Angel Beats! - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

is a 13-episode Japanese anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

television series produced by P.A. Works

P.A. Works

is a Japanese animation studio established on November 10, 2000 and is located in Nanto, Toyama, Japan. The company's president and founder Kenji Horikawa once worked for Tatsunoko Production, Production I.G, and Bee Train before forming P.A. Works in 2000...

and Aniplex

Aniplex

, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...

and directed by Seiji Kishi

Seiji Kishi

is a Japanese director of anime.-TV anime:*Yugo the Negotiator - Director*Ragnarok The Animation - Director, Storyboard*Izumo: Takeki Tsurugi no Senki - Art*Magikano - Director, Storyboard...

. The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda

Jun Maeda

is a Japanese writer working for the software company Key; he has majorly contributed as a scenario writer, lyricist, and musical composer for the visual novels the company produces. His birth name in kanji was written as , though there is no change in pronunciation...

, who also wrote the screenplay and composed the music with the group Anant-Garde Eyes, with original character design by Na-Ga

Na-Ga

Na-Ga is a male Japanese artist who is employed as a graphic designer and illustrator for the company Key known for such famous visual novels as Kanon, Air, and Clannad among others...

; both Maeda and Na-Ga are from the visual novel

Visual novel

A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...

brand Key

Key (company)

Key is a Japanese visual novel studio which formed on July 21, 1998 as a brand under the publisher Visual Art's and is located in Kita, Osaka, Japan. Key released their debut visual novel Kanon in June 1999, which combined an elaborate storyline, an up-to-date anime-style drawing style, and a...

, who produced such titles as Kanon
Kanon
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key and originally released as an adult game on June 4, 1999, playable on a Microsoft Windows PC. An all ages version for the PC was released in January 2000, and was later ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable...

, Air, and Clannad. The anime aired in Japan between April 3 and June 26, 2010. An original video animation

Original video animation

, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...

episode was released on December 22, 2010. The story takes place in the afterlife and focuses on 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 Battlefront—an organization she leads which fights against God. The Battlefront fight against the student council president Angel, a girl with supernatural powers.

Key worked in collaboration with ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...

Media franchise

A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...

. Two manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

series are serialized in Dengeki G's Magazine: one illustrated by Haruka Komowata, which began serialization in the December 2009 issue, and the other drawn by Yuriko Asami, which started in the May 2010 issue. A series of illustrated short stories written by Maeda and illustrated by GotoP

GotoP

is a male Japanese artist from Gifu Prefecture, Gifu, Japan. He did the original character design for Wandaba Style and Close to: Inori no Oka, two visual novels...

were also serialized in Dengeki G's Magazine between the November 2009 and May 2010 issues. Two Internet radio

Internet radio

Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...

shows were produced to promote Angel Beats!. Jun Maeda is writing the scenario for a possible future visual novel adaptation of Angel Beats! by Key.

Plot

Angel Beats! takes place at a high school acting as a Purgatory

Purgatory

Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...

, where students learn to give up any lingering attachments they still have from life before continuing to an afterlife or reincarnation. While the injury or cause of death are gone, those in the afterlife school can still feel pain or other things as they did when they were alive, as well as dying again, only to awaken with no injuries several minutes later. The story follows the main protagonist Otonashi, a boy who lost his memories

Retrograde amnesia

Retrograde amnesia is a loss of access to events that occurred, or information that was learned, before an injury or the onset of a disease....

of his life after dying. Upon awakening in the afterlife, he meets a girl named Yuri who invites him to join the , an organization she founded and leads which fights against God for the cruel fates the SSS members experienced in life. Their only enemy in the world is the school's student council president Angel, a being with supernatural powers who fights against the SSS. Yuri believes that anyone who follows Angel's orders and behaves like a normal student at the school will eventually disappear and pass on. However, those who fulfill their dreams in the afterlife will pass on as well.

In the SSS, there are two sub-divisions which help in the SSS's operations against Angel. The first is a four-girl band named Girls Dead Monster whose objective in the SSS is to cause a diversion from other activities the SSS is engaged in, while on the surface appearing to be a normal all female band. This includes distracting Angel and a large number of "normal" students and teachers at the school Yuri deems "non-player character

Non-player character

A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...

s" as they are not human, but look and act the part. Another organization in the SSS is the Guild, located far below the surface of the afterlife world, which serves to supply the weapons the SSS uses against Angel. Anyone in the afterlife is able to create out of dirt anything that they had memories of in life, and the Guild uses this ability to mass produce

Mass production

Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...

weapons.

Angel uses a similar ability to create her supernatural powers known as "guard skills", with the aid of a computer program called Angel Player. The primary ability that she uses is called "hand sonic", a blade on one or both forearms that is capable of changing into five different forms. Other skills include but are not limited to: "distortion", an invisible barrier that deflects bullets or other projectiles away; "delay", which creates an after-image to disorientate an enemy in close range; and "harmonics", where a clone with a consciousness of its own is formed from the original. These abilities are activated at her will; however, her ability "overdrive", which gives her great physical strength, is passive and is always on.

