okay so in the last episode of Angel Beats, Kanade tells Otonashi how her only regret was not being able to thank her heart donor. she found out it was actually Otonashi when she stabbed him in the chest in episode 1 because there was nothing where his heart should've been.

the whole time she didn't want to tell him this because if she did, she would be obliterated and she didn't want to be because she loved Otonashi.

Also keep in mind that Iwasawa sang a song over the PA system (so everyone heard it) before she got obliterated. Iwasawa was the original member of the Girls Dead Monster band. Yui took over when Iwasawa was obliterated.

Anyway, so in that last episode at the very end, it shows Otonashi and Kanade in their next life because once you're obliterated from that school without any regrets left, you're reincarnated. Kanade was humming that song that Iwasawa sang and Otonashi remembered that tune from somewhere. i'm sure their memories were wiped in their reincarnated lives, but he recognized the tune and turned around to go back to Kanade and just tapped her on the shoulder when the anime ended.



NOW, this part is what makes it confusing.

1st confusing part:
Otonashi donated his heart to Kanade in the real world. Therefore, Otonashi died before Kanade died.
BUT, Kanade was in the afterlife world BEFORE Otonashi was as she was there fighting Yuri just as he woke up.

2nd confusing part:
In the "Another Epilogue" 3 minute OVA, it shows that Otonashi stayed behind to help newcomers get themselves obliterated and find peace, but at the end of the last episode, it clearly showed Otonashi and Kanade meeting in the next life after reincarnation. How can Otonashi be in the reincarnated life and the afterlife at the same time?

My Hypothesis:
those two occurrences actually did happen; they obviously weren't fan-made or anything. they're actual parts of the story meaning there needs to be some kind of explanation.

I believe that the timeline in the real world does not follow the same timeline as the afterlife.
look at this diagram:

http://puu.sh/6novx.png