Angel Beats-Heaven's Door Manga Review

       You're dead but can't die. How do you know? The Angel Beats manga starts out the first chapter with the character Hinata being literally kicked off the top of the school roof. He wakes up to discover he not only survived but is in fact told by Yuri this is the Afterlife. The Afterlife like no one ever considered. A school where those who died unfairly in life are sent. Here is where Afterlife Battlefront begins. The plan? Fight to find this mysterious God and punch him for giving such a raw deal.



Otonashi. Without you and Kanade...
there just wouldn't be the Angel Beats anime we love
For Angel Beat anime fans think of the manga (so far) as a prequel to the arrival of Otonashi. This is the story of the history of Afterlife Battlefront. They didn't just come into this world united in a fight against the 'God' entity. Yurippe is the one who brings together the strangest of personalities in hilarious ways. 

My Thoughts
I told the LT boyfriend about how he sounded like Hinata the worst of my
being sick. He was horrified at being compared to an anime which made
me laugh of course. What a great girlfriend.
First off, I love the Angel Beats anime. One of the most important reasons why is being able to relate to the characters anger over a God who would make life so unfair.In the anime my heart always goes out to the story of Yui (who is not in the manga...yet?) and the peace granted her when Hinata promises no matter how she was physically in life he would still love her.
Shina is one crazy assassin from a past we never really get to know.
One of the reasons I find myself really caring for the manga is getting to know the characters in a way thirteen short episodes never had time to explain. Take the character Shina. In the anime she is reduced to saying 'this is so stupid' while displaying ninja like skills. When you read the manga you find she was immensely difficult to recruit into Afterlife Battlefront. To her this world is completely alien. She comes from a completely different era in Japan's past. 

Iwasawa is even more amazing than we once thought.
She made it through to find friendship here.
 Even Iwasawa (who you find yourself reaching out to in episode 3 of the anime) is far more complex than a band leader with an unfair past. Hisako (the lead guitar) had to practically beg her to form a band. She didn't understand what true friends. Actually she never even thought of a band and her band name ideas were...terrible. Very different than the composed, strong hearted Iwasawa of the anime.  

I love the character design in the anime and the manga. Also, just because Angel Beats
is pretty doesn't mean Tenshi can't take you out in two seconds flat.
Being a fan of darker drawings I normally would say 'the artwork is nice but without those details (like in Tokyo Ghoul) it appears a bit bland. This time I love how the anime sticks true to the manga in character design. I feel like the two are in harmony which makes me go for the manga even more.

Note: I found out Angel Beats is based on a light novel! I will be attempting to hunt down a translated version asap.

 To the Reader:
Gotta love Yurippe and Hinata's friendship. Kicked off a rooftop yet still going
strong!
Angel Beats deals with the idea of death but it is filled with humor. Not just in words but the expressions as well.When Yuri, the leader of Afterlife Battlefront, decides to prove Hinata is dead by kicking him off a roof...well...it would be horrible in real life but here it made me laugh. The humor comes from quips, sarcasm, and the character's individual identities.

Uniforms, principals, and school life.
Complete with hijacking the principal,
death, and cute uniforms.
Those with a yen for school life manga will feel at home since the majority takes place in a school. One which is unusual but still a school, uniforms and all. There is the obvious mystery of this God, who he is, and how they will find him. Naturally, drama and perhaps even a bit of romance thrown in.




Love the Angel Beats anime!
Readers who loved the Angel Beats anime should definitely read the manga as it answers a lot of questions. I recommend those who enjoy school life, comedy, and a variety of genres to check out Angel Beats. Although if you strictly are dedicated to continual fighting action manga then it will fall short on continual fight scenes. If you have been on a darker manga kick (like myself) then Angel Beats is like a raspberry mojito on a hot summer's day. Refreshing yet no run of the mill experience. Give it a chance and you may find it to be your new favorite (manga that is).

 Details

Name(s): Angel Beats エンジェルビーツ; Angel Beats!; AngelBeats天使节拍-天国之门
Year: 2010
Author(s): Maeda Jun, Key
Artist(s): Asami Yuriko, Na-Ga
Chapters: 35
Status: Ongoing (updated randomly)
Anime: Yes!