Angel Beats! / First Impressions

「Goodbye Days」

Upon seeing how this episode left out the opening sequence in favor of more time, I just knew things weren’t looking good for the SSS members now that Otonashi has decided to help them move on. As hinted by the preview last time, Yui turned out to be his first target. After devising an elaborate plan where Kanade confiscates her guitar by telling her she’s killing the band with her crappy playing (and the other members agreeing with her), Otonashi eventually gets some time alone to talk to Yui. That’s when she actually goes after Kanade to get her guitar back that is, since Hisako wanted her to just concentrate on singing and not play at the same time anyway. Much to my surprise and Otonashi’s dismay though, Yui happened to have a hell of a lot of regrets after being paralyzed from getting hit by a car. As such, most of the things she wanted to do were physical activities she saw on television.

With everything from trying to execute a german suplex and failing miserably several times because she’s as inflexible as a board, to scoring a goal in soccer in a one on five situation and hitting a home run in baseball, the comedy took center stage again making it hard to feel sorry for Yui’s past. In fact, watching Otonashi get his head smashed in over and over again and still continue to let Yui use him as a rag doll for wrestling was pretty funny to see. The same goes for how he coaxed Noda, Hinata, Fujimaki, and TK to help him with the soccer scenario. I got a good laugh out of how Hinata said even an idiot like Noda could read the letter of challenge “from Tenshi” that Otonashi prepared, simply because all the kanji had Furigana written with them. Likewise when they were suspicious as hell upon arriving on the field to see Yui there, yet joined in immediately when they saw her charging towards the goal with the ball.

In the end, this proved to be Maeda Jun’s attempt at misleading us with a lighthearted showing to confuse our emotions like he always does, because a huge curve ball was thrown once the baseball portion came around. It was pretty unsuspecting too, seeing as Yui has no hand-eye coordination whatsoever. When she eventually gave up on hitting a home run and thanked Otonashi for helping her make her other dreams of physical activity come true, I really wasn’t expecting her to say her last regret is never being able to get married. I honestly thought Otonashi was going to peacefully let her move on by insisting that he would marry her, so it was quite a surprise to see Hinata show up and do so instead. Given their love-hate relationship, it was pretty touching to hear Hinata say he’d marry her and tell her he would’ve met her and fallen in love with her even if she was paralyzed. He even went on to say how he’d hit a baseball into her room’s window by accident and meet her that way.

I couldn’t help but be moved by the visions of what it would’ve been like if the two of them did meet while alive, especially with LiSA’s 「一番の宝物」 “My Most Precious Treasure” song playing in the background. However, it wasn’t quite enough to get me teary-eyed due to the revelation that Hinata has decided to help Otonashi as well now. In addition, they just axed off the new vocalist of Girls Dead Monster! (OH MY GOD WTFBBQ!) I guess that means we won’t be hearing any more songs from them in the series anymore, such as the new single “Little Braver” that I was really looking forward to seeing. Story-wise though, they threw in a really nice twist at the end with Ooyama getting attacked by a shadow and Noda in disbelief over what he just cut down. New last boss?

* I agree with Otonashi that handsonic version 5 needs some feathers so it looks more angelic-like.
* Sekine (bass) and Irie (drums) spoke for the first time in the series. They’re played by Katou Emiri and Asumi Kana respectively.

 

Preview

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138 Comments

    1. This just means there’ll be this disappointing ending wherein everyone else just realizes they should move on because of an inspiring speech and all leave at the smae time.

      SomeKindaNick
      Reply

  10. HUWAAAAAAAAA HUWAAAAAAAAAAA HUWAAAAAAAAAAAA HUWAAAAAAAA!!! TAAT NAZE NAZE?!?!??
    (,,#ﾟДﾟ):∴;’･,;`:ｺﾞﾙｧ!! I cannot take this! Yui is like my fav character of all!
    HUHUHUHUHUHUHUHU HOW CAN I LIVE NOW!?

    srose
    Reply

  16. I really wish this would end like “The World Ends With You”. If at all possible.

    …nah, no extra spoilers. At least the setting is roughly the same…sorta…ish 😛

    Vsin
    Reply

  17. This was a great episode – comedy and character development wise. A few more at this calibre and this show will easily regain the spot of my second favourite show this season (after Sarai-ya Goyou). The marriage proposal at the end felt a bit random though… Something like a kiss, although really cheesy, would have worked better IMO.

