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Death Parade is a Japanese anime created in 2015 by Yuzuru Tachikawa and produced by Madhouse.
To begin with, this anime was recommended by a friend of mine. He said that I was going to love it and in fact I did. The story is about Chiyuki that wakes up one day without any memory, not even knowing her own name or where she is, simply being referred as "the black-haired woman". She first met Nona, who you can immediately tell that has a strong personality and is the one who rules. But she's the boss of what?
Have you ever wondered what happens after life? In Death Parade, when someone dies is sent to a mysterious bar. Two persons at a time: they arrive at the bar without memory, without identity and came across one enigmatic bartender. The bartender is very polite, however, he does not answer the many questions of his clients: they want to know who is he and where they are. Namely, he says that the only way for them to leave is playing a game. “A game?” you may be wondering… Not any game. A Death Game, in which the players put their lives on the line. It can be a simple card game, bowling, darts ... any will end up causing them pain if they lose.
The competitors have to contest against each other. This way, as they play they recover memory fragments that reveal the secrets that led them to their situation. Furthermore, their reactions through the game, their attitude, will be evaluated by the bartender. Eventually, is here that the viewer learns that the bartender is an arbiter. To resume, an arbiter will judge the souls of the individuals, he is the one who will decide either of them will be sent for reincarnation or banished into the void, basically what will be their fate. For that, arbiters cannot have emotions.
As I said before, Chiyuki sees herself in this world and knows Decim. He is the bartender of Quindecim and an arbiter as well, but he is notably different. Supposedly, arbiters can’t feel any kind of emotion, yet his pale guy with gorgeous and unique blue eyes cares about the ones who are close to him. Indeed, Decim especially cares about Chiyuki, who becomes his assistant. In addition, he even has the hobby of making mannequins that resemble guests he had previously judged. This character tries his best to do the right thing from his point of view and doesn't hesitate to learn from his assistant's point of view either. He is very serious and takes pride in his role as an arbiter, and is always respectful towards guests, especially those who lived their lives to the fullest. He also seems to know how to prepare wonderful drinks and sometimes has the ability to crack jokes in unusual moments which doesn't really work, but for me ends up being really funny.
Chiyuki is a character that captivates the attention from the beginning. I was really curious about her story. Who is she? Why is she there? What will be her fate? She is not an arbiter, she has her humanity. This “black haired woman” is a very strong-minded individual who is not afraid to share what is on her mind whenever she feels it's necessary. As I said before, she becomes Decim assistant, and she helps him with his judgement various times, not hesitating to oppose Decim if she feels there is something wrong in what he says. Also, she likes to read a book about a story of a boy named Jimmy who falls in love with a deaf girl named Chavvot.
Likewise, one of the things that I liked the most in this anime was the development of the relationship between Chiyuki and Decim. They learned a lot from each other. Chiyuki and Decim relation become closer and closer since they get to know one another and start bonding. Chiyuki teaches Decim about human emotions and impresses him with her vast knowledge on how humans function. In my point of view, their feelings can be interpreted romantically.
Previously, I mentioned Nona. She seems to be a little girl, with innocent bright purple eyes and her aqua blue hair. However, she is an experienced and knowledgeable arbiter, for over 80 years. This character is a calculating person and does not hesitate to discipline her employees. She is very close friends with Quin, a very smart girl, enjoying sharing a drink (or more) with her.
Moreover, the Anime introduces us as well to Ginti, one of my favourites besides Decim and Nona. He is an arbiter, with a rude attitude and a bad humour, getting angry easily. Ginti does not have the sincere desire to be an arbiter and simply views it as a job he must do. Compared to Decim, whose face alone pisses him off, he is far more direct and aggressive with his customers, giving them less information and starting the game faster so that he can finish it as quickly as possible. In the middle of the series, he will come across a situation that will put his trial to the test, and I found this particularly interesting.
Afterwards, other characters consist in Clavis (he is always with a smile on his face, and doesn’t lose an opportunity to tease the others; He is also very loyal to Nona and his function is to transport arbiters and guests), Oculus (the creator of the system of arbitration) and Castra (also known as the Queen of The Dead). They are all very fascinating.
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| Clavis |
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| Oculus |
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| Castra |
Overall, Death Parade is an exciting anime to watch. First of all, the opening is fantastic:
Subsequently, it’s easy to watch: you only have 12 episodes, and the runtime is around 20 minutes. Each episode features a new case with new people and new stories. The viewer stays captivated from the first minute until the last, wanting to learn about the life of the guests. "Which one is going to the void and who is going to reincarnation?" Simultaneously, you learn more about the Arbiters, all of their system, and Chiyuki past.
To sum up, I loved it. Death Parade it’s such a well thought out story that makes a person think. I am one of those persons that sometimes has existential crises and starts thinking about the meaning of life, why are we here, and what will happen afterlife. As a result, it was an enjoying experience watch an anime whose theme is the judgement of the fate of the souls.
What did you think of Death Parade?
Nb: I do not own any of these pictures and video and I am not trying to infringe copyright here.
I hope you have a lovely day!
Mariana Nunes
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