The Yusa one, right??
Aww yeah, go Yusa! Keep rising in popularity~~ Catch up to Iwasawa!
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Na-Ga was too excited to even bother including it as a special bonus! 
So Biz was rightā¦
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OH MY GOD YES
Okay now everyone vote Masami, thank you.
This is her volume, after all.
Speculation time.
Spoiling this because of its content being anime spoilers and well, if Iām right it can ruin the fun for those who like to have things super secret.
##~Divine Intervention~
So I was talking with @Aspirety and told him an idea Iād had a while back when I wrote a blog to raise hype for the AB!VN. In that blog I expressed my belief that Angel Beats! lacked a wild ending. The TRUE true end. It feels more like a generic end with a Kanade route end to me. I feel like the abruptness leaves the viewer without adequate attachment (along with the whole anime, really) and more importantly, any GOOD closure. We get a somewhat thought provoking end and a āsee things happen after obliterationā, but it doesnāt give us the same send off as most stories of this type tend to do that leave a monumental impression thatās usually hand-in-hand with the whole story up to that point- not to mention itās entirely possible that Maeda simply couldnāt do more knowing that he was rushed. I can write a lot about this storyās premise, so bare with me.
ANYWAYS- Getting to the point. When thinking about the VN, I wanted to think heavily about what could be done to vastly alter the experience from the one the anime leaves you expecting, something that only a series in this situation can do. For years people have thought that theyāve seen what there is to see of Angel Beats!.
The ending of Angel Beats! leaves me, personally, a bit bitter. You get a tease that something happens, but as someone whoās built (well, will in the VN) a bond with this cast over whatāll be like 5 years, I want to know how all of their futures actually turn out- Not just two or three characters with a possible outcome. These characters need a proper conclusion with a proper sendoff with some of that good ole Key magic and glorious presentation. Itās -not- enough.
Soooo, how? Well hereās an idea. Obliteration is not for reincarnation. You have your one life and you fight for that one life. TIME FOR STRETCHES, these ideas are subjective. Even to me! Some characters downright donāt fit into this mold, so it isnāt perfect. There are VERY OBVIOUS issues.
Letās look at our cast and think about their downfall in the real world. More often than not, the event that changes their life for the worse, leads to their doom or leaves them with deep regret, is deeply woven into their life choices. Their mindset- The way they react to that event and stuff. In the afterlife school, they tend to āmove onā after coming to terms with their downfall and how their regrets are more or less a result of how they viewed the situation in a somewhat naive manner. The āregretā is formed by something within them that causes it to be. If that makes sense.
AHEM- So in the afterlife they learn that they should have known better about something or have acted differently. A difference in their mindset in life may have changed their fate. I hope youāre following me. Iām not, Iām sleepy. WHEN THEY LEARN THIS- And accept it- They vanish. When they ignore it, they get NPCād and accept a new existence there. This seems contradictory and I think that supports this teory, but thatās for another time because Iām trying to wrap this up.
tl;dr
So, How about this- As the title states, divine intervention. When a character is obliterated, they are sent back to the life they lead before dying with a new understanding of life that āgodā has presented them by bringing them to that world. With this new mindset, they are able to follow their dream, but with a new found something that they were missing that keeps them from forming such powerful regrets and ending in their death. They live a full, true life. Now THATāS closure. Can you imagine being thrown into that characters life as the reader? Having to make choices using what you learned from the route?! FUCKING AWESOME. (sorry)
Evidence: The final scene in the last episode- Itās first off, odd that Otonashi and Kanade are the same (assuming itās them). Reincarnation doesnāt exactly have to be a new person, but itās a thing. Also- They recognize one another (seemingly) when Otonashi reacts to Kanade humming a GDM song. Now, why is that interesting? That she hums that tune and heās shocked to hear it? I hear music all the time in my day from different people and it doesnāt strike me as it seems to strike him. Are they residual memories in the next lifeā¦? The same life? Who knows! Good to know Masami is doing fine and making music she made in the afterlife.
Another thing: When the Hinata x Yui scene happens- I never payed much mind because I didnāt care- But Yui is still disabled when Hinata meets her in the imagery. What if this isnāt merely an imaginary scenarioā¦? Their reincarnation wouldnāt leave Yui in the same state, I would hope- However, a happy life is still possible for her in that position if Hinata was to show up in the lives they had before, his love for her being his new passion and reason to live. THE TWIST! Thatās your hint! Divine intervention, son.
Hope you enjoyed that mess. Iām outtie. This better be in the VN. Hype.
