Just a quick post talking about the unique situation I have with Angel Beats and how I use it as a stress reliever.
Angel Beats is a flawed and rushed show. Many characters were barely give characterization, it relied heavily on a lot of cliches or melodrama, the designs are uninspired, and it tried to be a lot deeper than it was. I should really not like it.
But-
It’s also insanely good at making me cry.
What it lacks in polish, it makes up for with genuine heart. You’ll be hard pressed to find a person who didn’t feel even a tug of pity for Iwasawa during her rendition of “My Song”.
The singer did a fantastic job of vocalizing the pain and sorrow Iwasawa experienced, as well as her slight relief at closure by the end. As a recent adult who just turned 20 last month, one of my greatest fears is not being able to accomplish what I want because of an untimely death. Death itself doesn’t scare me.
It’s what I miss out on by not being alive.
Lastly,that graduation scene is just pure sobfuel. I’m graduating in 2 months. Rewatching that scene now is hitting way too many points for my fragile emotional state. Ever since I graduated high school, I’ve lost touch with so many friends that I once believed I’d be forever with, and it hurts. I miss them everyday, but Angel Beats captures the sad acceptance that that we may never meet again in the most comforting way possible.
Man, Angel Beats was such a waste of potential.
– Lumi
Lumi Reviews Things 
I’ve heard great things about it, but I didn’t see that series because I was on an anime hiatus at the time. One reason why I might check it out is because it’s from the director Seiji Kishi who’s directorial debut is one of my favorite anime series and one of the most criminally underrated ones out there: Yugo the Negotiator.
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Angel Beats is technically a mediocre show,but there are real elements of greatness in it that I keep on coming back to.
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Gotcha. I guess I feel the same with some anime that have some less desirable elements that I really enjoy. Shinesman has cliche 90s animation, but I still think it’s one of the funniest anime series with one of the best dubs ever. Yugo has mediocre animation, but everything else more than makes up for it and there’s so much originality to the title character. Kimba the White Lion is certainly old-school and I’m not a fan of most things with talking animals, but it uses a great sense of morality and usage of adult themes in a G-rated way (and I don’t just like it because a certain movie ripped off characters, plot points, and scenes. Haha!). I feel like there can be elements that can triumph over whatever shortcomings there might be in any form of media.
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Huh, you’re much younger than I thought! That’s a compliment, by the way 🙂
I like Angel Beats and it’s a real shame that it got so rushed out the door and ultimately left unfinished. It’s not that the show itself is bad, it’s that they never really had the opportunity to fulfil their original creative intentions for one reason or another. As you say, a massive waste of potential — but certainly not something that it’s impossible to enjoy.
I like a good cry every now and then; it’s cathartic. Angel Beats has made me cry in the past. A non-comprehensive list of other things that have made me cry: Grisaia, Steins;Gate, To the Moon, Ano Hana, Welcome to the NHK, the constant suffering of continued existence, The Great American Cross-Country Road Race on Atari 8-Bit
In my defense on the last one, I was too young to understand how gears worked, so it was understandable that I would believe that “the timer cheats”, since I was constantly trying to pull away in 5th gear.
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To The Moon is fantastic and I am excited for the adaptation.
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I have read many reviews whom they said a lot of great things on this anime. While it’s not one of my favorite and at least still quite tearjerking from some of the moments, I also never consider this as greatest anime. It just, in a nutshell, an average show. But, people keep waiting for this anime to make the second season or anything. Well, there is no one.
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I’m surprised people think there’s a chance. The story had a pretty airtight ending. No loose ends at all.
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Hey, you’re almost a year younger than me! Fear of dying before accomplishing/experiencing enough is definitely relatable to me.
Iwasawa’s singing voice is the best in Angel Beats, IMO!
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Man, we’re all young af, aren’t we
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I love Angel Beats. For everything about it that shouldn’t work, the whole is just fantastic to watch as it just takes you from laughing out loud to crying and back again. I really have a fantastic time every time I rewatch and it always leaves me crying and with a slightly broken heart and then the post credits scene brings a smile back to my face. Very enjoyable.
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Agreed, Angel Beats was my “appetizer” before Clannad.
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“What it lacks in polish, it makes up for with genuine heart.”
That is the best one sentence description I’ve read of Angel Beats.
Despite its reputed flaws, I adored it.
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I hat crying that’s why I didn’t watch this anime and dropped it… I know it’s great anime but still, I hate crying….
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*hate
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Love crying, on the other hand
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