Angel Beats! Episode 9: To Have Lived for the Sake of Others

Angel Beats 09-1

It’s time once again to make an exception to my no episodic posts policy thanks to the latest episode of Angel Beats! As always be prepared for plenty of spoilers. I would suggest watching the episode first so as not to lose any of the emotional impact. First a summary followed by some thoughts.

The episode starts off shortly after the last. Kanade is fast asleep in the infirmary with Otonashi. The rest of the SSS is essentially doing damage control in the event that Kanade wakes up with the aggressive personality of the clones. Otonashi falls asleep while looking after Kanande and has a dream about his final days alive.

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Otonashi did not die during the train accident that was depicted in episode 7 and was in fact one of the few left alive. He helps the other survivors by getting them out of the wreckage and supplying first aid to those in need. Once everyone is saved he goes off alone to find an exit but only finds the other end of the tunnel caved in. He can’t believe it and starts to have pain in his abdomen. He lifts up his shirt to find out that trauma has caused internal bleeding. Without medical attention he will die.

He heads back to tell the news and takes up the leadership position. He gathers the available food and water and rations it among the survivors. One of them decides to steal the water and in the process wastes a whole bottle. Instead of punishing him Otonashi decides to forgo his own share knowing that he will most likely die first.

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After 7 days without rescue everyone is laying on the floor weak without supplies. Otonashi starts reflecting on how even though he learned the meaning of his life from his sister he is unable to do anything for those trapped with him. He starts thinking and remembers that she never recovered because she never had a donor. Otonashi asks the first person he saved for a pen. Otonashi takes out a card and starts filling it out. “Circle the organs you wish to donate below.” Otonashi circles them all and signs. Even if he can’t do anything now maybe someone else will be saved with his body. Seeing Otonashi’s actions the remaining survivors follow suit. With this last act Otonashi passes away just as the rescue party arrives.

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Waking up with Kanade stroking his head Otonashi tells her he remembers it all. Even though he has made peace with his greatest regret he has yet to disappear meaning he still has a few remaining. Discussing this with Kanade he realizes that he wants to help all his friends find peace and be born anew so with Kanade as an ally they will now work together to bring resolution to the souls of the SSS.

Thoughts

This episode was quite amazing and possibly even my favorite. We already knew that Otonashi learned about living for others and thus decided on becoming a doctor. However as noble as that is we did not get to see him shine as such until now. When put in that life-or-death situation he was pushed into acting the role of a doctor even if only for a brief period. Knowing that he would most likely not make it he put others before himself and kept everyone alive for as long as he could. Even at the very end he realized that he could still do one last thing to help people after his death. Otonashi’s touching act of self-sacrifice had me in tears for the rest of the episode once he started filling out his card. With his precious last moments he decided to help strangers he would never meet.

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This episode provided me with one of the most powerful Key-related crying sessions since I watched Kanon for two reasons; I didn’t know it was going to happen and more importantly I felt a strong connection to the material. As someone who is connected to the medical field I was touched at a personal level. Living to help others is something I take to heart so when I saw him do what he did I could see a little of me in him.

In a world in which people can’t actually die he carries over his life’s mission by helping others in the only way he can. By bringing closure to the regrets his friends carry he can continue what he aimed to do while alive. The realization allows him to forge an alliance with Kanade and so both of their missions become one.

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It will be interesting to see the pair bring peace to the members of the SSS in the final few episodes. It still begs the question what will happen to Otonashi and Kanade after they have completed their objectives? Will Otonashi disappear right away or will he remain here indefinitely like Kanade has been for who knows how long? At the very end I want all of them Otonashi and Kanade included to be reborn together in a world in which they can meet and become friends once more.

Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2010/05/28/angel-beats-episode-9-to-have-lived-for-the-sake-of-others/

8 comments

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    • Aorii on May 29, 2010 at 12:18 am

    I agree, best episode thus far; not only has the key melodrama brilliance returned but we get a full set of revelations and plans with Kanade~
    .-= Aorii´s last blog ..The Second Place Heroine: Kaichou wa Maid-sama! =-.

    • Mike on May 29, 2010 at 7:05 pm

    OTANASHI X KANADE

    • Honya on May 30, 2010 at 12:33 am
      Author

    @Aorii: Yep. Everything started to come together this episode. I also find it amusing that if Angel Beats were a VN this would be the point where all the major branching begins.

    @Mike: Seconded.

    • Henry on May 30, 2010 at 6:43 am

    Impressive and touching episode!

    • FlameStrike on May 30, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    I was also impressed with Otonashi this episode. My guess about him and Kanade’s future is that they will probably end up staying in that world for the sake of helping others. Otonashi x Kanade is a great pairing.

    • X on May 31, 2010 at 3:24 am

    YUZURU X KANADE FTW! Best couple this anime season spring 2010 has! Plus the best series this season is definitely Angel Beats! I dont care if Yuzuru and Kanade either stays in this world or are both reborn through reincarnation, the only thing that matters is that THEY BOTH STAY TOGETHER!

    • Fritz on May 31, 2010 at 3:29 am

    Surely my tastes are different from those expressed here, as I would not indicate this episode as my favorite probably… anyway, isn’t everyone forgetting about Yuri? I mean, she’s described as a beautiful girl, an intelligent person, a charismatic leader, potentially a great character and surely an interesting one, but the whole focus of the show after the first and second episodes shifted towards Kanade and Otonashi, and Yuri is left to fill secondary roles, and sometimes not even positive ones (such as her bullying in episode five)… anyone feel she should get back in the middle of the stage as me? 🙂 I hope Mr.Maeda still has some surprises for us!

    • Honya on May 31, 2010 at 4:10 pm
      Author

    @Henry: Agreed.

    @FlameStrike: Having them become permanent helpers would be an interesting end. It would also be a nice way to set up the beginning of an MMO should Key decide to make a game/integrate it into Ai Sp@ce.

    @X: Angel Beats is definitely one of my favorite shows this season. I hope they stay together too.

    @Fritz: The way I see it Kanade was always meant to be the main heroine but early on people just assumed that Yuri would be filling that role instead. It’s the same as Little Busters; People thought that Komari was supposed to be the main heroine since she was so similar to Key’s previous main heroines but in the end it turned out to be Rin. That’s not to say she isn’t important but she definitely takes a backseat to Kanade. I don’t think the story will go back to Yuri until the end. I believe that the final conflict will be between Kanade/Otonashi and Yuri after all other members of the SSS have moved on. That’s seems like the most sensible end especially since Yuri will have finished protecting everyone.

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