Angel Beats!

Angel Beats is an anime that I really expected to be the best of this season. Upon seeing the first episode, I was introduced to writing that was humorous and fast paced, characters that were very interesting, an interesting concept, and superb artwork and animation. It had potential and seemed to be a show destined for perfection. It was until the fourth episode that the first signs of trouble began to show.

The story to Angel Beats follows the adventures of a group of dead students in the afterlife called the SSS, an organization rebelling against god due to unsatisfactory lives they had previously. The story centers around Otonashi, an amnesiac who is the newest member of the group. Due to his status as a recruit, we learn information about the characters and the afterlife through his experiences, something that is pretty standard in terms of storytelling. Thankfully, the main story is pretty interesting, as the plot constantly leaves the viewer invested with very interesting scenarios and a few plot twists along the way. While the ending is a bit unsatisfying, it's still worth watching due to the surprise you'll get from watching it.

Thankfully, the beginning of Angel Beats is phenomenal, as it introduces fresh dialogue, interesting main characters, an art style that is probably the best Key has ever done, and incredibly smooth and fluid animation. Unfortunately, the first signs of trouble come in the form of humor. A problem that Angel Beats faces is that the humor can get repetitive VERY quickly. That doesn't mean that new and fresh jokes aren't funny, but continuing gags become very old quickly, due to characters using these gags way to frequently. For example: a recurring gag is that all of the people in the SSS are called idiots by a girl named Yui. The problem with this joke is that it's used frequently despite the fact that it's not funny. That's not to say that their isn't some really funny jokes though, as the majority of the jokes are hilarious, the only problem being that a noticeable, if still small, percentage of these jokes are recurring gags.

The characters in Angel Beats are both a great plus and minus of the show. On one hand, you are given interesting characters, such as Yurrippe, Otonashi, Yui, Hinata and Kanade who are given plenty of depth and are also well developed. Some characters, a great example being TK, don't need depth, as their coolness and unique behavior make them already interesting. On the other hand though, a HUGE majority of the SSS members are not that interesting, as some of them are just bland stereotypes, despite some of them delivering some clever dialogue and jokes. An example of this would be Takamatsu, a guy who is mysterious... and that's it! While he does deliver one hilarious joke, he is given no back story, no development, and is an all around uninteresting character in general. If Angel Beats had spent more time developing the backgrounds of all these characters, then it would make for very enthralling characters, but unfortunately, it chooses too give them stereotypical personalities instead.

The biggest flaw of Angel Beats would be the execution of the story. While it is by no means bad, the amount of pointless fillers moments (as each episode is comprised of moments that seem to just be filler) is overwhelming at times. While they are amusing, if more time was spent on developing the plot and characters, then everything could possibly be developed in the thirteen episodes that are its run time. Unfortunately, the series seems to spend too much time on these pointless, albeit entertaining, baseball games, fishing activities and pointless missions that results in an experience that while good, can be so much better. Angel Beats really shines when it's delivering a serious story, not when it's trying to be lighthearted and comedic.

The animation in Angel Beats is amazing, as everything is colorful, vibrant and seems to shine with creativity. The character models also look very nice, as they are expressive, creative and very fluent with their body motions. The best part also has to be the action scenes though, as their is some really great fight scenes for a school-life anime. The gun affects also look nice, as a massive fire fight in the first episode gives viewers an idea how nice the series is. While the gun effects are VERY unrealistic (As I'm pretty sure they don't look this colorful or pretty.) they still look visually appealing.

Overall, Angel Beats is a show worth experiencing despite its numerous flaws. While definitely lacking behind Key's other works (Kanon, Clannad, etc...), it's still a great show that won't be forgotten anytime soon. It's by no means a masterpiece that some claim it to be, but it's still a great series due to its creativity, a few memorable characters (TK is awesome!), beautiful art and animation (Which is probably the best I've seen out of all of Key's creations.), and a story that isn't exceptional, but still entertaining with a very melancholy ending (Which is typical of Key.).

Opening: Beautiful! Well animated with great music by Lia. My Soul, Your Beats! is an excellent tune! (Actually own the My Soul, Your Beats! Album.)
Ending: While by no means a visual spectacle, the music is nice enough to warrant it a mention.
Rating: Great

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: Episode 63

HELL YES! They have done it! They have finally created a conclusion that works! By all means does this ending surpass the half-assed original, as it has better writing, no plot holes, and characters who don't act like freakin' plot devices! This episode continues where the last episode left off: Edward beating the shit out of Father. After punching him a few dozen times, Father finally falls down, and appears to actually die. Unfortunately, he is still alive.

In a final act of desperation, Father goes after Greed and successfully implants his fist into Greed's stomach, successfully steeling Greed's philosopher stone. However, Greed decides uses his ability to turn Father's body to charcoal, only to die right after Father rejects him from his body. Thankfully, this doesn't stop the affects of Greed's abilities from working, allowing Edward to punch a hole in Father's chest, releasing all the souls of everyone Father made into philosopher stones.

