Angel Beats - 12

Things are starting to wrap up, and only one episode left. Beware tons of spoilers in both story and reaction sections.

Story:
We have Yuri chasing down the shadows into guild where Yuri suspects that the culprit is hiding. Meanwhile Seeing their band is gone, the remaining of GirlsDeMo move on. They decided they had tons of fun, and move on. Meanwhile the rest of the gang is still here, to see Yuri through, including a rather assertive Oyama on sniper, dual wielding maniac TK, and slimmed Matsushita who has been training alone this whole time. When Shiina arrives, Otonashi, Hinata, and Naoi decide to make a run for Yuri.

Yuri isn't hold too well on her own. She runs into the older guy who has been taking care of Guild the whole time. After passing on his weapon, he moves on as well. She is almost taken in by the shadows. She awakes as a student in a calm perfect world. But Yuri decides she can't live in that world after what her siblings went through. Eventually Otonashi, Hinata and Naoi, now joined by Kanade pull her free. Yuri makes it all the way to a big room full of computers. A mysterious new man is standing there.

He reveals hes not a human, or an NPC, but a program similar to Angel Player that Kanade uses. His original program had fallen in love but his love had moved on before he could. Alone, he made the shadows to turn him into a NPC since without his love he could never move on, and if by some slim chance, they meet again in this life, he can move on. Yuri rejects that thinking, and even the chance to take control of Angel Player and become a god, and shoots down all the computers.

She briefly sees her siblings, who tell her not to fight anymore and thank her for all she has done for them.

Reaction:

Once again, the predominate problem of the show arises. With nobody gone they are forced to wrap up everything in one or two episodes. With two episodes left, expect an unsatisfying ending. None of the back story is revealed about most of the characters. The whole sneaky disappearing thing started, and ended in one episode.

About the whole nature of the shadows, its seems kinda weak. I mean they attacked indiscriminately and after no real sense of lost love occurred. The best guess is them reacting to Hinata losing Yui, but still Hinata had a positive attitude and confidence they would meet again. He definitely didn't see being turned into a NPC a helpful matter. Not to mention that when the three were together the shadows went for Naoi first. And why didn't they attack Axe guy forever ago who obviously has a huge crush on Yuri? Quite a few holes there.


I'm actually pretty ashamed i didnt realize this before, but its a pretty good guess that the programmer is Kanade. It would explain why she hasn't moved on, why she uses Angel Player, and so on. Guess what threw everyone off is the use of masculine pronouns. It would also explain her semi-aware state. It may also play into my "God is perfect" theory. Otonashi, the only one to have misfortune by god, is sent there to help Kanade, and therefore not punishing him at all, but trying to see the overall better good in helping Kanade but killing him early. They also brought up the idea of becoming the god of the world again. Its interesting they still won't say weather god really exist or not. In one sense the world is so malleable. People can take control, and become or do whatever they wish, but at the same time, no one seems to really be able to DO it. they talk alot about it, but no one really has.

Bonus points to Key for not pulling the cheap coma cop out. Expect mass passing next episode with Otonashi as the "class president".