Having discovered the greener side of Anime and also Visual Novels of Key/VisualArts with my first encounter with Kanon remake by Kyoto Animation and soon after, the epicly long Bishoujo visual novel, Clannad, which was completely clean that I played for several hours (think of the Tetris Effect, I was so addicted to it.) Eventually, it led me to watch the whole Clannad Anime, no wonder I got hooked on them… The stories are beautiful with cute, beautiful girls filled with so much moe (more so with Kanon with all those verbal tics/catchphrases) and also great music that I keep coming back for more… That is pretty much why I played the original Kanon visual novel and finished Nayuki’s, Mai’s and Shiori’s arc within a few weeks or days in July… Not only that, but I picked up and started the Air anime, which I haven’t finished yet… I’m that dedicated.
As you remember a few months back, Key have announced a new project called Angel Beats! with the collaboration of Dengeki (if you don’t know, it’s a magazine mostly on Bishoujo games and related manga and light novel. Something that Ken will go crazy for.) Knowing their track record with Air, Kanon and Clannad, I have high expectations with this original work and it seems like it’s some parody anime since the main character oddly resembles Haruhi… but then again, it’s Key and they will probably slip in tearjerking moments underneath the comedy… which make us shred manly tears (or girly tears.)
What do we know so far… well, P.A.Works will be animating this. If you don’t know it by now, they recently made Canaan which was aired this summer and also True Tears, based off a visual novel… and Jun Maeda is back and character designs are being done by Na-Ga so you shouldn’t expect too much disappointed there. The question is, will they pull it off? Who knows… but I know one thing… It’s not going to be a total disaster like Endless Eight and Suzumiya Haruhi Second Season… now thinking about it gives me second thoughts about Haruhi’s future… Then again, Angel Beats may as well end up as being another Little Busters since that had fighting scenes, right?
Meantime, you can learn more about it at ASuki if you feel like getting the latest information. Anime releases next year in Spring 2010 and have 13 episodes. Can’t wait… and I seriously hope there is no Hirano Aya in it.