Death Parade

NOTE: I ain't no english speaker. When you doing something you gotta put your heart in it. You gotta give your soul and your body to it, specially when you want to be "original" or when you want to do something else than just picking a profit. This is particularly true in anime. If you, as an "anime maker" want to just make money or make something that sells because you do need money to live that's fine, and you pick the easy way by doing a shonentard, moeshit or simple pandering. But once in a while I think that every "anime maker" thinks "I want to do something original by myself goddamit!". You go bro! We need more people like you taking a chance with original stuff! If you are going to do this you must go as deep as you can. "Go big or go home". Death Parade...died somewhere in the middle of that road. DP's premise is interesting and got me hyped. The idea of a bar between Heaven and Hell were the souls hang out for a while until they are judged and sent somewhere. It could have been a psychological thriller or a great slice of life. Combined with great animation and a very good soundrack (specially that magnificent opening) this anime stood a legitimate chance of being great. Let's start with the positive side of things. With such a good premise the story was obviously going to be good on some degree. Many situations and episodes managed to either move me or scare me, with that combination of psychological horror and dramatic stories. At the same time the cast was very interesting and they held a lot of potential for character development, which was exploited...kinda...The moral battle and the existensialism questioning were used in a good way to give the show a degree of deepness that the production lifted to make entertaining. But there is something that keeps buging me. I feel that DP didn't go as far as it shoulded in terms of character development, dramatic mood and psychological struggle. It wasn't dramatic enough, it wasn't thrilling enough, and the characters weren't developed enough. It tried to be everything all at the same time and failed to deliver strong feelings. The characters trauma was forced and didn't seem realistic, with obvious twists, poorly handled pacing, way too many flashbacks and a mood that changed from a light-hearted slice of life to an "edgy" thriller too often. For me DP's biggest flaw is that it didn't know what it wanted to be. It intended to be a psychological thriller, but it wasn't brave enough to "go big or go home" fearing failure, so it changed to a more light-hearted slice of life tone, while also failing to leave an impact unlike other slice of life(things like Mushishi or The Tatami Galaxy). The massive amount of plot-holes and the lackluster character development (it seemed rushed and unclear, as we are not fully sure what were the characters' intentions nor motivations or beliefs) can be easily ignored when paying attention to the bigger problems in story-telling the series have. Overall though, it is good, and it is quite enjoyable, and it does have its charm. Above everything else however, what I find most important is that is something new and fresh. I firmly believe that we need more original shows like this one, even if they are not the next Lain or Gurren Lagann, we should encourage these kind of anime. If we do, we eventually will get a lotmore of good stuff, and Death Parade was a right step in that direction. Too bad it won't be remembered in the future.

Seems like a formula Madhouse has gotten down pat over the last 20 years. Lots of flash, splash and dash, but not so much substance. The artwork starts off absolutely brilliant, but tails off as the season continues. It never gets bad but the drop off is noticeable, especially with the characters and background work. There is some spectacular animation work, especially early on, then again in ep 11. Chiyuki's skating performance is brilliant. But there's lots of flashy trash, especially sprinkled through the middle episodes. The character writing didn't impress me a whole lot. The MCs are both wooden, and stiff as flag poles until the end. Then they magically are supposed to become these well-rounded characters. I didn't buy it. It felt much too contrived. And who is supposed to be the antagonist? It's left unclear. Secondary characters are all very 2 dimensional. It turned out to be a weakness in the series The narrative left a lot to be desired as well. Started off as very fromulaic, episodic chapters with zero overarching plot. Then, all of a sudden, it tries to convince you this is supposed to be some deep, meaningful metaphysical bullshit. Sorry, just never clicked for me. The story in the long run turns out to be mid. The VA work was kind of a mixed bag. The VA for Chiyuki went from bland to boring to pretty good then to completely overacted. The rest of the cast were just bland enough to not be bad, but certainly never impressed me either. I think a lot of that had to do with some serious misdirection. The directors were so worried about pushing flashy-trash animation out the door, that everything else gets shortchanged. This series does some things very well, but takes a total dump in others. It was a parade of poor directorial and production decisions. It's not awful, and watchable enough if you keep expecations in check, and don't think about it too much. Grading this, I can't see giving it more than a boring 72/100, for a C-. It wouldn't be the death of you, but then, like death, most folks should avoid it if at all possible.

Death Parade, based on the animated short "Death Billiards", is a show set in purgatory. Not the usual type of purgatory though. Instead this show is set in a bar called the QuinDecim, where the dead come in pairs to be judged by the bartender/arbiter, Decim, who decides whether they go to the void or are reincarnated. But there is a twist; the participants have no memories of their death and they are pushed into a game which will place them in extreme circumstances. Initially this sets up a thriller with each episode as it becomes a guessing game as to which participant is lying, who is telling the truth, what their life stories are and who will be going to the void or being reincarnated. However, after a couple of episodes the show begins branching off into a few directions. The first being focused on Ginti and Mayu, the second focused on Nona and the third focused on Decim and Kurokami. The overarching theme of the series then becomes the idea that the current judgement process is wrong. Here is where the series dips in quality a little. During the episodes where the games are the focus, the show is at its best. The games are intense, the stories are told well and the consequences carry weight. However, after Death Parade tries to build its plot to be more than games of judgement, the show loses its direction. The actions of Ginti, Mayu and Nona all become completely inconsequential. The story of Ginti and Mayu exists to emphasize the idea that judgements can be incredibly harsh based on the current system, but to most people watching the show this is already obvious. Nona's story shows her trying to fix the system, but her actions don't develop into anything. However, Kurokami and Decim's arc is fairly exceptional. Decim struggles to figure out how he should judge Kurokami while Kurokami struggles to deal with her regrets she still has from her previous life. This leads to both characters being pushed to their emotional limits which makes for fantastic viewing. Through this plotline, the show manages to say a lot about the importance of life and the struggles that death leaves behind. If Death Parade chose to only follow this arc during the second half of the show, it would have been much better than diluting the series with the other inconsequential storylines. Nevertheless, it feels somewhat unsatisfying to see that Nona's actions don't lead to any kind of extra conflict. The cinematography and lighting in Death Parade are impressive. The different camera angles and mostly dark colour tones emphasize the creepiness of QuinDecim and also keeps the audience in tune with the emotions of the characters as they react to the events around them. The music used in the show accompanies these emotions well; calm at the beginning of episodes and building up as the episodes climax. Of course, the entertaining OP is worth a mention due to how catchy the song is. One thing I also want to mention is that the show (at least for the subtitles I watched) kept stating that the arbiters can't have human emotions. The arbiters clearly show human emotions, especially Ginti who is always grumpy. This makes me think that perhaps they meant to say that arbiters weren't allowed to empathise with humans since Ginti does not empathise with Mayu at all while Decim does empathise with his visitors. Death Parade is definitely worth a watch. The characters are entertaining, the games are intense and full of suspense and the message the show portrays through Decim and Kurokami's arcs is beautiful and touching. However, don't expect the side characters to provide a major influence on the story.

