angel beats 12
Categories: angel beats, episodic review
Tagged: angel beats
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Tasty candy!
“Knockin’ on heaven’s door!”
Alright, I lied. Angel Beats gets the first WordPress 3 post. I’m looking forward to Angel Beats! more than any other show right now, including K-On!! (second place) and Durarara! (third). Amazing all three shows have an “!” in their names. More amazing is how K-On!! has no plot and Durarara! has reverted to a Battlestar Galatica-styled idiot plot.
(Though I was confused when they called this the thirteenth major release… are they counting back to the old b2 days? But that’s like the Timberwolves saying that Bill Laimbeer has five championship rings when they introduced him as the new coach… they just forgot to mention that three were for coaching in the WNBA.)
(And TK had the best entrance. He was the 2008 Beijing opening ceremonies to everyone else’s 2012 London.)
“I can become this world’s Haruhi Suzumiya?”
Yurippe’s maniacal laughter face just doesn’t compare to Beat-o’s or a Sonozaki’s. That’s one of my major issues with PA Works– all their faces just seem too round. They don’t have the contort the faces enough to show emotion. Maybe they can get Sunrise and Studio Deen to help them out in this respect. Or if they don’t do that, maybe instead use Bible Black faces like Minami-ke.
But biggest maniacal face? International referees. Watching the US vs. Slovenia game reminded me of how Germany got jobbed back in the 2006 World Cup. The refs are terrible– even worse than the refs for FIFA basketball. And that’s probably my biggest problem with international soccer– it’s not modern. I look at the sport, and it just lacks all the niceties of a modern game, including, you know, instant replay. The best part of soccer isn’t watching soccer– it’s playing soccer. And the best part of watching soccer isn’t watching soccer– it’s hanging out with your friends. In that respect, soccer really lags behind football, hockey, and basketball. I’ve been to live events for many different live sporting events, and soccer is right up there with baseball. Soccer’s not cheering for the game– it’s cheering for the team.
Here’s how I would improve it.
1. Subs. The whole three sub thing is idiotic. I’ve seen enough games where everyone is tired at the end to know that it doesn’t make for great gameplay. Allow unlimited subs, but like tag-team. You cannot sub during time stoppages or free kicks, but only if the guy runs off the field and tags the new guy in. This would keep the players fresh and the level of the game high. Football didn’t take off until they ditched iron man football, mainly because people want to see good football (or soccer) and not people’s egos in work, “Hey gaiz, I have enough stamina play the whole game!”
(If I want to watch stamina, I’ll watch Tour de France… oh wait, that doesn’t exactly do well rating-wise, does it?)
(I tossed this idea at one of my soccer friends, and he was appalled… but the integrity of the game! Fatigue is part of the game! Give me a break. I want to see world class athletes performing at their peak… not sucking wind and jogging back and forth like Rasheed Wallace.)
2. Penalty box. I don’t like the yellow/red card thing because I feel the penalties are too light or too harsh for the infraction. Instead, I would move to a hockey-like penalty box. You can get either a 3 minute penalty or a 6 minute infraction. And, of course, flopping would be a 6 minute infraction. In fact, I would add another referee just to be on the lookout for flopping. Yes, I’m still angry that the Europeans brought flopping to the NBA. Let’s kill it at the source.
(No doubt in my mind that Vlade Divac taught Derrick Fisher to flop.)
3. Instant replay. Come on, it’s 2010. ESPN had like multiple 3D-capable cameras at each World Cup game. Should be, again, like hockey where every goal is reviewed. And there should be a master feed going into FIFA headquarters that can overrule the refs at the game. If anything, this would keep Alexis Lalas off the air complaining about refs… he’s as bad as Reggie Miller in being an analyst. Let’s just say that.
4. Three days between games. Come on, why are games five to six days apart? Shorten it. More games = more TV revenue. And modern sports are all about maximizing TV revenue. I kid. Seriously, I just watched Kobe and Pierce play 40+ minutes for seven games straight within a two week period. I’m sure Ronaldo and Donovon can do the same.
5. Overtime. 1-1 ties and cryptic tie-breaking scenarios that make the BCS seem transparent? You gotta be kidding me. First, pull the goalies in overtime. Second, overtime would keep going until a goal is scored. Third, every three minutes into overtime, each team has to pull one more player down to six. That would be riveting.
6. Balls. You can no longer cover your balls during a free kick. Come on. There’s a contradiction in the, “Hey gaiz, I have enough stamina play the whole game!” attitude and the “Hey gaiz, I’m terrified of getting nailed in the groin!” attitude. Ridiculous. What other sport is there that you won’t get mocked for covering your junk like a pansy?
