there is a really good timeline image that tries to explain it.
because of the time difference, there are a few different theories. some say that she has been there so long that time repeated itself (personally I find that to be a bit over the top, but possible given the multiple theories of time before the Big Bang.) In the end however, it really comes down to explaining the middle portion of the timeline.
What’s this ‘limbo’ that’s never been referenced before in any way? Can’t we just conclude that the AB! world doesn’t sync up with the real world’s time and be done with it?
It’s just one theory. I just hope they explain it or go in detail about the events in the VN.
I guess I should just say, read Heaven’s Door :V
That would help. I’m being dumb and waiting for the 10th volume to come out before I start reading it. (Even though I already own all of them)
Me, @Pepe and @NotKyon were talking and think that a good idea might be to discuss the nature of the after life. Such as the explanation as to why they can create anything out of dirt. We are not looking to find the true answer to many of the questions that may be posted, but theories or logical explanations to why they occur. All ideas and theories are welcome.
This actually interests me pretty heavily. Firstly, how can they create anything out of dirt? The only prerequisite seems to be that they have to know the internal structure of the item. Also, why must it be dirt? Is it because the dirt in the afterlife has special properties and is one of the only “natural” substances on their plane?
And then there was the whole thing about (anime spoilers) them theorizing that Angel Player works the same way that they make guns. If they were able to make factories that can “mass produce” earth, then whoever made Angel Player, who obviously was in the afterlife way longer than they were, was able to use the process to make a “digital” interface to it..
If anything, I would theorize that this ability was something intended by the world’s “creator”, if there actually is one. This begs the question: why? I think we can agree that the whole point of the world is to help solve the regrets of the people residing in it. Is it because this mechanic could help solve somebody’s regrets? (i.e. his regret in life was not being able to create something while alive)?
We could still argue if a creator actually exists but that’s a topic for another day 
Dirt: Do we know whether it’s dirt specifically yet? For example, could they take a tree and turn that into a weapon or whatever else as well? Whatever they can use has the property of being transmutable at will. Almost like it’s merely data.
Angel Player: There’s the potential that this is something that existed with the world. It might just be my (mis)interpretation of AB!, but it seems to me that the world was created – programmed if you will.
Both of these, among other factors (such as time being unlimited), imply to me that the afterlife might be nearly equivalent to a computer simulation. I’m not saying that it is literally a computer simulation though. For example, in Isaac Asimov’s The Last Question the Multivac at some point exists outside of time-and-space – its processing occurs there. This might be similar in nature, to the point where it’s practical (though not necessarily precise or even accurate) to call it a computer simulation. This is assuming there’s a creator of their version of the afterlife… (Anime) It’s heavily implied there is one, by the AI.
@Pepe and I were talking about randomness and determinism a little bit. It’s difficult to say, regarding their world, but do they have true randomness? This might be difficult to discuss without arguing (and perhaps in some instances quarreling) about whether our own universe has true randomness. So to avoid that we should limit discussion to the two worlds of AB!: the world before the afterlife, and the world of the afterlife.
I don’t have anything to cite for this, but I think the world before the afterlife would be “true random.” That would probably mesh better with Key’s general tone. It’s unfortunate, but I can’t actually assert this idea. As for the world of the afterlife, if it is deterministic then it implies (but doesn’t necessitate) the world being a simulation, which in that case corroborates my current theory.
Disclaimer: I have not read HD (beyond the first chapter) yet. Further, my memory is generally really terrible. Even after having watched AB! three times, I don’t remember some of the important details. So it is more than likely that I am missing a few major points. I have not explicitly looked at other theories.
Regarding the timeline thing… (Anime) Not all of Otonashi is dead when Kanade receives his heart. Kanade dies, with his heart, and she arrives. All of her organs might’ve died prior to Otonashi’s heart. Otonashi’s heart ― his last organ; the last part of himself ― dies. Thus he continues his “transfer” to the afterlife and winds up there after Kanade. In this scenario, time doesn’t need to be magic. Time of the afterlife would merely need to be accelerated (operate faster than time outside the afterlife). Unfortunately, that does not necessarily work for the “reunion” unless disappearing also takes some time to complete.
Limbo: This doesn’t need to be a separate world from the afterlife. It could be the afterlife, but with a person not yet placed physically into the world. They would still exist, but without a body or consciousness. It’s still Limbo, but we don’t need to introduce a third world for it.
Anyway, those are my thoughts for now. I welcome extreme arguments and criticisms, since it’s funner that way. 
I actually have a huge world-theory about Angel Beats! and the afterlife that includes this. I’ve been meaning to write about it for awhile, just haven’t had the time. And I still don’t. Maybe I’ll have time this weekend.
If any of you haven’t read Heaven’s Door, there’s a lot more info regarding this topic there than in the anime.
[quote=“NotKyon, post:28, topic:36”]
Regarding the timeline thing
[/quote]I don’t really think we need any theories for this, IMHO. Or any about time at all. It is a very common belief of world religions that time in the afterlife either does not exist, or does not flow similarly to time in the universe. There doesn’t need to be a limbo, nor is there any evidence that there is one. The concept of time simply does not function the same way in the afterlife as we perceive it on in our universe.
I would agree if it were just the anime, but looking at the screenshots of the VN (granted, we don’t have access to the VN yet) they appear to measure time in the afterlife still, in terms of days. So the perspective of it is still a thing, at least.
Taking into account what you said though, perhaps a better way to approach it is how time is perceived in the afterlife according to humans.
I do think that a theory for it would still help. That it doesn’t work the same way is apparent, but trying to form an understanding of it (even if incomplete) still has its merits.
Yeah, I really need to do this…
Oh yes, they still have days. Even seasons in fact (you’ll see in HD if you go past the translated chapters). But it seems you understood, I was referring to time in the afterlife relative to time in the living world.
So AB’s official twitter just posted some previews of the new OVA, Hell’s Kitchen:
Well, since Iwasawa is there, that means it’s something that happens before episode 3, yeah.
Or she just came back because she’s a magician.
We care~ It’s still a while off though and we don’t know anything about it.
Speaking of Hell’s Kitchen, did anyone else realize that it’s the exact same name as the show Hell’s Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay? Now I don’t know how often Japans watch our TV shows but I don’t think its a coincidence it’s the same name. My money’s on the fact that the 2 are going to be identical.
Ramsey Saito has also been confirmed.
Keeping with AB!'s reference to musics (especially song/album title), Hell’s Kitchen maybe refer to Dream Teather’s song.
After a little research, it seems that there’re a lot of songs/albums, even a band, named “Hell’s Kitchen”.
I always thought “Hell’s Kitchen” was just a common phrase. Though I did notice the connection between AB! and the TV show.
I wonder if Hell’s Kitchen will emphasize everybody’s personalities more, like HD and the VN, or if it’ll keep everything like in the anime.
Likely would be something silly, like previous OVA.
