Angel Beats! - Speculations & Theories

[maplehurry]

Originally Posted by Ice Block

Character growth doesn't magically make you recover from full-body paralysis (including loss of vocal functions).

Character growth doesn't magically fix all your broken and crushed bones and organs.

Character growth doesn't magically make you recover from 7-day-long internal bleeding and dehydration.

Character growth doesn't magically bring your dead siblings back to life.

Character growth doesn't magically make your and your wife's parents approve of your wedding, and it doesn't make you recover from poverty (assumed) after spending a load of cash on a hospital bed.

Character growth doesn't magically make you recover from paraplegia.

If they're in a coma, then everything they experienced in comaworld is useless. You basically plunge them into despair again upon waking up. The afterlife is a world for them to relive their regrets, and this time fulfill them. This is not a simulation / virtual reality for coma patients wherein you get to go back to your disabled/dying self after fulfilling your regrets.

Sure but who knows what Maeda thinks. He got another VN dealing with something very similar to this, and given its multiple endings, it's definitely not a black and white thing.

[Matt122005]

Originally Posted by Ice Block

Character growth doesn't magically make you recover from full-body paralysis (including loss of vocal functions).

Who says she needs to? She just needed character growth so that she could learn how to live a happy and meaningful life even with that disability.

Character growth doesn't magically fix all your broken and crushed bonesand organs.

No, but Medical Science can help. And if they are in a Coma, they probably have gone through surgery and such.

Character growth doesn't magically make you recover from 7-day-long internal bleeding and dehydration.

No, but miraculous things do happen in this world even stranger than that. So it's not so weird to imagine him surviving.

Character growth doesn't magically bring your dead siblings back to life.

So? Everyone dies eventually. We all have to deal with the terrible things that happen and continue to live on. Also, as a few have said, there is the theory that Yuri might have died/gone into coma when she was little. So who knows. Maybe her siblings never were killed.

Character growth doesn't magically make your and your wife's parents approve of your wedding, and it doesn't make you recover from poverty (assumed) after spending a load of cash on a hospital bed.

O_o Seriously.... this is an Anime by KEY and your actually bringing up a point like that? I don't know whether to laugh or be stunned. This is fiction. Sometimes things do just work out. Besides, its not as if it's in the realm of complete impossibility.

Character growth doesn't magically make you recover from paraplegia.

Didn't you already say that at the top?

If they're in a coma, then everything they experienced in comaworld is useless. You basically plunge them into despair again upon waking up.

As I said to the other person, it would plunge them into despair IF they were the same person filled with regrets. The point of this world is to help them realize how to keep living and why they want to.

Another problem with the coma theory is that it takes so many assumptions (some are sketchy):

• They are all connected somehow.

• >_> Seriously, this is an anime, on top of that, its done by KEY. They are kind of known for "fantasy", which usually means that the above scenario is possible and doesn't need a full explanation. Besides, the show gives the impression that the audience is free to believe that God is behind it.
  
  

  Everyone conveniently just thought that they are dead instead of being in a coma (and by everyone, I mean everyone, including Guild, Kanade, Gen 0).

  I don't know about you, but usually, when you get hit by a car and black out, you wouldn't know whether you died or were in a coma. Most merely would assume death. It's not convenient, it's just normal. lol Most people don't usually assume that when they wake up in a new world with immortal bodies that its cause they are in a coma.
  
  

  Only late-teen kids are in this coma (Yes, Chaa is still a teenager).

  So? Perhaps there are many different coma worlds? It doesn't matter, it's fantasy. You're reading too far into it.
  
  

  They don't even seem to know each other -> suggests that they are held at a rather large central hospital / advanced disease research center. This requires lots of funding from their respective families (automatically rules Chaa out)

  What makes you think that they are being connected via human means? They could be scattered all across different hospitals and their souls are connected via a mysterious force. Your jumping to conclusions way too fast.
  
  

  They can consciously determine/decide when they want to "wake up".

