Angel Beats! #04 — Post Traumatic Pop Fly

April 23rd, 2010

 

Yui surprisingly cares little about being constantly shoved into Hinata’s crotch.

Impressions:

I keep waiting for this show to differentiate itself from Little Busters’ gimmick of "make fake world, MCs get stronger… PROFIT!", but that hope is looking more and more thin each week. So we have:

Traumatic life ruining event
????
Appear in virtual world
Disappear from virtual world after administrator removes you or you resolve your PTSD
Profit!!

But wait, it’s totally different because it’s science, not magic, and the girl whose disorder is about losing everybody she loved wants to break the system that would take away all her current friends. I’m sure we can trust her when she says you’re dead. Hold on a minute here… Let’s have a twist, or is PAWorks’ whole scheme to attach someone famous to their project, steal one of the notably gimmicks from them (Type-Moon = Magic Eyes!) and then just call it a day? If PAWorks’ next project has R07 on board and is about a town where people mysteriously develop unquenchable cravings for the works of TS Eliot because the main character smells funny (or is a witch), I think we’ll have our answer.

To be fair though, those are complains about the overall series thus far, this episode was actually mostly pretty entertaining and certainly the most focused of the show to date. That was helped along by the fact that the angst was shoved off to the last 2-3 minutes of the episode, and further helped by the fact that they literally took a time out in the middle of the baseball game in order to monologue about the trauma of baseball before the next pitch resulted in that exact same situation…… which Yui then interrupted and saved someone else from resolving their trauma. Way to go, Yui. Another blow for PTSD. It still pales in comparison to SamCham’s or even… loathe as I am to admit… Haruhi’s baseball episodes, but the minimal angst, and dedicated focus on the comedy aspect for the first 90% of the episode was certainly a promising step in the right direction for this show.

Also, for an episode about baseball, the lack of TK was criminal.

Sorry about the bad cut on the new OP too. My laptop needs to be restarted… badly.

 

Posted in Angel Beats! | 24 Comments »

24 Shouts From the Peanut Gallery

  • firecow says:

    Does this mean that you’re blogging this show like everyone else? Since you just watch this fourth episode already.

  • Anon999 says:

    If the final episode turns out to be held at a hot spring and the final boss turns out to be a nude girl, I’m dropping this show, period.

    Because there’s no reason to sit through an anime that has very little plot.

  • redlupine says:

    so, they removed the cool, animated, piano angel in the OP for a series of stills about a squeaky, pink girl
    and a re-dubbing of the song that sounded worse

    why would they do this?

    • Aroduc says:

      We’ve gotta move these singles! We gots CDs to sell!

    • Aex says:

      My money’s on the cool piano piece being back next week. I like to imagine this was just so they didn’t have to waste 2 minutes on the pink-haired chick proving she can sing. Next week we’ll get Tenshi back… I hope.

  • chad001 says:

    …Profit? Where’s the profit? I see no profit… moving on… this show changes too fast, form pacing, to focus, to character deaths….

  • Anacone says:

    Spoiling LB eh… sigh :(

  • queenie says:

    Even though this was one of the better of the current 4 episodes, as a softball player, watching how these guys hit, catch, and pitch was overall hilarious to me in a way not many people can understand.

  • Aex says:

    I’m going to believe that everyone is really dead until I see real proof that this is just a simulation. It’s just more fun for me that way. But yeah, Yui and Hinata need to get a room… seriously… Really surprised Yuri just stood on the sidelines through the whole thing. Expected her to be out there gloating and showing off her skills to Tenshi. Yuri also seemed extra mean/evil/different this episode too, or maybe that’s just me.

    That ending was just… omg… why?

  • Sterling01 says:

    I thought the virtual world gimmick first showed up in One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e.
    Though the Little Busters comparisons are pretty strong considering who Yuri is voiced by and the fact that the vice president is named Naoe.

    • Aroduc says:

      Well, it’s the same kind of setup in that
      Trauma
      X creates virtual world
      Protagonists get stronger
      Overcome trauma
      Only instead of a universal bus crash, it’s assorted stuff… plus Tenshi running around.

    • Charizardpal says:

      Yeah though I’ve heard it showed up even earlier than One~ Kagayaku Kisetsu e~ and theres a novel in Japan…”Hardboiled” something….

      But I’m glad to hear from a Jun Maeda fan who can go back further than Kanon or Clannad.

      • charizardpal says:

        Fuck man. The more I think about it the more convinced I am that he stole left and right from the Hardboiled Wonderland. But he wouldn’t be the first, nor the last anime writer to do that.

  • FlameStrike says:

    A pretty amusing episode for me. I’m glad they didn’t rehash the previous episode and overblow on angst, but they were a bit close. Heh what came to mind for me was Clannad’s baseball ep, but baseball is a big event in Little Busters too.

  • Scott says:

    Was I the only one expecting him to get hit in the face with a baseball? I was quite disappointed that it didn’t happen.

    • Aex says:

      Honestly, I was expecting that to be how he died. Pop-fly to the face! Instead they kinda made it look like he ODed on whatever the shady senpai gave him in the locker room.

  • Hyosuke says:

    No I thought he was going to get hit as well. Plus apparently I’m the only one who really enjoyed the new rock version of My Soul, Your Beats! I mean I liked the old version but this to me was better. I liked the different animation they used in the opening as well. Even Yui’s character is growing on me.

  • Yue says:

    THis is KEY’s version of ONE OUTS, inverting suspense and intelligence from the inside out. ^_^

  • TJ says:

    The baseball things was silly, but it was fun. Sadly enough it was the best (abbreviated) game of baseball I have seen in a while.

  • Anise_punter says:

    Dammit, I’d change my handle to Yui_Punter but Yue comments too often and I’d get confused.

    She gets on my nerves, that kind of character often does. I dunno why.