Wakaranai

Angel Beats is an upcoming 13-episode anime series which has got a lot of people talking. Set to air in spring next year, this anime warrants attention due to the mix of high-profile staff and respected production companies involved in its conception. This includes the involvement of Key with writer Jun Maeda (responsible for the big hits, Air, Kanon and Clannad) being the original creator and writer for this project. Contrary to the earlier rumours of A-1 Pictures and Studio Ordet’s Yakaman being bought onboard to handle the animation production and direction, the animation studio will be the even more exciting and fresh studio, P-A Works, which has proven itself a great source of polished and big-budget anime like CANAAN and True Tears. Chosen for his ability to do comedy as well as drama, the director is Kishi Seiji (Galaxy Angel Rune, Seto no Hanayome OVA). The important position of overall art direction has been given to Hirata Katsuzou, who worked on Gurren Lagann and also had the overall art direction job on GONZO’s very successful and attractive, Strike Witches. Although the director doesn’t excite me greatly, overall the staff choices and particularly the choice of animation studio show great potential. Jun Maeda is quite clearly the real driving force behind this project, and his enthusiasm for the anime and its staff is apparent in interviews and such.

Sadly, I’m not really a fan of what Jun Maeda has written under Key before. That’s right, I never really got into the big Key-Kyoto anime, Air, Kanon or Clannad. Sometimes it feels like I’m the only one. I found their formulaic tone too tedious to really enjoy, which is pretty easy to trace back to their bishoujo visual novel origins. So the Key stamp would actually be a detriment if it weren’t for the fact that this isn’t a traditional Key series. Rather than an adaptation of a visual novel, this anime is a part of a ‘mixed media’ project that will encompass a light novel, drama cd and probably a manga, and which was born as the result of Maeda being approached by Aniplex to work together. Because he isn’t just working on another derivative visual novel this time, he will have a lot more freedom to create something new and interesting. The premise sounds quirky but interesting:

In a world after death, angels fight for their fate and their future. Yuri, the leader of the Shinda Sekai Sensen, rebels against the god who destined her to have an unreasonable life. On the otherhand, Tenshi, the chairperson of the student council for the world after death, battles against the SSS members. SSS members utilize armed weaponry to battle it out against the angels harnessing supernatural powers.

Depending on the degree to which this series takes itself seriously, this premise could either turn into something heinously stupid or something really fun. The degree of seriousness is something that has sparked a lot of debate on the net, and might be something Key loyalists will react to. Although it was hard to tell initially, from comments made in interviews and other announcements, it’s becoming quite clear that this show aims to be, in large part, a comedy, supported by some dramatic elements, a strong flavor of moe, and a prominent focus on action sequences. The question remains how much of a comedy it will be and whether Jun Maeda will prove adept at writing with a more humorous tone. The director was selected largely due to his ability to pull of comedy, and there is a distinct parody feel to the premise and the promotional artwork.

The other question that has stirred the most controversy is in regards to the clear parallels to The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. From the very first promotional picture of the main character, Yurippe, was instantly compared to Suzumiya Haruhi and rightly so. Her design and posturing is so similar that it almost looks like Haruhi fanart. And it’s not just her appearance, her personality is described thusly:

It sounds scarily familiar. The latest image released (above) featuring the anime character designs just screams Haruhi more than ever. The hairband, the hair, and the hand-on-hip pose – it’s so obviously Haruhi that you have to assume that the show is either partly a gag/parody anime, or a desperate rip-off of Kyoto Animation’s huge success. Many people have even compared the other girl to Yuki Nagato, given her quiet demeanor, pale hair and flat chestedness. The story features a group called the SSS, which has got to be a reference to the SOS brigade.

Haruhiism aside, the designs aren’t actually all the appealing, especially before the anime designs came out. The original character designer is ‘Na-Ga’ was chosen by Maeda, and I have to say it was a strange choice. Perhaps it’s just my own preferences speaking, but I find his art style really dull and bland. I was actually really put off until I saw the designs that will actually be animated (shown above), which, with a slight bit of modification and better colouring, look a lot better.

If all the right elements are pulled off right, this anime could be a real hit. It’s designed from the ground up to have plenty of otaku appeal, but also a more general entertainment value in the form of comedy and action. I have to admit I’m curious about this series – the premise is really strange and sounds kind of dumb but I get this swirling sense of optimism that it won’t turn out as a throwaway, generic series. The fact that around 30 characters have been designed for the series is one of those points that really catches my attention. How many 13 episodes series can claim a cast that large? No wonder Maeda is apparently having trouble trying to write within the constraint of a one-season series! One thing that’s basically assured is a polished visual production and some awesome action scenes, if P.A Works’ history holds true. Looking forward to a promo!

As usual, this page will be updated when I find anything new and interesting about the show.

➡ ANN Page
➡ Anime Suki Thread
➡ Canned Dogs
➡ Official Website