  Um, most can, at least in stories. It's sort of a defined rule in novels/anime/movies/etc that a coma patient can have a dream in which there is a way for him/her to wake up. But usually that "way" is very hard to find or get to. Again, this is fantasy fiction. Your nit-picking this as though it told you that this is really what happens to people.
  
  

  They wake up and their disabilities are magically healed (see above).

  Who has said that they'll wake up healed? I sure haven't.
  
  

  The summary, trailers, and the author all lied to us.

If the big twist in the story is that they aren't really dead, why the heck would they tell you the twist before you even started watching? lol It would ruin it.

All they have done is told us what the characters believe have happened to them.

Besides, the entire show is one big lie. It's FICTION. FANTASY. As in, it's not real and doesn't have to be based on reality. Otherwise we could debate for years on end how a wardrobe allowed Lucy to enter into Narnia. lol

[skyy54264]

Originally Posted by Forever

It will be so sweet if it was all just a coma and that Hinata really comes to find Yui. (by purposely smashing her window with a baseball)

An OVA revolving around "Another World: How Hinata Met Yui" is in order :3

[Rhapsody]

I agree with the whole shared dream thing actually. And if/when they all wake up, I wouldn't be surprised if the world was different and their lives turned into the lives that they actually deserved.

If this does happen though, it might cheapen the feeling when Hinata and Yui meet up if she was never injured in the first place.

[Bri]

Originally Posted by Matt122005

It's pretty clear that they are all in a Coma and this is like a dream world that the youth who have lived unfulfilled lives go to. Why? Because when they were alive, they didn't truly understand how to live. Their existence was limited and their concept of hope was small. This world has allowed them to fully appreciate life and those within it, and to realize what was most important to them. You could say it helped them regain their purpose in life to an extent.

Will we see God? No. They don't need to. They've done a lot of "God is so unfair" type of lines throughout the series. In the end, what we will see probably is that when our main character disappears, he'll be in a hospital room, still alive. We may even see the other characters alive too. This will in a sense, will echo a message that God did care after all, and had provided this world for them to help restore them. He hadn't been as unfair as they had thought.

Honestly, all in all, I would have really liked to have seen them take more time with this show (more than 12 episodes) and also have concentrated harder on their pacing in some parts and so forth.

Overall, it's a cute show. But truly, it was an experiment through and through to see if KEY could make an anime without a game to base it on.

I think they succeeded to a degree, but comparing it to their other projects (CLANNAD, KANNON, AIR), I think it might fall behind in some areas.

I can only hope that they learned a lot from the creative process and will try harder on their next straight to anime project.

This is pretty much what I expect as well. Bit similar to "Ushio's world" in Clannad except now the whole cast is there. Tenshi is a bit harder to pin down, maybe a person they all new in their lives, a sentient AI, a personification of the "spiritual force" or a version of Otonashi's sister?

I'm not sure if the issue is Key or P.A. works. A lot of the problems of AB are in the pacing and balance per episode which I associate more with story boarding and directing then general plot, though I could easily be wrong there. PAworks did a better job in Canaan where they at least showed to have a grip on balancing humor and drama. Maybe the missing thing is element is the Kyoani magic in the Key/Kyoani partnerships. I've never seen the Toei versions of Kanon and Air, wonder if there is any difference in the way they handle the source material?

[blitz1/2]

Originally Posted by Bri

This is pretty much what I expect as well. Bit similar to "Ushio's world" in Clannad except now the whole cast is there. Tenshi is a bit harder to pin down, maybe a person they all new in their lives, a sentient AI, a personification of the "spiritual force" or a version of Otonashi's sister?

I'm not sure if the issue is Key or P.A. works. A lot of the problems of AB are in the pacing and balance per episode which I associate more with story boarding and directing then general plot, though I could easily be wrong there. PAworks did a better job in Canaan where they at least showed to have a grip on balancing humor and drama. Maybe the missing thing is element is the Kyoani magic in the Key/Kyoani partnerships. I've never seen the Toei versions of Kanon and Air, wonder if there is any difference in the way they handle the source material?