    Tomer
    Reply

  21. its a nice that hinata already knew what otonashi is doing and plans to help him, kinda like how he is in the manga.
    though it did ruin a bit of my view on hinataXyuri, it was touching that scene with hinata and yui.

    the “shadow” thing seems more trouble than kanade, noda said he cut through it so its impossible that was kanade, I think the “shadow” will erase a member of the SSS, from what the preview said.

    amado
    Reply

  22. Although I am trying as hard as I can to love this ep, there are a few things that bug me. First, even though we could all see that there was chemistry between Yui and Hinata, I found him saying that he would marry her regardless if she was handicapped or not was kind of abrupt. Second of all, why did Hinata assist Otonashi in allowing Yui to pass on? It could have been indirect, but why? I though Hinata’s goal with the SSS was to “stay alive”. Or did he know Otonashi was working with Kanade, and decided to join in? Can someone explain? I really want to get past these issues and love this ep =/.

    SomethingLeft
    Reply

    2. Like Otonashi, he’s staying becausehe’s worried about the others. In the baseball episode, he almost vanished and because of that understands the feeling of fufillment Otonashi received last episode. Thats the reason i get why he’s helping.

      Zaku Fan
      Reply

    1. Everyone is trying not to move on because of the bad life they had before. Everyone is really just trying to live how they could not when they were alive. Granting that person that happiness and allowing them to move on sounds like a good thing to me.

      happy
      Reply

      1. Which is more or less exactly my point, and yet missing it. Otonashi thinks he is doing a good thing, helping them get over something. So does Kanade. But most of the group, they don’t want to get over it, and they don’t want to fade – especially as, everything else aside, there is no indication of fading as a good thing.

        He means well. He does. But he is going against their expressed desires to trick them into the closest local approximation of death. Don’t get me wrong, I like the show- but I am not pretending that Otonashi’s goals are all sugar and light. He’s trying to ‘erase’ them, and as all the guns and anger indicate, that is the last thing they want. Naoi was evil and vile when he tried this. Don’t think Otonashi is any better. He’s just more effective.

        Firseal
        Reply

    2. Where do you get the idea that they don’t want to get over it ? Other than Yuri, most of them are probably as “reluctant” to get over it as Yui and Iwasawa.

      kension
      Reply

    3. the only reason any of them are there in the first place is because they felt cheated by life. it’s not that they don’t want to move on, it’s that they want to accomplish what they couldn’t in life. the reason they join the SSS is because they think that being an “NPC” and following the rules will make them disappear without having fulfilled their wishes, when the truth is that the people who disappear that way simply had easier wishes to fulfill (i.e. finish high school, have a best friend, something like that). there’s also a bit of fear as to what will happen to them when they do move on, but you can’t just refuse to die because you’re afraid of what will happen after death.

      diet otaku
      Reply

  24. I really enjoyed Hinata being more serious. I do see Yui and Hinata being happy together whenever that would be but man, my throat was tight from trying to hold on some tears. I’m happy for Yui, I’m sure she will be a real energetic one for the people around her.

    Shinjiro
    Reply

  25. THIS show is made for SCREEN CAPTURES, i mean they look simply fantastic from a visual perspective. but the animation ‘although good” just doesn’t feel RIGHT. I’m having a real problem getting used to cgi style animation done on a COMPUTER, it feels Forced, not natural, unpure. i know I’m not the only one who noticed this. don’t get me wrong, stuff like Pixar movies and FULL ON cgi flicks are cool, but this looks like a half-way in between point that looks strange “too shiny,not as warm”. as many of yall might have noticed alot of show are using more and more CGI in their material especially ED themes and previews, sis x sis, maid sama… could this be the eventual form ANIME is going to adopt?? probably…new viewers and way young kids wont notice nor care about this transition, but i think alot of die hards are gonna be pissed. this may be a partial factor in the downfall of ANIME……okay…I’ll go away now

    BROOKLYN otaku
    Reply

    1. Hmmm, I kind of like the art/animation of Angel Beats! It’s rather shiny, but there’s a warm glow everywhere. Reminds me of Makoto Shinkai’s works (see my avatar; I love his works!).