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Hmm, I like the idea behind your theory, but Iām not sure I agree. I know you already know there are issues with your theory, but this is the place to discuss them, isnāt it 
I guess Iāll just spoiler everything for the same reason you did.
First, I found some more proof for you, though: Yuriās speech when sheās in the school in her mind after having been knocked out underground: āWhat does it mean to be reborn? That isnāt my life anymore. Itās someone elseās life. I only get to live life just once.ā
I think Otonashi and Kandadeās stories are both pretty big evidence against your theory. He had decided to change his life and his mindset a pretty long while before he died. I somehow doubt that choices he made would have changed his regret when he died. And her only regret (so she says) was that she couldnāt thank Otonashi for giving life to her. I dont see how that could be changed either.
Now, its stated pretty clearly that both of those two, especially Otonashi, are kinda outliers in the first place. But Im not sure the others we know about could really fit this either. Whatās Masami gonna do, not run into her parents fight? That would just sound kinda stupid to me. And what about Yuri, how is she gonna stop her sisters from dying? I like the idea of that Yui x Hinata scene really being from the next life, but that wouldnāt really be Yui changing anything, would it?
Yuri says in the same monologue as quoted above, āI only get one [life]. I canāt forget it or erase it. I have to accept my one shot at life, no matter how cruel or merciless it was!ā As I know youāve said before, this story is about life, not death. And you do not get to change life. The Afterlife is there for kids who lived an unjust life to feel fulfilled and to come to terms with it, not to learn how to change it.
I do agree though that the anime ending kinda doesnt seem like the True End. And Im sure Maeda would want to give us something new or different or changed for the end even it does follow along the kines of the anime.
But anyways, really great speculation. Im pretty sure theres gotta be some kinda twist in there, whether its similar to what youāre describing, or something weād never see coming in a million years.
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Yeah this is another example.
Those are certainly the biggest problems, but I find the āoutlierā theory could go further to make it work in their cases. I feel that a lot of specifics are shrouded in enigma to the point of almost every case having its own quirks. That said, if this theory were to have any merit, that adds a lot more variety to the conclusions and how the post-obliteration scenario could play out. so that itās not predictable and still fun to read.
The idea here would be that her āflawā is escapism and distance from relationships, which is something that Hisako and the band teaches her isnāt the only way to live and that there is good in people and friendships. Instead of confiding in anyone else, she opted for the corner. I donāt agree with this message, but itās the most acceptable explanation. Through being open about her troubles, she could escape that environment and be safe with her friends.
Itās not that her sisters died that is the biggest problem, itās how she handles it. Remember, we donāt know how she dies so itās up in the air as to how this could change her. What you could say, however, is that she learns that she could appreciate the time she did spend, despite how short it was- And maybe even value it more because of that- and that the world keeps turning despite your own world shattering. Itās hard to speak on Yuri because we no nothing about her life outside her familyās affluence and the robbery.
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You have no idea how happy reading that paragraph has made me. After reading that line I could feel tears welling up, and I am serious about this. I am very serious about the Yui and Hinata pairing, specifically in the real world that I would love nothing more than being able to see it actually happening.
But unfortunately, I have only one flaw to point out in that theory: Kanade.
She exists in that world because Otonashi gives her his heart so that she may live. Her regret is not being able to thank him for that. If divine intervention steps in, and for instance, she no longer needs a new heart, then what is there to thank for? What use was her being in the afterlife for? What experiences would have made her life better in the real world? The whole point would then be rendered moot through this divine intervention.
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The thing about Kanade and Otonashi is again, the worldās purpose is inconclusive. I feel that they are there as Shepards of the other members to find peace, as well as there to meet one another- And only that-
BUT, this theory is crushed by the post-credit scene where a lot of this theory nets from. Perhaps a greater power grants them special privilege to live together due to their good will and nature. This one is very lost on me~ Pretty much craps on everything with established canon via the anime. Maybe retcon can save us.
Oh shit, I forgot to reply to this- Remember! Only Hinata can support Yui.
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Right, right, this is very necessary throughout the whole VN by the very nature of the story. Itāll be better if there are little kinks that dont necessarily fit a rule.
(Spoilered for same reasons as above posts)I understand what youāre saying with both Masami and Yuri, but Im starting to feel like this theory would be even less closure than just obliteration and maybe reincarnation. Maybe Im not understanding? Are you thinking that being sent back to their original life will allow the rid themselves of their regrets, but still die at the same time as they originally did? (That certainly wouldnt work if any of the characters died by committing suicide) Or are you thinking that because the new choices theād be able to make, they might not have to die at all?
