Original Argument:
"Okay, so charlotte spent the first 4 episodes going around and searching for power users, which ended up being irrelevant completely to the conclusion, it then spent a couple episodes introducing more irrelevant characters like the blind lady and nao's brother, the only highlight of the show was ep 7 with yuu's depression and character development, but even that ends up being completely useless because nao gets him to his normal self with some food which ultimately backtracked his character. Then all that stuff about timetravel and all that was wasted potential because they didn't do anything better with it other than bringing back a useless character that contributes jack shit to anything.. Then the last episode, oh boy the worst crime of it all. Not only do they send Yuu on an impossible mission to conquer all the powers in the world, he actually fking does it all IN ONE EPISODE. like dafuq. Not to forget all the plot conveniences like how he straight away finds someone with the power to track other power users, and finds a power to mature the carrier's powers so he can conquer the powers before they even become powers. Also how his big brother comes to his rescue JUST before he was about to be shot dead by a random guy with a crossbow. Lets talks about that for a minute too, wtf was with the crossbow guy? Yuu fended off people with guns and rocket launchers with ease, but as soon as someone comes with a crossbow he nearly dies. Like dafuq is with that. Plus all the character development that was in this episode for yuu got wasted because of the 'amnesia' card they pulled, so ultimately everything before the ending meant pretty much nothing. Oh yeah, also wth is the power of courage? Like are you serious? Thats the most useless power ever, and even though he gets this so called "power of courage", he still pussies out of the fight with the crossbow guy because he tries walking away. Oh yeah, there was also like no development to the relationship with yuu and nao, it just went from 0 to 100 without any warning or buildup... the one thing I did like about the last episode though was the OST, some of the songs were really good and a standout for sure. Idk man, the pacing for charlotte was just horrible and overall the plot was pretty messy, they wasted so many episodes doing pretty much nothing at the start when they could've been introducing relative plot point. If the episodes went something like this then I feel like the pacing would’ve been better: 1 – 3 introducing relevant characters and abilities (including yuu’s conquer ability), 4 – 6 build up to ayumi’s death and her death, 7 – 9 yuu being depressed and shit, 10 – 13 all the events that happened in episode 13, though even then it probably would still feel rushed… if It had more episodes then I feel charlotte could’ve been better, but it didn’t and had a crappy ending and wasted potential as a result. I have a lot of bones to pick with charlotte, but I feel like I have been ranting long enough."
My Rebuttal:
Are we having a debate >:D *cracks knuckles*
"Okay, so charlotte spent the first 4 episodes going around and searching for power users, which ended up being irrelevant completely to the conclusion, it then spent a couple episodes introducing more irrelevant characters like the blind lady and nao's brother, the only highlight of the show was ep 7 with yuu's depression and character development, but even that ends up being completely useless because nao gets him to his normal self with some food which ultimately backtracked his character."
1) Jesus. That run-on sentence burns my eyes.
2) The first four episodes were not useless; it built up the characters' personalities, backstories, and relationships which contributes to their overall likability. Not to mention it helped the viewers catch a glimpse of the anime's world and variety of powers.
3) Nao's brother = fleshing out Nao's backstory.
4) The blind lady was a catalyst/turning point of the story for Yuu, helping him with his depression and making him realize the previous timelines. Also, Nao and Yuu both liked ZHIEND; this was the moment where their bond grew due to a similar interest, signaling a possible romance between the two.
5) Yuu's depression was foreshadowing his future major task at hand as well as his ultimate sacrifice (his memory). His sister's death was not meaningless, it showed that something worse was coming. Nao saving him from his depression actually furthered their possible romance and expanded on Yuu's character as he was kicked into his first low point; the food his sister made was what cured his depression and ignited his motivation, emphasizing the bittersweet tragedy within that moment. Bitter being her untimely death and sweet being the food she had always made him.
"Then all that stuff about timetravel and all that was wasted potential because they didn't do anything better with it other than bringing back a useless character that contributes jack shit to anything.."
1) The time travelling power wasn't only to save his sister. It was used to gather resources, money, people, etc. over the course of multiple worlds.
2) Yuu's sister was a mere plot device to flesh out his character. Her "collapse" power hinted at the imminent deaths of other characters. She was irrelevant otherwise, I admit.
3) Time travel is usually associated with limited chances but gives the impression of infinite trials, which can cause the characters to make miscalculations; thus, making the viewers realize the critical situation. Notice how in almost every anime linked to time travel there is always a catch? In Charlotte's case, the catch being a sacrifice (losing eye vision gradually).
"Then the last episode, oh boy the worst crime of it all. Not only do they send Yuu on an impossible mission to conquer all the powers in the world, he actually fking does it all IN ONE EPISODE. like dafuq. Not to forget all the plot conveniences like how he straight away finds someone with the power to track other power users, and finds a power to mature the carrier's powers so he can conquer the powers before they even become powers. Also how his big brother comes to his rescue JUST before he was about to be shot dead by a random guy with a crossbow. Lets talks about that for a minute too, wtf was with the crossbow guy? Yuu fended off people with guns and rocket launchers with ease, but as soon as someone comes with a crossbow he nearly dies. Like dafuq is with that. Plus all the character development that was in this episode for yuu got wasted because of the 'amnesia' card they pulled, so ultimately everything before the ending meant pretty much nothing. Oh yeah, also wth is the power of courage? Like are you serious? Thats the most useless power ever, and even though he gets this so called "power of courage", he still pussies out of the fight with the crossbow guy because he tries walking away."
1) Time skips, my friend. If they truly expanded on every country he visited then that would have served no purpose. In my opinion, the last episode was handled exceptionally well. They gave key facts, such as the power to speed up the disease, the power to track other ability wielders, etc. At least this way, everything leading up to the conclusion will logically add up and no one will cry foul at how he managed to cleanse every person. Reasonably speaking, the show's premise involved powers to begin with, so would it not make sense for powers to facilitate the journey?
2) There was a scene in the last episode where Yuu accidently breaks his phone, worrying his brother. Several time skips later, Yuu has spiraled into psychosis and abuses his powers, gathering global media attention. I believe this is how they managed to find Yuu.
3) When Yuu was searching for the power of courage, the final power, his body had already undergone severe strain; keep in mind that he was not allowed to sleep throughout this entire mission, which only worsened his state of mind.
4) His amnesia in the very end was hinted at from the very beginning when he didn't even realize he had a third sibling. It was an inevitable outcome as he was the only person in the entire world that could possibly achieve ridding the world of the disease.
"Oh yeah, there was also like no development to the relationship with yuu and nao, it just went from 0 to 100 without any warning or buildup... the one thing I did like about the last episode though was the OST, some of the songs were really good and a standout for sure. Idk man, the pacing for charlotte was just horrible and overall the plot was pretty messy, they wasted so many episodes doing pretty much nothing at the start when they could've been introducing relative plot point."
1) There were subtle hints of Yuu and Nao's relationship and it was handled well, imo. Of course, this isn't a romance anime, so anyone expecting a good love story will just fool themselves. They argued, they worked as a team, they made memories, they found a mutual perspective, they bonded, they lifted each other up, they made a promise, and the promise was kept... Honestly, you're just being overcritical. Criticizing Charlotte over its romance would be the same as if I were to criticize Higurashi over its slice of life moments.
2) The soundtracks were awesome.
3) Every minor detail, including the beginning episodes, had purpose that would eventually lead to and influence its ending.
Charlotte beats Angel Beats! any day.
Also, Charlotte triumphs over all other anime of the season (excluding leftovers from the previous season).
Look at what you made me do, though.. I wrote a fucking essay.
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