There are times when surprises happen to you when you are not prepared for them. The reality is that they do not frequently occur, at least when it comes to anime shows that have no hype behind them but somehow have a huge following when word of mouth spreads around. Often than not, these surprises turn out to be positive outcomes when finished from beginning to end. Death Parade is one particular surprise from 2015 that will reign among the greats in this specific year. Death Parade starts as an episodic anime showing the life of a purgatory that hosts a game that will determine two people’s fates intertwined from their former lives. Each episode hallmarks a unique story that develops the characters nicely, even with only one episode. What also works is how they layer these stories with a mystery that adds suspense to the actions that these characters do. It does seem like an attempt by the writers to make it exciting to watch rather than a slow burn for most people, but it is still a warm welcome to make the narrative more engaging. They add great emotional depth to the characters that build a melancholic, humorous, and heartwarming flavor to each of them. It is always great to see a show like Death Parade tackle these three elements simultaneously to have a unique identity to its story and do it successfully. For the characters themselves, I’ll start with the ones put into purgatory to delve into the games that our main protagonist, Decim, puts them into. As I’ve mentioned before, the characters that Decim looks after are developed accordingly concerning the amount of screen time they can muster. That means they aren’t treated as just throwaway characters that we know aren’t going to be seen again, but are written with deep intentions from how they are seen as either good people or rotten from the inside. There is one instance where one duo, named Haruda and Mayu, do have more than one episode to help develop them, and they’re the most substantial arc because of it. Their arc has the humorous and sad moments that are packed together at the right time where they don’t feel awkward in one episode, even at the most instantaneously funny ones involving one of them falling on a pit of big spikes. The characters that aren’t the ones participating are a mixed bag. On the one hand, you have characters that are so beautifully developed and emotionally tragic in how they are portrayed. On the other hand, it seemed as though they were just plot devices and didn’t feel like actual characters. An example of the latter is Ginki, where it appeared as though the writers wanted to put an arrogant-type character into the mix to balance out the cast a little more. The same can be said about Nona, who has a more significant impact on the story than Ginki does, yet does not even come close to the greatness of the minor characters I mentioned. It’s not terrible by any means, but they never felt fully realized for me to have any connection to them. The all-around great characters are our two main leads: Decim and Chiyuki. Their slow development adds to their character arcs that we get to see later on in Death Parade and the relationship they’ve managed to make from their first meeting. It helps how different Decim and Chiyuki's personalities are. Decim is the stoic one, and Chiyuki is more emotional, and yet they still play off each other's chemistry exceptionally well. Individually, there is more to Decim than when we see him for the first time as this unemotional character. Obviously, without giving anything away, let us say that he has the most compelling character growth that I’ve experienced in recent times to the show's end. Chiyuki has the same amount of development when we get to know her past a bit more that is both tragic but uplifting at the end of it. They’re both unique characters that make Death Parade a good sit just for those two alone. Another big positive to note is Death Parade’s direction from the artistic and general side of things. Its art direction is quite a sight to see, though nothing too spectacular as it doesn’t break too many boundaries. Despite that, it still has detailed character designs that give all of them a unique visual trait that makes them distinguishable. Now for the general direction, it is incredible how much care was put into producing some of the most intense moments that will have you at the edge of your screen to see what will happen next. This goes right down to how perfect the music plays off the scenes of whatever mood is set to encompass a stylistic tone, whether in a life or death situation or just lounging around at the bar. The way scenes are shot with the constant close-ups, although affecting, can become tedious at times. Thankfully they don’t go overboard with it throughout the show. One thing to mention that makes Death Parade an exciting show to watch is how it does not treat the mystery aspect of the show lightly as an afterthought. Some things are left uncertain to the viewer that was done purposefully by the writers to make the audience think more about what they saw. Many other shows of the mystery genre involve too much explanation of various aspects of the story. Death Parade, especially the one involving the first episode, leaves many things unnoticed for the viewer to contemplate after watching it. Then the next episode puts a different perspective on the last one and puts a whole new light on the scenario that the audience may or may not have noticed. That is one of the many intelligent moves that the writers implemented into the show. Death Parade was a definite surprise for me to see how I didn’t have much expectation going into it. Usually, episodic anime try to be too formulaic in its structure, but Death Parade flips it on its ears and makes an exciting way to compose a narrative. With a show like this to come out in the Winter season of all things, you know that this year will be an interesting one. At least one could hope it will be. Grade: A-

As this is my first review, I decided I would tackle one of my biggest disappointments. Story 6/10 I was initially drawn to the show because of the interesting concept of life, death, and the afterlife. It's no mystery that death is a topic that concerns everyone at some point in there life and there is no true way to cope with an inevitable outcome. You only have one shot at life, and making the best of it is what counts. The premise of the show twists that concept, as the the decision of Hell and Heaven are thrust upon arbiters that judge their participants in games that bring out the true darkness in their hearts. This presents an issue that the show itself acknowledges but it doesn't exactly rectify. The quality of a person's life should not hinge on the final moments of their conscious soul; this leads to episodes with climaxes that feel like cheap shots that sway viewers into a contrived resolution of each minor plot. Surrounding these episodic (and repetitive) structures lies an overarching plot that deals with the existence of the main character and his companion. I can't say too much about the story, but it was unimpressive, and predictable from the start. There is not a lot of lore that the show touches upon, as it is seemingly grounded in reality, but the couple of episodes devoted to exposition merely pad out the length of the season, before it provides an ending with no satisfaction. Art 10/10 Outstanding. There is not a lot that I am able to express in my own words as mere screenshots of the show can tell the whole story. Beautiful usage of hues and shadows give a dreamlike presence to the main setting. Characters are drawn very well, with a serious tone with excellent, subdued expressions. Sound 9/10 Behold this season's catchiest OP that will get you in the groove. There was not a single episode where I felt compelled to shave off a few minutes to get straight to the meat of the show; the OP was always my favourite part of each one. Don't be fooled by its upbeat tune; the show deals with heavy issues that contrast greatly with the positive vibes. Background music is done perfectly as the jazz-influences complements the bar setting perfectly. Voices and sounds have a tinge of depth and distance to them that remind you how empty their world really is. Character 3/10 This is where I start pulling punches at the show. The main character, Decim, is not capable of showing any emotion and should be an objective judge. This leads to an easy setup for growth through the show that the viewers will experience with him. Early on, he is even capable of feeling remorse about whether or not his actions were correct. In my opinion, there was no significant, believable arc for him that justifies the 'logical' ending that we were given. We went from point A, to point Aa, to Ab, all the way to C His companion serves as the backbone to the growth that Decim goes through. She humanizes him with her methods of thinking, and it is capitalized again and again that humans have no place among the Arbiters. From almost the very beginning, her conclusion is predictable, and it was only a matter of how slowly the show progressed with tiny hints until her character was resolved. For the time being, she was only a companion with no heartfelt scenes with Decim that gave the two any real chemistry. Almost every episode, in accordance to the premise, introduces a pair of characters that slowly reveal whom they were before entering Quindecim. This makes for simple plots that were mostly completed within the same episode of introduction. This is also the fatal flaw of the show. Each pair has no more depth than an episode of CSI. There are shallow mysteries that are solved paint-by-numbers style and each climax is an explosion of melodrama that have no personal effect to the viewer. Perhaps I am exceptionally critical of the show, but the only way these plot twists could be remarkable to anyone is if they have never watched television before. There are recurring characters that are introduced in the show, but I will save myself the trouble and summarize it by saying they have absolutely no bearing to the conclusion of the show. Enjoyment 5/10 I give this a middling 5/10 because despite each short story being average at best, I always returned to the show because of the phenomenal art style and catchy OP. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy anything in the show. The games played were very interesting takes on traditional games that gave them a strong Saw-vibe. The overarching plot provided reason to tune in for each episode, while the characters were slowly expanded upon. Overall 4/10 I don't average my scores. I give a gut feeling as final scores, as shows have certain qualities to them that cannot be described with the sum of its parts. I'm no stranger to excessive consumption of media, and this show falls squarely in the "average-decent" range for me. The shallow messages brought forth each episode are poorly done. The grand thematic elements are themes I've seen time and time again (you should watch Blade Runner). I would recommend this show to people that don't have time to watch a lot of things in their busy lives.

