Even before Angel Beats! first aired it was alright under quite a bit of pressure and once it finally did, most would agree it didn't quite live up to that expectation.
And I too would agree to that, many expected another show akin to Jun Maeda's other works, Clannad, Kanon, Air and instead we were presented with this unruly, disorganized, seemingly random story that is Angel Beats! and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Story: 8/10
From the get go the story is intriguing. Starting off with that an all too familiar line, something along the lines of "You are dead." Angel Beats! introduces you to an Afterlife in which young souls are fighting against the very God who controls it, and his Angel.
Even though the story is interesting, the beginning is shaky and doesn't find it's ground for a few episodes. Even so, I felt the story had great potential and even though it once again didn't quite meet it's expectancy was still an overall enjoyment.
Art: 10/10
I for one love the artistic styling of the Key company, and Angel Beats! is a thrill to watch play out. The animation is sleek and enjoyable and riddle with many different styling's while still holding that Key charm.
Sound: 10/10
Like the art, the music is outstanding. Properly used insert songs at key moments really make you feel what you need to during any scene.
Character: 8/10
Like the story, I felt the characters were not used to there full potential. There has been many who have said the main characters in particular resemble one other famous duo, who I shouldn't have to name, but even so I do not think that takes away from there charm. Part of the loss in character development is just the sheer amount of appealing characters and lack of time to learn about each one. Nonetheless the characters are easy to relate too and definitely appealing.
Enjoyment & Overall: 10/10
As I said at the beginning, Angel Beats! is definitely not without's flaws. The story while ending nicely had a rough time getting to that point, and at some points almost seems to forget it all together. The cast of characters are all interesting but some lack development. But in the end, Angel Beats! was a show worth watching. Full of laughs, sorrow, hardship and love, Angel Beats! will not disappoint.
