List of Angel Beats! episodes

A girl with dark maroon hair in a white and blue school uniform holding a white beret in her left hand atop her head. Below says "Angel Beats! 1" in white lettering with a red border. The logos of Aniplex and DVD Video are visible in the top-right corner.
Cover art of the first DVD compilation released by Aniplex, featuring main character Yuri

The 13-episode Angel Beats! Japanese anime television series is based on an original concept by Jun Maeda with original character design by Na-Ga; both Maeda and Na-Ga are from the visual novel brand Key known for producing such titles as Kanon, Air, and Clannad.[1] It is directed by Seiji Kishi and produced by the animation studio P.A.Works and production company Aniplex.[1][2][3] Composed by Maeda and arranged by the group Anant-Garde Eyes, the music is produced by Aniplex with Satoki Iida as the sound director.[1] Chief animator Katsuzō Hirata is also the character designer and the screenplay was written by Maeda.[1] The plot takes place in the afterlife and follows the main protagonist Otonashi, a boy who lost his memories of his life after dying. He is enrolled into the afterlife school and meets a girl named Yuri who invites him to join the Afterlife Battlefront (死んだ世界戦線 Shinda Sekai Sensen (SSS))—an organization she leads which fights against God. The SSS fight against the student council president Angel, a girl with supernatural powers.

The series aired between April 3 and June 26, 2010 on the CBC television network in Japan.[4] It aired at later dates than CBC on BS11, MBS, RKB, TBS, and TUT.[4] The first episode was previewed on March 22, 2010 to a selected number of people who participated in a lottery held that earlier that month.[5] The series was released on seven BD/DVD compilation volumes between June 23 and December 22, 2010 in limited and regular editions.[6][7] Three drama CDs, written by Maeda and performed by the anime's cast, were released with the first, fourth and sixth limited edition BD/DVD volumes.[6][8][9][10] The seventh BD/DVD volume featured an original video animation (OVA) episode, as well as a bonus short which serves as another epilogue to the series.[11][12] A BD box set will be released in Japan on June 24, 2015 and will also include another OVA episode.[13][14] Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime,[7][15] and along with distributor Section23 Films, released the series on BD/DVD on July 26, 2011.[16] Siren Visual licensed the anime for Australia and New Zealand.[17] The series has also been licensed in the United Kingdom by Manga Entertainment[18] and released the series on BD/DVD on June 25, 2012.

The series makes use of two pieces of theme music: one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme is "My Soul, Your Beats!" by Lia, and a remixed version sung by LiSA was used for episode four. The ending theme is "Brave Song" by Aoi Tada. Several insert theme songs by the in-story band Girls Dead Monster are also used, featuring songs sung by Marina and LiSA. These include: "Crow Song" (episode one), "Alchemy" and "My Song" (episode three), "Thousand Enemies" (episode five), and "Shine Days" and "Ichiban no Takaramono" (一番の宝物 My Most Precious Treasure) (episode 10). "Ichiban no Takaramono" is also used in episode 13 sung by Karuta.