Life (n): the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death. A word as simple as "life" has, like all words, a very simple and defined definition. But like all words, there's a certain...connotation that exists beside it. Our experiences, our memories, and our morality all contribute into the game that we call life, a game that doesn't end until fate ends it for us. It is here where we look into the world beyond our own lives, in the anime, Death Parade. Story (8.68/10): Haven't you ever wondered what happens after death? As humans, we have always thought about what lies beyond the meager lives that we were given. Some think that there's a place where all the "good" people go, likewise, with a place where all the "bad" arrive. Others believe we'll be put into another body different than our own. And others just think it ends just to end. So what really is the answer? Well, according to anime, (particularly this one), neither one of those choices really explains it. Death Parade's story exists in a purgatory of sorts, in a place known as Quindecim, a bar where the dead go. It is here where we meet Decim, the bartender of Quindecim as he offers the pair of people that enter his "establishment" and offers them to play a game that determines their fate. After the game is over, the people that he has been tending to go to one of two places as per Decim's judgment. One leads to the path of reincarnation, where the other leads to the blackness known as the void. (So basically, this is a mishmash of the popular beliefs of death where reincarnation exists, and the lives of people are split into a sort of heaven/hell.) Death Parade is one of those anime that pull off something that is very hard to do, well. The overall structure of the story is built upon an episodic style of storytelling, with new "guest" characters every episode or few episodes that enter the bar of Quindecim so that they may be judge. In addition, Death Parade manages to pull off a subset of overall plot within its episodic nature, creating a perfect blend of short stories in conjunction to a slow buildup story that builds up to the end. Being able to pull this off well is a very difficult task for any story, and Death Parade was able to do that perfectly. In addition, the premise of the story is one of the more gripping things that I have seen in anime as of late. The show talks a lot about the big questions, the very philosophical ones about life, existing, and meaning. As Decim's official title is an Arbiter, a being who's only purpose is literally to judge people, we get to witness the events that happen alongside him, making our own judgments as we go along. By the end of the episode/episodes, the stories of the people and the lives and hardships they've faced become very clear to us, and we get to see what kind of judgment they get at the end. In its wake, these judgments have the ability to get people to debate over whether the judgments were right or not, which I feel is a very positive thing about this anime because of how it can leave an impact. In addition, the anime does a fantastic job at building the world that it is located. In nearly every episode, we, the viewer get a bit more information about the world that this purgatory is, how it functions, how the citizens inside this place work, and what it really is. It is a detail that I feel deserves special mention because of simply how well a lot of the story elements come together. That being said though, a couple things about this series that do fall off short. (I'm an arbiter of anime. I have to point out the flaws.) Because Death parade deals with the idea of morality and life in general, one person can have a different opinion on any given life than the last. In order to remedy this, the arbiters are made to be stoic, emotionless characters as emotion would skew them away from making a proper judgment. Now how is this a flaw you may ask? It all comes down to the tone of the show. While the show many a time does delve into the drama-filled portions where a certain person's life and regrets are shown to us, a lot of the time, it doesn't keep up that same sort of emotion throughout, but rather falls into a sort of dull-feeling expression very often, leaving the tone of the show to feel a little bit less extreme than it probably could be. The story by itself is still gripping and leads you to want to watch the show continuously, but I felt like the show sort of lost its luster at times. At times, it also felt like something incredible or something a little more intense than what was going on, was going to appear and impact the show in a big way, but nothing really does. I think the biggest flaw that Death Parade had was that it wasn't able to regulate its what it was going for in terms of scene tone because it was very easy for the show to switch from intense emotion back to its stoic nature, easy to the point that it felt like the show transitioned too heavily in some areas. Overall though, Death Parade's story was fantastic. The combination of episodic with a hinted overarching plot was enough to sell me on the show because of just how difficult it is to accomplish a task like that. While its handling on the scene's tone was sketchy at times, it storytelling, world building, and overall themes were enough to look past that on account of how well done those aspects of the show were done. Overview: + Fantastic story + Great story structure + Good execution of story themes - Emotion of the show was handled weakly at times Characters (8.44/10): Characters for Death Parade varied quite a bit. While the ones at the forefront received great development and a good chunk of side characters got importance, there were still a couple things lacking that I was able to find. Up first, we have Decim, the arbiter of the bar "Quindecim". As an arbiter, Decim's sole purpose of existing is the fact that he must judge the dead, and determine where they deserve to return their souls back up for reincarnation, or be casted into the void for their misdeeds and their way of life. Compared to other arbiters, Decim treats every life that he meets as someone who can be worthy of respect, that meaning that fulfilled lives to him are ones that should be treated with respect. As a very stoic man, Decim comes off as someone who takes his job seriously and makes an effort to judge the way he was told to do so, so that he will be able to find the darkness in people's hearts and be able to judge them correctly based on the fear and emotions they exhibit while their inner darkness consumes them. As time goes on though, Decim is shown to be...different than the other arbiters, as he grows to understand just a little bit more about the idea of life and what it means to live, since Arbiters are beings who cannot die. Then we have Onna, the mysterious black-haired woman who comes and assists Decim in his job as arbiter, helping him set up games for the patrons that come to be judged, and help him make proper judgments for the people that have already passed. The series doesn't really do much with Onna as a character until the very end with the last couple episodes. This harkens back to the "overarching" plot subset style that I mentioned before, as the series goes forward with us, the viewers, witnessing and gathering bits and pieces as to who the mysterious black-haired woman is. But before all of that, Onna serves as Decim's growth for the majority of the show, spouting our another opinion for what judgments are taking place before her, and adding her own input as to what is going on, which usually adds to the much needed tension of the show. But before all of that though, she, like Decim don't really go much into the spotlight of the show, but rather stay in the sidelines as they, like us, witness the stories of …