The Guild is purposefully destroyed after Angel infiltrates the compound, but the Guild members relocate to the old Guild location, which Angel does not know about. As Otonashi begins to get used to life in the afterlife, the leader of Girls Dead Monster, Iwasawa, disappears in front of a crowd of people after a solo musical performance as she fulfilled her dream that she wanted in her real life. The SSS find out Angel's real name is Kanade Tachibana, and after a successful operation, Kanade loses her position as student council president and the vice president Naoi succeeds her. Unlike Kanade, Naoi cracks down on the SSS and even uses powers of hypnosis

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...

to control NPCs to fight for him. Otonashi is able to stop him after acknowledging Naoi's existence and Naoi subsequently joins the SSS. Otonashi regains his memories with the aid of Naoi's hypnosis and agrees to continue with the SSS.

With Kanade a normal student now, Otonashi befriends her and invites her to join in on SSS activities. Kanade uses one of her powers to clone herself while engaged in combat, resulting in a violent red-eyed Angel. The clone replicates itself many times, but the clones are later absorbed back into Kanade after Yuri rewrites the Angel Player program. Kanade manages to overcome the personalities of the violent clones after awakening from the ordeal. Otonashi starts cooperating with Kanade to help the other SSS members move on after he fully remembers the details of his life and death. Kanade is reinstated as student council president in accordance with their plan. Otonashi and Kanade cooperate to allow Yui to pass on by fulfilling her wishes, but it is Hinata in the end who fulfills her final wish to get married that allows her to pass on.

Mysterious shadow monsters appear and begin attacking the SSS. Takamatsu gets devoured by one, only to reappear as an NPC. Otonashi reasons with the other SSS members and many of them agree to pass on in lieu of becoming an NPC, including the rest of Girls Dead Monster, Chā, and several unnamed members. Yuri notices that the NPCs are turning into the shadows, and her investigation into who is behind this leads her back into the Guild. After receiving help from Otonashi, Kanade, Hinata and Naoi, Yuri meets a boy who tells her he was programmed to activate the shadow program when love was detected in the world. The programmer himself turned into an NPC long before. Yuri destroys the computers responsible for the shadow program. Three days after the incident, Otonashi, Yuri, Kanade, Hinata and Naoi are the only ones yet to pass on. They hold a graduation ceremony where they thank each other for their support. After Naoi, Yuri and Hinata pass on, Otonashi learns that Kanade's regret was not being able to thank him for the heart she received from Otonashi after his death. Otonashi is heartbroken after she thanks him and passes on, as he has fallen in love with her. In the epilogue, reborn Otonashi and Kanade pass each other on the street in the real world. Otonashi recognizes the Girls Dead Monster song she is humming and turns to run after her. The scene fades to white as his hand touches her shoulder. In an alternative epilogue, Otonashi is shown to have stayed behind in the afterlife helping people pass on.

Main characters

Otonashi is the main protagonist of Angel Beats!. Due to his past, he has a caring personality and does not want anyone to experience pain or sadness. After dying, he lost his memories

Retrograde amnesia

Retrograde amnesia is a loss of access to events that occurred, or information that was learned, before an injury or the onset of a disease....

of the time when he was still alive, but later regains them. He had a younger sister, , who died of an illness and who he cared for very much. When she died, he decided to go to school to become a doctor, but died in a train accident before he could take the entrance exam to college. Initially unskilled in any equipment, he starts to practice his marksmanship, and pulls through for the team when they are in danger. He carries a Glock 17

Glock pistol

The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or...

Yuri, also known as , has a determined personality and invites Otonashi to join the SSS, an organization she founded and leads which fights against God. She is smart and decisive when making operations and decisions. She carries a silver Beretta 92

Beretta 92

The Beretta 92 is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The model 92 was designed in 1972 and production of many variants in different calibers continues today...

but is seen using a TDI Vector

TDI Vector

The KRISS Vector series is a family of NFA and non-NFA weapons based upon the parent submachine gun design developed by KRISS USA. KRISS USA is formerly known as Transformational Defense Industries . They utilize asymmetrical recoil and in-line design to reduce recoil and muzzle climb.- Design...

, CheyTac Intervention

CheyTac Intervention

The CheyTac Intervention is an American bolt action sniper rifle manufactured by CheyTac LLC for long range soft target interdiction. It is fed by a detachable single stack magazine, which holds 7 rounds. It fires .408 CheyTac or .375 CheyTac ammunition...

, and Mk 18 Mod 0 CQBR with a drum magazine. Not only is she skilled with a gun, but she is also capable in close range hand-to-hand combat, which is shown when she fends off Angel's hand sonic with a combat knife. She vowed to fight against God after her three younger siblings were murdered by burglars looking for valuables when she was alive and never forgave herself for failing to prevent their deaths. She is an effective leader, but does not think so. She does not really notice that she actually cares a lot for the SSS members like another family. She regrets even fighting with Kanade later in the story, because she feels she could have been great friends with her. After coming to terms with Kanade, she often adores and fawns over her. She disappears after the graduation ceremony.

