Angel Beats is a show that evokes a very visceral, emotional reaction in its viewers without having a good reason. Many of the show’s fans, like my friend Christian, will admit that the show has flaws and that on its face the show is seemingly only above average. But, because of its array of unique and heart-wrenching character arcs, it manages to bring a tear out of many, and its opening reflects those feelings in many ways. Today will be looking at the show’s only opening: My Soul, Your Beats by Lia.

My Soul, Your Beats starts in its opening ten seconds as a slow Piano Ballad, but then immediately picks up and becomes a fast-paced, piano-driven jam, backed up by what seems to be guitars and drums. This reflects the opening of the show, where the main character Otonashi suddenly appears in a sort of high-school purgatory, only to find himself caught up in a battle between a group of rebel students and another student named Kanade.

The visuals for the opening also reflect how a lot of the story revolves around Kanade, with Kanade shown playing the piano as she seems to whoosh around the other characters. The opening gets a little faster and a little louder after it shows Angel Beats’s other main heroine Yuri rushing past Kanade with a gun, signifying their rivalry.

The music slows to a crawl near the end, once again showing Kanade alone on the Piano, as she was at the beginning, reflecting how she was at both the beginning and the end of the show.

The song’s beautiful Melody evokes the same emotional response that the show does, especially after you find out about the lives of the many characters that make up the SSS, as they are called. It’s, of course, topped off by the wonderful vocals from Lia, who adds the right sense of poise and passion that are needed to make a song like this work.

What do you think of Angel Beats’s Opening? Is it heavenly? Is it Boring? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!