If there is some judgement that goes on in the afterlife, should our great judge use human emotions while judging us? This anime is very very enjoyable and is definitely worth the watch. The theme is very likable and different from any other show that I have seen. Story: There are many theories as to what happens after one dies, however, in this anime those who die at the same time as others are sent to one of many Arbiters, who judge whether they are reincarnated or go to the void. The memories of their death, and their life, are wiped so that the arbiters can get an idea as to who they are as unbiased as possible. when they are given to the arbiters, they are forced to compete in games that can cause them harm. Each episode has different people arriving and discovering their past. It did seem a bit slow at points, however it did get to the point very well. 10/10 Art: The art is beautiful, the style and color palate works very well for the story. The ambiance was cold and chilling when it should be, which fits an anime that has a plot based around death. The character design is detailed enough to the point that I can imagine what it would be like to converse with the main characters, however, some of the supporting characters do feel a bit lackluster. 9/10 Sound: Compared to other Anime that I have watched the voices sound good despite the fact that the mc shows no emotion. The music is truly what makes a television show for me, the theme is very catchy and is one of my favorites. Characters: All of the characters were very in-depth and had qualities that made you appreciate them. They were all well voiced (they showed the lack of emotion to the build up of emotion very well). 8/10 Enjoyment: It was able to keep me awake an interested throughout a whole night, which is something that I can't say about a whole lot of other shows. Overall, it had a good story, good art, and was very enjoyable, except for the pacing and the character design on some of the supporting characters. 9/10 Overall: 9/10

It is instinctive for an animal to want to survive. Humans are not excluded from this. When a human’s life is put on the line, the human may take actions uncharacteristic to his or her self, to assure his or her survival. The anime Death Parade displays this darker, more primitive side of humans through everyday games such as darts. Death Parade provides an interesting take on the events following one’s death. The deceased are sent to the bar, Quindecim, to be judged by the bartender known as Decim. Those who are to be judged are sent in pairs, and asked to participate in a game that puts their lives on the line. They are ignorant, however, of the fact they are already dead. The belief that one is participating in a death game brings out a disturbing, yet real side of humans. The participants of the death games throughout the series are often introduced as civilized, well-mannered people. Nevertheless, these first impressions only show a superficial side of the participants, and there is much more to them than it seems. As the game progresses, the participants are sent into an array of extremities that serve no purpose other than to bring out the real side of them, which they are judged by. From jealousy to the downright desire to kill, many dark themes are displayed by the participants in the series. The validity of this series is fascinating, and it gives a very real message about the nature of human beings. The story of Death Parade is episodic for the majority of the series. Small similarities here and there can be found, but no real connection between episodes is present until very late into the series. A problem I had with the show dealt with this. An issue would be brought up that could potentially drive the story only to be dismissed as a trivial matter. This left many unanswered questions at the end of the series, as many of these issues were completely ignored. After many games are played, the focus of the story is redirected towards a black haired woman, whose name is not revealed until late in the show. Her reason for being at Quindecim and other issues are explained in the latter part of the show. The biggest problem with the show was the characters. A very interesting cast of characters are introduced in the beginning only to be ignored. While Decim and the black haired woman had major development towards the end of the series, characters such as Nona or Ginti are left untouched. As they are also listed as main characters, Ginti and more specifically Nona should have had much more screen time. Nona was named the leader of the place, but did not act much at all. Another lackluster character was Oculus. His background is left unexplained and the motives for his actions in the latter part of the show are questionable. With that being said, the main arbiter per se ,Decim, is developed exceptionally as the story progresses. His time with the mysterious black haired woman leads him to question his ways as an arbiter. By the end of the show, he is a completely different than the emotionless arbiter he was at the start. Another strong side of the characters was the people being judged. As mentioned earlier, their actions were very real and delivered a strong message about humans. Moreover, it was hard not to be drawn to the game participants as their stories were revealed. Whether it was devoting one’s whole life to a loved one, or seeking out revenge for a loved one, it was heartbreaking that some of these characters had to die. There is nothing to complain about when it comes to the art and animation of Death Parade. Everything is well drawn and it was a pleasure to watch the animation of the games. The same can be said for the sound. The original soundtracks add to the intensity of the games and the ominous feeling delivered by the atmosphere. The opening “Flyers” by BRADIO is the kind of song that one can listen to on repeat many times over. I will say, though, that it does not fit the story in any way, shape, or form. Death Parade is definitely something that you should consider watching. Although somewhat flawed in certain areas, it is entertaining and provides a deep message concerning humans. Go watch it now and you’ll be in for a ride.

Death Parade is a anime that makes people question their all uncertainties; own truths/believes of which they have been living by. Death Parade is one of those "Love it, or Hate it" type of animes and this is factored by people's beliefs in religion/after life, therefore causing a different type of reaction to everybody. Death Parade has a plethora of entertaining arcade mini games in each episode which keeps the anime enjoyable to watch but, their presentation "feels" like each episode is separate even though it's supposed the carry on from the previous episode. The impact/climax being lack luster if you didn't connect with the characters enough. All in all Death Parade is great anime to watch and I would recommend it to anyone especially if you have nothing to day past midnight. Welcome to Dystopia,Quindecim,Death Parade.

