I find myself teetering on the giant opinion fence with this one. On the one side, you have a bland J-High School setup that brings absolutely nothing new to the table, with generic characters and a somewhat confusing plot. However, the other side has a narrative that asks some pretty bold questions about society. Angel Beats doesn't do anything particularly well, but the atheist inside me just couldn't help but be interested in such a dark religious story.
The entire premise of the series seems to have arisen from a single question, "Why is God so cruel?" When people die, they simply transfer to the next world, and enjoy their eternity as mindless sheep. However, there are a small group (conveniently teenagers), that are resisting their fate and standing up to God. There is a villain too, Tenshi, an adorable little girl who is trying to force these young rebels to submit and obey. The story is much denser than that, but really isn't worth the amount of time it takes to wrap your mind around it. Don't be surprised to still be a little confused all the way up to episode seven or so. All you need to know is that the group of kids are trying to fight their shitty fate, and are using a lot of guns to do it.
The main problem with the series ends up being the teenagers themselves. The main guy, Otonashi, is the classic, "Im too stupid and new to the situation to figure anything out on my own so please explain everything in detail as I am also used as an avatar for the viewer to receive information about the show" character, and is extremely yawn-worthy.(He also has amnesia, no fucking joke). He gains a slight bit of depth when the show fills in his backstory a few episodes in though, but not nearly enough to save him. Otonashi's love interest, Yurippe, is easily the most interesting character, but the rest of the group, Otonashi included, are a mixed bag of ninja-wannabes, Japanese street toughs, a music enthusiast (who sings the worst, WORST, anime-specific pop music I have ever heard), and even a short-statured nerdy computer hacker. Bad.
Other problems include the music, which is poorly chosen, and when it comes to the frequent concerts they make the viewer sit through, it's unbearable. The art direction, which uses a superior animation program during those awful concerts, making the rest of the anime look like poop in comparison. The dialogue is particularly bad, and not just from poor translation. There are lengthy conversations about absolutely nothing, and many Japanese culture based jokes that are usually adapted for American audiences in most anime series.
Now, to where Angel Beats really succeeds. Despite all of it's shortcomings, Angel Beats shines when the topic of religion is presented. Some of these characters, Yurippe especially, don't just disagree with the idea of God, they want God himself destroyed. The atheistic and Christian blashempic ideas and beliefs are ever-present, pushing the envelope in a way that I have never had the pleasure of seeing before in anime. The only other anime that I can think of that similarly plays with controversial topics like these is Full Metal Alchemist, and they never reference Jesus or God like this series does. Angel Beats has a huge pair of atheist testicles to center a series around the assault and attempted murder of the Christian god, and for that, I love it.
Anime needs some more ideas, and less convention. The anime renaissance is over, and for a while, it really felt like the generic was becoming normal again. Angel Beats seems to be aiming to keep those walls down, asking provocative questions and poking fun at some of the absurdities of religion. It's really too bad that the rest of the anime is as sloppy as it is, because this show could really have made a place for itself on the sparsely populated pantheon of great anime series. 2/5
Similar too: Persona, Real Bout High School, Dual Parallel Trouble Adventure
Best Character: Yurippe
Worst Character: The Singing in English Dancing Guy
Best Episode: 4: Day Game
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