Day Game

"Day Game" is the fourth episode of the Angel Beats! anime series. It was first broadcast on April 24, 2010, with screenplay by Yuji Miyashita and storyboard by Yoshitaka Koyama, with Hitoyuki Hashimoto directing the episode.

Otonashi is thinks he is starting to understand the happenings of the afterlife, he is confused over Iwasawa's disappearance. He is quickly dragged into the fanatics of the Battlefront, he instantly friends with Hinita, and prepares to play baseball in an attempt to stop Angel.

Synopsis
A young boy is seen as a fielder in baseball. A ball pop flies in his direction, and he looks at it calmly. The boy is then revealed to be Hinata.

With Iwasawa gone, Yui is suggested by Otonashi to take Iwasawa's place as the vocalist. She auditions by singing a rock version of the show's theme song, but at the end she kicks the microphone into the ceiling, and the other SSS members do not agree with Otonashi's pick due to her being the complete opposite of Iwasawa and decide to let the band "fire" her. Yuri then suggests that the SSS participate in the upcoming baseball tournament, although they would get obliterated for doing so, and any SSS team which does worse than the NPC students will receive a punishment worse than death. Hinata starts with recruiting Otonashi, and tries recruiting other athletic members, but all of them choose Takamatsu instead. Left with no choice, Hinata has Yui be an asset for recruitment and a team player (since her strike zone is so small), which somehow results in them bickering. They then recruit Shiina, who claims to have a grudge on Otonashi for surviving longer than her when they went for the guild, only joining to compete with him. After that they go for Noda, who also only joins under the same conditions. With still four players needed, Yui gets three NPC girls, who are fans of Yui's, to join their team.

During the first round of the tournament, the SSS teams beat their NPC counterparts. Hinata's team manages to win their own game also after a hefty dose of anti-teamwork due to Noda refusing to compliment any of Otonashi's actions, and it is soon shown that Yuri actually has no punishment for them. Soon Angel's team arrives alongside Vice President Ayato Naoi, and says that they will participate even though their team is composed entirely of baseball-playing NPCs. Overtime, each one falls to Angel's team made up of members of the school baseball team until only Hinata's team is left. The game is played with the teams being even, but Otonashi manages to bribe Matsushita into joining their team as an outfielder, giving them a boost. As the game is nearing its end, Hinata recalls to Otonashi how he missed a fly ball in a similar baseball game in life before getting seduced into drugs by one player and being neglected by all the rest; Otonashi believes that Hinata will disappear if they win the game. Just then, Otonashi pitche's, resulting in an identical pop fly. Hinata is about to catch the pop fly and win the game, but Otonashi runs to him to prevent him from disappearing; however, Yui comes from behind and puts Hinata in a swatstika grapple hold in an attempt at random revenge, and Angel's team wins as a result. Despite this and Yuri's threat to kill them, Otonashi smiles.



New Characters

 * Ayato Naoi

Quotes
Hinata: Otonashi, I really need you man.

Otonashi: You sure you're not gay?

Hinata: NO!, I NEED YOU FOR THE TEAM!

Yuri : They'll win at this rate. Not bad, guys, and they're even playing fair. Have we ever let things go smoothly for poor little Angel? Serves her right! (giggles) (laughs maniacally)

Yusa : Yurippe, you sound like a villain. (Yuri is still laughing evilly.)

Hinata: I've got no choice now. It's unfair to the others, but lets invite class captain Matsushita V.

Otonashi: Bet he's already taken.

Hinata: Don't worry, he's waited for me. You see, we're like buzzum buddies! Hehe, it's kinda embarrassing.

Matsushita IV: Uh, about that, I'm already in Takeyama's team.

Hinata: WHAAA?

Matsushita IV: I didn't have a reason to turn him down.

Hinata: Why'd you do it? I believed in you so much man!

Matsushita IV: Well he said he'd give me all the beef udon tickets he gets from now on. (background music slows down)

Hinata: Meat?!

Yui: You need more teammates right? I'd be a big asset!

Hinata: An asset? *thinks outloud* No, wait, if a ball hit her dead in the face, the pitcher would get disqualified. You're a big hitter! Perfect! You're in!

Yui: You sure your brain didn't melt and ooze out of your nose? *jump-kicks Hinata in the head*

Hinata: OWW! You little.. I'm your upper classmen!

Yui: Excuse me, what I meant to ask was did your brain melt and slip out through your nose?

Hinata: *kicks Yui in the face* HELL NO!

Yui: Sir, that hurt...(she says while crying in the floor)

Hinata: Quit complaining, I'm hurting too!

Otonashi: Hinata! Don't catch it Hinata. I-I DON'T WANT YOU TO DISAPPEAR!