The idea of human nature and meaning in life has resounded via philosophical thinkers throughout history. Using it's creative themes and varying perspectives, Death Parade attempts to give us some answers to these questions, all while driving forwards a complex narrative driven by interesting and (somewhat) relatable characters. = The Story = The concept of Parade revolves around what happens to people after the die. Rather than go for the usual heaven and hell scenario, "contestants" are either sent to be resurrected in the world, or sent to the void, where their soul falls and suffers in regret for eternity. There are two contestants who are judged by an arbiter, one who ultimately makes the decision of who goes where. In the latter half of the show, we are introduced to the idea that the method of judgment is flawed -- primarily due to non-human arbiters evoking and judging human emotions that they cannot understand. In essence, the show is about life and death and how people come to deal with both and how the inner workings of the human aren't as black and white as people think. While the show drags a little in its middle, specifically episodes 6 and 7. The problem is that while the show is somewhat able to mix an episodic and overarching story together very well when looked at as a whole, it seems to stumble slightly with these two episodes, which feel disjointed, and perhaps even out of place. If you can push past these two and move on to episode 8 and further, I guarantee you will see that it was worth the wait. Without giving anything away, I believe that the ending to this show was a beautiful masterpiece of emotion, tied into the very essence of the show: what it means to be human. It didn't feel forced in any way, and fit perfectly. = The Animation = I'm just going to flat-out say it: this show is beautiful. While some people say that the flattened look of the character designs detract from the viewing experience, I argue that it benefits the environment. They give a nice, varying contrast to the darker tones of the show's setting, especially Quindecim. The backgrounds are detailed and smooth, with some mixture of 3D effects placed in the foreground in some instances. The lighting perfectly sets the tone. = The Sound = Okay, we all know the opening for this show is both amazing and an inaccurate portrayal of the series. Moving on... The soundtrack by Hayashi Yuki sets the tone rather well, and is composed of mainly beautiful piano arrangements. However, when used in the show, some tracks felt a lot more heavy-handed than others. = The Characters = Here's the main driving force of our story. The two main characters, Decim and Chiyuki, have a very well-developed relationship, with her helping to teach Decim about humans, and understanding their emotions and actions. A majority of the per-episode characters that come in as "contestants" are believable and fleshed out enough where you understand where they're coming from, and what motivates their actions. What Death Parade lacks in character lies in the supporting cast, consisting of fellow arbiters. We are given the impression that some sort of social hierarchy is in play, but is never explained. Further, the viewer is required to assume some things about these characters, especially the more prominent ones such as Nona and Oculus. Had the series been longer, I'm sure these points would have been elaborated upon. = Enjoyment / Final Verdict = This show isn't one you can sit back and watch mindlessly. You have to be engaged and invested in its viewing, allowing you to process everything that is being commentated upon. For those who would feel inclined to do so, such as myself, the show makes a great way to be exposed to new philosophical ideas regarding human life, combined into a great package of story. Death Parade is an astoundingly resounding philosophical commentary on human nature, that the judgments that we make on others. Though the show is not without its flaws, it is an enjoyable watch for anyone who ponders their existence.

Death Parade is the newest anime from Studio Madhouse, a studio that has brought you Hunter x Hunter, Hajime no Ippo, Parasyte, Monster, and Death Note. It can best be described as a marriage of Death Note and Saw. The anime is about a place called Quindecim, a hotel-like place, where if two people die at the same time they're sent to. Awaiting them is a mysterious bartender named Decim, who forces them to play games such as darts, arcade fighters, or bowling, and psychologically torments them from the sidelines to see who deserves to get reincarnated and who gets cast into The Void for all eternity. Story: 8/10 Don't let the opening deceive you, Death Parade is no fun and games. Each episode deals with a new pair of people sent to Quindecim, each with their own backgrounds shrouded in mystery, slowly unveiled piece by piece as the episode airs. Each episode is intense and emotional and provide valuable and interesting commentaries. Every episode has it own climax, keeping the person watching entertained all the way through. The anime, similar to Cowboy Bebop, becomes a linear story towards the end rather than episodic. The sudden turn is very good and the conclusion is one of the more satisfying of anime endings I've seen in a while, a definitive end. For only 12 episodes, the anime packs quite a punch. However, the short run time hinders possible development of characters and plot and I really wanted to see more of Quindecim explored and developed. It ended definitively, but I wouldn't mind a second season. Art/Sound: 10/10 The animation is fluid and beautiful. The character designs are memorable. The soundtrack kicks in when it needs to but never overtakes the series. It''s a subtle yet effective work. This is one of the most gorgeous and vivid anime I've seen in a long while and is an excellent testament to modern 2D animation. Characters: 7/10 Aside from Decim, who is a total bro and contender for anime protag of the year, the other characters don't really stand out. Not that they're bad characters, but there's just not enough time to flesh them out. In particular, I wanted to see more of Quin. I was excited when she showed up and thought she'd be waifu of the season, but she has like 3 minutes of screentime. The other protagonist, a girl who remains nameless for most of the series, is pretty good, but her story, while the focus of the series towards the end, is nothing groundbreaking though not bad. The minor characters are all leagues better developed than the mains. Enjoyment: 9/10 Despite this, Death Parade is still one of the most fun, exciting, compelling, and thought provoking anime to come out in the last few years. As a nostalgiafag who gets a boner from 80's anime, that's saying a lot. Every episode has a definite conclusion and the episodic nature makes every episode fresh and exciting. There's never a slow moment. I appreciate that especially for such a short series. Though its time spent with you is brief, every second counts. I'm reminded of Baccano, another excellent short series. Overall: 9/10 Death Parade has one of the best concepts I've heard and it delivers more or less. When it connects, it does so perfectly. The brief run time of the series is the only major flaw in that it ends a great series. The ending was definitive, but a second cour would be much appreciated. I love the setting, premise, and characters too much to deal with it all having ended already.