Episode list

No. Title[19] Animation directors Original airdate
01 "Departure"  Katsuzō HirataApril 3, 2010[20]
Yuzuru Otonashi wakes up in the world of the afterlife with no recollection of his time while alive. Immediately, he meets Yuri Nakamura, while she aims a sniper rifle at the student council president, Angel. Yuri offers Otonashi to join the SSS against Angel, but Otonashi talks to Angel instead, who informs him that everyone is dead. Otonashi asks for proof, and then Angel impales him. The next day, he is killed a hundred times, and finally, he wakes up in the SSS room, where he meets the core SSS members. There, he joins the SSS, and Yuri briefs Otonashi about the afterlife and the reasons for fighting Angel. Later that night, the SSS commences "Operation Tornado" to steal meal tickets from the "non-player characters" (NPCs). The girl band named Girls Dead Monster (GDM), affiliated with the SSS, performs inside the cafeteria to distract the NPCs, while some members fight against Angel. After the operation, the SSS retreats into the cafeteria and spends the meal tickets. At the meal, Otonashi tries to make sense of it all. 
02 "Guild"  Kōsuke KawazuraApril 10, 2010[21]
Low on supplies, Yuri leads nine other SSS members to the Guild far below the surface, where their allies make the weapons. Many booby traps guard the path to the Guild and the SSS finds them reactivated as Angel approaches the Guild. The group navigates through the traps, but in the end, only Yuri and Otonashi survive. During a short rest, Yuri divulges to Otonashi about the murder of her three younger siblings. This is Yuri's impetus to fight against the cruel fate God gave her. Soon after meeting the Guild members, Angel is close to the main entrance; Yuri orders to abandon the Guild, and the Guild leader, Chaa, opts to raze the Guild. In the meantime, Yuri and Otonashi fight Angel to buy enough time for the Guild members to set up some explosives and to escape to the old location. Yuri directs the Guild's reorganization, and Otonashi recognizes her leadership. 
03 "My Song"  Yūko Iwaoka, Toshihisa KaiyaApril 17, 2010[22]
Masami Iwasawa introduces a new ballad, "My Song", but Yuri questions its usefulness for SSS operations. Yuri introduces a new SSS member, Takeyama, who specializes in computer hacking. The next operation aims to infiltrate Angel's room and crack her computer's password. In the meantime, Girl's Dead Monster performs a concert to lure Angel. After meeting Yui, Otonashi talks with Iwasawa while the band takes a break. She reveals her history about her dysfunctional family, her pursuit of a music career, and her cause of death. Later on, GDM performs, while Yuri leads a small group to Angel's room. Several teachers subdue the concert, but Iwasawa breaks free and plays her ballad. After the song, she disappears from the afterlife. From the hacking, the SSS learn about the source of Angel's powers: she makes her weapons herself aided by software. 
04 "Day Game"  Yūji MiyashitaApril 24, 2010[23]
Yui insists upon taking Iwasawa's place as the new vocalist, and after Yui accidentally kills herself during a tryout, Yuri leaves the decision to GDM. Yuri orders the SSS to form teams and participate in the upcoming baseball tournament. Hideki Hinata and Otonashi team up, but they fail to recruit key SSS members. Eventually, they recruit Yui, Shiina, Noda, and three female NPCs for an eight-person team. During the first round, the SSS teams beat the NPC teams, but soon each one loses to Angel's team composed of the school baseball team. Hinata's team ends up as the last SSS team in the final against Angel's team. In the last inning, Hinata faces a fly ball, which he dropped during his past life. Speculating his disappearance, Otonashi tries to stop him, but in retaliation, Yui grapples Hinata and prevents the catch. As a result, Angel's team wins, much to Yuri's frustration. 