      I do agree that CGI can be a bit weird when used in anime, although it doesn’t seem too forced in Angel Beats… I think it really helped the concert scenes.

      And Yui, your high pitched voice, temper tantrums, and MOE will not be forgotten.

      Kevin
      Reply

      1. nah, i get the feeling that the biggest problem with this series is the pacing. theres too much in too little time. maeda’s too used to writing visual novels where he more or less gets like, 13 hours of just reading for each character. Theres just not enough time for transition in 20 minutes of anime. This episode could easily be a 4 hour read had it been in a visual novel.

        The same problem could more or less be seen in tomoyo and kyou’s ova specials in clannad – while the visual novel made me tear up so much and were extremely emotionally moving, the ovas moved way too quickly to transition properly and alot of the effect was lost.

        Kiseki
        Reply

  26. It’s not just Misuzu’s dinosaur. It’s Potato from AIR and Botan from CLANNAD.
    I had been secretly cheering on Yui X Hinata. Damn that final picture of the two! D:<

    # of times cried in Angel Beats: 3 -.-;

    TOETO
    Reply

  28. …that I was not expecting. THAT I WAS NOT EXPECTING. WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE VOCALISTS OF GIRLDEMO THAT DISAPPEAR?! THERE WASNT EVEN A CONCERT SCENE FOR LITTLE BRAVER!

    When Yui said, “Then senpai, will you marry me?” I was thinking that there was something wrong here, that Hinata should be there instead of Otonashi, and then BAM he appears with this heartwrenching love confession.

    For some reason, I didn’t cry at all at the pasts of Yuri, Iwasawa, Hinata, Naoi, or Otonashi (although I very nearly did last episode). But Yui’s past… it had me in tears, it was just so moving with Hinata’s saying he’d marry her and the “what if” scenes in the real world. I hope they meet again and live happily ever after. Now THIS is Maeda Jun at his very best.

    akani
    Reply

    1. Yeah, Hinata’s timing there was a little, too, good. Couldn’t decide whether to drop tears of joy or sadness as this ep came to an end. So they just sort of sat at the corners of my eyes, thoroughly confused ^_;.

      At the Shadow: I can only Imagine Maeda Jun monologuing, “What, you didn’t think I’d really make the end that easy did you? MUAHAHAH.” Thus, we find ourselves at our most recent turning point.

      KumaKaori
      Reply

  31. Hurry work employment offer: DGM lead singer vocalist, benefit: fame, drawback: once you get it you disappear….
    Finally!!!! this is what I was expecting from the start of this series. It took me a while stop crying after the episode ended. It did help fact that the 14 year old son of a friend of mine is now quadriplegic due to a disease. I could relate to the pain Yui had of being a vegetable in a bed. Why it took 10 episodes is the concern; we are so close to the end now. I want extra episodes bring on the pain!!!

    Island Esper
    Reply

  34. I will really miss Yui, and YuixHinata. But, I’m glad they have her as much of this episode as they could. Maybe it’s the optimist in me, but I think if there was a final twist to this all, it’s the possibility that none of them are actually dead in the real world, but actually right in that state of almost death, where you can choose to give up, because you think life is unfair, or you accept life, and you get a second chance. Possible? Sure. Probable? Maybe not.

    I’m a sucker for happy endings, so sue me. Looks like we get another shot at a big bad leading into the final episodes!

    Wes
    Reply

    1. Now that I really think about it: have we seen any scenes where the person in question actually dies? Even with Otonashi, you can technically spin that as “fainted from exhaustion”, especially since he only lost consciousness right as the rescuers rolled in. Survival unlikely but not impossible. Besides, he stomached internal bleeding for a week without dying, so I don’t think fainting would completely take him out. Your ending seems rather plausible to me.

      Vsin
      Reply

      1. If I’m not mistaken, Hinata died due to a car accident in manga. Otonashi could be pretty much confirmed to be gone too based on last episode, internal bleeding and 7 days without energy supply, I doubt if he could survive that. The question here is: For those whoever disappeared, their death were not mentioned. We know both Yui and Irazawa were paralyzed, but we were not told how did they die. This is the thing that bugs me a lot.

