zboncak.ottilie - 2015-03-29 19:15:11

This was one of the most surprising anime's of this season for more reasons than one. And very good surprises I should add. This show tackles a very delicate subject and does a very good job of presenting its point in the end. This anime is not for those who just want to see people get hurt and judged by the games. This is a show that will pick at your mind and ultimately change the way you think about life as a whole. One must think deeply to able to appreciate what this show is trying to say. 

The series started deceitfully good, as I thought I was going to get a constant 12 episodes of different types of games and different personalities of people to see how they unravel and get judged. Then ultimately how they affect Decim as an arbiter. But oh how I was so wrong, but not completely. What I got was actually so much more beautiful. 

Death Parade moves away from that notion and actually does something a lot more thought provoking which some viewers may find boring. I did suffer from this slightly as I ended up watching other anime's rather than rushing to watch every new episode as it came out. However, when the ending came along, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall message of this show and how it was portrayed. To be brief: Death Parade 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. 

The characters themselves are beautiful representations of the complexities of human emotion and how that there is no true way to judge a person just based on limited memories and actions. The characters evolve and learn at a gradual pace that is very fitting and a lot of hidden feelings come to light towards the end. And at its finale, we get to see something so beautiful from the characters that ends up making the show. In that, we get characters that felt truly alive and they learned, as the viewers did, the overall lesson of the experiences from the show.

Overall, Death Parade was one of the more beautiful anime's this season, both in its plot and in its art/animation and sound. The OP is deceitfully upbeat but amazing nonetheless. The art is beautiful and smooth. But where Death Parade really shines is it's deep plot that ultimately made me cry manly tears at the end (No joke). It is an amazing watch and I highly recommend it. Death Parade is a  reminder on why we should all appreciate the time we have living, because it can be taken from us at any moment. 

kratke - 2015-03-29 04:55:00

Death Parade es un anime innovador, una bocanada de aire fresco de esas que tanto necesita la industria del anime. 
Hablaré de lo que más se destacó en este anime, el desarrollo de personajes, que es por demás espléndido, te hacen simpatizar con personajes que apenas acaban de aparecer en el capítulo, buscando esos sentimientos humanos que tenemos, llevándonos a llegar a preguntas como ¿qué haría yo en un caso similar?.
Realmente es un anime que puede tocar emociones, explotando todo lo que puede dar el ser humano de sí, desde lo mejor, hasta sus emociones más turbias, para finalizar he de decir que es un imperdible si te gustan los animes psicológicos, se agradecen obras así.

sunny29 - 2015-03-28 15:44:22

From my opinion i would say that this anime is one of the best i have seen... its different but so enjoyable... its ending is both amazingly good and incredibly sad! SEASON 2 PLEASE!

uwilderman - 2015-03-28 14:33:48

Totaly one of my favorite,, The animation was one of the best i've seen with a great opening song. Characters: I'd give a 8/10. The guests were superb with lots of character development but the Arbiters where somehow hole and there were a lot of questions that remain unanswered. Maybe that's supposed to be like that cuz Arbiters aren't aloud to have emotions but still I would've liked for them to have more screen time and the series to be a bit longer . Also the ending was not what I expected but still ok. 

kellie.dietrich - 2015-03-28 00:38:39

Quite a different experience you get from watching the show than you could expect.  The story was something of a new twist to anything else that I have seen before.  At first it was a bit iffy to the plot of it all, but later on it really did progress into something new and beautiful.  It could really make you feel for the characters and understand what they are going through.  The message I received from this show is truly beautiful.  The idea that everyone going through this show, has lived and experienced like, whether positive or negatively.  They either appreciated or learn what a valuable thing it is.  How the impact of one person can change so many others around them.  The message can be a bit dark when looking at it, but you truly have to understand the idea of being alive and have breathe and emotion.  I wish I could explain it better, but that's something I should leave to the show.
     The animation was beautiful and fluid and altogether put a different kind of art style into this.  It was nicely pieced together with the colors and designs.  With the flashbacks and the settings around them, the animation made it really come to life.
    The sound was different a good way.  It created a tone to the stories of people and what occurred.  The op was something I enjoyed just for being so light and unexpected from a show like this.
     The main characters in the beginning where a bit confusing until later episodes that they really branched out to.  Though all the minor characters in each episode really held great back stories for being seen for such a short amount of time.  To truly see what one is capable of and to understand what they go through is something of new sorts.  The development of the main characters can really be shown near the end and you can understand what they go through.
    Even in the start of show I enjoyed it, it became better as the plot moved along.  Although each episode told a story of its own and that was true amazement. 
    Overall it was a new spin on things and a different way to look out onto the world.  I would highly recommend this to someone when suggesting a show to watch to get into animation. 

spencer08 - 2015-03-09 17:38:49

THE FOLLOWING IS A REVIEW OF THE SUBBED VERSION OF DEATH PARADE.