There is no guarantee that KyoAni could have made it any better than PA works. If it still ends up being 13 eps, it would still end up rushed. And there's no guarantee that they would stay with same character design. Oh gosh, the horror of more K-on like characters.

[Qikz]

See, I still can't understand why Otonashi suddenly changed his tune to understanding why everyone doesn't want to move on, as in as I think he put it, becoming a water flea, although that might of been Yuri.

He wants them to move on, but why? Alot of the characters are happy being together in that world and Yui was happy being able to move about like a normal person. I think Tenshi either understands something we the viewers don't, or Otonashi has just got incredibly sadistic.

That's my main reason for thinking it's not proper death, I don't honestly understand why Otonashi would forcably force that upon them when they have a life in that world together as friends, comrades, allies. I can't understand why Otonashi would take that away from everyone.

The other thing is, they all went in with Regrets, that's why they supposidly couldn't move on, why they were placed in the world, but Otonashi supposidly died knowing he was going to be a Doctor and he knew that for the last week of his life? he helped many people survive minus the guy who broke his back or leg or something. Why would he of gone to the world in the first place if it were death, he wouldn't of had any regrets knowing he'd saved lives and studied hard for his Sisters sake.

The other thing is, if anything, none of the characters have actually explained how they died. Iwasawa and Yui were paralyzed, you can't die from being paralyzed. How would Yui just magically die like that? Otonashi only just became uncouncious from his internal bleeding when the Rescue team got there, you never actually saw him die. I'm really confused by this convaluted plot and I have the sad feeling it's going to be over too quickly with an ending that it doesn't deserve. This show really does deserve a good ending.

[Jin Kizuite]

There was also Yui's "what if we met, I can't walk or stand" moment. Which sort of hinted at such a coma world.

I wouldn't really think she was talking about a "next life" whilst still mentioning her disability, taking care of her mother and if he would fall in love with her crippled self.

[cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by Knightrunner

the shadow thing could be the grim reaper claiming souls and if you get killed by it you disappear with accomplishing anything since the world is going unstable

I hope the shadow thing doesn't mean death is approaching them.

if it is the grim reaper than it gives more credit to the coma theories. Why would the grim reaper come for them if their already dead? As people in a coma get weaker and weaker it's gets more and more likely that they will die like that. It could also be family pulling the cord as well.

[Matt122005]

Originally Posted by Qikz

The other thing is, they all went in with Regrets, that's why they supposidly couldn't move on, why they were placed in the world, but Otonashi supposidly died knowing he was going to be a Doctor and he knew that for the last week of his life? he helped many people survive minus the guy who broke his back or leg or something. Why would he of gone to the world in the first place if it were death, he wouldn't of had any regrets knowing he'd saved lives and studied hard for his Sisters sake.

The other thing is, if anything, none of the characters have actually explained how they died. Iwasawa and Yui were paralyzed, you can't die from being paralyzed. How would Yui just magically die like that? Otonashi only just became uncouncious from his internal bleeding when the Rescue team got there, you never actually saw him die. I'm really confused by this convaluted plot and I have the sad feeling it's going to be over too quickly with an ending that it doesn't deserve. This show really does deserve a good ending.

In regard to Point #1, your right. It is a bit odd. This distinguishes Otanashi quite a bit as it seems that he overcomes his regret before entering the world. It could imply that Otanashi still has a regret hidden inside himself that he hasn't talked about, or it could be something else entirely. Such as.... bad writing. But I pray that it isn't. haha

In regard to Point #2, your right. They haven't. Which is why you might have noticed many of us are discussing the possibility that they are all in a Coma, meaning they are still alive.

I am also afraid that the ending might not be well executed. I certainly hope we don't get a True Tears ending episode where they rush everything so fast it seems jarring. But then again, Angel Beats hasn't had the greatest pacing so far.

Oh well, all we can do is wait and see. >.<

[Arbitres]

The other thing is, if anything, none of the characters have actually explained how they died. Iwasawa and Yui were paralyzed, you can't die from being paralyzed.