What do you think about the whole underground computer room scene and the creator of the program and if that fits into this theory at all? For me, this is one of the biggest teases of the whole show. Its one of the biggest questions, what Yuri was searching for practically the entire time, and they barely gave it over five minutes.
Another thing we have to consider is: Every Key VN since AIR has had some kind of true route that unlocks at the end. Are you thinking that this whole thing would serve as that, or would it happen at the end of each characterās route? Because like youāve said before, the after-credits scene really felt almost more like an after-thought, just to show that in fact it was a āhappy endingā. And besides that, there really wasnt anything in the animā. Wait.
New theory. Or actually, Im not sure its new, I might have just forgotten. The whole shadow arc is the last, true route. Before I guess I kinda thought that would be part of Yuriās route since it was only after that when she finally started to feel at peace. But really it would work pretty well as a true route. Obviously it would still need a ton of work no matter what, nothing was really explained for shit in the anime. Or maybe not. I dont know, I kinda sounds cool if thats how it would be, but at the same time, I really want something NEW, something Im not expecting, for a final ending. Oh well, guess weāll just have to wait and see.
[quote=āBizkitdoh, post:170, topic:277ā]
Remember! Only Hinata can support Yui.
[/quote]Maybe. Or maybe not. Weāve seen plenty of CGs of Otonashi with Yui, and I think theres a pretty strong possibility of a choice of choosing to have Otonashi be with her. But who knows, that could actually be a bad end
Oh Iām 100% saying that they donāt die so that they live a full life. Lol. Thatās the closure thing.
Iāll reply to the rest later but a lot of this thinking was born here. Under End Game. Old and crap and I should fix it butā¦ Nah. Warning: Itās possibly a bit disappointing and why I came up with this fun theory and the idea possibly having a new overarching plot instead. However that one there is probably the most logical.
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Actually it was Maeda himself that daid Only Hinata can support Yui 
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The thing I was saying here is that Yui can have a special role here in the afterlife. Sheās there to meet Hinata. A match made in heaven. I like the idea that the world has multiple purposes, one being a gathering of people who need eachother, ie Hisako needs Masami- Kanade needs Otonashi- Yui needs Hinata, etc. A few examples.
I could go forever about how this OTP would be neat if the anime at itās core with the idea wasnāt dreadful.
Right, OK. (Including Little Busters Refrain spoilers)So while thats closure in one way, it also opens up a huge amount of not-closure in the rest of their life. Similar to how I kinda like the āIt is enoughā ending to LitBus more than the āThey all liveā ending because the first one hits a helluva lot harder and has closure, while the second one leaves us open to any amount of other stuff that the Little Busters might do that readers would want to see. Sure, in many ways the second way is āhappierā but in a lot of ways its also less āsatisfying.ā
[quote=āPepe, post:173, topic:277, full:trueā]
Actually it was Maeda himself that said Only Hinata can support Yui
[/quote]Oops youāre right I completely forgot about that ^_^;
[quote=āBizkitdoh, post:174, topic:277ā]
ie Hisako needs Masami- Kanade needs Otonashi- Yui needs Hinata, etc.
[/quote]Oooo yeah I like that. That could be a really interesting other layer. Another one is Yuri needs the SSS
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Iām pretty certain it has already been established that shadows will appear as enemies in 1st beat. Dunno if this disproves your theory, but something to consider nonetheless.
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YEP. Adds a bit of credit to the idea of the experience being much more different.
@yerian98 (Little Busters! spoilers included)I think itās important to note that my own interests and the interests of pleasing a massive audience are different. I personally see a lot of draw in the power of there being a definitive conclusion to everything, but I also see ending the existence of the characters people grow to love for multiple years as being hard to swallow. Either you get closure in āoh okay they diedā or āoh okay they get to move on and experience new happinessā. Itās about being comforting to the fanbase. However, making it an actual mechanic as opposed to an āasspullā is preferable and something I would actually like to see.
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Has it? The only thing I can remember is that its supposed to go up through episode 10 of the anime, which would imply that the shadow arc at least wont be included. I do think its possible that shadows could still appear without the theory being blown apart, though.
Well the whole idea of the RPG elements and leveling up in battle was a thing, but they scrapped the RPG and now the battles are still events that happen with choices. Not to mention thereās also ABOW which is all shadow battles.
Does this mean we canāt level up our affection with each SSS member anymore by like picking them for missions and battles?