Angel is the student council president at the afterlife school. This places her at odds with the SSS as her responsibilities require her to suppress delinquency and other disruptive activities that the team does. The SSS initially calls her "Angel" since they do not know her real name, but they still refer to her by it even after finding out her real name to be Kanade Tachibana. It is difficult to understand what she is thinking due to her rarely showing any outward emotions and her way of talking bluntly. Despite her gentle demeanor and small frame, she is incredibly powerful and near indestructible to the point of ejecting bullets out of her wounds during battle. She creates her powers through a program called Angel Player. She is personally dedicated to helping others overcome their regrets and pass on. However, she often lacks a proper understanding of others, as she never thinks to try and explain to the SSS why she was doing what she did. She has a taste for mapo doufu

Mapo doufu

Mapo doufu, or mapo tofu, is a popular Chinese dish from the Sichuan province. It is a combination of tofu set in a spicy chili- and bean-based sauce, typically a thin, oily, and bright red suspension, and often cooked with minced meat, usually pork or beef...

, a spicy dish.

SSS members

Hinata is a bright, dependable boy who is the closest to Otonashi. He always tries to save his friends if he can and is a reliable force in the team. He and Yui constantly irritate one another on a daily basis, but deep down, he cares for Yui, as shown when he helps her pass on by telling her he would marry her no matter what she looks like from before. He is a talented baseball player. His regret in life was his failure to catch a baseball, which cost his team an important baseball game. He nicknamed Yuri as Yurippe when they co-founded the SSS as he did not feel comfortable calling her Yuri, because his mother has the same name. He died by getting hit by a truck.

Takamatsu is an honor student who has a polite personality and wears glasses. He mainly contributes to the SSS through intelligence gathering and other affairs, but does not actively fight. Yuri herself says to not be fooled by his glasses and that he is actually an idiot. Though appearing to be slender, he works out and is actually well-built muscle-wise. After he first reveals this, he tends to take his shirt off, much to everyone's discomfort. He is absorbed by a shadow and is turned into an NPC. However, having strong enough feelings (according to Yuri), he is able to regain his senses and manages to disappear like the others.

Noda is a self-reliant boy who executes the strategies formed by the SSS and fights with a halberd

Halberd

A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm , and Barte - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on...

. He does not listen to anyone other than Yuri, for whom he has adoration, and is antagonistic to almost everyone else. He has a one-sided rivalry with Otonashi. He is a complete idiot whose weakness is education; at one point, Takeyama is able to knock him out by reciting pi

' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...

. He is not afraid to harm or kill anyone who gets in Yuri's way.

Shiina is a female ninja

Kunoichi

is the term for a female ninja or practitioner of ninjutsu .-Etymology:The term is thought to derive from the names of characters that resemble the three strokes in the kanji character for ; said in the order they are written: ku - no - ichi...

who fights with dual-wielding kodachi

Kodachi

A , literally translating into "small or short tachi ", is a Japanese sword that is too long to be considered a dagger but too short to be a long sword...

and shuriken. She is able to sense when danger is coming and is a highly capable fighter. Despite her serious demeanor, she has a weakness for cute things like stuffed animals. She is strict in her training and is very self-critical when she fails, especially to a newcomer like Otonashi. She decides that her weakness is having little concentration. She is shown balancing a broom and other objects with her fingers for long amounts of time. She rarely speaks but will normally remark "how shallow-minded" ("this is so stupid" in the dub) whenever the obvious or something stupid is said.

Yusa is an operator in the SSS who conveys the state of the battlefield to Yuri. She is a calm and gentle mannered girl with a straightforward character. Much like Angel, she does not express her emotions and is called scary by Otonashi and Hinata. She cannot calm down without her earphone. She rarely talks, and she sometimes hurts others' feelings even though she does not mean it.

Fujimaki is a delinquent who fights with a long shirasaya. He picks on new people like Otonashi but does not seem like a bad person himself. He cannot swim.

TK is a mysterious character who wears a large bandanna over his eyes and tends to break out in dance every so often. No one knows his real name or past. He speaks in semi-nonsensical English phrases depending on the situation, mainly quoted from pop culture, but apparently does not know English fluently. He saves the team many times and does know some Japanese but rarely speaks it, though he seems to understand what others say to him. He carries Browning Hi-Power

Browning Hi-Power

The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized...

and LAR Grizzly

LAR Grizzly Win Mag

The Grizzly Win Mag pistols were conceived, invented, designed, engineered and developed in the 1980s by the sole inventor, Perry Arnett, who licensed the patented technology to L.A.R. Manufacturing Inc...

handguns or a PP-19 Bizon submachine gun

Submachine gun

A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...

during missions.

Matsushita, also known as "Matsushita 5-dan

Dan (rank)

The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...

" ("Matsushita the Fifth" in the dub), has a large build and is a master at judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

. He never forgets a debt he owes, especially when it involves food (specifically gyūdon

Gyudon

, , is a Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with beef and onion simmered in a mildly sweet sauce flavored with dashi , soy sauce and mirin . It also often includes shirataki noodles, and is sometimes topped with a raw egg...

). He carries heavy weapons such as rocket launchers or machine guns into battle. He later loses weight after training in the mountains.

Ōyama is an ordinary boy who has no special talents. He does not excel at anything, but is as capable as any normal person; in other words, he is a Jack of all trades

Jack of all trades, master of none

"Jack of all trades, master of none" is a figure of speech used in reference to a person that is competent with many skills but is not necessarily outstanding in any particular one....