(Real man’s game? Basketball. Why? Ron Artest. Loved his Queensbridge interview where he talked about how hard it was to play street ball there… and it was so rough, “someone broke off a table leg and stabbed someone through the heart with it. He died.” Ron Artest is awesome. We need to get him back together with Stephen Jackson somehow. I would probably watch video from Ron Artest’s psychiatrist visits before I watch a Heidi and Spencer sex tape… and you just know footage of both exist.)
Why so serious?
Thing I would improve on Angel Beats…
1. More hawt bassist and blonde manager. Seriously needed more female characters in the cast, with Kanade being the only cute one. Definitely needed a character with hopes and dreams.
2. 24 episodes. Ridiculous that this show is 13 episodes while Ikkitousen is passing 60. Look, outside of Toriyama-styled anime (i.e. One Piece and that ilk), it’s hard to get past 13 episodes nowadays… if you can get three seasons of 13, that’s damn fine (Minami-ke). So for Ikkitousen to get over 60 means that more people are watching Ikkitousen than Minami-ke or Angel Beats… and that makes me think that the audience for this blog is really, really small. Not only am I looking for anime fans, I’m looking for the subset of anime fans into Angel Beats over Ikkitousen and can appreciate a good Lulu joke now and then. (With some Ron Artest discussion occasionally tossed in as well.)
(Can’t stress that enough. The pacing for this show was off. If they corrected it and maybe gave a bit more backstory to each character, especially TK, this would have been in contention for top five this year… and it may still be considering how horrid summer is looking.)
3. Fanservice episode. Fanservice episodes are like bacon on burgers. Not exactly healthy, but makes the burger all so much more delicious.
4. Hand sonic. Version ninety-nine turns out to be Evangelion Unit-99.
5. Stop introducing and removing characters without explanation. This is something Lost would do… I expect more from you, Angel Beat-o!
(If you’re making a datacenter, wouldn’t it be more space efficient to go with rackmounts? And do you really need so many monitors? Won’t they just be wasting power? And how does he get network connectivity down there? And where does he get all this bandwidth to power said smoke monsters?)
Giant Humanoid Robot: Let’s see… Alone in a dark room, on the computer, hastily closes the application when Yurippe walkes up, makes up some bullshit explanation — obviously he turned the school’s comp lab into a pr0n surfing botnet and was examining the day’s harvest.
Finally, a good use of cloud computing.
The old Gundam syndrome shows its head here… remember in the previous episode how difficult it was to take down one of these smoke monsters? Now they one shot them? Exactly like how in Gundam they would introduce a new mobile suit… it would be totally invincible… and then four episodes later would be one shot. Back in Destiny, they had a hell of a time taking down the first Destroy Gundam… then it took Kira and Athrun a whole thirty seconds to take down the next three. Their love conquered all!
Why is Yurippe the only one with an automatic? If I were in the SSS Brigade, I would ask for the Iron Man suit or 00 Gundam or at least something with more oomph than a pistol.
(Oh who am I kidding? I would probably be more like Oyama and just snipe. Yes, I’m one of those people in Call of Duty… “Hey gaiz, look at me! I’m sniping!”)
The First Modern Law of Anime: All major characters will have their desk window side towards the back. Sub Law: If a romantic interest occupy the same classroom, that character would be within one desk of this desk.
I have a great idea for an anime! We’ll just get pretty schoolgirls shooting machine guns! Against zombies! I shall call it… “Highschool of the Dead.” Plot? What plot?
T.K.: I think Otonashi is more of a Jack than Sawyer. (He’s a doctor afterall, heck, he even had the same wake up scene as Jack.)
I can be convinced of this. I just thought Sawyer and Otonashi have more similar logic processes. And, TK, never stop dancing! Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeon!
And maybe get Kyoto involved so they could show PA Works how crying is done. From a 1 to Kyou’s and Ryou’s tears when Nagisa got nailed by the tennis ball, I would give this an eight. Not bad, but could be much better.
(But if now Yurippe has accepted her fate, she’s going to disappear now too, right? With only one episode left and this smoke monster taken care of, the only thing left is for everyone– including Yurippe and Kanade to disappear. Except we still haven’t gotten Kanade’s backstory… nor TK’s… and I’m wondering if we’ll get glimpses of everyone’s next life as well. Let’s just say that if you told me a year ago I would be looking forward to this final episode as much as I would be looking forward to the final episode of Bakemonogatari, I wouldn’t have believed you. Mainly because I thought Bakemonogatari would have finished by last October.)
