January 1st, 2019
[SPOILERS] My Thoughts on "Angel Beats"
Anime Relations: Angel Beats!
I went into “Angel Beats” with extremely high expectations given the almost universal acclaim that the community seems to be giving this show. It was one of those nights where I really wanted to watch something that would make me tear up and hopefully even feel temporarily depressed.
Perhaps those expectations were set too high because when I finally finished the thirteen episodes, I didn’t feel anything particularly strong. Sure, it had great scenes and a fantastic premise, but there was something off about the show that really failed to deliver that emotional punch that everyone told me was going to hit.
One of the things that truly makes a show emotionally impactful to me is a strong buildup. “Angel Beats” has perhaps one of the most hamfisted endings that I have seen in a long time. When it was revealed that Kanade was the recipient of Otonashi’s heart, I was absolutely blindsided. It was a revelation that definitely took me by surprise, but not in a thematically good way. There was no hint for the viewers in regards to the true nature of Otonashi’s bizarre obsession with Kanade throughout the story.
Perhaps I’m being cynical or overly critical, but Kanade’s reveal seemed like an attempt on the writers’ part to artificially create a memorable ending that would stick with the minds of viewers for years to come. If that was in fact their intent, then I would say that they have certainly succeeded, given the large amounts of positive scores being given to the show.
In addition to the above complaints, I was also completely unsatisfied with the way Otonashi was supposedly in love with Kanade. I suppose there were some hints of chemistry throughout the course of their interactions, but the whole confession scene felt like something that came out of the blue. There was no natural buildup towards it. It was reliant on the writers knowing that viewers expected something to happen between either Otonashi and Kanade, or Otonashi and Yuri. It would have been better to have Yuri serve as the romantic interest as opposed to Kanade. Would she have been a good romantic interest? No, but it sure feels more natural than Otonashi and Kanade.
I am also absolutely astonished by the ridiculous amount of underdeveloped side characters present in the show. While some of my favourite shows do suffer from this issue (including “Your Lie in April”), “Angel Beats” and its short runtime means that it can ill-afford to have a massive cast of characters that ultimately do nothing but make the viewer guess about their backstories and origins.
What is TK’s story? Why does he constantly speak in English when it’s revealed that he isn’t proficient in English? What about the ninja girl’s obsession with cute objects? Does this tie in with why she can’t pass on? There are so many questions that are left unanswered, leaving the large cast feeling rather hollow.
It’s okay to have large casts, but you have to give the viewer a reason to care.
“Your Lie in April,” which is considered my gold standard for sad anime, has a large cast, but it always gives a reason for viewers to feel invested when the camera isn’t focused on the main characters. When the finale comes, there is a sense of emotional payoff because each and every one of the characters is giving a meaningful conclusion that is bolstered by the development they are given.
But this is absent in “Angel Beats.” The fact that the graduation scene only had five people reveals to me really how underdeveloped everyone outside of those five were (aside from Yui who has passed on before that scene). Almost every other cast member departs the afterlife offscreen or without much emotion. In the end, their impact on the audience is minimal at best.
This begs the question of why they were included at all. Why not just have them be another one of the nameless SSS members? Why give them personalities if they are going to be squandered anyways?
“Angel Beats” was not terrible though, and it has many things that are worthy of merit. Production values were absolutely amazing at the time and continues to hold up today, while its premise is one that I have not seen explored in anime before. There are interesting themes to be found that really make you think about what it means to live your life to the fullest.
I do not regret watching “Angel Beats,” but I wish it could have been something more. There were definitely some emotional highpoints, but overall, the experience ended up a little too flat for my liking.
Perhaps those expectations were set too high because when I finally finished the thirteen episodes, I didn’t feel anything particularly strong. Sure, it had great scenes and a fantastic premise, but there was something off about the show that really failed to deliver that emotional punch that everyone told me was going to hit.
One of the things that truly makes a show emotionally impactful to me is a strong buildup. “Angel Beats” has perhaps one of the most hamfisted endings that I have seen in a long time. When it was revealed that Kanade was the recipient of Otonashi’s heart, I was absolutely blindsided. It was a revelation that definitely took me by surprise, but not in a thematically good way. There was no hint for the viewers in regards to the true nature of Otonashi’s bizarre obsession with Kanade throughout the story.
Perhaps I’m being cynical or overly critical, but Kanade’s reveal seemed like an attempt on the writers’ part to artificially create a memorable ending that would stick with the minds of viewers for years to come. If that was in fact their intent, then I would say that they have certainly succeeded, given the large amounts of positive scores being given to the show.
In addition to the above complaints, I was also completely unsatisfied with the way Otonashi was supposedly in love with Kanade. I suppose there were some hints of chemistry throughout the course of their interactions, but the whole confession scene felt like something that came out of the blue. There was no natural buildup towards it. It was reliant on the writers knowing that viewers expected something to happen between either Otonashi and Kanade, or Otonashi and Yuri. It would have been better to have Yuri serve as the romantic interest as opposed to Kanade. Would she have been a good romantic interest? No, but it sure feels more natural than Otonashi and Kanade.
I am also absolutely astonished by the ridiculous amount of underdeveloped side characters present in the show. While some of my favourite shows do suffer from this issue (including “Your Lie in April”), “Angel Beats” and its short runtime means that it can ill-afford to have a massive cast of characters that ultimately do nothing but make the viewer guess about their backstories and origins.
What is TK’s story? Why does he constantly speak in English when it’s revealed that he isn’t proficient in English? What about the ninja girl’s obsession with cute objects? Does this tie in with why she can’t pass on? There are so many questions that are left unanswered, leaving the large cast feeling rather hollow.
It’s okay to have large casts, but you have to give the viewer a reason to care.
“Your Lie in April,” which is considered my gold standard for sad anime, has a large cast, but it always gives a reason for viewers to feel invested when the camera isn’t focused on the main characters. When the finale comes, there is a sense of emotional payoff because each and every one of the characters is giving a meaningful conclusion that is bolstered by the development they are given.
But this is absent in “Angel Beats.” The fact that the graduation scene only had five people reveals to me really how underdeveloped everyone outside of those five were (aside from Yui who has passed on before that scene). Almost every other cast member departs the afterlife offscreen or without much emotion. In the end, their impact on the audience is minimal at best.
This begs the question of why they were included at all. Why not just have them be another one of the nameless SSS members? Why give them personalities if they are going to be squandered anyways?
“Angel Beats” was not terrible though, and it has many things that are worthy of merit. Production values were absolutely amazing at the time and continues to hold up today, while its premise is one that I have not seen explored in anime before. There are interesting themes to be found that really make you think about what it means to live your life to the fullest.
I do not regret watching “Angel Beats,” but I wish it could have been something more. There were definitely some emotional highpoints, but overall, the experience ended up a little too flat for my liking.
Posted by Revisionary | Jan 1, 2019 4:06 AM | 0 comments