Many anime seem to amass a certain level of praise despite their actual overall quality being little more than lackluster or mediocre at best. Anime such as this can attribute such successes upon several nuisances that could overshadow inherent issues in an anime's plot. Death Parade suffers from this in that the story line is well conceived and initially well presented, though eventually begins to crumble as the plot drags on. Plot holes form and the anime goes so far as to even become hypocritical to itself in many ways. It goes without saying that issues pertaining to the plot of an anime should not account for the overwhelming majority of the anime's critical ratings on any given forum, though by the end of the day, it definitely holds a substantial niche within the grading. Art : The artwork and animation presented by Madhouse in Death Parade, is little more than stunning. Though the majority of the anime involves panning stills of character dialogue and interaction, when the anime wishes to display its apparent graphical fluidity and high animation quality, it does so with great finesse uncommon in such dialogue driven shows. The character designs themselves are not particularly unique though their application in this relatively realistic and gritty anime proves to be extremely effective. The anime also does well to illustrate the minor shifts in facial expression needed to portray the complex emotions shown by the characters within the anime, of which there are many. It should also be noted that the color pallet for the anime's artwork displays a wide array of grays, blacks and blues, effectively grounding the writers' intended moods in any given scene. Madhouse's choice of camera angles emphasize their experience as a a long running animation studio within the industry and not a single scene of the anime could be said to be unnecessary as the anime as a whole displays exceptional visual quality. Sound : It is to be believed that the creators of this anime were going for an atmospheric and mellow anime revolving around the psychosis of the human mind, and the complexity of human interaction. With this it could be stated that Death Parade has thoroughly succeeded in this aspect of its production. Save for the opening theme, which I believe provided a necessary contrast to the moods displayed in the anime, the rest of the anime's musical score does well to portray the contemplative and serious tone of the anime. Though no single piece particularly stands out, save for the opening, all tracks work in tandem with the anime's animation and scene selection in order to sell the atmosphere that Death Parade desperately needs for it's story to be effective in any way. With this it could be said that Death Parade is a musically oriented anime without being inherently musically oriented. Though, beyond the music, the anime also possesses a great cast of voice actors and actresses who are able to portray their roles masterfully. The small inflections of the voice, the intensity and the sincerity of the acting is extremely commendable. To reiterate, Death Parade is a psychological anime in which the psychosis of the human mind and the interactions between human begins is explored. In this respect, all of the emotions necessary to drive the drama and the realism of the anime are present and are fields in which Death Parade excels. Characters/Story : Before further scrutiny is placed upon the following aspects of Death Parade, it should first be stated that the premise for this anime was utterly unique and well conceived. It is one that takes the audience into an environment where they are able to contemplate the scenarios within the anime for themselves which is essential for a show such as this. It was supposed to explore the eccentricities of life and severity of death, all while veiling itself in a cloak of mystery until the very end. It was an anime designed to provoke thought and elicit conversation about the meaning of life and the potential goodness of man. Given this information it is in this aspect of the anime in which Death Parade begins to fall short of the greatness that it could have potentially achieved. Death Parade is an episodic anime with an overarching story line. As a result it could be expected that not much would be given in terms of character development, of which there isn't. Most of the characters fall into two categories in this anime: the arbiters, the ones who judge the dead, and the dead, the ones who are being judged. And though the whole premise of Death Parade is seemingly well conceived at the beginning of the anime, it was executed poorly and in a convoluted fashion by the end of it. One example of this are the arbiters themselves. The whole judging system portrayed in Death Parade is inherently flawed to which the anime even admits later on in the series. This in and of itself is not an issue. The issue lies when it was stated that the arbiters were to be shells, empty vessels devoid of the emotions of life in order to produce the most accurate judgement upon the dead. Though, save for one arbiter, nearly all of the other arbiters show emotion on a regular basis. The flaws of the judgment system could also be seen when Decim, the focused upon arbiter of the anime, seems to make decisions based simply upon angry remarks made by individuals in the spur of the moment. The system is shallow and superficial. Later on in the anime the judgment system is portrayed to push the dead to extreme conditions in order to provide an good representation of the dead's life. Though only an episode later the method used for judgement is a card game! With all of this in mind it forces the question, "Would you want to be judged by these people?" It is in the inconsistencies that Death Parade displays that effectively tarnish the exceptional premise that brought it up. Death Parade also had troubles in grounding itself in what it wanted to be. By definition Death Parade was to be a psychological anime, but at times the anime strays off into the comedic and pseudo romantic routes going so far as to having one episode essentially existing to be comedic filler. This is not to say that these filler episodes were inherently bad, far from it. In fact they were most likely added in order to portray the vast spectrum of scenarios in which death occurs. However the issue lies in that between the two ends of the spectrum that Death Parade portrays, a different anime could have been made for both. In other words, there could have been a version of Death Parade that was more comically oriented and one that was more seriously oriented. And though the two spectrum can in fact be placed together, the fashion in which it was done on Death Parade was disjointed and misplaced. The characters of the anime are nothing special as well. Most characters come and go as a result of being dead and the ones that stay are not built upon. The two who are, the main female protagonist and Decim, are not explored in depth and the reason as to why the female protagonist was such a special case in the anime is not definitively explained. The other arbiters, all of whom are not explored either, could be seen lounging and overall not doing what they were supposedly created to do. Conclusion : As a whole, Death Parade is an anime with bounds of potential for amazing storytelling and philosophical contemplation though it struggles trying to define what it really wants to be. It is an anime that is serious, but does not want to be too serious. It is in this indecisiveness that Death Parade ultimately falls short. Despite all of this, Death Parade is an amazing technical anime with great sound and animation and though great scrutiny was placed upon its obvious shortcomings in terms of storytelling, it is not to say that Death Parade is not an anime worth watching.

As soon as I decided to watch it, I thought I would like it, but I knew absolutely nothing about what the anime was about, so I was surprised with every episode, it was very impactful for me and I got hooked on the anime. Starting with the narrative, which in the very first episode, and also in its pilot "death biliard", is presented from the perspective of the people who are thrown into that bar and don't know anything, just as those watching don't understand what's going on either, it's a great introduction to the anime, even if that couple, or the two characters, aren't the protagonists, starting with their perspective was, in my view, a success. After that, we start to follow Decim and Chiyuki's point of view, which until then didn't have a name, but now we're familiar with what's going on, and we're seeing it from another point of view, from the point of view of those who judge, and as the anime progresses, other points of view are presented, and this is used very well to immerse us, reveal and hide mysteries and contribute to the subtext of the story. This narrative shows a lot of the Kishotenketsu that the Japanese use, "narrative without conflict", because at no point in the anime do we have a conflict to be resolved, or a villain to be fought, there are no villains or heroes here, just judges and their defendants. About the characters. I dare say that the anime fits in with character driver, because the characters are the only focus throughout the anime, and even those who are extras in the episodic stories still have a good amount of depth, they're not completely shallow and empty to the point where we don't care about their presence or their stories, nor are they too deep because they're just a bridge to deepen the story and the two protagonists. And about its subtext and message, I have to say that in the last episode I cried, there have been times when I've thought about taking my own life, and watching this anime was a punch in the gut, it made me reflect a little. The anime shows that no matter what we think of our lives, when we are faced with death, we embrace life, we regret what we have done or can't do, we mourn for those who remain, and we give thanks for what was good, a beautiful message transposed in a sublime way. VERDICT: The anime has an engaging narrative, and a deep message, its characters are functional and manage to convey reality and humanity in a natural way, it is visually beautiful, I highly recommend watching it, maybe my score is high because I watched it recently, but still, I think it's very good

Personally, I loved this anime because it was a pychological horror. Don't be fooled by the opening (even though I love it) because the show isn't as happy as it seems to be. I loved the characters in the story, however I wished we learned more about the side characters. Seeing that there probably won't be a season two, it was very disappointing to learn so little about the side characters. However, there were only 12 episodes, so I understand they probably couldn't fit it all. Another disappointment was the ending (no spoilers) because I wished that I knew what that last frame actually meant. But I guess that just adds to the excitement of it. Now some good things about the anime. There was some good character development, especially with Decim, by the end of the anime. Also, I loved how you slowly found out the backstories of the people being judged as they were being judged. You got to realize things as they did making the surprise factor stronger in this area. Also, there was a death note reference in the anime (not telling where but it was pretty obvious) that made me laugh so hard. And if you watch this anime, you are bound to love Decim because of his change by the end. Speaking of the ending, I was in tears because it was so sad, I don't think I will ever be able to get over it. To sum this anime up, you should watch it if your into things that make you think of human emotions and what makes humans humans. Also, if you like mild horror, I would also go for this. And if your looking for a bit of a tear jerker, go for this anime. This was my first review and I hope I can finally get over this anime. I hope you guys can enjoy it as much as I did!