. He is a pure boy whose feelings will get hurt from things like a making fake confession or watching his teammates "die". He carries a Remington 700

Remington 700

The Model 700 series of firearms are bolt-action rifles manufactured by Remington Arms since 1962. All are based on the same centerfire bolt action. They often come with a 3, 4 or 5-round internal magazine depending on caliber, some of which have a floor-plate for quick-unloading, and some of which...

sniper rifle or a P226 handgun.

Takeyama is an intelligent boy who is good at hacking

Hacker (computer security)

In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...

computers. He wrote the "Briefing Manager" program that Yuri uses to brief the SSS prior to a mission. He insists everyone should call him by his username

User (computing)

A user is an agent, either a human agent or software agent, who uses a computer or network service. A user often has a user account and is identified by a username , screen name , nickname , or handle, which is derived from the identical Citizen's Band radio term.Users are...

"Christ", though nobody cares about it. He tries to execute all plans as perfectly as possible. He does not engage in combat or any other physical operations, but rather gathers data and information.

Chā is the leader of the Guild. Despite looking much older, he is about the same age as Otonashi and the others. He is the fourth member to join the SSS. He first met Yuri and Hinata by holding the Principal of the school hostage in an attempt to learn more about God, causing him to get stabbed by Kanade.

Naoi is a human originally thought to be a non-player character

Non-player character

(non-human). After he died, Naoi developed hypnotic

Hypnosis

powers that allow him to control others and cause them to enter a dream-like state. In life, he was the son of a famous potter. However, it was his brother who had the talent in pottery and as a result, Naoi was ignored by everyone. When his brother died, he was made to replace him by his father and was given strict training in pottery. As a result, he felt as if his own life was fake and all he wanted was to be acknowledged for his own existence. He later befriends Otonashi after he acknowledges him and joins the SSS. As acting student council president for a time and self-proclaimed God, Naoi is strict and arrogant, but this is quick to disperse when Otonashi chastises him. He is affectionate to Otonashi, much to the latter's chagrin, and always tries to earn his affection.

Girls Dead Monster

, Marina (singing)

Masami Iwasawa is the initial leader of Girls Dead Monster who is in charge of the vocals and is the rhythm guitar

Rhythm guitar

Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...

ist. She also writes the lyrics and composes the music for the band's songs. She plays a Sienna Sunburst/Maple Fender Stratocaster

Fender Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...

guitar. While usually a quiet girl, she is able to fascinate listeners by striving to create music that speaks her thoughts. She used music as an escape from her constantly fighting parents in life, but ended up dying from a brain injury she received. She disappears playing her own song, "My Song". She accepts that she will use her voice to someday influence others.

Hisako is second-in-command of Girls Dead Monster who plays a Fender Jazzmaster

Fender Jazzmaster

The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as an upmarket sibling to the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed at jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in the early 1960s...

electric guitar

Electric guitar

An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

as lead guitar

Lead guitar

Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...

ist. She has a candid personality and likes to play mahjong

Mahjong

Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...

, which she has incredible luck with. As noted by Hinata, Hisako is also athletic and is greatly admired by Yui for her guitar riffs. In life, she was a part of a band whose main vocalist ended up committing suicide, but after meeting Iwasawa, she forms Girls Dead Monster with her.

Irie is the drummer

Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

of Girls Dead Monster who, despite being dead herself, is bad with hearing stories about ghosts or spirits, which Sekine likes to take advantage of. She is best friends with Sekine and joined Girls Dead Monster at the same time as her.

Sekine plays a G&L L-2000 bass guitar

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

in Girls Dead Monster. She likes to play pranks on those around her to see the surprised faces of her victims. She also likes to abruptly improvise

Musical improvisation

Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...

during performances, much to Hisako's chagrin.

, LiSA

LiSA

, better known by her stage name LiSA , is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Seki, Gifu and is signed to Aniplex under Sony Music Artists. Initially a singer for an indie band, LiSA made her major debut in 2010 singing songs for the TV anime Angel Beats! as one of two vocalists for the fictional...

(singing)

Yui is a big fan and initially an assistant to Girls Dead Monster. She is known to be hyperactive and talks extremely fast. Hinata finds Yui annoying, which results in bouts between the two of them though in truth, they truly care about one another, saying that had they met before they died, they would have fallen in love with each other. She wears a devil tail and shackle bracelets on her wrists, giving her an image of an imp or devil. She also has wings hidden by her hair on her back. After Iwasawa's departure, Yui becomes the new rhythm guitarist and vocalist of Girls Dead Monster, as well as its leader. Yui plays a Gibson SG Special

Gibson SG Special

The Gibson SG Special is an electric guitar made by Gibson that has been manufactured since 1961.-Origins:The SG Special was between the Junior and Standard model and was introduced concurrent with the Junior. It featured two P-90 pickups with either a stoptail bridge or an optional tremolo arm...

electric guitar. She later becomes a part of the main SSS, following them along on missions, though she does not contribute much. In life, she was hit by a car and was paralyzed as a result from a young age. Her regret was being not able to do anything with her body. Otonashi helps fulfill most of her wishes that include many things she saw on TV when she was alive.

Creation and conception

The original creators of Angel Beats!, Jun Maeda

Jun Maeda

and Na-Ga

Na-Ga

Na-Ga is a male Japanese artist who is employed as a graphic designer and illustrator for the company Key known for such famous visual novels as Kanon, Air, and Clannad among others...

of Key

Key (company)

, were interviewed in the July 2009 issue of ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

Visual novel

A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...

