Death Parade

After death, either Heaven or Hell awaits most humans. But for a select few, death brings them to Quindecim—a bar where only pairs of people who die at the same time can enter. Attending the bar is an enigmatic figure known as Decim, who also acts as the arbiter. He passes judgment on those who wind up at Quindecim by challenging them to a life-threatening game. These games determine if the patron's soul will reincarnate into a new life, or be sent into the void, never to be seen again.

From darts and bowling to fighting games, the true nature of each patron slowly comes to light as they wager their souls. Though his methods remain unchanged, the sudden appearance of a black-haired amnesiac causes Decim to reevaluate his own rulings.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Decim Main

Maeno, Tomoaki Japanese

Kurokami no Onna Main

Seto, Asami Japanese

Nona Main

Ookubo, Rumi Japanese

Clavis Supporting

Uchiyama, Kouki Japanese

Ginti Supporting

Hosoya, Yoshimasa Japanese

Arita, Mayu Supporting

Tanezaki, Atsumi Japanese

Quin Supporting

Shiraishi, Ryouko Japanese

Tatsumi Supporting

Fujiwara, Keiji Japanese

Castra Supporting

Yuzuki, Ryouka Japanese

Oculus Supporting

Genda, Tesshou Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Nakatani, Toshio Producer

Taguchi, Ayuri Producer

Nara, Shunsuke Producer

Reviews

Mar 11, 2025

misery_art

Recommended

Death is inevitable, that's one thing we all know. But, Death Parade is an anime that gives us an insight into a small idea of afterlife. There are arbiters who pass a judgement on whether a person will go to heaven or hell.

The idea of heaven or hell is very unique in this series. Heaven means that you will be reincarnated and hell means you will be destroyed, ideally reaching a graveyard of souls.

To pass the judgement, arbiters invite guests, that is the deceased, to play a game which requires them to put their lives at stake. The arbiters push the guests to an extreme ... to draw out the darkness in their soul to judge them.

Plot:
Unique. That's the apt word for this plot. A unique take on the afterlife. This anime not only provides an overview of humans, their emotions throughout the process and when they find out that they are indeed dead.

Arbiters are constantly challenged with the type of guests they encounter, and it is shown that arbiters also make mistakes.

The ending was perfectly done, but then it begs a question that remains unanswered: what happens to Decim?

The last few episodes of the series worked on building up to this specific question, but it remained unanswered which kinda brought down the rating.

So, the plot get a 9/10 from me.

Characters:
Decim. The Arbiter. 'I respect the people who have lived a fulfilled life.' This is what makes him stand out as a character. Being someone who is constantly facing death, ideally a person present and that juncture between life and death, that quote shows how even though your life is over, you have done your best and people will respect you for that life you lived.

His character is a constant reminder that you have lived once and that's respectable.

The lady. She was unaware of what was happening and soon learnt to blend into it. Her character showed how arbiters actually faced different situations, or how they handled their very first judgement.

While most arbiters only focused how the person behaved outwardly, she tried to deeply understand the mannerisms of the guests and give a fair judgement. She was a person who constantly questioned the flawed method of judgement of the afterlife. She believes that the method they used did not show the darkness in their guests souls, but rather created that darkness.

The rest of the characters seemed to be well written tok, the only question existing being what their origin was.

So, for characters i give a 9/10.

Voice acting:
Nothing about it stood out to me, it was well done that is certain.

So i give voice acting a 10/10.

Animation:
Again, it's MadHouse, they always bring their A-game and this time was no exception.

So, animation get a 10/10.

Music:
Nothing in particular stood out about the music. There were not many instances where the music was used to add to the scene or create an ambience, not that the story felt lacking without it.

I did not particularly like the opening song, the ending was nice.

So, the music gets a 8/10.

And after this deep dive, the overall rating is a 9/10.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Mar 31, 2025

prakhargr8

Mixed Feelings

Death Parade presents an intriguing premise, exploring the weight of judgment and the complexities of human nature. It sets out to question whether anyone truly has the right to decide another’s fate, yet never fully embarks on this philosophical journey. The show builds a world of rigid rules, yet contradictions emerge, creating a sense of uncertainty in its core themes. The emotional depth is palpable but at times it feels as though the narrative hesitates to commit to its own exploration.

There is a lingering tension between impartiality and interference, as the characters themselves struggle with the morality of their roles. The moments that should drive ... deeper reflection sometimes fall into repetition, reinforcing past actions rather than evolving beyond them. The show acknowledges the weight of hate and regret but continues to wield the very tools that create them, making its introspection feel incomplete. The emotional conflicts are compelling, yet they often lack resolution, leaving a sense of stagnation amidst the turmoil.

While the conclusion offers a sense of redemption, it does not fully dismantle the uncertainties that persist throughout. The core dilemma remains touched upon but not confronted, leaving the viewer in an unresolved space between acceptance and unease. The concept itself is captivating yet there are spaces where the narrative could have pushed further. It is a show that lingers in thought, but never truly answers the question.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Mar 23, 2025

nilboard

Not Recommended

I wouldn’t recommend this anime. While a few short clips caught my interest, the overall experience was disappointing. The story wasn’t unique and felt predictable, which made it less engaging for me, even though I usually enjoy this genre. The art style was decent but didn’t particularly enhance the storytelling. The characters lacked depth, often feeling either too overpowered, overly naïve, or simply one-dimensional. Their reactions to events didn’t always feel natural, making it harder to connect with them. That said, some people might still enjoy it if they don’t mind a formulaic plot and are just looking for casual entertainment.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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	Poll: Death Parade Episode 6 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Feb 13, 2015	457 replies	by Adverrito »» Mar 22, 3:44 AM
	Poll: Death Parade Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Mar 27, 2015	679 replies	by PlusEV »» Mar 21, 5:14 AM
	Poll: Death Parade Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Mar 20, 2015	500 replies	by Rexnihilo »» Mar 15, 11:24 AM
	Poll: Death Parade Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Mar 13, 2015	224 replies	by Rexnihilo »» Mar 15, 11:12 AM
	Poll: Death Parade Episode 9 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Mar 6, 2015	609 replies	by Rexnihilo »» Mar 15, 10:47 AM

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