This anime is a great exploration of a variety of people's lives and emotions with a meta-plot that I find the series could have done without. This is a very surprising anime, a very unique anime, and one whose episodes are of varying quality. I find the stories of the individual episodes to be great but I find the overarching narrative strange and ultimately unsatisfying. It also has my favorite opening I've seen thus far. Watching this, I didn't quite buy all of the emotional responses of the characters, but I bought most of them which were very well thought out and made sense given the character's past. This isn't the greatest anime ever, but it is still very enjoyable.

(Spoiler Free) TL;DR Death Parade is a show that, despite the less than stellar writing and shaky execution, is worth the watch. The characters (some of whom only appear in one episode) are by far the strongest part of the series, and some of the most consistently tangible, realistic character I've come across-- painfully so. The emotions come across strongly and clearly-- that if nothing else will grip you and keep you watching. The world and larger setup are intriguing, but ultimately-- and sadly --are left neglected and underdeveloped. To go more in-depth... Story: 6/10 The writing. THE WRITING. As a writer, just give me a moment to WEEP. Because this series is riddled with writing errors... some of which are fairly novice mistakes, too. The execution of the series as a whole is poor, and the larger story (which is hinted at along the way) never comes to fruition at all. That being said, the single-episode plotlines were beautiful. It would have been much better if they stuck to that sort of episodic approach and abandoned the grander scheme of things, because they had neither the time nor (forgive me) the talent to chew the ambitious chunk of plot and world-building they tried to bite off. Art: 9/10 I really loved the art, personally. The colors were lovely, the action sequences were nice, and the art style in general was unique without being odd (which isn't always a bad thing). But that's mostly a matter of opinion. Sound: 8/10 I enjoyed the soundtrack and found it appropriate at most points. There were a couple of scenes were the music seemed out of place, but they were few and far between. The OP and ED, in addition, are literally fabulous. Character: 8/10 This is where the series shown, in my opinion. The episodic characters were each well-thought out and impressively realistic, their motives and emotions believable and gripping. The "main" characters were weaker, following my earlier statement about the larger plot being weaker than the smaller, episodic plots. I still found them engaging, however, and an interesting juxtaposition to the minor characters. To elaborate, the minor characters were often straightforward and familiar, easy to grasp and often laid out clearly for the viewer. The main characters, however, have more mysterious motives, and the fact that they "don't have human emotions" makes them far less familiar to us. They were an interesting bunch to grapple with as a viewer, but would have benefited greatly from better writers behind them. I came to care deeply about most of them ("main" and "minor" alike) by the end of the series (or their respective episode). Enjoyment: 9/10 This show would have easily made 10/10 in Enjoyment if it wasn't for my compulsively picking apart the writing every week. Also, it's harder to enjoy a show when you don't trust the writers any farther than you could throw them. That being said... everything else, A+. It was a wild ride every week that I thoroughly enjoyed. Overall: 8/10 (rounded up from 7.8) Still, to reiterate, I'd still recommend the show. It's worthwhile watching. But please, do yourself a favor and try not to analyze the writing... focus on the characters and the fascinating life-and-death questions that the show poses (if doesn't fully explore), instead.

Death Parade is an example of a story that's super interesting and cool but, doesn't fully meet the expectations. Now, don't get me wrong, that doesn't make it bad at all, not by a long shot! It just makes it less enjoyable when you analyze it more. Story Rating: 9 Oh my god! I love the story in this! It's so interesting and original! Not many anime make a premise like this and it's brilliant. I just wanna gush about it but, there is one flaw. Later in the series, the premise is kind of casted aside for character development. Which, I don't mind but, I would have liked more attention on it. Even then, the character development isn't that good due to the small amount of episodes. That's a problem with a lot of animes. Having a small amount of episodes and not being able to shell out as much as you had hoped isn't good at all. Which is a shame but, I still love the idea. Art Rating: 8 There are times when the colors can get too dark and hard to see but, then there's also nice bright and cool colors to balance it out, which is another thing that I like about this anime. It looks so nice and pretty without being distracting. However, the art style is what i'm on the fence about. There are times where the animation and characters look good, then there are other times where a character will make ridiculous faces that you can't take seriously. It kind of ruins a scene. Thankfully, they aren't too common. Sound Rating: 6 The OST sadly isn't that memorable. There are nice piano pieces but, they don't get stuck in your head....LIKE THE KICK ASS OPENING! Seriously! That opening may be misleading but, it's so much fun! Good song, good visuals, misleading to the audience. Perfecto~! The voice actors aren't that note worthy either, none of them stuck out as odd or out of place so, I think they all did their jobs well. Character Rating: 6 Unfortunately, this is where the show falls flat. At least, the main characters. The side ones aren't actually bad and they make you care about them in such a short amount of time. Then there's Decim, for example, who...you can't really make his personality. It's just all over the place. Which, makes sense, he's this thing that isn't suppose to have emotions but, slowly does after a period of time. This is one of the reasons why this anime should have been more than twelve episodes. It should have had 20, at best. Then the development for these guys wouldn't go to waste. But, as is, they're not really that interesting or stand out too much. Which, is a real shame, I really wanted to like these characters but, they don't have much to work with. I know as a creator of any media, giving your characters no real emotions is like an arrow in the knee so, I can sympathize to an extent. However, they want you to care about them slowly near the end but, you feel kind of empty cause they aren't that intriguing. Shame this show has so many good things but, really, the character's are anything but great. Enjoyment Rating: 7 Mostly the colors and the premise are what hooked me to this anime till I stayed, which isn't a bad thing, it just shows it isn't as great as people make it out to be. It's so unique but then it's also got this sprinkle of dull to it. It's like a really sunny day but, one rain cloud is in the way, just to be a d*ck....if that makes sense. Overall Rating: 7 In conclusion, I do recommend Death Parade to anybody, at least as a one time thing. It may not be perfect but, it does have effort and a lot of it. It does have enjoyable parts but, not everywhere. So, if that peaked your interest, go watch Death Parade. It's a short ride but, hey...free drinks~

