Episode 7. Apparently now the vice president has changed sides, and had a change of heart too. The new members just get stranger and stranger. Otonashi wasn't that strange. Hacker kid was only as strange as well any tech hacking geek. Yui was working on the crazy side. Now we have the vice president of the student council who was formerly the enemy and vicious but turns out to be a nice kind guy. Why not add the giant fish to the ranks. Oh yeah, because you sliced, diced, and served him up hot. (my bad attempt at a joke.)
This episode also tells us the story of Otonashi before he died. This time we even get to know basically what killed him. His story was sad, but compared to the others we had heard, it didn't seem all that bad. Granted, we don't know where his parents were, how his sister died, or what he was trying to do exactly. We only know he died before getting to do what he felt would give his life meaning. It's sad. It's sad that he lived on his own without friends and that he lost the only one he felt close to and his meaning for living. It's sad that he died before getting to do what he wanted to do. It's sad that he was alone and working two jobs. I can only imagine what other things he may have gone through given what we know. Still, it doesn't seem as traumatic as some of the other stories. Comment about the end of episode though. SPOILER ALERT FOR EPISODE
So are there two Angels now. Please don't tell me it's a good verses evil thing. Besides, Angel would never do anything like injuring someone badly.....would she?
Episode 8. There aren't just two Angels, there's like a dozen, only most of them are evil. For the most part, it's another serious episode, but somewhat dark. It's a good thing these people can't actually die otherwise it would just be too much. Having them be unable to die does help lighten things up. It also allows you to kill someone multiple times.
I think Angel reminds Otonashi a bit of his little sister and of people he wanted to help. He really seems to have grown fond of her. Apparently, it's not the being her friend part that will obliterate someone, it's the fact that if you hang out with her all the time you will be following all the rules and getting obliterated.
The relationship between Otonashi and Naoi is strange. On one hand, Ontashi gave Naoi something no one else had. He acknowledged Naoi's existence. It seems that Naoi mainly hangs out with the group so that he can hang out with Otonashi. He shows a different face to Otonashi, a friendly, happy one that looks up to Otonashi and wants Otonashi to continue acknowledging him. Obviously, Naoi really cares about Otonashi. During the hypnosis scene, it was in his face that he wished he could help his new friend deal with the recovered memories and make the hurting go away. He didn't like seeing Otonashi upset. What's strange to me is I would think their relationship would be a bit more fragile. What I mean is, at first they seemed close. Otonashi would keep Naoi in line making sure he didn't cause trouble in the group, but after the hypnosis scene, they seems more distant. Naoi still cares about Otonashi. Whenever he insults the others, he is always quick to inform Otonashi that he is not included with the others. However, Otonashi seems to be more involved with Angel than Naoi. Maybe he's just the guy that cares for the broken but once your healed he backs off?
Episode 9 is possibly the most emotional episode yet. I had some serious goosebumps watching that. We finally get the story of what happened to Otonashi on his last several days alive. What he did was amazing. He helped all those people and took charge of a challeging situation, despite his own injuries. He managed to keep those stuck with him from turning into crazy paniked animals. He gave them hope. He helped them last seven days despite injury with only the food, water, and suplies left on the train. When someone tried to steal the water, he didn't even punish the guy. He did all he could to make sure that everyone who survived the crash made it out of there alive. He only lost one, who was badly injured and didn't have much of a chance anyway. In his last moments, he even found a meaning in death as he had in life. He pulled out some card, took a pen, and marked it so that if any of his organs were usable after death, they would be donated. After he did, everyone else left pulled out their cards. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. But then, he may have died before seeing that. The worst part was, seconds after he died, help came. If he had just held on a little longer. The one who kept everyone alive, who told everyone they would make it out of there, never even got to see the light when the rocks were moved away. It was a matter of damn seconds. It's not enough to make me cry, but seriously!! Why the hell did they take seven days to go find these people!!!? Did it take seven days to realize one of your trains was missing and you can't pass through that subway line? That should have been your first clue. Did it take you seven days to realize people were missing!? If they had been just a little bit sooner, he might have made it. Of course, he likely had internal bleeding and damage, and they would have had to be more like a day earlier but still. He was the reason the rest of them were alive. He ignored his own injuries to try to keep the others from dying. He refused to look after only himself, or allow anyone else to. He kept them all alive and died before the end. Sure, he didn't get to reach his goal, but in a way he did. He wanted to help people. Well I would say he helped people more than he could have ever expected too. Without him, it's possible that none of them would have made it out alive. Not only that, but he donated his organs and encouraged everyone else to do so. I wonder if the ones who survived kept that or if they decided not to donate later on. Somehow I think they kept it. That was the last bit of hope he gave them. The hope that if they didn't make it out of there, they could still be of some use to someone else. Okay, I'll stop dragging on about it. It just makes me sad and frustrated.