Little Busters!
Little Busters!
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key which was originally released, rated for everyone as a limited edition version, on July 27, 2007 playable on a Windows PC; a regular edition, also rated for everyone, followed on September 28, 2007. Little Busters! is Key's sixth game, along with other...

, Hironori Toba of Aniplex

Aniplex

(himself a fan of Key's works) approached Maeda around October 2007 about collaborating to produce an original anime series. Maeda began meeting with Toba and Aniplex on a monthly basis and the story started to gradually progress. Aniplex wanted Maeda to write a screenplay that would be very "Key-like, with touching moments of laughter and tears," but initially Maeda found himself at a loss to write a story more amusing than Little Busters!, because he thought that he had reached a limit with Little Busters! in regards to a "Key-like story". However, one day Maeda was struck by inspiration, where he thought up the initial idea of a story set in the afterlife. Furthermore, with everyone already dead, Maeda conceived of flashy battles where the combatants go all out without fear of death. According to Maeda, the theme of the series is "life", which in Angel Beats! is depicted as a precious and wonderful thing, despite the characters in Angel Beats! who fight against their fate.

Maeda nominated Na-Ga to begin work on the character designs near the beginning of 2008. Na-Ga was worried that other computer graphics

Computer graphics

Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....

(CG) work for Key would get delayed, but he took the position because of his accumulated experience in CG. Maeda nominated Na-Ga because of the popular characters he designed in Little Busters!, and because of his frankness. Na-Ga designed Yuri based on her personality as a leader, though it was per Maeda's request that he added the black headband

Headband

A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal...

, taken from the character Yukiko Amagi from Persona 4
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, originally released in Japan as simply , is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for Sony's PlayStation 2, and chronologically the fifth installment in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series. Persona 4 was released in Japan in July 2008, North...

, who was Maeda's favorite heroine from that game. The length of Yuri's hair and the addition of a green ribbon were decided from production committee meetings. Angel's original concept began with the idea of a brave, fighting girl. Maeda cited that Angel's image had changed considerably over the development process and that originally she was similar to Shiki Ryōgi from Kara no Kyōkai
Kara no Kyokai
is a Japanese novel series, authored by Kinoko Nasu and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi. It is also known under the nickname . Its subtitle is The Garden of Sinners.-History:...

. Eventually, Angel's concept changed to being a "silent and mysterious girl". Before Na-Ga decided on Otonashi's design, Maeda told him that anything would be fine and to just draw something, and eventually drew up a prototype for Otonashi and Hinata, among others. Some of the characters had vague initial conditions given by Maeda, such as asking Na-Ga to draw an "all female band bass guitar

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

ist" in the case of Girls Dead Monster member Sekine and particularly the cryptic "character who speaks in puzzling English phrases" for TK.

Anime production

The Aniplex producer of Angel Beats!, Hironori Toba, was interviewed in the November 2009 issue of Dengeki G's Magazine, where he commented that a 13-episode anime with about 21 minutes per episode was not enough to tell the whole story of Angel Beats! Maeda had envisioned. Therefore, the various additional media, such as the illustrated short stories and manga

Manga

, contain some of the story that was unable to make it into the anime because of time constraints. Toba wanted fans of the series to be able to enjoy it to the fullest by exploring all of the media types. Maeda found it tiring to go back and forth between Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

and Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

for business meetings when he was in the process of writing the script, and found it difficult to write an entire script by himself, since he had never done that before with any of the games he produced as a member of Key. It was only after the script was done that Maeda was able to work on the music, which he greatly enjoyed and never tired of it. Maeda composed about 15 songs for Girls Dead Monster and spent about two days each composing each song. He made sure to create songs for Girls Dead Monster that high school girls would compose, including the lyrics. Due to this, Maeda pointed out that the opening and ending theme songs for Angel Beats!, which Maeda also composed, sound like they were composed by a different person compared to the Girls Dead Monster songs.

In regards to bringing in P.A. Works as the animation studio, Toba had taken notice of the company from back when they provided in-between animation and production assistance for Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist
, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. The world of Fullmetal Alchemist is styled after the European Industrial Revolution...

(2003–4) and Darker than Black
Darker than Black
is an anime television series, created, directed and written by Tensai Okamura and animated by Bones. It premiered across Japan from April 5, 2007 on MBS, TBS, and its affiliated broadcast stations, with its satellite television premiere in Japan on Animax in May 2007. The music for the series is...

(2007), respectively; Aniplex helped produce both series. After watching just the first three episodes of P.A. Works' True Tears
True Tears (anime)
True Tears is a Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and directed by Junji Nishimura. The anime aired in Japan on the TV Kanagawa television network between January 6, 2008 and March 30, 2008, containing thirteen episodes...