Not being able to move is akin to being a vegetable. You can't move, you can't eat. You can't speak. The most humane thing a person could do is let the said paralyzed person die. Iwasawa-chan couldn't move her body - at all. For Yui I don't understand; only her legs were paralyzed right? How would she die from that?

Anyways I think this requires confirmation firsthand from Angel Beats! (I'm on the fence. Whether or not they are really dead. I just hope they are, it'd be incredibly cruel for most of them.)

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by Qikz

The other thing is, if anything, none of the characters have actually explained how they died. Iwasawa and Yui were paralyzed, you can't die from being paralyzed. How would Yui just magically die like that? Otonashi only just became uncouncious from his internal bleeding when the Rescue team got there, you never actually saw him die. I'm really confused by this convaluted plot and I have the sad feeling it's going to be over too quickly with an ending that it doesn't deserve. This show really does deserve a good ending.

Other than disaster like cyclone or earthquake. A possible cause of Yui's death:

Spoiler for Don't open if you are sensitive in the issue:

Her mother killed her....
It's different with the case of paralyzed kid since child birth because here it comes suddenly. The pressure and burden over her started to grow too much, so the mother broke and tried to set her free. I don't think it will ever be confirmed if so through

And i'm being serious. Here we have random robbers who murdered very young kid in cold-blood for some quick cash.

[Crontica]

Spoiler for Don't open if you are sensitive in the issue:

Mother killing her / Wheelchair accident is very likely. Since this is pretty much a 32 episode project ruffled into 13 episodes alot of dead ends and game overs will ensue forcing us to read the TIPS.

[cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

Other than disaster like cyclone or earthquake. A possible cause of Yui's death:

Spoiler for Don't open if you are sensitive in the issue:

Her mother killed her....
It's different with the case of paralyzed kid since child birth because here it comes suddenly. The pressure and burden over her started to grow too much, so the mother broke and tried to set her free. I don't think it will ever be confirmed if so through

And i'm being serious. Here we have random robbers who murdered very young kid in cold-blood for some quick cash.

i think if that was the case then Yui wouldn't have asked Hinata to help her. Maybe Yui was undergoing experimental treatment that might allow her to move again but took badly to the medicines and fell into a coma. Then we'll see at the end that she awoke and maybe eventually it works and we see Hinata helping her to go through all the rehab.

[bhl88]

Originally Posted by pampz21

can't agree with that cuz some of the SSS 2 vocals are now gone....i think all of them wanted a new life....a second chance to live a world they wanted without the sickness, sad stories.

Their bodies are probably burnt to a crisp already via cremation.

Originally Posted by rrw

speculation on last 3 ep

Spoiler:

EP 13: huge battle begun (probably with rock band by girldemo with iwasawa and yui sing together) when the battle ended. the "god" appeared and explain the situation. when he gives choice to SSS to stay or go to heaven. SSS choice stay because they doesnt want to left kanade alone in the afterlife.

I prefer the last ending. Kanade and the entire SSS should become special NPCs.

[Solace]

Originally Posted by cyberdemon

she can go live on her own. Doing things the way she likes to just likes she decided in the end.

Except she's suffering from major brain damage and can't speak and can barely move. A third of all patients who suffer from her type of head trauma die, the rest lose major functions and require lots of surgeries to prevent further damage/death.

Chances are Hinata would find her and they would live happily from then on. btw, is she fully paralyzed or just her legs? Sometimes it seemed like she could use her hands but other times not so much.

That's a bit hopeful isn't it? I like optimism, I try to be optimistic myself, but let's be practical for a moment. The odds of them getting back together in that fashion are slim to none. She's a paraplegic - the scene where the mother is washing her body by lifting her arm is proof enough of that. People who are only paralyzed from the waist down don't need baths like that.

betting she will wake up and find that her memories of the event were skewed by the coma and maybe trauma to her head from falling with such a heavy object and that her family is alive. Her growth from then is still explained because despite being in a coma you still grow and several years passed.