05 "Favorite Flavor"  Heo Gi Dong, Kōsuke Kawazura, Kensuke ShuMay 1, 2010[24]
For the exams, Yuri wants to sabotage Angel's grades and reduce her school ranking grade-wise. During the operation, Otonashi introduces himself to Angel and gets her real name, Kanade Tachibana. The SSS members disrupt the class with a variety of idiotic distractions, which allows Takeyama to switch Kanade's exam sheets with fake ones. As a result, Kanade is replaced by the vice president Ayato Naoi for the council presidency. During another instance of "Operation Tornado", Kanade is surprisingly no longer hostile, ignores the commotion, and buys a meal ticket for mapo doufu. The operation blows Kanade's ticket away, and it falls to Otonashi. While eating Kanade's favorite dish, he sympathizes about her. Moments later, Naoi arrives with some NPCs and intends to punish the SSS for their constant disobedience. 
06 "Family Affair"  Tadashi HiramatsuMay 8, 2010[25]
The SSS members are released from imprisonment, and Yuri orders for more class distractions to test Naoi's enforcement, though Naoi remains vigilant. Yuri finds Naoi's own misconduct of beating up NPCs to prevent his own disappearance. Otonashi asks Kanade to eat together in the cafeteria, but Naoi confines them for eating during an improper time. Kanade tells Otonashi that anyone who befriends her disappears. Via a walkie-talkie, Yuri informs Otonashi about her discoveries regarding Naoi. During the conversation, the SSS fight a losing battle against Naoi, who uses hypnosis-controlled NPCs as shields. Needing Kanade to fight, Otonashi convinces her to break out of confinement, but the SSS members have already been massacred. While attempting to hypnotize Yuri, Otonashi stops Naoi, who reveals his own unfair life as a replacement for his dead twin brother. As Naoi weeps, Otonashi embraces and acknowledges him. 
07 "Alive"  Yūko Iwaoka, Takehiko MatsumotoMay 15, 2010[26]
Naoi joins the SSS, and Yuri asks him to use hypnosis to regain Otonashi's memories. His life focused on his chronically hospitalized younger sister, Hatsune; her death; his fresh goal of medical school; and his premature accidental death. After some reflection with his renewed memories, he laments over the timing of his death and resumes his SSS membership with newly found motivation. With a shortage of meal tickets, Yuri orders a fishing expedition to catch the Monster Stream, a gigantic monster fish. Along the way, Otonashi invites Kanade, who is credited with catching Monster Stream, which produced excess fish. While serving the excess to the NPCs, Kanade and Otonashi promise to be together with the SSS. Instead of food service, a wounded Yuri had been fighting against Angel, and immediately after she collapses, a second Angel appears with glaring red eyes. 
08 "Dancer in the Dark"  Yūji MiyashitaMay 22, 2010[27]
The SSS defend against the aggressive red-eyed Kanade, but the fight ends with the two Kanades mutually stabbing each other. Yuri remembers one of Kanade's abilities, harmonics, which allows Kanade to clone herself. So, she orders the SSS to attend class while preventing self-obliteration, while she accesses Kanade's computer; she adds additional abilities to reverse harmonics. In the meantime, the original Kanade is kidnapped, and the SSS learn that she is down in the abandoned Guild. Along the way, SSS members encounter more Angel clones, instead of Guild traps; again in the end, only Yuri and Otonashi remain. At the bottom, Yuri takes down the last clone, and Otonashi tells the original to activate harmonics. The new clone informs the risk of fusing the consciousnesses of all the clones into Kanade, and as the absorb program activates, the Angel clones painfully return to the original. 
09 "In Your Memory"  Kanami SekiguchiMay 29, 2010[28]