(2008), however, he was shocked at the high quality and immediately went to P.A. Works' studio in Toyama Prefecture

Toyama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....

to meet with the production staff in the hope that one day Aniplex could collaborate with them on a project together. The following week, Maeda brought up the subject of deciding on an animation studio for Angel Beats! and mentioned that he too had seen True Tears and had become interested in P.A. Works. Shortly after that, Toba formally made the proposal to P.A. Works to animate the project. Maeda focused on making jokes an important part of Angel Beats!, leading Toba to seek out Seiji Kishi to be the director, because of his experience in directing and his pulling power influence on the staff of P.A. Works, where there are many that are still young. Kishi was ultimately approached by P.A. Works representative director Kenji Horikawa about working on a "school comedy written by a game scenario writer" and was shocked after taking the director's position to discover Maeda was the screenwriter. Kishi commented how, far from just being a comedy, the series contains many different aspects, including flashy action scenes, live musical performances, and drama. Kishi stated that normally he would be hard pressed to cover this range of aspects, but was motivated by Maeda's uncompromising attitude in regards to the script. The decision to add in the all female band Girls Dead Monster was due to Maeda's intent to add in many different and interesting elements into the series.

Kishi specifically requested that sound and music director Satoki Iida work on the project, who also helped with the proofreading

Proofreading

Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or computer monitor to detect and correct production-errors of text or art. Proofreaders are expected to be consistently accurate by default because they occupy the last stage of typographic production before publication.-Traditional method:A proof is...

of the script due to Maeda's fixation on the music production. Iida was interviewed in the April 2010 issue of Dengeki G's Magazine, where it was stated that Maeda and the group Anant-Garde Eyes received Iida's approval to employ a minimalist

Minimalist music

Minimal music is a style of music associated with the work of American composers La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. It originated in the New York Downtown scene of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of experimental music called the New York Hypnotic School....

approach to the background music

Background music

Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...

(BGM) used throughout the anime. Iida admitted that it was uncustomary to use this music genre

Music genre

A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...

in anime and that he had to go through various trials and errors

Trial and error

Trial and error, or trial by error, is a general method of problem solving, fixing things, or for obtaining knowledge."Learning doesn't happen from failure itself but rather from analyzing the failure, making a change, and then trying again."...

with Maeda and Anant-Garde Eyes to get the music right. Maeda and Anant-Garde Eyes strove to create individual quality music tracks, while Iida pursued the goal of having music that would be useful as BGM tracks, which caused problems during the creation process. Iida realized that it was important for the music and the visuals to combine together to create a synchronization between the two. Toba first took notice of Angel Beats! character designer and chief animator Katsuzō Hirata during the production of Gurren Lagann (2007) with his skill as an artist and ability to finish work quickly, but thoroughly. It was after Toba saw Hirata's work as chief animator of Strike Witches
Strike Witches
is a mixed-media project originally created by Humikane Shimada via a series of magazine illustration columns. It was later adapted into two light novel series, three manga series, an anime OVA, a televised anime series and various video games. The story revolves around teenage girls who are...

(2008), however, that he pursued Hirata to join the Angel Beats! staff; Maeda also gave his seal of approval for Hirata.

Internet radio shows

A four-episode Internet radio

Internet radio

Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...

show to promote Angel Beats! called aired between May 30, 2009 and March 31, 2010. The show was hosted by Jun Maeda

Jun Maeda

, though guests did make appearances, such as Hironori Towa, the producer for Angel Beats!, and Na-Ga. One month after each regular broadcast, an additional shorter broadcast called was released. Another Internet radio show to promote the series titled Angel Beats! SSS Radio had a pre-broadcast on March 18, 2010, and began regular weekly broadcasting on April 1, 2010. Produced by Hibiki Radio Station, the show is hosted by Harumi Sakurai

Harumi Sakurai

is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo, Japan employed by Office CHK. She has been in this business since 2002.-TV Anime:*Angel Beats! - Yuri Nakamura*Bakuman - Ōtsuki Nanami*Fairy Tail - Lisanna*Gunparade Orchestra - Azusa Hikomura...

(the voice of Yuri), Kana Hanazawa

Kana Hanazawa

a voice actress represented by Office Osawa talent agency. She is notable for voice acting leading roles for a number of anime television shows and other anime-related media in Japan.-Anime voice roles:Leading roles in bold2003...

(the voice of Angel) and Eri Kitamura

Eri Kitamura

is a Japanese voice actress and singer, who was born on August 16, 1987 in Tokyo, Japan. She is primarily known for her role in Blood+ as Saya Otonashi and singing the third ending for the anime series Konjiki No Gash Bell . She is also known to be an amateur manga artist in Japan in her spare time...

(the voice of Yui). The first volume of a CD compilation containing the first four broadcasts, as well as the pre-broadcast and brand new recorded material, was sold on June 23, 2010. A limited edition of volume two was sold at Comiket 78

Comiket

, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....

in August 2010, and became available for general sale on September 22, 2010. Volumes three through seven were released between October 27, 2010 and July 29, 2011.

Books and publications

A series of seven illustrated short stories written by Jun Maeda

Jun Maeda

and drawn by GotoP

GotoP

is a male Japanese artist from Gifu Prefecture, Gifu, Japan. He did the original character design for Wandaba Style and Close to: Inori no Oka, two visual novels...

entitled Angel Beats! Track Zero were serialized between the November 2009 and May 2010 issues of ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

's Dengeki G's Magazine
Dengeki G's Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works and sold monthly on the thirtieth that primarily contains information on bishōjo games, but also includes an entire section on anime based on bishōjo games, and serializes manga and light novels based on such games. The "G's" in the title...

