Favorite Flavor

"Favorite Flavor" is the fifth episode of the Angel Beats! anime series. It was first broadcasted on May 1, 2010, with screenplay by Heo Gi Dong and Kousuke Kawazura, storyboard by Yoshiyuki Asai, and Yoshimichi Hirai directing the episode.

Otonashi is confused by his need to take exams. He isn't okay with the actions of the Battlefront, but still decides to go along with it, even saving the part of the Battlefront that's testing, from being found out. Otonashi ends up with someone's favorite meal.

Synopsis
Exam period is coming near.

While Angel focuses on her studies, on the SSS headquarters, Yuri announces that it is their time to assault Angel. Otonashi imagines a bloodbath between Angel and the SSS, only to have it debunked by the SSS leader.

Since school still exists, every student is still required to take exams and get good grades; Yuri plans of interfering her studying sessions, thus affecting her grades. She is clearly affected by their discovery of Angel's origins, and asserts that what they would be planning will be traumatizing to her, if she is truly human.

With Noda choosing not to participate as a chivalric act, Yuri assigns Takamatsu, Hinata, Ooyama, Takeyama and Otonashi to be the members to handle the mission.

At the day of the physics exam, they discover that the seating order in the exams are made such that students are organized in a random manner dictated by drawing numbers from a box, Yuri pressures the members of SSS to position themselves near Angel's seat. Everyone fails at attaining the desired spot, except for Takeyama who ended up sitting in front of her.

Later, Yuri explains the next few steps on their plan: Takeyama is to take two marksheets and write something silly on it, then switch it with Angel's; and Hinata is to focus the attention of the class to him. All seems fine, but Takeyama points out that they don't know Angel's real name.

Otonashi storms out of the classroom to the faculty room to check Angel's name, and ends up being stopped by Angel, who as Student Council President, makes sure that no one is allowed to leave the room at the time of the exam. Inside his head, Otonashi thinks about the plan and how humiliating it would be to set up Angel by writing "Student Council President" as her name. After Angel and Otonashi introduce to each other (Angel tells him her real name: Kanade Tachibana), the latter returns to Yuri, who then admits that she forgot her name and she has at least knew of it before.

As the instructor emerges from the door, the examination is just moments from taking place.

Minutes after, the plan goes into action, failing dramatically when Hinata's outburst fails to arouse any attention; Yuri manages to respond to it by triggering a propulsion engine in Hinata's seat, launching him into the ceiling. On the break after the test, Hinata gets to complain about his painful experience and is replied by a carefree remark about his failure. A silly argument broke out between Hinata, Takamatsu and Takeyama regarding their tasks, and it needed Yuri's loud command to stop them. Angel moves to the commotion, but is stopped by Otonashi, who tells her that it is already resolved.

The plan gets repeated with the World History exam, with Takamatsu being in Hinata's place. He also tries a different approach, taking off his shirt to expose a body of a bodybuilder (according to him, his secret training sessions are the cause for this). Unfortunately, it also produced a bland result, and Yuri goes to intervene, launching him into the ceiling. Takeyama then proceeds to do the switch.

Another fight breaks out between Ooyama, whose is now up for being a lure, Hinata and the others. Yuri shouts the fight off, and Otonashi is forced to negotiate with Angel yet again.

The English exam then begins and ends, and Ooyama goes with the plan, 'confessing' to Angel about his feelings for her. He gets turned down very easily by Kanade, but instead of facing the punishment like the previous two, Hinata gets to receive Ooyama's punishment instead.

With the first half of the exam day finished, Yuri invites her members on the rooftop for some lunch. Yuri tells them that the four will shoulder the pains of having the plan fulfilled perfectly; Otonashi, on the other hand, ponders about what changes the plan within the exam will bring, as he has some doubts about it.

The day after, rumors of Angel getting zero marks on her subjects has spread, and Yuri announces it to SSS. A short serious discussion takes place, while Otonashi thinks about the victim of their operation, who received bad remarks from the faculty.

At the gym, students are gathered in the announcement of the resignation of Kanade as the Student Council President, being replaced by a certain student named Naoi. Otonashi expresses his shock while Yuri gloats over her victory, telling her members that she no longer has the powers of the Student Council President and thus, will be easier to take down.

With that, she announces the start of Operation Tornado that night.

Yui gets into the spotlight as the new leader of Girls Dead Monster, performing "Thousand Enemies", the last song Iwasawa wrote before her disappearance. Meanwhile, Otonashi voices out his thoughts regarding who their enemy is. That time, he is no longer sure that Kanade is the real enemy.

