Hinata and Otonashi’s deaths are potentially both because of a lack of attention to one’s own needs or basic survival skills in… Life. Hinata, specifically, we don’t have the details of. Dude -could- have been stoned out of his mind and jay-walked into a busy intersection, for example, so it’s not off the table.
Otonashi’s is more under the case of self-sacrifice. He understood that if he gave away his essentials he would die, but did so to save others.
Hinata we kind of saw, but what gives more of a clue that he probably wasn’t the sort to jump out in front. But just “doesn’t seem like the kind of person to do that” is never the attitude for it.
I’m bad at this, but remember to spoiler things. 
Otonashi I can kind of see, but they regretted it when they looked back because that wasn’t what they wanted. Again, this also falls into a ‘gltich’ as well. It may be an outlier that fits the bill to place someone in here, but has other variables that the system missed or picked up that requires them be there.
Hinata, again, it isn’t that they ‘jumped out’, it’s that they lacked awareness or basic defense mechanisms due to A, B or C. As far as it just ‘not seeming that way’, then I suppose I can’t really deny that, other that that it’s still something assumed, which is no different than the basis of the theory, but the theory has a little backing- Making assumptions on what an individuals actual motivations were at the time of ‘death’, and that the possibility exists due to the subject matter of AB that they were apathetic to living, thus submissive to the idea of death.
Definitely seems like he wasn’t paying attention. Depressed dude + Drugs + Road.
Otonashi’s might not be seen as suicide (like how Iwasawa & Naoi accepting defeat, Noda forgetting about reality, C7 committing Seppuku, and Kanade wanting to go thank a dead man may not be seen as suicide to each respective person) but essentially it is giving up on life. The Afterlife could be a place to make them realize that acceptance isn’t necessarily the best option.
I don’t know why I’m taking this seriously x.x I was making a joking example based on the Yuri joke…
Not exactly following this, but it may not be considered dishonorable, so maybe it works…? Not actually sure. Need to brush up on it. What I saw it as was that she ‘lived’ her life doing nothing but taking orders and never actually living or doing anything she wanted. Nothing was her own. Therefore, she never lived basically. Again, not suicide, just lack of life purpose or drive/passion.
Edit: Okay yeah, Seppuku is an honor thing, so sure. Could be a thing I guess. Touches more into divine/dark comedy some. Multiple beliefs, one unexpected and actually unknown end, etc
But it is saying sacrifices are suicides. Saying that soldiers that willingly go into a war and choose to become the decoy for others to escape are suicidal. The reason why it is not, is they have a sliver of hope that they will survive through it. Otonashi was no different, he always had that sliver of hope that he’d be rescued before he died, but he wanted to help save others with what life he had.
How you use your life is on you. We don’t know what awaits us upon death. Thinking that what you do in life alters what happens in death is inherently ignorant. That’s what makes the AB universe possible and what makes it a ‘divine comedy’. Living your life for another cause that may or may not truly be yours is again, on you. That’s one of the great questions of all the characters in Angel Beats and where regrets come from. Is it what you actually wanted? What did you want to begin with? Can you accept it as what you’d not wanted, but it’s good enough, or change your thinking to accept it as what you wanted? How all of these things work alters how the world could work and its purpose. You may reach an end, but is it the intended one?
Example: You accept your regret and change your thinking to accept what you’d done, therefore you are obliterated- Or, you accept the new existence with a new goal or dream / purpose presented to you and you reach the same end. Which is right? Do they both actually do the same thing? That’s what’s unknown. All we know is ‘something happens’. So, thinking about something that is shared by both views isn’t a bad idea- And one of those shared things is the universal loss of life passion and the rekindling or discovering of said passion.
I was trying to figure out if there was a pattern to which characters appear in which beat. Iwasawa and Yui appear in first beat and they are 2nd and 3rd to disappear. Matsushita, I am not so sure.
Perhaps we could make some semblance as to who would appear in the next beats.
Last beat would most likely be the important ones, of course. Either of Yui, Kanade. Otonashi and Hinata
The list I threw together was…
1: Masami, Yui, Matsushita
2: Shiina, Ooyama, Noda
3: Hisako, TK, Chaa
4: Naoi, Yusa, Takeyama
5: Irie, Sekine, Takamatsu, Fujimaki
6: Yuri, Hinata, Kanade
1 Like
I remember seeing somewhere that the first beat would contain parts of Yuri’s/Kanade’s routes. Unfortunately, I can’t even remember where I saw this and so… yeah, salt.
It’d make sense, even without official word, considering all three of them are ‘main’ routes. Yuri and Kanade’s stories and roles, and Hinata’s journey in Heaven’s Door, which we have that one flashback CG of the early SSS. They’re all pretty tightly woven into the world and the characters in it.