So apparently, what the world was thought to be was a misunderstanding from the beginning. The world is for those who didn't have a good youth. It's a place to save their souls. Angel tried to make them follow the rules and all so they could have normal happy youths and save themselves. The battlefront group didn't understand. I guess, really, it's the leader, because of what she went through, she couldn't accept any of it. They obliterate when their soul is saved. However, Otonashi didn't disappear when he recovered all his memory and was at peace. He had wanted to be a doctor to help people before. Perhaps, his fate was to help those in this world, to save them alongside Angel. In order to help though, he is basically playing double spy here. It's kinda crazy how it all turned out. The show has taken a more serious tone now. Angel has returned to being the enemy as a sort of distraction. Everything seems rather normal. Personally though, I still don't fully get it. How would obeying the rules save my soul. It's more fun to have adventures, to fight (as long as no one is dying), to skip class and break class room rules. Maybe it saves your should because it's what good little boys and girls do. What happens if your soul isn't happy being good though?
Really I should go to bed, but I want to know what happens!!
Episode 10. There isn't much to say about it. Well, Angel and Otonashi should never go into the acting business that's for certain. Otonashi helping Yui was sweet, but what Hinata did at the end was amazing...amazing and beautiful. I never expected him to come out like that. I have to wonder if he knew what Otonashi was doing. I wonder if he understood, or if he just wanted to make Yui happy. Maybe he really would have done such a thing if they met in real life. I bet all of them would have been great friends at least if they had met in life.
Hinata can't go either though. He wants to help a few of his friends first. I just hope they all don't feel the same or it could get tricky. There are only a few episodes left, so unless this is another unfinished anime, they better hurry it up.
Episode 11. Note: Otonashi is bad at keeping secrets. How did Hinata and Naoi figure out. I understand Hinata, but Naoi?
Now that a new enemy has risen, it's time for the charade to end and for Angel to join the Battlefront. Faced with the grim reality that remaining in this world could cost them their souls while their bodies spend eternity going to classes, Yuri reveals Otonashi's actions and urges everyone to make their own choice. However, Yuri's choice is to go after the enemy. I don't fully understand why they don't all go after the enemy and continue to live together. Personally, I'm sad to see them leaving. I know it's probably for the best, but I think the adventures would be fun, and to be able to do anything without dying...I wouldn't be afraid of trying an areal. Okay, so not a good reason, but still. I wouldn't want to give up that life, not so fast. I wouldn't want to give up those friends either. On the other hand, I understand that they can't stay forever and they deserve to be at peace.
The anime is taking on a darker tone now and there is very little comedy. I suppose that is fitting. Only two more episodes left. I wonder how it will end. Why am I even writing this. Is it really necessary for me to write my response to every episode. Me says yes so apparently it is. Oh great, I'm talking to myself and typing my conversation with myself onto my blog. I should hurry up and finish these episodes so I can go to bed.
Episode 12. Lots of information and too much for be to bother with a response to. I'm not sure I have one.
ENDING SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Episode 13. Bittersweet. In a way, I was kinda disappointed. I sort of wished that Otonashi, Angel, Hinata, and Naoi would stay, or at least Otonashi and Angel. I sort of liked the idea that they would stay and help others along. I also thought it would make sense for Otonashi's character. At first, I thought perhaps Otonashi had stayed since it didn't show him leaving after Angel. Then in the ending song there was a picture of everyone and as the song went on, they disappeared one at a time, and Otonashi eventually did too. At that point I was a little frustrated because the ending didn't seem clear to me. But then, it showed a short part where it looked like Otonashi and Angel found each other in the real world. Now that may be sweet, but seems a little less logical. They both look the same age as when they died and pretty much the same way too. They also happened to be reincarnated near each other. How unlikely is that? Still, now they can love each other in real life I suppose. She was humming the tune and he recognized it so obviously they have some memory of each other however faint it may be.
I also like the ending because I want to think, that the others met up too. I'd like to think that Hinata and Yui met this time around and loved each other. I would like to think that Naoi might meet Otonashi again. I'd like to think they all meet again and become friends in their new life, or at least some of them. The ending gives me hope that this would be their new fate. I still liked the idea of them staying, but the real ending may be better in the end.
For overwhelming and confusing information and time skipping, I have to take off at least a little. For having a good ending, and a good balance of moods, as well as good style, characters, pace, and plot, it gets a high score. That being said, I give it 4.75 out of 5.
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