 AT THE TIME OF THIS REVIEW THERE ARE THREE EPISODES REMAINING.

Plot Summary

When people die it is believed that they either go to Heaven or Hell and they are judged accordingly in order to decide their final destination. However for some they instead arrive at a series of bars with another person, where they end up being judged through various games they play by the Arbiters/Hosts of the previously mentioned bars. They are unaware they are dead at the time of entry and the Arbiters trick them into believing that their lives are at stake during these games.

One such Arbiter is our main protagonist, Decim, your typical anime dark and brooding character who can be nice at times (Oh hey Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul Root A, what are you doing here?). Also alongside him is Onna, a young purple haired woman who came to Decim's bar knowing that she was dead, thus Decim couldn't convince her to play a game so he had to forebode his judgement, Onna now assists Decim at the bar.

As much as this is a very interesting plot, the series is doing nothing particularly exceptional with it, whilst the episodes are very enjoyable and a good watch it appears to be extremely episodic at this point, there is only one semi-over arching story and it hasn't exactly been developed too much, a big problem considering how far into the series we already are. 

Another problem with the plot is how repetitive it feels. Two people come in, start off with good intentions, then it gets slightly more vicious, then it either ends with people being angry at each other or crying, literally that's all that happens each and every episode. There is no episode that tries something really different, it always begins and ends at the elevator, which some people probably wont have a problem with but for me it really added to the feeling that the plot was going nowhere. 

Animation & Sound

Death Parade was produced and created by Studio Madhouse and you know what that means...CHARACTERS OUTLINED AND SHADED HEAVILY WITH BLACK! For Death Parade, it works. Death Parade already was a dark and gloomy setting so the way that Madhouse works is perfect here, everything looks very clean and purple, it's very pretty. 

Nothing has made me particularly made me gush so far but the ending scene for episode 9 did have very well done animation and it did add a lot to the scene. Madhouse are known for how solid their animation is and that is exactly what it is here, solid, not their best but it definitely reaches slightly above the standard I expect from a show in 2015.

The soundtrack for Death Parade is, okay, it blends into the scenes very well and I wasn't able to tell when they were repeating music too clearly but there was one very noticeable repeating track during scenes involving the actual bar, not too much of a problem considering the tone of the music was enjoyable enough. So yeah, standard fair so far, I may have to wait for the full list for the soundtrack to come out before I make my final judgement.

However if there is one thing that Death Parade will certainly be remembered for, it's the exceptional and incredibly unexpected opening. "Flyers" by BRADIO blares out as we are treated to the entire cast of characters performing various forms of dances and having fun at the bar, it's a lot of fun and the song used is very addictive to listen to, so much so that I had already added it to my IPhone by the time I had reached the third episode. It definitely has the potential to become best opening of this year.

Final Thoughts

It's definitely fun to watch, if there is one thing that I'd have to say about Death Parade, it's that. Just enjoy it. It isn't going to breaking any new ground and it could be absolutely blown out the water by other anime by the time the year ends but for now, enjoy it. It isn't a half bad way to start the anime year.

london.hoppe - 2015-02-19 05:46:07

I'm only a few episodes in and its made me cry like a little bitch. I haven't finished it but its grasped me so hard into it I can't stop. I first looked at it and thought nothing special of it, but already it holds a place in my heart. The whole thing is about character development from side to main. The story starts off a bit strange but you soon get it.

rau.tiana - 2015-02-13 23:50:05

Seriously awesome. I love the darkness of it. 

sammy82 - 2015-02-03 18:55:06

wilford19 - 2015-01-10 12:55:46

When news came out that the absolutely brilliant Death Billiards was going to get a full series adaptation, I was over the moon. This is the anime I was more excited about this winter season and I wasn’t disappointed.

Death Parade follows the set established in Death Billiards, the bar Queen Decim and it’s maitre d’, Decim. The overall plot is quite simple: two characters arrive at the bar, not knowing how they got there or what is going on, and are challenged by Decim to play a game, following a peculiar set of rules.

There’s a lot to compliment in Death Parade. The amazing production, made by the spectacular studio Madhouse (the studio also responsible for Trigun,Death Note and last season’s Parasyte), with fluid animation and beautiful character and set designs, is the first thing that pops out and gets you interested. But the biggest gem about Death Parade is it’s writing and dialogues. As the game progresses, the characters reveal their true natures, giving loads of room for unexpected plot twists and after-episode-theories about what were their true intentions and feelings.

It is a misterious series that revolves around human nature and the various perceptions that people have of themselves and others around them. It makes you think of how complex human relashionships can be and how far can someone go when their ideals are being gambled. 

By the way, don’t be fooled by the opening. It is really good, competing for the best opening of the season, but its feel is quite the opposite to the series. So far, Death Parade appears to most likely be one of the best animes of this winter season, and you should definitely give it a watch.