Kanade appears and she gets into firing range, but Otonashi calls off the assault, noticing that she does not have the killing intent in her actions. As she walks straight into the concert and into the vending machines, Yuri contacts Yusa and orders to turn on the wind fans to conclude the operation. In the middle of the shower of food coupons, Kanade looks on as she loses her food coupon for an order of Mapo Doufu(Cantonese) (Or "Mapo Tofu" internationally), which is a very spicy dish rumored to be impossible to eat.

At the school cafeteria, Hinata notices that Otonashi has a Mapo Tofu coupon and ends up eating one. Despite the very spicy flavor, he—and Hinata, who is asked by Otonashi to try—notice the nice aftertaste of the dish. Yuri then tells the two that it was Kanade's coupon that is carried off by the operation.

Yuri then admits that they were assuming wrong things about Kanade.

After the operation, the SSS members proceed to take their routine dinner. In the middle of the peaceful affair, however, students led by Naoi, the new Student Council President, storm the room and surround the SSS. Naoi announces that the SSS will be punished for their constant disobedience.

New Characters
Naoi Ayato

Cultural References

 * Mapo Doufu is actually a Chinese dish, "Mapo Doufu" being the direct phonetic translation of "麻婆豆腐", which is a Si Chuan dish consisting of tofu, meat (usually pork) and chili, resulting in its iconic spicy flavor, which is later followed by a very nice aftertaste, as Otonashi demonstrates at the end.

Quotes
Yuri: Angel's rampage is about to begin.

Otonashi: What do you mean Angel's rampage? (has a thought of her "rampage") B-BUT WHY IS SHE GOING...ON A RAMPAGE?!

Yuri: Because tests are coming up.

Hinata: W-W-WHAT'S THAT? There's a grandios super huge bamboo shoot coming out of the ground!

Otonashi: Hinata, you moron.

Yuri: Man, this stinks. *launches the chair rocket*

Hinata: Whoah-AAAHHH!

Tada Aoi:*replays in slow motion* Itsumo hitori de a-

Hinata: * Hinata continues to moan* Oh god!

Yuri: ENOUGH! KNOCK IT OFF BOTH OF YOU! *Angel starts to get up* Oh crap.

Otonashi:(to Kanade) Sorry! We were arguing over the answers! We just reached a conclusion! We discovered that Hinata score a zero! Everything's okay! There's nothing wrong, sorry for the fuss, we're all fine!

Angel: I see.

* The Guild sighs in relief*

Yuri: Stupid!

Hinata: You mean you!

Takamatsu: Ma'am, you see I... *rips his shirt off* LOOK SO SCRAWNY WHEN FULLY DRESSED! What do you think?

Teacher: I can see that, now sit down.

Takamatsu: Yes ma'am. *Yuri launches chair rocket* NYYOOOAAAHAA!

Tada Aoi: (replays in slow motion) Soredemo a--

Yuri: ENOUGH! KNOCK IT OFF BOTH OF YOU!

Otonashi: (to Kanade) Sorry! Yuri's psychologically unstable right now, and just last night she had a dream with Hinata in it!

Hinata:(his saying in the dream) Don't think I'm the same man as the me of yesterday and tomorrow. (snaps fingers) Be careful!

Otonashi: That's the warning he gave her, just now Yuri was proving that he truly did warn her about that! Hehehe!

Angel: So, there's two Hinata's?

Otonashi: Uh, yeah, sure, I guess your right.

Angel: There could even be three of them.

Otonashi: Uh, sure, I guess.

Kanade: Poor dear.

Otonashi: She's calm down, so don't worry about it. There's no problem. Everything is okay. Hehe! Thanks for your concern! Hehehe! (sighs)

Hinata: There's at least three of me?

Yuri: Who's mentally unstable?!

Otonashi: Hey, now. I was covering your back, so don't complain.

Ōyama: Miss Tachibana, I'm sorry to ask this here and now out in public, but I've always loved you more than any girl in school! So, would you please go out with me?!

Angel: Then ask me at a better time.

Teacher: Sit down, you.

Ōyama: Okay.

Hinata: Now he's in for it! He'll fly- *Yuri launches the chair rocket* AAHHH-AAAAAH!

Tada Aoi: (replays in slow motion) Kodoku sae aishi waratterareru yo--

* Hinata passes out with his head rammed in the ceiling*

(some time later...)

Hinata: JUST A DAMN MINUTE!

Yuri: What? Stay away from me.

Hinata: WHY DID YOU SEND ME FLYING?!

Yuri: Because Oyama had suffred enough emotional gain.

Hinata: But why did it have to be me?! I don't get it! It's not fair!

Yuri: Who knows? Who cares? Come on, it's time for lunch.