Death Parade, Anime Recommendation of the Week!

Article at a glance:

• Death Parade’s intriguing setup, where people who die simultaneously are sent to a bar for judgment through life-threatening games, is mysterious and captivating. The plot serves as a perfect backdrop for the character-driven storytelling.
• Decim’s stoic yet evolving character, along with a great supporting cast like Nona and Ginti, make for an engaging watch. The “patrons” being judged are given surprising depth, adding layers to the narrative in just a few episodes.
• The art style and animation are stylish and memorable, with a killer opening theme that you’ll want to listen to on repeat. The overall vibe of the show stands out, making it a visual and auditory treat.

Man, Madhouse has so many bangers in its catalog. A lot of people say that they’ve fallen off recently but I don’t think that is true. Because even now they are bringing us amazing shows like Frieren and About the Movements of the Earth. Death Parade is one of the few Madhouse original animes and it is quite interesting. I last watched this anime ages ago but I was surprised by just how much I still remembered it. Then again, there isn’t quite anything like it so I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess.

So welcome back to another edition of our anime recommendation series and today we are talking about Death Parade. So let’s get into it!

Introduction

As I mentioned, Death Parade is an original anime by Madhouse. So it doesn’t have a source material like a manga or a LN. The whole series spawned from a short movie, Death Billiards from the Young Animator Training Project. The anime originally aired in the Winter 2015 season i.e. January 2015 to March 2015. It just has a single season of 12 episodes. And that’s about all there is to it. So let’s move on.

Plot

The setup for this anime is quite interesting. After death, most humans go to heaven or hell. But people who die together at the same time are sent to Quindecim, a bar. The “bar” is run by Decim, a mysterious figure who passes judgment on the “patrons”. He does this by challenging them to life-threatening games. These games determine who goes to the void, never to be seen again, and who reincarnates into a new life.

This setup alone is so inherently interesting. It is mysterious and begs to be explored. While the story itself is mostly character-driven, the setup of this anime is unique. And the plot serves its purpose of letting the characters shine while still being present well. There are a few good plot twists thrown in as well and the pacing is just perfect to top it all off.

Characters

Decim despite appearing stoic and emotionless, has a great character arc in the show. His dynamics with his assistant, Nona, Clavis, Ginti, etc. are great and add a lot to the plot. He oozes charisma and there is a certain style in the way he treats his “patrons”. Decim’s assistant is also an important character but I can’t talk about her due to spoilers. But then we have a great cast of supporting characters like Nona, Ginti, Clavis, etc.

Then, of course, there are the “patrons” of the bar, the people to be judged. It is incredible how compelling and deep the anime manages to make certain characters in the span of just a few episodes. The stories of the “patrons” and why they are being judged are always fascinating and it is an integral part of Death Parade’s identity, These judgments play into Decim’s character arc as well.

Animations and Soundtracks

The art style and the vibe of the whole show are so unique. Everything from the character designs to the bar itself is memorable. The animations themselves are quite fun as well. The soundtracks don’t let down either, the opening theme is a banger and I still listen to it from time to time. And the overall BGM quality is quite high as well.

Summing up

Here’s why you should watch Death Parade:

• Unique concept
• Amazing characters
• Awesome art and animations
• Banger opening theme

That is all for now. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. Check out my thoughts on Blue Lock Seaosn 2 so far here and I will take my leave. I am off to play Tales of Arise! See ya!