Angel Beats!

***Angel Beats!*** is a 13-episode Japanese anime television series produced by P.A.Works and Aniplex and directed by Seiji Kishi. The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda, who also wrote the screenplay and composed the music with the group Anant-Garde Eyes, with original character design by Na-Ga; both Maeda and Na-Ga are from the visual novel brand Key, who produced such titles as *Kanon*, *Air*, and *Clannad*. The anime aired in Japan between April 3 and June 26, 2010 on CBC. An original video animation (OVA) episode was released in December 2010, and a second OVA was released in June 2015. The story takes place in the afterlife and focuses on Otonashi, a boy who lost his memories of his life after dying. He is enrolled into the afterlife school and meets a girl named Yuri who invites him to join the Afterlife Battlefront, an organization she leads which fights against the student council president Kanade Tachibana, a girl also known as Angel with supernatural powers.

Key worked in collaboration with ASCII Media Works' *Dengeki G's Magazine* to produce the project into a media franchise. Four manga series are serialized in *Dengeki G's Magazine* and *Dengeki G's Comic*: two illustrated by Haruka Komowata and two drawn by Yuriko Asami. A series of illustrated short stories written by Maeda and illustrated by GotoP were also serialized in *Dengeki G's Magazine* between the November 2009 and May 2010 issues. Two Internet radio shows were produced to promote *Angel Beats!*. The first volume in a six-part episodic visual novel adaptation produced by Key was released for Windows on June 26, 2015.

*Angel Beats!* received generally positive reviews by critics. The integration of various individual elements together, such as musical performances, humor and action, was commended in one review but panned in another, saying that the story was overloaded with too many elements. P.A.Works was praised for the animation of the action sequences and attention to detail with the weapons used. A major flaw noted by critics, however, was the length of the anime, with its short run leaving many of the characters' back-stories unexplored. The anime was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the 14th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2010.

## Plot/Synopsis

Otonashi awakens only to learn he is dead. A rifle-toting girl named Yuri explains that they are in the afterlife, and Otonashi realizes the only thing he can remember about himself is his name. Yuri tells him that she leads the Shinda Sekai Sensen (Afterlife Battlefront) and wages war against a girl named Tenshi. Unable to believe Yuri's claims that Tenshi is evil, Otonashi attempts to speak with her, but the encounter doesn't go as he intended.

Otonashi decides to join the SSS and battle Tenshi, but he finds himself oddly drawn to her. While trying to regain his memories and understand Tenshi, he gradually unravels the mysteries of the afterlife.

## MAL Info

* Score:8.18
* Ranked:#319
* Popularity:#12
* Studios:P.A. Works
* Source:Original
* Duration:24 min, per ep
* Rating:PG-13- Teens 13 or older
* Producers: Aniplex, Dentsu, Mainichi Broadcasting System, CBC, Movic, Visual Art's, ASCII Media Works

## Trivia

***Angel Beats!*** is adapted from a light novel called ***Angel Beats!: Track Zero*** which is based the official prequel to the anime series.

## External Sources:

### Anime:

https://myanimelist.net/anime/6547/Angel\_Beats

### Manga:

https://myanimelist.net/manga/19671/Angel\_Beats\_\_Heavens\_Door?q=angel%20beats%3A%20hea&cat=manga

### Light Novel:

https://myanimelist.net/manga/16648/Angel\_Beats\_\_Track\_Zero