That's pure speculation and very optimistic. It would be an interesting twist but Yuri's story is incomplete. All we know is that her siblings were murdered and she suffers greatly because of it. We know nothing about the events leading to her death (or coma if you follow that theory).

keyword almost, maybe all the survivors will pitch in to make sure he got the best possible medical attention to survive after all her did for them.

The survivors were just about as worn out as he was. There was almost no food or water and even with rationing they ran out (especially thanks to the guy who spilled some). Otonashi not only took half rations of water but was also very active in helping others with their injuries. On top of this he had a slightly larger than fist sized bruise on his abdomen, meaning he likely had stomach bleeding and ruptures along the intestinal wall.

If he did somehow live, I'd be incredibly shocked but hey miracles happen. I'll side on the side of realism and state that most people are not so lucky. Hey, it's a fantasy story though...maybe he lived too.

Originally Posted by Matt122005

In regard to Point 2, did you not see the beginning of this series? lol I think they made it pretty clear that the mythology of this show is NOT based 100% solidly on eastern philosophies of reincarnation. As none of them are even sure that that is really what will happen to them. And some Anime actually are beginning to deeply research their Christian references such as the Fullmetal Alchemist manga as well as the new Evangelion movies (not the TV show).

My point isn't that it's based purely on any one religion, but that when people see things like "God" and "Angels" in translations they immediately start thinking in Western terms. People in Japan aren't heavily religious in the traditional sense (although many do follow religion of some sort). They do more research now, sure, since the audience is wider. But I would never approach any anime promoting Christian or any other religious terms and try to read into them too much.

On the other hand reincarnation is a popular theme in stories from the East. There's a certain kind of romance to things like "fated pairs" (Hinata and Yui for example), and most faiths teach reincarnation as a way of clearing out old hangups and moving up the ladder to reach a better existence.

This world wasn't about showing them what could have been, like waving an apple pie in front of someone hungry. It was about helping to grow their characters so that when they returned, they would be able to live fulfilled lives even with their disabilities, to realize what their purpose in life is and to feel content.

That sounds nice but it's still cruel. Character growth through disability can be demonstrated just fine without resorting to fantastic settings like Angel Beats.

The world is about resolving the issues that are keeping them from being reborn. Yui for instance felt cheated that her disability kept her from enjoying her childhood. She couldn't be in a band, or play sports, and marriage was a pipe dream. Someone comes along and helps her fulfill those dreams and she realizes life isn't so bad after all. She moves on to her next life, without the baggage of her previous one.

We could argue "what's the point" since she'd probably not remember anything from her former life anyway, but that's when you remember that karma kicks in and you realize why the joke about barnacles was taken so seriously by the SSS at first.

Iwasawa can go on living on her own, happy to be able to play her music. She will no longer need to escape through it, for she will be content with her existence and her music will be her purpose.

Iwasawa is crippled, if she is still alive. Her father cheated her out of that by giving her massive brain damage. She can hardly talk, let alone play an instrument.

I'm hoping that Hinata and Yui get together. And besides, the problem wasn't that she was Paraplegic, it was that she wanted someone to love her even in her state.

Yui wanted to experience the life of someone not confined to a bed. Many girls dream of living good lives with lots of experiences, culminating with finding someone to share that with (typically through marriage). It's nice to dream that Hinata would find her and that they'd get together, but the odds are slim.

Even if Yuri's family is dead, its possible Otanashi and her will get together and he'll act as her new family, or rather, everyone there at the school has in a sense become a family, her own family. But there's also the theory that she went into a coma when she was younger. (Did she ever reveal how she actually died? I forgot.)

Yuri's story is incomplete. She mentions the tragedy, but not what happened after that. Again, hoping her and Otonashi would find each other is nice but unlikely.

Anyways, yes, KEY is famous for sad/happy endings. Hmm... I mean, there's a first time for everything, so it's possible they'll give a happy ending, but still, there might be something sad to come.