Greed's end was much more meaningful than his death in the first anime series, as he died satisfied with the friend's he had during his life. In the original anime series, he died after Edward accidentally killed him, making it a rather pointless death.

The death of Father was also interesting, as he was brought to the gate immediately after losing all the souls. We then see him having a conversation with god, the viewer then discovering that god seems to look different for every person who goes to the gate (I'm guessing this is an example of human beings being in god's image?). A conversation takes place between god and Father, Father desperately trying to rationalize his actions while god tells him the reality and how he will be punished. At this point, I actually had to feel a bit of sympathy for the homunculus (Small though, as I still haven't forgotten what happened to Maes Hughes!), as he was simply in the pursuit of perfection and knowledge, even if he did go WAY too far in trying to achieve godhood. (Sounds a bit like Light Yagami?)

After that scene, Edward desperately tries to find a way to save Alphonse, realizing that something or someone will have to be sacrificed. I was expecting Edward to sacrifice himself, his father or maybe just a philosopher stone, making me worry that the conclusion was going to be full of plot holes and problems. However, Edward comes up with a plan that not only defied my expectations, but it leads to an ending that is absolutely perfect!

Edward sacrifices his Truth (the gate that represents his alchemic ability), therefore sacrificing his ability to use alchemy. Never have I ever thought of such a genius idea! By doing so, Edward saves Alphonse, and doesn't sacrifice any lives in order to save his brother, a solution that would definitely seem cheap, lazy and completely out of character for Edward.

After returning Alphonse to the real world, the duo have a reunion with all of the remaining characters, making it a very triumphant conclusion to an exceptional series. While we still have an epilogue to go through, I must say that my expectations have been surpassed. While I do admit that my expectations were surpassed long ago (around episode 30), never did I imagine a remake could be so much better than its predecessor. By all means should this show be watched by everyone who saw and enjoyed the original anime series, as this one will surpass their expectations.

I also thought that Hohenheim's death at the end of the episode was really well done, as we see him die with satisfaction, not to the point of welcoming death, but with no regrets about his life. His death was again (like Greed), much more satisfying and meaningful than the way he died in Fullmetal Alchemist: Conquerors of Shamballa, where he committed suicide.

Overall, this episode was fantastic! This was probably the best episode of the series so far, as it was able to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of providing a sacrifice for Alphonse's revival without making it seem cheap. Plus, the death of some protagonists were much more meaningful than their deaths in the original anime series, which seemed to be thought up at the last minute and rushed. Hopefully the epilogue will wrap up any loose plot threads we have.

Rating: Excellent

Durarara: Episode 24

Damn was this a nice conclusion! While it did leave a few plot holes open, I loved how it gave lots of closure to the relationships between characters and left open the possibility of a sequel (Even though I seriously doubt that there actually will be one). The episode opens with Anri, Kida, Celty and Mikado being surrounded by the Blue Square gang, their numbers being way to numerous for them to fight off. However, Korodato and a few members of the dollars disguised as the Blue Square gang stage an attack against the Blue Square gang at the last minute, saving the lives of Anri, Kida, Celty and Mikado. Horada tries to escape in the last minute, but is unsuccessful after being attacked by a vengeful Shizuo and finally being captured by Kinnosuke.

The scene was very well done, as it was very nice to see Horada finally get what he deserved. I was also a bit surprised that Mikado accepted the fact that Kida was the leader of Yellow Scarves and Anri was the wielder of Saika very quickly, as Kida, took a very long time to accept the identities of Anri and Mikado. It was nice to see Kinnosuke finally get some screen time, even if it did feel like they put him in at the last minute. It was also very odd that the police stopped being concerned over Celty, as headless scythe-wielding motorcycle rider is a pretty huge phenomenon. The best part of the scene was how Horada was completely losing his sanity as his situation got worse, making for a pretty hilarious scene as his car was sliced by Shizuo.

The next scene where Anri and Izaya confront each other was also well done, as we get to see a pretty well done, albeit short, action scene between the two. The reason Izaya has for declaring war on Anri was also very interesting, as I wasn't really expecting him to fight Saika over the loving humans. Come to think of it, Izaya talks about humans as if they were a species he isn't a part of. Does that mean that he isn't human himself? (Just a possibility...)

However, the best scene in this episode was when Semyon successfully punches Izaya in the face! It was about time that Izaya received payback for all the atrocities he committed in the past, as his invincibility was becoming a bit ridiculous. I also was surprised that Izaya new Russian, as he started conversing with Semyon in Russian.

The remaining part of the episode has all the main characters resolving their conflicts. Thankfully, while the ending may not resolve all the endings, it resolves most of the problems that each have. Overall, this was a great ending that may not have ended with a bang, but brings closure to the series.
Rating: Great

Angel Beats! Episode 13

This episode was probably the saddest episode in the whole entire series. After Yurripe kills "God", she awakens three days later in the infirmary with Otonashi, Kanade, Hinata and Ayato at her bedside. We then discover that in the course of those three days, most of the members of the SSS finally passed on, making them the only members remaining in the afterlife. They all decide to hold a graduation ceremony, an event that is used as a means for characters to say their last goodbyes to each other.