        Now I would only like to know Kanade’s backstory and how did Yuri die. I hope the remaining episodes can keep me impressed.

        Duo
        Reply

      2. yeah it seems hinata died in a car accident too.
        actually they had enough food and water to last for three days, one of them died early so supply was extended slightly and they were starving the remaining 3/4 days(most people last only for 3 days without water) but otonashi probably died though…

        and its possible their just reincarnated normally.

        amado
        Reply

  38. *sniff

    I hope Yui enjoys her newfound happiness. Being paralyzed from the neck down is heart breaking to know that even doing the most basic things a person can do is at most to near impossible. I am glad that she was able to experience as well as satisfy her dreams in this afterlife. She will be missed ;-;

    P.S. Sekine and Irie actually SPOKE! BONZAI! <3

    Liberta
    Reply

  39. This is the first episode in the series that made me cry =(. Not even the last episode did me. Heck, Yui isn’t even one of my favorite characters and even sometimes I considered her quite annoying but that was so sad T_T. Seriously, why leave the drama stuff for this late? Now that I see it, the main issue with this anime is pacing. Yurippe and Iwasawa’s past were nearly as tragic, if not more, but there wasn’t any tear-bomb like with this episode.

    So Hinata is the one helping Otonashi? Show Spoiler ▼

    I thought someone like Naoi would fill that role but considering Otonashi is trying to make people realize by themselves and not by force he would think twice before telling him. But the guy is kinda smart so I’m betting he will know sooner or later. It’s weird that Yurippe hasn’t realized either, considering she was kinda suspecting Otonashi for telling the professors about the “prank” in Kanade’s exams. All the other guys (Noda and company) noticed something fishy was with Otonashi, so maybe she’s hiding/planning something?

    About the shadow, I think it has to do with some part of them refusing to let go of their past. Something like the run-away spirits in The World God only Knows. Or maybe, like someone before said, it’s gonna end like The World Ends with You XD. I’m waiting for the next episode, but I hope the series doesn’t have a rushed ending. It will really suck.

    haitechan
    Reply

  44. last 3 ep speculation

    Show Spoiler ▼

    rrw
    Reply

  46. Touching Episode why does all the singers disappear(I Always Love their songs)BTW,From my point of view i think the Shadow is like a messenger of God or something, telling that SSS has stayed too long in that world, so they need to be erased or something just a hunch

    Im really curious how Yuri died….

    SonicFreak
    Reply

  49. > He even went on to say how he’d hit a baseball into her hospital room window by accident and meet her that way.

    Yui is bedridden in her own home, not in a hospital.

    coffeemug
    Reply

  51. Very moving episode. Kitamura Eri did a great job making Yui very cute and likable to the very end.

    Hinata gets to convey his feelings for Yui as well as figuring out what Otonashi is up to at the same time, and deciding to join them as well.

    BTW, WOW GDM bassist Irie and drummer Sekine finally talked! And I thought they would be confined to background non-speaking roles for good. At least Asumi Kana and Kato Emiri’s seiyuu services were not wasted when I first saw the credits for their roles.

    So? Will GDM disband or will Hisako take over instead?

    Could the shadow at the end be one of Kanade’s evil clones that managed to escape merging with her master and was hiding all along?

    With only 3 episodes remaining, not even the deus ex machina (Maeda) is going to give Otonashi and Kanade all the time to take care of SSS one by one, so expect massive “sending offs” next week.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

  54. Dang, I was hoping she would go up to Hinata and do a german suplex on him before she disappears. Yui was one of the last characters I thought of to disappear too. The references to AIR/CLANNAD were a nice touch, all that was missing is a winged backpack from Kanon!

    fall3nbs
    Reply

  58. I really liked YuixHinata 🙂
    Oh noes GirlsDEMO are again singerless… will Yurippe step in?
    Lol-ed @ “honor student and students council president” with a slingshot, an epitome of school urchin weapon…
    Getting “subs” in the challenge letter for Noda was pure win.
    And I want a TK centered episode!!!!! He’s just too cool to be left out…

    ewok40k
    Reply

  59. I keep trying to predict what will happen next episode and keep getting what i come up with thrown out the window.

    Good stuff! Mixed with the humor and drama, this is exactly why i find the show so fascinating