. The main character of the stories is Hinata, and is a prequel to Angel Beats!, which tells the story of how the SSS was formed. A special extra chapter focusing on Girls Dead Monster was published in the sixth volume of Dengeki G's Festival! Deluxe on March 29, 2010. The short stories were collected into a bound volume released on June 23, 2010 and included an additional chapter along with the other eight chapters. The chapter titles for the stories are taken from song titles from various musical artists. The first chapter, , was posted online with illustrations by ASCII Media Works. ASCII Media Works published an Angel Beats! Official Guide Book on December 22, 2010.

Manga

A four-panel

Yonkoma

thumb|right|150px|Traditional Yonkoma layout, a comic-strip format, generally consists of gag comic strips within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom...

comic strip

Comic strip

A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....

manga

Manga

entitled began serialization in the December 2009 issue of ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

' Dengeki G's Magazine
Dengeki G's Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works and sold monthly on the thirtieth that primarily contains information on bishōjo games, but also includes an entire section on anime based on bishōjo games, and serializes manga and light novels based on such games. The "G's" in the title...

. A two-page special chapter of the manga was printed in full color in the fifth volume of Dengeki G's Festival! Deluxe published on December 26, 2009. Another four-page special chapter in full color was printed in the sixth volume of Deluxe. The manga is inspired from Jun Maeda

Jun Maeda

's original concept and is illustrated by Haruka Komowata. Komowata was also in charge of illustrating a manga which showcased the progress of the Angel Beats! project and was serialized between the September 2009 and July 2010 issues of Dengeki G's Magazine. The first tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

volume for Angel Beats! The 4-koma was released on December 18, 2010 under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics EX

Dengeki Comics

is a manga publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works and is aimed at a male audience. Aside from the main Dengeki Comics label, there is the related Dengeki Comics EX label which publishes a lesser number of manga volumes...

imprint

Imprint

In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...

. A manga illustrated by Yuriko Asami, titled Angel Beats! Heaven's Door, began serialization in Dengeki G's Magazine in the May 2010 issue. Heaven's Door is based on the Angel Beats! Track Zero short stories. The first tankōbon volume for Angel Beats! Heaven's Door was released on December 18, 2010 under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics

Dengeki Comics

imprint; the second volume followed on July 27, 2011. An anthology

Anthology

An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...

titled Angel Beats! Comic Anthology was published by ASCII Media Works on December 18, 2010.

Anime

The 13-episode Angel Beats! anime

Anime

TV series directed by Seiji Kishi and produced by P.A. Works

P.A. Works

and Aniplex

Aniplex

aired in Japan between April 3 and June 26, 2010 on the CBC

Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting

is a regional radio and television service serving Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Its radio service is affiliated with the Japan Radio Network and its television service affiliated with the Japan News Network and the TBS Network.-Radio:Frequency...

television network. The first episode was previewed on March 22, 2010 to a selected number of people who participated in a lottery held earlier that month. The screenplay was written by Jun Maeda

Jun Maeda

, who originally conceived the series. Chief animator Katsuzō Hirata based the character design used in the anime on Na-Ga

Na-Ga

Na-Ga is a male Japanese artist who is employed as a graphic designer and illustrator for the company Key known for such famous visual novels as Kanon, Air, and Clannad among others...

's original designs. Sound and music direction was headed by Satoki Iida. The eyecatch

Eyecatch

An or internal eyecatch is a scene or illustration used to begin and end a commercial break in a Japanese TV program, especially in anime and tokusatsu shows, similar to how "bumpers" into/out of commercial breaks are used in the United States...

es used in the series feature the series logo on a white background with the note

Note

In music, the term note has two primary meanings:#A sign used in musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound;#A pitched sound itself....

middle A

A440 (Concert A)

A440 is the musical note A above middle C. It has a frequency of 440 Hz and serves as a general tuning standard for musical pitch.Prior to the standardization on 440 Hz, many countries and organizations followed the Austrian government's 1885 recommendation of 435 Hz...

played a single time.

The first BD

Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...

/DVD

DVD

A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

compilation volume containing the first two episodes was released on June 23, 2010 in limited and regular editions; the limited edition came bundled with a drama CD

Radio drama in Japan

Radio drama in Japan has a history as long as that of radio broadcasting in that country, which began in 1925. Some consider the first Japanese radio drama to have been "" which was a radio broadcast of a stage play. Others consider the Japanese translation of Richard Hughes's "Danger" or to be...

written by Maeda and performed by the anime's cast. The second and third BD/DVD volumes were released on July 21 and August 25, 2010. Another drama CD was bundled with the limited edition of the fourth BD/DVD volume released on September 22, 2010. The fifth and sixth BD/DVD volumes were released on October 27 and November 24, 2010; a third drama CD was bundled with the limited edition of the sixth BD/DVD volume. The seventh and final BD/DVD volume released on December 22, 2010 featured an original video animation

Original video animation

, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...

episode, as well as a bonus

Omake

means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...

short which serves as another epilogue to the series. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime, and along with distributor Section23 Films

Section23 Films

Section23 Films is an American home video distribution company specializing in anime and Japanese films. The company is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor of titles from Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of...