Unfortunately, this scene is very slow and doesn't really have that much emotional impact. While it is nice to see Kanade and Yurripe reconcile, the reconciliation seems out of nowhere, as there wasn't that much conflict between the two after Kanade joined the SSS. Another problem is that Kanade suddenly has an upbeat mood, something that seems pretty out of character for someone who spent most of the series with an emotionless expression on her face. Other than those gripes, the scene was at least watchable, even if it was a bit long and tedious.

All that changes when everyone except Kanade and Otonashi disappears. Otonashi begins discussing the possibility that both should stay in the afterlife in order to help others who weren't satisfied with their lives pass on. In the process of saying this, he ends up actually confessing his love to her. Kanade then informs Otonashi that if she tells him her feelings, she will disappear. We then discover that Kanade's one regret was not being able to say thank you to Otonashi for saving her life. She then begs Otonashi to confess his love once more, giving the viewer the clear indication that she wants to disappear. This absolutely terrifies Otonashi, as he doesn't want to make Kanade to disappear despite the fact that she wants to pass on herself. Eventually he gives in, resulting in Kanade's vanishment.

This plot twist was ridiculous, out of nowhere and was absolutely means of manipulating the viewers emotions by all means. However, the execution of this scene was so well done, that I have to give them credit besides the fact that Otonashi's confession was completely out of nowhere. The scene was proof that Key is the master at making any light hearted show depressing, as they also successfully did this with Kanon and Clannad. This singular scene is probably the best part of the Angel Beats series, as the sadness this scene brought to me was incredible! To top it off, not only does Kanade disappear, but Otonashi completely loses it and starts screaming at his loss. If this scene doesn't make you shed a tear, then you have no soul!

However, I have to still say that the ending to the series wasn't that great despite that fantastic scene. Not only did it neglect to give information about any of the other characters, but it gave very little closure to the relationship between Kanade and Otonashi. Plus, it doesn't really help that the ending leaves huge gaping plot holes such as:

• 
  
  Where the hell did this romance between Kanade and Otonashi come from? It's an interesting romance, but it's completely out of nowhere!
• 
  
  If Kanade wanted to say thank you, why didn't she say so earlier? What were her reasons for doing so?
• 
  
  How in the hell did Takamatsu pass on? Wasn't his soul destroyed?
• 
  
  How did all the other characters pass on in the course of three days? Isn't it a little convenient that their problems were simple enough to be resolved in three days?
• 
  
  Didn't Hinata want to catch a baseball in order to pass on?

While it was unique and unexpected, the creators should of spent more time adding closure to the series. It's not a bad ending, just one that needed a bit of tweaking before it was released.
Rating: Fair

Durarara: Episode 23

Wow! What an excellent episode! While it does confirm my suspicion that Semyon, Shingen, Kasuka, the two Otakus, Tom, Saburo, and Kinnosuke won't be given any back story, it does make me very excited for the final episode. After getting fired by the yellow scarves and discovering that Horada knows who the leader of the dollars is, Kida then decides to leave his depressed state and take action, deciding to confront Horada in order to stop them from killing Mikado. He then confronts the gang, discovering that members of the Blue Square gang were actually inside the yellow scarves gang from the start. He then attempts to kill Horada, but ends up getting whacked in the head with a crowbar quite a few times by members of the gang, rendering him unable to achieve the task.

Damn was this plot thread well done, as we finally get to see Kida in action after seeing him get depressed for the last few episodes over... nothing. I was also surprised to see that Kida actually incapacitated quite a few gang members before becoming severely wounded himself. I also thought that his blood being splattered all over his face was a nice touch that added lots of intensity to the scene. Overall, this part was probably the highlight of the episode.

The part where Shizuo got shot by the yellow scarves gang last episode was not very suspenseful, as I knew that he probably would survive the attack. This episode confirmed my guess, as we see him walking inside Shinra's apartment as if the bullet wounds were not even painful. I mean, Shizuo survived getting hit by a truck, got smashed in the head with a baseball bat, was attacked by hundreds of people simultaneously, can lift vending machines and telephone poles with ease, and was actually stabbed once in the first arc. Does the author really expect us to believe that he can actually be killed by two bullet wounds that were fired in his leg and the very edge of his body? Those areas aren't even lethal! Well... blood loss could still kill him, but knowing Shizuo, he would probably shrug off the wounds as if they were nothing! These problems aside, it's at least nice that the creators didn't decide to kill him off due to blood loss.

Finally, Anri and Mikado then head to the warehouse in order to confront Kida after being misinformed that he ordered the attempted assasination of Shizuo. They arrive to discover Kida kneeling in front of Horada who is preparing to kill him via pistol. Next episode is going to have quite a tough job, as it's going to have to resolve the current conflict and must provide a resolution to many other plot threads that haven't been wrapped up. While I'm not expecting it resolve everything, it should at least tie up most of the loose ends.

Overall, this episode was fantastic, as it has built up enough suspense in order to have me begging for the next episode. Hopefully, the final episode will end with a bang.
Rating: Excellent