Waiting for Kanade to wake up, Otonashi falls asleep and dreams about the subway train accident. Trapped in the subway tunnel for a week, he lead, helped, and inspired the survivors with the assistance of a man named Igarashi. In doing so, many of the victims survived, but Otonashi died moments before a rescue team arrived. When Kanade wakes him up, he becomes optimistic about his life and death, yet he remains in the afterlife. So from then onward, the two cooperate to help everyone move on from this afterlife, which was Kanade's goal all along. In turn, they realize the true nature of this afterlife: to give souls a chance to reconcile with past regrets. Afterwards, both Kanade and Naoi are reinstated to their previous positions: student council president and the vice president. The rest of the SSS assume Kanade reverted back as Angel, when that assertion is false. 
10 "Goodbye Days"  Yuriko Ishii, Kōsuke Kawazura, Misaki SuzukiJune 5, 2010[29]
Otonashi and Kanade decide upon Yui as the first one whom they help with their new goal. After a simple guitar-theft plan, Otonashi finds about her life's paralysis and her list of wishes: executing a German suplex, scoring a soccer goal against five people, and scoring a home run. With some help, Otonashi helps her accomplish two of the three. After a couple of days, Yui gives up on the home run, but had fun with each activity. Yet, she had one special wish: marriage. Suddenly, Hinata declares that he would marry her, regardless of any handicap. Addressing the low random chance of meeting each other, Hinata describes their happy relationship, and thus Yui's wishes are fulfilled. After she disappears, Hinata joins Otonashi's goal of helping others moving on. In the meantime, Noda and Ōyama were attacked by a mysterious creature, which Yusa describes as a "shadow". 
11 "Change the World"  Heo Gi Dong, Kōsuke Kawazura, Gi Nam KimJune 12, 2010[30]
While Hinata and Naoi compete over the role of Otonashi's main helper, a shadow monster suddenly attacks Naoi, and the other two destroy it. Yusa reports the encounter to Yuri, and Yuri has a meeting with Kanade to talk about the shadows, where Otonashi and company also attend. The meeting is cut short when a large shadow group surrounds Noda, Shiina, and TK. Everyone at the meeting jumps into the battle, and Yuri notices an NPC-to-shadow transformation. After the battle, Fujimaki reports the loss of Takamatsu to the shadows, but he is found the next day in class as a soulless NPC. To address this shadow situation, Yuri gathers a large SSS group, and she calls out Otonashi to share his ideal about everyone passing on. Various members object, but Hinata and Naoi share his revelation. In a subsequent smaller meeting, Yuri enlists Kanade's help before she hunts down the source of the shadows. While the other SSS members consider their decision about passing on, Yuri learns about the theft of school computers and finds a hidden pathway from the computer room to the Guild. 
12 "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"  Katsuzō Hirata, Eiyō KuragawaJune 19, 2010[31]
In the early morning, Kanade engages a large horde of shadows. A large group of SSS members with the GDM members decide to pass on, satisfied with their time together, and the main cast of SSS members fight on against increasing numbers of shadows. Meanwhile, Yuri heads for the Guild and encounters more shadows. Shiina tells Otonashi to separate, and both Hinata and Naoi follow. While dreaming of an ordinary classroom life, Yuri almost becomes an NPC just as the group with Otonashi and Kanade save her. They fight more shadows, and Yuri enters a hidden room, where the stolen computers are all running the Angel Player software. Also, Yuri finds an unknown boy there, and she questions him about various aspects of the afterlife. In the end, Yuri resists the temptation of becoming God and destroys all the computers. Afterwards, she dreams about her forgiving siblings, and in the infirmary, Otonashi and the four others look over her as she wakes up. 
13 "Graduation"  Kōsuke Kawazura, Yūji Miyashita, Misaki SuzukiJune 26, 2010[32]

