breathtaking OP is breathtaking. The ED I guess is pretty fitting; at least it didn't turn out to be all happy and upbeat, or else I would've been inclined to break something.

Ep02 was much slower compared to ep01, though it was entertaining nonetheless with some improved comedy (albeit it still wasn't very funny). Some of the parts like the cannon and the fight were drawn/animated very nicely, and overall it wasn't bad. By the way, I just love how strangely natural it was to hear Kamiyan delivering tsukomis one after another; damn you Nozomu and Arararagi.

Spoiler for ep02:

So if we're still going with the theorizing, here's what I got:
- RPG: Pretty obvious dungeon similarities with the traps and all. Felt like Yuri was leading a party through a trap maze and having her party members dying one after another, not to mention the general attitude of how you can abandon your teammates and have them find their way back out on their own like it's no big deal.
- Coma: "Basically we just breathe life into something that looks like what we remember." "You can even create it out of dirt." Sounds like a dream world where the only thing that's limiting you is your memory and imagination.

Originally Posted by DeX-kun

That is most likely the case but I also believe that she just wants to simply ask "why?" Why does something so unreasonable have to happen to her younger siblings? Why, when they did nothing wrong. She can't change the fact that they're already dead so she just wants to fight with "God." Redemption is a good way of putting it.

Though that just begs the question of what exactly Yuri can achieve even if, in the end, she actually does beat God to a pulp and make Him lick her boots in repentance. In fact, I'm personally starting to see Yuri as a tragic character now, not necessary because of her spectacularly messed up past, but because of how she'd semi-literally brought her regrets down to her grave and still wishes to fight such a fate, rather than accept it. Reminds me of those lost souls that terrorize random innocent people (in this case, Tenshi?) in an attempt to assuage their suffering, TBH.

Then again to sort out problems is the very reason why this place exists it seems.

[Ice Block]

Originally Posted by Syntron

And now for a riddle:

Spoiler for spot the yuri:

-snip-

Here:

Spoiler for Yuri:

Oh, and hello, Fate and Hanyuu (Sekine and Irie from GDM -- these girls haven't been properly introduced yet eh?). Also, I find it strange that Yui is nowhere in sight this time, even the OP and ED. She's supposed to be one of the main characters, right?

[octoberasian]

Originally Posted by Eater of All

Breathtaking OP is breathtaking. The ED I guess is pretty fitting; at least it didn't turn out to be all happy and upbeat, or else I would've been inclined to break something.

Ep02 was much slower compared to ep01, though it was entertaining nonetheless with some improved comedy (albeit it still wasn't very funny). Some of the parts like the cannon and the fight were drawn/animated very nicely, and overall it wasn't bad. By the way, I just love how strangely natural it was to hear Kamiyan delivering tsukomis one after another; damn you Nozomu and Arararagi.

Spoiler for ep02:

So if we're still going with the theorizing, here's what I got:
- RPG: Pretty obvious dungeon similarities with the traps and all. Felt like Yuri was leading a party through a trap maze and having her party members dying one after another, not to mention the general attitude of how you can abandon your teammates and have them find their way back out on their own like it's no big deal.
- Coma: "Basically we just breathe life into something that looks like what we remember." "You can even create it out of dirt." Sounds like a dream world where the only thing that's limiting you is your memory and imagination.

Though that just begs the question of what exactly Yuri can achieve even if, in the end, she actually does beat God to a pulp and make Him lick her boots in repentance. In fact, I'm personally starting to see Yuri as a tragic character now, not necessary because of her spectacularly messed up past, but because of how she'd semi-literally brought her regrets down to her grave and still wishes to fight such a fate, rather than accept it. Reminds me of those lost souls that terrorize random innocent people (in this case, Tenshi?) in an attempt to assuage their suffering, TBH.

Then again to sort out problems is the very reason why this place exists it seems.

Spoiler:

I agree with Eater on this.

At first I'm thinking: Yuri is in denial of her own death, so she rebels against the "system" that's put in place in "Heaven." And that "system" as I understand it is: You die, you live another life until you return back to Earth, and not necessarily as your original self. In other words, the never ending cycle of life.

After episode 2, it seems it's much more than her own denial but a question as to why her siblings had to die that way. She must be wondering where they are since they're dead. Isn't it odd that they are not with Yuri in this part of "Heaven" (maybe it's Hell to her)?

So, there are questions she wants to ask God herself, and much less on beating it up.

As for Ep 2, I love the opening sequence and the music. The whole episode was pretty fun to watch, especially all those traps. I'll have to agree with DIVINE from Random Curiosity blog that I wouldn't join this group, but if being near Yuri outweighs it, I'll do it for the hell of it.

Also, doesn't the group shot in the ending sequence look too much like Da Vinci's painting of The Last Supper? Yuri is in the middle as Jesus. The similarities are there, and I blame my 12 years of private Catholic education and love of art to draw those similarities.

Oh, I'm by no ways religious or have any religion, but that group shot lit up a light bulb in my head. Or, I'm thinking too much into it as usual.

[Tempester]

Since the light novel gives us valuable background information about the characters, can we get it translated? Someone must be up for the job. After all, this is a Key work.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by octoberasian

Spoiler:

I agree with Eater on this.

At first I'm thinking: Yuri is in denial of her own death, so she rebels against the "system" that's put in place in "Heaven." And that "system" as I understand it is: You die, you live another life until you return back to Earth, and not necessarily as your original self. In other words, the never ending cycle of life.

After episode 2, it seems it's much more than her own denial but a question as to why her siblings had to die that way. She must be wondering where they are since they're dead. Isn't it odd that they are not with Yuri in this part of "Heaven" (maybe it's Hell to her)?

So, there are questions she wants to ask God herself, and much less on beating it up.

As for Ep 2, I love the opening sequence and the music. The whole episode was pretty fun to watch, especially all those traps. I'll have to agree with DIVINE from Random Curiosity blog that I wouldn't join this group, but if being near Yuri outweighs it, I'll do it for the hell of it.

Also, doesn't the group shot in the ending sequence look too much like Da Vinci's painting of The Last Supper? Yuri is in the middle as Jesus. The similarities are there, and I blame my 12 years of private Catholic education and love of art to draw those similarities.

Oh, I'm by no ways religious or have any religion, but that group shot lit up a light bulb in my head. Or, I'm thinking too much into it as usual.

I'm not sure that Yuri is really wondering where her siblings are. If we work on the assumption you don't age after death than she died years after that horrible event. Thus it would make sense that they moved along before she ever got there. Plus if you go to a place that is around your dying age then they would be at a giant middle school or something.

[Edgewalker]

Originally Posted by Hypernova

Jesus fuck they must be burning obscene amount of funding on the animation. How long can they keep this up?

It actually wasn't that immense. They took plenty of shortcuts, they just did it wisely.

Also, this is only 1 cour...which is kinda sad because this is getting to be pretty damn good.


I'm getting curious to know just how "old" Yurippe really is under the -doesn't age- assumption. The house in her memories is a bit old fashioned...but they had a decent TV, but no computer. that's what? 40 years max? This is all of course assuming they don't pull some TYPE-MOON bullshit where LOL AFTERLIFE IGNORES TIME PARADOX and for all we know She's been at this for millions of years.