So, as I wander over to my bed, I leave you with this to ponder in the realm of speculation-
Seeing as VA/Key aim to make this the best VN they’ve ever released- In what ways do you think Angel Beats can stand with Clannad and Little Busters? What do you want to see them bring to the table that will blow you away?
Remember, spoiler tags- And don’t stray from the core topic of Angel Beats speculation. 
I can personally think of quite a few ways that AB can stand with the top dogs- But enjoying the cast is very important. Heaven’s Door has made me care for them far more- But the VN needs to deliver more goodness. The rest of the VNs premise inherently brings about the ability to tell some superb stories- But there needs to be that perfect sense of bonding with the characters.
Okay, enough of me, discuss ~!
1 Like
Little Busters Refrain Spoilers I would love them to make the story crazy and say that the Angel Beats world is the same kind of world if not the same world that is created Kyousuke and the others in LB. There’s the idea of being able to have people enter the world when they’re near death, and create worlds when they’re near death. Obviously the Angel Beats characters have all died, or is it just that they entered the world just before they died?
Sasami route spoilers This could be fitted in even further with the idea that these created worlds must have a purpose and a wish to fulfil before the world ends (something that is more properly established in sasami’s route) - For everyone entering it to have a meaningful school life?
Saya route spoilers And there’s the obvious connection of the Shadows in both Saya’s route and in Angel Beats. Yuri and Saya are pretty similar characters and Yuri could also be influenced by the same manga that Saya was influenced by because it is her favourite and also Kyousuke’s favourite.
Refrain spoilers This is obviously just a big stretch, but it would be so cool!! It’s really fun to try and think of things linking together so I may have some other fun ideas.
Be good. That’ll put it ahead of Clannad.
Have character routes that aren’t boring. That’ll make it better than Litbus.
3 Likes
DON"T FEED THE TAKA! But fine then @Takafumi, what would put it ahead of Tomoyo After and Kanon?
Truthfully the reason I’m so hyped for this is because to me Angel Beats is already so good and it is SO incomplete. It is one of my favorites, and yet I don’t really know it at all. (Hmm… I feel like Ive said similar things before about other Key works. Maybe I will do a new topic on this later)
I am currently reading LB!, so I’ll have to get back to you on that one, but I think as long as they pull this off without taking any shortcuts, its mere existence will overtake Clannad (so please, Maeda, take your time). Don’t get me wrong, Clannad is what made me love Key, visual novels, and anime, and I love it to death. But there are times when the VN gets… dull. It gets very repetitive. And save for similar themes, the characters aren’t really interconnected, which I assume they will be in AB! since, you know, the SSS. I hate to admit it, but I really like the classic shounen theme of “the team” or “friends.”
Hiiragi spoilers I am honestly glad they left him out of the anime because his route was pretty flat and boring to me. (is that even spoiler?)
Kyou spoilers I actually love Kyou’s character, but I hate her route because most of it covered up by Ryou, who’s character is terrible.
And please neither of these^
And like I said, I love AB! almost as much as Clannad, AND THEY LEFT OUT MAYBE ABOUT 17/19 OF THE STORY.
So yeah. Pending my finishing of Little Busters, Angel Beats is setting up to be my favorite VN ever.
1 Like
Kanon is only high up for me because of nostalgia factor. It’s not that great overall compared to most stuff Key puts out, so it should be easy for AB to step ahead of Kanon.
I’m not sure it can get ahead of Tomoyo After though, simply because the whole concept of AB limits what themes can be brought into the story effectively. They could do flashbacks and stuff, but they never mean as much to me as a present event. I honestly don’t see any of the characters creating a story that would really get to me, and I really like some of the characters.
In AB, every bad that happens has already happened, and it will probably end with a reset. I think the only way it can come close to TA for me, is for it to totally destroy everything we thought we knew about the afterlife, and for it to tell us that bad stuff can still happen to these characters.
You’re a strange one, Takafumi.
But I guess I see what you’re saying. ^^;
The worst has already happened to the characters. Unless they change what we know about the Afterlife, nothing that bad can actually happen to them. The worst things have already happened.
Currently the Afterlife is seen as a place to cheer up those who died with regrets, and to make them feel satisfied.
Shifting a little.
Do you guys think there is a possibility for Angel Beats anime remake once the VN is released in its entirety? We have seen Key remakes before (Kanon 02/06, Clannad Movie/TV). Or if not a remake maybe a “Haruhi 2009” where they just re-air it with a bunch of new episodes spliced in?
Now that it’s more of a general Key thing rather than a Maeda project it is possible, but I doubt it. I feel like they would ask for a lot more control in what goes on this time around though.