    Zaku Fan
    Reply

  63. Good episode, but only 3 episodes left to end it… (I hope that the ending will be satisfying but it’s much easier to mess up the final in this kind of show than in some action show.)

    cirith
    Reply

  69. I saw it coming the last regret, I thought she would say not having a boy friend but she went all down the road with marriage. Damn it no stupid funny stuff now that Yui is gone.It means the show is heading towards it’s final moments. And yeah we finnnnnaly got lines and screentime outside a concert for the hot bassist Irie and awesome drummer Sekine, would have never learned their names before I read it here if it wasn’t for Danbooru lol.
    Yeah this show really need more than 13 episodes but I see their stategy here: their trick for not doing an episode for everyone to pass on is to make them join Otonashi in his quest. So we got a full episode of Yui not that I hate her, I like her a lot but we’ll never get one for Ooyama Matsushita Shiina or TK.

    Rockmanshii
    Reply

  70. Divine : * Irie (bass) and Sekine (drums) spoke for the first time in the series. They’re played by Asumi Kana and Katou Emiri respectively.

    Just a minor mistake to point, but Sekine’s the bass and Irie’s the drummer. （╹◡╹）

    An
    Reply

  71. Oh did you notice when it showed yuri in the past laying on the bed watching the tv in the beginning (around 6:32), there was the dinosaur doll and a doll of the dog potato from Air tv series, and there a doll of botan (the little baby boar) from clannad

    sparky3000
    Reply

  72. I loved this episode, although I’ll miss Yui -_-
    I don’t know, but I think that with only 3 episodes left, how are they going to ‘save’ everyone? Tough…

    Leticia
    Reply

  84. I TEARED!! That was really sad, I’m pretty much hoping for some sort of miracle here. I want Hinata and Yui to be saved somehow and go back to their old lives! Knowing Jun Maeda, that might actually be a possibility…

    And no Little Braver!! 🙁

    innerchihiro
    Reply

    1. Yeah and was the theme song for the japanese sob story movie Taiyo no Uta (song to the sun) about a girl played by YUI who wanted to be a singer but had an illness that prevented her from doing so. Maybe a homage of sorts by Maeda

      Zaku Fan
      Reply

  86. God damn it. I may not have cried, but I have a love-hate relationship with bittersweet stuff =(. I love watching them and at the same time I hate watching them, if you get what I’m saying =_=.

    Ryouichi
    Reply

  88. Hope that this one get the 2nd season, even if it will be in the nex year (2011) I will be watch it for sure.

    About this season: Soo sad that they all must died the second time. I’ll miss Yui, one of the most loved by my character in this series and the next one to.

    “I agree with Otonashi that handsonic version 5 needs some feathers so it looks more angelic-like.” and looking forward (3 episode left) to see Kanade in action. ^ ^

    Nekomimi036
    Reply

  92. Aw… Yui will be missed but I guess the ultimate goal of this story is to have everyone move on ^^ well passing on doesn’t sound so bad I guess but I wouldn’t mind spending my eternity with Kanade~

    AzureDivinity
    Reply

  93. “Sekine (bass) and Irie (drums) spoke for the first time in the series. They’re played by Katou Emiri and Asumi Kana respectively.”

    Not sure if someone mentioned this, you have both of the hyperlinks pointing to Asumi Kana’s AN page, the first one should be id=28606. Not that it really matters now, but just giving you a head’s up, as it confused me at first, not paying much attention.

    Chen^2
    Reply

  94. This ep was funny and had its touching moments. I’d like to see some sort of “their next life” ending or at least a montage of images in the credits of everyone happy in their next lives. I have no idea how things will end, but if it all somehow ties its end in the end, I’d like to see something like that. I think it’d be very “come full circle” for the series.

    C.R.
    Reply

  95. TK truly makes this series. It wouldn’t be what it is without that guy holding it together. If you edited out TK from every scene he’s in, I daresay the show would become nigh unwatchable, and nobody would know quite why.

    TK_fan
    Reply

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