Here we have one more Madhouse show, but though not bad in itself, it's certainly not one of the best shows the studio did. Story and Characters - 7/10 Death Parade's story can be divided into two settings; the setting where the visitors who arrive at Quindecim are judged by Decim, and so have their life stories told to the spectator before being sent to the void or to be reincarnated. The great majority of this serie's episodes centers around those visitors that are, without a doubt, the best aspect of this series. They are always well constructed characters that in one or two episodes have their own complexities shown to the spectator as neither being 'good' nor 'bad', but always grey. And at the same time they are shown in a way that the spectator can identify with their problems and inner conflicts, making this setting of the story great to watch. On the other hand, the second setting of this story is centered around Decim and the other arbiters and characters of the afterlife that live with him, and sadly the story of those characters is what earns Death Parade its 7 in this category. This part of the story has quite a number of plot holes, badly explained character development where the characters suffer an abrupt change without an apparent reason why, and subplots that are started but never concluded properly. You want to understand to understand how the world of the afterlife works? Too bad for you, Death Parade is just gonna leave you with a half explanation without much room for interpretation. That leads to another problem; a number of characters almost completely useless to the plot that could be easily removed from the story altogether. This results in a waste of screentime that could be used to better develop, as an example, Decim himself. Art and Sound - 9/10 Now, the art of Death Parade is simply great. The design of all the characters is well done, the environments are beautiful and detailed and the animation is simply gorgeous. And that's not all; the soundtrack is extremely well done and placed. The music is always in the right place, with a dreadful piano in dramatic scenes and an intense violin in equally intense scenes. It has a way of inserting the spectator into the world of Death Parade; a soundtrack really worth buying. Enjoyment - 8/10 Even though I criticize Death Parade there's no doubt that it's a fun show to watch. Actually, I can't recall one boring episode; this series is gonna keep you entertained during all 12 episodes. Even with all the problems in the plot, it's still a series that I would recommend to anyone simply for this factor. Overall - 7/10 - Main characters have average character development, while side characters are way better developed. - Waste of screentime with characters close to completely useless to the plot. - Subplots that are started but never properly concluded. + Very fun to watch. + Great visuals and soundtrack. + Every episode has it own climax, keeping the person watching entertained all the way through.

'Memento mori': latin for, "remember that you will die". The phrase is a reminder of morality that lies in everyone. We all live, therefore we die. We all die: that is why we live. Death Parade is based off the 2012 Anime Mirai Project*, 'Death Billiards', where two men enter a bar and play a game of billiards. Except it's no ordinary game: they're playing at the cost of their souls. Produced by Madhouse studios and created by director Yuzuru Tachikawa, Death Parade plays with the ideas of fulfillment, regret and the meaning of life and death through competitive games of bowling, darts and air hockey. The series expands its original world to thirteen episodes, where two souls of the dead arrive at a bar to play a death game. After the game, the souls are sent to either reincarnation - born again to live anew - or the void - falling down in dark abyss eternally. The arbitrator, or the bartender, judges on who goes where, dependent on their nature and their past life experiences. After all, life isn't necessarily about winning. The format of the show is both episodic and linear. Think of it as a coin flip: heads focuses on the participants playing the games, and tails focuses on the staff behind the bar. In this case, tails focuses on the bar of Quindecim owned by bartender Decim. Several episodes focuses on pairs of characters who we only see once, but the entire show really focuses on Decim and his unnamed female assistant. At first glance, the format here may seem impractical. The focus of the bartender and the world may ruin the mysterious vibe you'd get in the first episode. The format however works by playing with perspective. You head in the show, knowing nothing about the bar or their basis of judgments. Essentially, you are just as confused as the players. Then, as you gradually learn about how the world works, you start taking the perspective of the arbitrators instead. You think about the morality of the players, and almost start judging them yourself. The show as a whole is thought-provoking and interesting. It tackles themes that revolve around the meaning of life, and why we all have to encounter death one day. The games aren't there to determine 'the winner', instead they're used as a driving force to slowly bring out the players' true nature; taking themselves upfront to who they really are and having the (lack of) control to accept the decisions they had made in their previous lives. Plot-wise, they're puppets that fulfill the purpose of the arbitrators. In depth, they portray different sides of humanity and what they're like. The best aspect of Death Parade is the execution of how humane the show itself is. The players aren't merely puppets to drive its linear plot. They're humane; people with emotions and irrationality, tied up in society and morality that is, perhaps exaggerated at times, true to heart nevertheless. It explores humanity and their sense of justice: that what makes Death Parade interesting, touching and even scary at times. It's funny what anticipating death does to us at times. Which leads us to the tails of the coin. Within the set of characters behind the scenes (rather, the games), the story focuses on two of them. Their focus switches on and off between the gaming episodes, and climaxes towards the last episodes of the series. The interesting aspect is how Death Parade addresses the flaws of its own world; the way, essentially the puppets, are judging upon humans, whether the system of judgment is fair or not. Morals are set by humans themselves after all. Who exactly is the 'right one' to judge us? Decim, the bartender, and his female assistant are very intriguing characters who develop very well. The assistant is human, while Decim is not. The combination therefore sets off a conflict between the two and between themselves and the system. They both influence each other on how they act and think. The direction their relationship heads to leads to an open yet very satisfactory conclusion that warps up their own personal stories. Death Parade is not without flaws though. As mentioned earlier, it can be melodramatic; exaggerated emotions and irrational actions of the characters, though does get the point across, can be off putting when it doesn't. Episode two can also be a little long-winded for viewers who got the first episode, though later on the non-gaming episodes tend to be more forgiving. Alternatively, some of the recurring characters are bland archetypes, such as the creepy old man and the drunk woman. They're often used to drive some plot forward, though at least they do have some personalities. Thankfully, characters like Nona and Ginti are more than one-dimensional. Although, Ginti's decision on the girl in episode six still felt silly to me, as if I missed a key point in Ginti's development or why he contradicted the rules of his own world. The exposition can be heavy-handed and convenient, though again isn't shoehorned in nor is it uninteresting. Justification of the world, for the most part, works well. But parts like the 'extreme situation' feels a little too much to justify the 'bring out their true nature' aspect. When you have a button that pops the control handle of the arcade machine, it not only feels silly but also leaves consequences of the game stale. Again though, the story questions the flaws of their judgmental processes, including the 'extreme situation' aspect. Madhouse's animation helps bring out the execution to life, the director having a sense of depth in shots and cinematography. Although notably lower than the OVA, the quality is consistent and budget is distributed well in its TV slot. There's a good sense of atmosphere that fits the mixture of both fun and thriller: a laid-back work environment dealing (literally) with souls of dying humans, accompanied with soft filters and dark pallets. The sound department is good too. Soundtrack often works, though maybe repetitive, but nevertheless fits their respective scenes in terms of atmosphere. The opening song sets the false tone Death Parade participates in its world; fun, thus unsettling. Tomoaki Maeno's voice really sets and suits the silent yet progressive tone of Decim with character. Death Parade has its problems, but it's far from unremarkable. It's a breather from all the light novel and manga adaptations that cycle the industry. Original series are these are worth watching for the creative visionaries the creators have in animation. It was clear that Yuzuru Tachikawa, creator of Death Parade, was not only able to execute his ideas well, but also loved his world and creations. So go watch it. It'll only take four hours of your life. Do it before you're dead, or you may miss regretting it afterwards.

Crying so fucking much... So it seems like it's gonna be kinda cool, how bad can it be. And then u realise fuck this is really sinister. And then when you think you'll have no more than a few misty eyes, It drops the bomb on you at the end. And me, with my blocked nose, couldn't breathe while I cried 🙂 Haha I liked it because of the art, characters, because it's about humans and the way they feel and act. I've watched lots of anime but this one really got to me and made me feel unbearably sad. (Which is a good thing🙃) Wish there was more❣❣🍜