Three days after the shadows incident, only Otonashi, Yuri, Kanade, Hinata, and Naoi remain; the others have passed on. Per Kanade's idea, they hold a graduation ceremony, complete with an anthem, diplomas, and a speech. At end of the ceremony, Naoi takes his leave; Yuri makes her peace with Kanade before she leaves; and Hinata follows shortly. Alone together, Otonashi suggests to remain in the afterlife with Kanade, intending to help others who might enter the afterlife. At the same time, he confesses his love to her, but she reveals herself as the recipient of his transplanted heart. After giving Otonashi her gratitude, she finally disappears, leaving him in frantic tears. Finally, in an epilogue, a girl resembling Kanade is humming Iwasawa's "My Song" in the world of the living, and a boy resembling Otonashi passes by and recognizes the melody. When the girl walks onward, the boy moves to tap her shoulder. The scene fades to white just before he makes contact.

Alternatively, in the BD/DVD-exclusive short "Another Epilogue", Otonashi remains in the afterlife and becomes the new student council president, helping out other students to pass on. 
OVA "Stairway to Heaven"  Kōsuke Kawazura, Yūji Miyashita, Misaki SuzukiDecember 22, 2010[7][11]
Set between episodes four and five, Yuri orders the SSS to pretend to enjoy the day hyperactively, as part of "Operation High Tension Syndrome". Yuri hopes that Angel would lead them straight to God, and failure of the operation results in a week-long fasting. Everyone disperses with their fake enthusiasm, and a "tension meter" rates their excitement levels for every activity and outburst. Eventually when gathered up, they have a sports festival, involving the NPCs too. Meanwhile, Yuri oversees the whole operation, until Angel wanders in to intervene after Shiina's interruption. Angel moves on to "report", and the SSS follow her to an underground greenhouse, where they assumed housed God. Instead, they find an ordinary garden, tended by Angel. Vexed, Yuri imposes the fasting and ends up starving the SSS. 
OVA "Hell's Kitchen"  June 24, 2015[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "スタッフ" [Staff] (in Japanese). Aniplex. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Key's Angel Beats! Project Gets TV Anime Green-Lit". Anime News Network. May 27, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Key's Angel Beats! Anime Promo Videos Streamed". Anime News Network. May 30, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 放送情報 [Broadcast Information] (in Japanese). Aniplex. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  5. ↑ "イチ早く『Angel Beats!』を見たい人に試写会応募情報をお届け" [Notification of an Application for a Preview Party of Angel Beats! for Those Wanting to See it Quickly] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. March 8, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Blu-ray & DVD　｢Angel Beats!｣ 第1巻" [Blu-ray & DVD Angel Beats! Volume 1] (in Japanese). Aniplex. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Blu-ray & DVD　｢Angel Beats!｣ 第7巻" [Blu-ray & DVD Angel Beats! Volume 7] (in Japanese). Aniplex. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  8. ↑ "『AB!』BD＆DVD第1巻は6.23発売!! 限定版特典はドラマCDなど" [AB! BD & DVD Volume 1 to be Sold on June 23!! Limited Edition Included Drama CD, etc.] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. April 14, 2010. Archived from the original on April 24, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Blu-ray & DVD　｢Angel Beats!｣ 第4巻" [Blu-ray & DVD Angel Beats! Volume 4] (in Japanese). Aniplex. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Blu-ray & DVD　｢Angel Beats!｣ 第6巻" [Blu-ray & DVD Angel Beats! Volume 6] (in Japanese). Aniplex. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Angel Beats‍ '​ 7th BD/DVD to Include Unaired Special". Anime News Network. June 24, 2010. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Angel Beats! Gets Another Epilogue Green-Lit". Anime News Network. September 27, 2010. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  13. ↑ "『Angel Beats！』BD-BOXが2015年6月24日に発売 麻枝准氏書き下ろしの特別篇を収録" (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Angel Beats! Gets New Episode With Anime Blu-ray Box". Anime News Network. December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Sentai Filmworks Adds Angel Beats! Fantasy TV Anime". Anime News Network. March 25, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Section23 Adds Hidamari Sketch x Hoshimittsu, Orphen". Anime News Network. April 18, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Supanoway - That Was Massive!". Siren Visual. June 20, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Angel Beats Licensed by Manga Entertainment". Anime News Network. October 7, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  19. ↑ あらすじ＆次回予告 [Summary & Previews] (in Japanese). Aniplex. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  20. ↑ 2010年4月2日（金曜日）の番組表 [April 2, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  21. ↑ 2010年4月9日（金曜日）の番組表 [April 9, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  22. ↑ 2010年4月16日（金曜日）の番組表 [April 16, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  23. ↑ 2010年4月23日（金曜日）の番組表 [April 23, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  24. ↑ 2010年4月30日（金曜日）の番組表 [April 30, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  25. ↑ 2010年5月7日（金曜日）の番組表 [May 7, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  26. ↑ 2010年 5月14日（金） の番組表 [May 14, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  27. ↑ 2010年 5月21日（金） の番組表 [May 21, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  28. ↑ 2010年 5月28日（金） の番組表 [May 28, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  29. ↑ 2010年 6月4日（金） の番組表 [June 4, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  30. ↑ 2010年 6月11日（金） の番組表 [June 11, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  31. ↑ 2010年 6月18日（金） の番組表 [June 18, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  32. ↑ 2010年 6月25日（金） の番組表 [June 25, 2010 (Friday) Program Table] (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on June 24, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.

External links