Still unclear on how Yurippe died. Still unclear on this mystery dude that created the Angel program. Still unclear on why no more people have come to this world since Otonashi. Still unclear on why Yurippe wasn’t Haruhi Suzumiya in the first place– come on Jun Maeda, don’t cop out at the last moment! Dammit, you want to end this with Otonashi smooching Yurippe explaining his ponytail fetish as the smoke monsters close in!
(One thing I do like about soccer: the exchanging of jerseys after the match. I feel like at the end of this season, Kanade and Yurippe should exchange bras as a sign of good sportsmanship.)
Kanade breaks this game more than Thunder God Cid, Koman Coulibaly, and meido Mio combined.
I liked how the brought all the characters back for (maybe) the last montage. Hinata doesn’t have Yui in a headlock anymore! I think the real final montage would have Kanade over everyone. Just my hunch.
(Update: WP3 broke the math comment spam plug-in, so I’m trying out a different one. Let me know via feedback if you’re having issues with posting a comment.)
34 Responses to “angel beats 12”
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I have no words. But so much wasted potential. Also, how do one’s eyes cover up one’s bangs like that?
I can count on one hand the number of anime that did not feel rushed at the end. I agree with the wasted potential sentiment.
“More hawt bassist and blonde manager.”
Isn’t that the hawt bassist and drummer?
Vage: How about ‘more anyone who isn’t Yurippe or trying to get it in with Otonashi (who are all male)’?
Is it wrong to watch Angel Beats and think “I can’t wait for the inevitable remake that makes this show awesome”?
>exchanging bras
I have yet to seen proof that bras are necessary in this world. Also a tsundere (almost) god is the best god.
This is going to be one of those shows everyone claims to hate but everyone still watches, isn’t?
Personally, I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit. It may not have been Last Exile, but it was still entertaining.
Ugh, I winced when they introduced the new guy, and the nonsensical program/npc discussion. For most of the show, despite what other people have been screaming, they have kept within the framework of a set of rules. This episode and the last blow it to shreds.
With more episodes they could a have had a far more coherent resolution that wasn’t so ridiculously rushed and out of nowhere. Can’t help but feel the directors didn’t think about the pacing at all. It’s been a good series, but this ending kinda tarnishes it (unless they come up with either a good explanation/resolution, or 22 minutes of Kanade next episode).
Finally there seems to be a tl;dr wall of football text in this post where a couple of Kanade images should be.
Holy crap, obscure weaponry AND good trigger discipline?
“So for Ikkitousen to get over 60 means that more people are watching Ikkitousen than Minami-ke or Angel Beats”
IkkiPorn gets more season NOT because people are watching it but because it sells more clothes optional PVC figures.
I like how I can read my sports and anime blog at the same time :)
Also can’t wait for the Artest summer media tour. He has so much awesome crazy built up inside. Also Kobe’s comment about Pau and Sascha doing there hair before the game.
“I can become this world’s Haruhi Suzumiya?”
I thought Maeda just ripped of the characters, but apparently he took the plot as well.
“Won’t they just be wasting power? And how does he get network connectivity down there?”
He’s using a modem connection. Why else would it take 11 episodes for him to start having an effect, when the SSS Brigade has been there since the start?
“Seriously needed more female characters in the cast, with Kanade being the only cute one. Definitely needed a character with hopes and dreams.”
Not sure about hopes and dreams, but definitely needed an Asahina-equivalent. Yui is just too annoying to be moe.
“Not only am I looking for anime fans, I’m looking for the subset of anime fans into Angel Beats over Ikkitousen and can appreciate a good Lulu joke now and then.”
Not everyone can appreciate art. Most people can appreciate ecchi.
“(With some Ron Artest discussion occasionally tossed in as well.)”
Now you’ve lost me
Ikkitousen already has an established audience with its manga series. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Angel Beats!, an original piece of work. So it’s likely that 13 episodes for the series were only decided for the show to minimize production costs and risk.
If the sales of the early BD volumes are strong enough, maybe they may include picture dramas with the BDs to give more background to the side characters. I wouldn’t be surprised if the final seventh BD volume will include an OAD based on the progression of the episode title numbering (the 6th BD only contains episode 11 and 12). http://www.angelbeats.jp/bd_dvd/pac06.html
Onion: Even with my comment about the inevitable remake. I enjoy the show
You know that Ikkitousen hasn’t even passed 50 episodes yet, right? It would need a fifth season to break 60 and even then, wouldn’t break 60 until the last episode.
