Angel Beats! or AB!, is an "action" comedy with hints of fantasy/romance. Angel Beats is rather deceiving so i'm putting this section at the very top. The first scene is of a girl holding a sniper rifle. In the first couple episodes guns are everywhere and you have about ten or so people shooting like mad men. Explosions, knife fights, etc.
For about a total of three episodes....
If the entire series is about 260 minutes long (4 1/3 hours) probably about 20 minutes total is action, the rest is either story or comedy. Nothing wrong with that, but don't watch AB! for big explosions and girls with guns, it's a comedy/fantasy/romance/school life.
The story is wrought with drama and romance, with twists and turns every so often. It's hard to fit a fleshed out story into thirteen episodes and in the last three i was worried they wouldn't wrap it up. This is both the case and not the case. Episode twelve feels rushed and half assed, while a huge, interesting, important chunk is left out in the middle of twelve and thirteen. Fortunately, the ending is still good and each episode ends perfectly. It's not like ToraDora! where every episode ended with a cliff hanger, nor does it end like a Pokemon episode. I felt each episode had a proper conclusion with enough cliffhanger to make you come back next week.
Unfortunately, the story is not complimented by its wide cast of characters. Otonashi, the male lead, is amnesiac and blank for awhile, but i was interested as he isn't your classic fight against evil selfless hero, he's a little more selfish than most main characters. Yuri has a nice backstory that's explained early and Angel is explained, though not till the very end. It's the supporting cast that definitely gets the shaft. There are about ten or so supporters who are equally funny and crazy. However, that's ten different backstories and only three or four are explored. One character disappears till the end, comes back for literally five seconds, and then is never shown again.
This is also worth noting, most of the humor this series relies heavily on the world itself. As everybody is dead, no one can really die again. So most of the humor comes from people getting murdered (in non bloody ways). I personally liked this humor because i've been watching Maria Holic, Zetsubou Sensei and other satirical and pun based shows, which just don't translate. AB! is hilarious, but it is definitely not smart humor in any way shape or form.
The animation and art are beautiful. It combines simplistic characters, who look beautiful, with an even more beautiful background. I was disappointed that the art wasn't put to as good use as it could've been; many scenes take place in tunnels, classrooms, the track. Yet shots show a huge campus that is never really used to its fullest. Animation works well, probably helped by simplistic characters. Angel has beautiful fluid motion and the graphics that appear when she uses her powers are great. Much of the animation can be compared to Spice and Wolf's, another beautiful series. The art clearly shows how well technology has advance, as everything about it is beautiful. I'm pretty sure this is what hyped Angel Beats up and it doesn't disappoint. Music is also up to snuff. Openings are beautiful and smooth, yet it sticks to the piano a bit too much, same goes for the ending. My favorite musical aspect is the band in the show. They perform flashy rock hits which get a little repetitive, but still enticing. Music is also used greatly for humor, inserted at key moments which i found enjoyable.
After writing this and doing some research, i believe AB! may have been a little overhyped. It's very interesting and i'd easily recommend this to any American whose interested in drama. I feel like it wouldn't be as drawing to someone with anime experience and is looking for smart humor. Anyone looking for action should stay away. Few animes pull of a good ending, AB! kinda disappoints, as it becomes kinda predictable once the big plot moment comes in with Otonashi, and the plot is such that it can either be good or really bad, of which i almost believed it was going to be bad as i finished it. It's not great, it still is unresolved and not what i had envisioned (to all who have seen it, i wished they could've shown everyone and what they were doing afterwards, maybe some of them meeting. I at least wanted them to go even a little beyond what they showed similar to the end of .://hack).
Rundown:
Story: plot driven, good twists, felt like it was forced towards the end
Characters: Worst part, not enough detail into interesting supports, main characters are more relatable than interesting
Art: lives up to the hype, doesn't go beyond it though even though it could
Music: Pleasing and interesting, little variety
Verdict: Go Watch It
When you stop liking it, watch two or three more episodes, as the story will change.
Still don't like it, then it's not your kinda anime.
