drx89

Angel Beats! is a fun ride, with excellent music and animation, but is dragged down by both its characters and ending.

Characters: The cast is a real mixed bunch,some amazing members with Otonashi, Tenshi, Hinata and Yurippe while the rest range from whatever to downright annoying. This is especially the case with the rest of the Battlefront, as most of them don't get enough screen time in order to flesh them out. However, there are exceptions, with the two lead singers of GirlDeMo having solid arcs and are well-rounded characters. The real highlights of course, are the four main characters, who are top tier. 

Animation and Sound: Nothing at fault here, some of the shots are gorgeous, with a great OP and really well done fight scenes.

Story: Here's the bulk of issues lie - the ending. It doesn't feel earned in what is considered a pretty short episode run, with the threat and resolution of said threat feeling way too cheap. The earlier expansions like with <SPOILERS> Tenshi's clones and Yurippe nearly becoming an NPC are better explained, even if the latter is right in the middle of a sloppy conclusion. People say that the final graduation scene is a real tear-jerker, but for me that simply wasn't the case, even with 4 of the remaining 5 being great characters (sorry Hypnosis guy). The final scene between Otonashi and Tenshi was good though, and it was nice to see them meet in the real world and presumably get a happy ending, even if it was a little cliché.