Life is bittersweet.

I'm not exactly knocking the coma theory, just expressing my feelings that it's not likely given that there really hasn't been any evidence outside of not knowing exactly how the character died. They all say they died, and if they're able to remember their pasts so clearly it's likely they aren't lying about their living status either.

[Matt122005]

I'm not exactly knocking the coma theory, just expressing my feelings that it's not likely given that there really hasn't been any evidence outside of not knowing exactly how the character died. They all say they died, and if they're able to remember their pasts so clearly it's likely they aren't lying about their living status either.

But, really, how would you know for sure you had died? Where's the proof? Hinata in the novel series didn't believe he was dead when he woke up. Neither did Otanashi. They all merely assume they are dead.


As for the Coma theory, the 3 biggest hints for it are....

1. The thing that flashes across the screen over and over in the opening, the one that resembles a heart monitor in a hospital, the kind that a coma patient would be hooked up to.

2. The briefly stated fact given by Yuri that "people who commit suicide don't come here."

3. The fact that none of them have proof they died.


As for the Christianity stuff, the creators were clearly trying to cast doubt in the viewers minds in regard to the absolutes of death. By allowing doubt on whether reincarnation exists, it makes the questions of "What happens when we disappear?" and "Where are we?" more curious as the viewers don't know for sure whether the story will follow their ideas. I do realize how religion works in Japan and how Animes use it. Just remember, you can't always assume that every anime only uses it for the "cool" factor. Japanese don't like to discuss religion that much, as it's deemed a mostly private issue. But TV shows do allow a Japanese writer or director the ability to influence large numbers of people and expose them to new ideas. It would thus not be completely unreasonable to suspect that some Christian themed things are added for more than just a story or visual element. Case in point: The Fullmetal Alchemist manga.

Either way, I think we can all say that were excited to see the next episode. lol ;p

[Solace]

Originally Posted by Matt122005

As for the Coma theory, the 3 biggest hints for it are....

1. The thing that flashes across the screen over and over in the opening, the one that resembles a heart monitor in a hospital, the kind that a coma patient would be hooked up to.

2. The briefly stated fact given by Yuri that "people who commit suicide don't come here."

3. The fact that none of them have proof they died.

1. Well, you got me on the first one. But the symbolism could mean anything since it's always tied to the logo. Beats could mean heartbeat, or beat of life, or music...there's already play on words with the characters names so the beat could be anything really.

2. Suicide has bad stigmas in almost every faith and culture. In most faiths, they don't get the luxury of second chances often.

3. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. They don't have proof they died, but they don't have proof they're in comas either. However they have mentioned they died, and have not mentioned comas. We as the audience don't really need to know if they actually died, for two reasons -

a. We will likely never see the world they came from (outside of flashbacks) or the world they are going to.

b. The story is about resolving their lingering issues in this world.

Death or coma, doesn't really matter. The logical question to ask yourself is this:

What's more plausible (and yes I realize we're debating a fantasy story where anything can happen, humor me), that everyone is dead and disappearing means they moved on to the next life? Or that every single person in this world is actually in a coma in real life and happen to be sharing the same dream with each other?

Either way, I think we can all say that were excited to see the next episode. lol ;p

Won't deny that.

[Ice Block]

Originally Posted by Matt122005

Didn't you already say that at the top?

I don't know if you noticed, but each of those statements address different characters. Can you figure out which ones I was referring to?

Originally Posted by Matt122005

As I said to the other person, it would plunge them into despair IF they were the same person filled with regrets. The point of this world is to help them realize how to keep living and why they want to.

The fact that they are still in a vegetative state is enough reason for them to despair (that is, if they are still capable of feeling despair). See, this is what I mean. Most who put forward the coma theory don't realize how much of a disservice it would be for the characters to go back to their real-life bodies.

Originally Posted by Matt122005

>_> Seriously, this is an anime, on top of that, its done by KEY. They are kind of known for "fantasy", which usually means that the above scenario is possible and doesn't need a full explanation. Besides, the show gives the impression that the audience is free to believe that God is behind it.