, released the series on BD/DVD on July 26, 2011. Siren Visual

Siren Visual

Siren Visual is an Australian company which specialises in the distribution of Japanese anime, documentaries and off-beat cinema in Australia and New Zealand....

licensed the anime for Australia and New Zealand. The series has also been licensed in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

by Manga Entertainment

Manga Entertainment

Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...

Music

The music used in the anime is composed by Maeda and the group Anant-Garde Eyes, who also provided the musical arrangement

Arrangement

The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...

. The music is released on Key's

Key (company)

record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

Key Sounds Label

Key Sounds Label is a Japanese independent record label formed in 2001 as a brand of the publishing company Visual Art's. Key Sounds Label was formed to catalog and release music related to visual novels produced by the brand Key, also under Visual Art's, known for developing such titles as Kanon...

. The opening theme is "My Soul, Your Beats!" sung by Lia

Lia (singer)

Lia is a female Japanese singer-songwriter who is a former member of I've Sound. Lia has also participated in happy hardcore singing, producing four such albums with this style of singing; these albums have her name in all capital letters. She is notable as the singer for the opening and ending...

and the ending theme is "Brave Song" sung by Aoi Tada

Aoi Tada

is a Japanese singer-songwriter and former voice actress and musical actress. She formerly belonged to Gekidan Himawari. Her nickname is "Mamoru Tada".Her most noted voice role is that of Cowboy Bebops Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV...

. The single containing both songs titled "My Soul, Your Beats! / Brave Song" was released on May 26, 2010 in limited (CD+DVD) and regular (CD) editions; the limited edition's DVD contains the opening and ending videos without the credits. The in-story band Girls Dead Monster is made up of the real-life singers Marina and LiSA

LiSA

. Five singles for Girls Dead Monster were released. The first, "Crow Song", was released on April 23, 2010 featuring songs sung by Marina. The second and third singles, "Thousand Enemies" and "Little Braver", followed on May 12 and June 9, 2010, respectively, with songs sung by LiSA. The fourth single was "Last Song" by Marina and the fifth single was by LiSA; both singles were released on December 8, 2010. A Girls Dead Monster album titled Keep The Beats! was released on June 30, 2010. A version of Keep The Beats! containing instrumental tracks was released on July 28, 2010 bundled with a 256-page band score

Sheet music

Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...

book. The anime's original soundtrack was released on July 28, 2010 as a two-CD set.

Reception

Each of the Angel Beats! Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc

(BD) compilation volumes ranked in the top three on Japan's Oricon

Oricon

, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

weekly BD sales chart. Volumes one and four ranked at No. 1, volumes two and five ranked at No. 2, and volumes three, six and seven ranked at No. 3. The DVD volumes, however, ranked lower than the BDs on Oricon. Volume one ranked at No.5, volume two at No. 10, volume three at No. 13, volume four at No. 11, volume five at No. 8, volume six at No. 12, and volume seven at No. 15. The sixth episode of Angel Beats!, which aired on May 8, 2010 on Osaka's MBS

Mainichi Broadcasting System

is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...

station in Japan, achieved a record 4.9% rating for an anime series broadcast during the late-night "Anime Shower" timeslot in the past three years. The Angel Beats! anime was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the 14th Japan Media Arts Festival

Japan Media Arts Festival

The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...

in 2010.

The opening and ending theme song single "My Soul, Your Beats! / Brave Song" debuted at No. 3 on Japan's Oricon weekly singles chart, selling about 80,000 copies in its first week of sales. "My Soul, Your Beats! / Brave Song" was awarded a Gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of Japan

Recording Industry Association of Japan

The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...

(RIAJ) in May 2010 for shipping over 100,000 copies. Girls Dead Monster's single "Crow Song" debuted at No. 7 on the Oricon singles chart, selling approximately 16,400 copies in about four days. "Crow Song" sold over 25,000 more copies over the next three weeks after its release. The Girls Dead Monster single "Thousand Enemies" debuted at No. 4 on the Oricon singles chart, selling about 28,000 copies in its first week of sales. "Thousand Enemies" sold over 18,000 more copies over the next two weeks after its release. Girls Dead Monster's third single "Little Braver" debuted at No. 2 on the Oricon singles chart, selling about 38,800 copies in its first week of sales. Girls Dead Monster's fourth and fifth singles, "Last Song" and "Ichiban no Takaramono (Yui final ver.)", ranked at No. 2 and No. 3 on the Oricon singles chart, respectively, both selling about 35,000 copies in their first week of sales. The Girls Dead Monster album Keep The Beats! ranked at No. 6 on the Oricon albums chart, selling about 51,000 copies in its first week of sales. Keep The Beats! was awarded a Gold disc by the RIAJ in September 2010 for shipping over 100,000 copies. The version of Keep The Beats! with instrumental tracks and a band score book ranked at No. 14 on the Oricon albums chart, selling just under 9,000 copies in its first week. The Angel Beats! Original Soundtrack ranked at No. 9 on the Oricon albums chart, selling about 13,300 copies in its first week.

External links

Angel Beats! official website
Angel Beats! at Key
Key (company)
Key is a Japanese visual novel studio which formed on July 21, 1998 as a brand under the publisher Visual Art's and is located in Kita, Osaka, Japan. Key released their debut visual novel Kanon in June 1999, which combined an elaborate storyline, an up-to-date anime-style drawing style, and a...

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