So four years until the KyoAni remake with 48 episdes?
@Tangent: 61 episodes. 13 S1 + 12 S2 + 12 S3 + 12 S4 + 12 OVAs = 61 I’m doing my Mutumbo finger wag at ya now.
Matrix, anyone?
I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again: Angel Beats is a very enjoyable watch, and the quality of production has been high throughout its run, but by Haruhi the pacing definitely needs work. Well, that and the bipolar flip-flopping between comedy and drama it’s been doing.
@Myssa: Well, the latter isn’t entirely bad; I’ve seen a comedy/drama split done well in other productions.
Just, not in Angel Beats.
TK was awesome in this episode too. Plus TK and Dan doing the same pose at the end just makes it better.
“Holy crap, obscure weaponry AND good trigger discipline?”
I was surprised to see it too but then felt sad when they called it a pistol
What version did they call it a pistol? Technically, isn’t it a machine pistol anyway? Yeah, its a SMG if you play CODMW2, but they also say the assault rifle that is the AUG is a LMG.
About the show though: I can’t really say I am looking forward to this, no way the last episode will be better than what I imagine. Plus my imagination has it slated for a complete remake and memory wipe of everyone that has seen the original.
Yeah Jun over did it with the twists and new characters….it was like he was trying to do layers of plot like in Higurashi and failed.
No mention of Yurippe’s line saying she wanted to costume rape Kanade?
So we have one episode to get an explanation about Yurippe’s death, Kanade’s backstory, the truth about this world and the passing on of the main characters. I am afraid we are heading towards a trainwreck. This show definitely needed 26 episodes. Maeda had some great ideas but not the time to develop them. Damn, I’d love a special OVA about TK’s past.
As a fan of soccer, I would have to completely disagree with you on your soccer comments.
1. I guess free subs would be okay, though I personally like the tactics involved in having limited substitutions. Also, if you don’t like the fatigue factor in having players play the full 90 minutes, why have less time between games? Doesn’t make much sense. (Also, there isn’t a need to play so many games.)
2. I like the yellow/red card setup. I personally think penalty boxes are stupid, and would require more officials to keep track of how much time each player has left (since you’d often end up with multiple players in it).
3. In a ordinary game of soccer, the game lasts for about 2 hours. I don’t want instant replay review and overtime ruining that. I think the inability of American sports to accept ties is silly, and the tiebreakers aren’t completed (nor would they go away if you disallowed ties, since teams could still end up with the same number of wins). With instant replay we’d suddenly be getting 10+ minutes of added time in every half. No thanks.
I went through this series hoping for a sequel to this to clear everything up, explore all the interesting characters for more than two seconds, or even further explore the ones we apparently are supposed to be focusing on. At this point however, I just want a complete redo on the whole series Hellsing or Fullmetal style. There is so much here that I love, but the story structure is a mess. Fleshing out characters immediately before dismissing them. Focusing on some like a laser beam before ignoring them for the next three episodes. Leaving about a million questions unanswered. Next time give this show 26 episodes. It deserves it.
“The First Modern Law of Anime: All major characters will have their desk window side towards the back. Sub Law: If a romantic interest occupy the same classroom, that character would be within one desk of this desk.”
Actually in Durarara IIRC Anri is sitting in the front of the class,Mikado gets this famous seat and Kida is near him.So Kida is Mikado’s romantic interest.
Back to Angel Beats!, I love this show and it’s gonna end the same time as Durarara!!, Arararagi under the bridge and Mayoi Neko , I don’t know where I’ll get my laughs from now.
@Giant Humanoi Robot: Last episode will feature everyone having fun together,maybe they will do everything they always wanted to do before the graduation ceremony, like going to the beach,eating mapo tofu together,Yurippe will have the time to costume raep Kanade…
Jason. Those ‘OVAs’ are DVD extras. They’re less than 2 minutes long each and mostly just a collection of centerfold stills. Nobody with half a brain would call them an OVA or an episode.
@Cazel: I’d agree with everything you just said, except you called football “soccer”.
So aside from that, everything.
“What version did they call it a pistol? Technically, isn’t it a machine pistol anyway? Yeah, its a SMG if you play CODMW2, but they also say the assault rifle that is the AUG is a LMG.”
actually with modifications it can be classed that way, if you add a heavier barrel, a bipod, and increase the rate of fire and ammo count for alot of assault rifles and it can be a lmg/lsw, even the C7/M16 had lmg/lsw roles as well as the FN.
We derailed the post by diving into firearm discussions. Needed more mapo tofu Kanade moe.