Key's plots never break logic. Maeda is not a bad writer. Clannad's ending may seem like deus ex machina, but everything was foreshadowed and explained bit by bit through the illusionary world scenes.

Originally Posted by Matt122005

I don't know about you, but usually, when you get hit by a car and black out, you wouldn't know whether you died or were in a coma. Most merely would assume death. It's not convenient, it's just normal. lol Most people don't usually assume that when they wake up in a new world with immortal bodies that its cause they are in a coma.

Why not? Have you been to such a world? If they are in a coma, at least a fraction of the PCs should be able to claim that they are indeed in a coma, instead of all of them unanimously claiming that they died.

Originally Posted by Matt122005

So? Perhaps there are many different coma worlds? It doesn't matter, it's fantasy. You're reading too far into it.

What makes you think that they are being connected via human means? They could be scattered all across different hospitals and their souls are connected via a mysterious force. Your jumping to conclusions way too fast.

Because it doesn't make sense otherwise. "Because God willed it" is never a good explanation when you talk about real-world matters (coma). It also helps that no one died of KeyAIDS (Otonashi's sister died because they couldn't get an organ donor), and that there are no magical/mystical beings aside from the afterlife aspect.

Originally Posted by Matt122005

Um, most can, at least in stories. It's sort of a defined rule in novels/anime/movies/etc that a coma patient can have a dream in which there is a way for him/her to wake up. But usually that "way" is very hard to find or get to. Again, this is fantasy fiction. Your nit-picking this as though it told you that this is really what happens to people.

Key word. Just because it happens in other stories doesn't mean that it should also happen in this one. And there aren't any specific rules in fiction. There are tropes, but you can chose to not follow these tropes.

Originally Posted by Matt122005

Who has said that they'll wake up healed? I sure haven't.

Do you want the characters to suffer again then?

Originally Posted by Matt122005

All they have done is told us what the characters believe have happened to them.

Exactly. The reason why the coma theory is weak is because it twists what the characters say, points out the blanks, and then fills them in. That, and it's bad for the characters themselves. Seriously, a coma end would either be the ultimate BAD END, or a deus ex machina "everybody is happy" nonsense end.

Originally Posted by Matt122005

Besides, the entire show is one big lie. It's FICTION. FANTASY. As in, it's not real and doesn't have to be based on reality. Otherwise we could debate for years on end how a wardrobe allowed Lucy to enter into Narnia. lol

That doesn't mean that you could just ignore logic. See, there's this thing called in-universe logic. When you create a story, you should make sure that all its contents fit to the rules of your fictional universe.

Originally Posted by Matt122005

The thing that flashes across the screen over and over in the opening, the one that resembles a heart monitor in a hospital, the kind that a coma patient would be hooked up to.

These are also timed to piano notes (not to mention all the acoustic/musical themes in the series, ie Otonashi, Kanade, Hand Sonic, Harmonics, Howling, etc). See Beat (acoustics).

Originally Posted by Matt122005

The briefly stated fact given by Yuri that "people who commit suicide don't come here."

I'm not saying that Yuri is lying, but even if you commit suicide, you could also unknowingly end up in a coma.

Originally Posted by Matt122005

The fact that none of them have proof they died.

Likewise, none of them have evidence that they're in a coma. Absence of evidence =/= evidence of absence, etc.

[Qikz]

It could be that this is a way of them getting a second chance at their own lives, maybe rather than going back to their old bodies where they dispair, they're reborn into the same lives but things work differently, leading them all together but in Life rather than death?

Could mean that Yuri would of never lost her siblings, Otonashi would of never lost his sister, got in a train accident.

I think that'd be a better ending than knowing all the characters just die. It's kind of the whole

Spoiler for Clannad After Story Spoilers:

Thing where Okazaki gets transported back to his own life where things that caused him to despair never actually happened even though he remembers them. Nagisa being alive and stuff.