Jump On the Parade with 'Death Parade'

Death Parade

Studio: Madhouse
Producer: VAP, DAX Production,Nippon Television Network Corporation
Genre: Drama, Game, Mystery, Psychological, Thriller
Episodes: 12
Episode Length: 23 min per episode

After death, there is no heaven or hell, only a bar that stands between reincarnation and oblivion. There the attendant will, one after another, challenge pairs of the recently deceased to a random game in which their fate of either ascending into reincarnation or falling into the void will be wagered. Whether it's bowling, darts, air hockey, or anything in between, each person's true nature will be revealed in a ghastly parade of death and memories, dancing to the whims of the bar's master. Welcome to Quindecim, where Decim, arbiter of the afterlife, awaits!

Death Parade expands upon the original one-shot intended to train young animators. It follows yet more people receiving judgment—until a strange, black-haired guest causes Decim to begin questioning his own rulings.

The girls at TV Bros have been bugging me to watch this. I had it on my to-watch list, but I was waiting to watch it. I finally caved in and WHOA. This show is insanity. But in the good way. Is there a good insanity, though? I think so.

Likes:

The meaning behind the show was deep. I had to look at my life after watching it. And I began to think. 'Why am I here? What am I doing? Am I living a full life? Where will I go? What am I proving?' I asked all these questions. But I had no answers. This show made me look at my life deeper. Made me question things I hadn't questioned before. And that's a good thing.

The feels! I would almost-cry a lot. It was a very emotional show. I couldn't help but feel for the guests. They had feelings and backstories. And, sometimes, history between each other. I loved the bowling episode the most. It was very sweet and caring.

Dislikes:

• The art wasn't the best. I didn't like the longer faces or anything. It wasn't very appealing to the eye. At least for me. I loved the games, though. Especially the body part times in the games. Those were super cool.
• Decim didn't get enough focus. I wanted more of Decim's thoughts. I wanted his feelings and emotions. We could only see the outside. We didn't see his emotions or anything. I wanted to know his feelings. A human arbiter? Seems impossible. But it happened. I saw it. The truth. What did he go through? What did he think? What did he feel? The grasping of fabric was nothing special. Show me more.
• There was a lack of plot. The story was based on the games. Even though there was the unnamed woman, we didn't get much of a story. It was episodic and driven mostly by the guests. I wanted more. What's up with Nona? And the other arbiters? There could have been something there, but it was never explored.