Name(s): Death Parade / デス・パレード
Format: TV series (12 23-minute episodes)
Release Date(s): January 9, 2015 – March 27, 2015
Studio(s): Madhouse
Related: Death Billiards (2013)

I found Death Billiards by chance when I was looking for an anime movie to watch, and was immediately interested by the gambling concept, having recently loved Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor. I thought it was intriguing with its many mysteries, as thrilling as the premise implied, and beautifully drawn. Since it was only a short it was a minor pleasant surprise, but not even a year later I heard out of nowhere that it was getting its own series.

I didn’t even know what to think. The concept had massive potential for popularity and new stories, but it was so thoroughly unexpected and the short held fine enough on its own that I didn’t even get hyped for it. Of course, I wasn’t about to pass Death Parade up by any means, and after its yet again modest twelve episodes aired I put it at the top of my list.

For those who haven’t watched Death Billiards, I highly recommend that you do before reading the rest of this. Death Parade answers many of Billiards‘s mysteries immediately and much of the interest and appeal of Billiards comes from the yearning to know those answers we (originally) wouldn’t get. Not only would this let you experience Death Billiards as intended and get the most out of it, but it is perfectly on par with its series and works as an introduction.

I recommend you watch Death Billiards before reading further.

Cool stuff, right? Death Parade is half of the same and half beyond. Though nearly 50% of the episodes are dedicated to games, most of them focus on an overarching storyline. Bartender Decim and his mysterious assistant preside over the judgments of players to determine whether they’re reincarnated or sent to the void now that they’re dead, but uncertainty exists among the arbiters and other staff regarding these judgments. To say any more would be going too far. Any detail takes a bit of curiosity away from the show as we want to learn everything about the mysterious “other world” the bar inhabits.

Death Parade‘s philosophies on morality, life, and death are nothing at all profound, but philosophy isn’t what any Death Billiards fan or anyone reading the premise are going to be interested in. Viewers are greeted with the same promise as the guests that walk into Quindecim: mysteries and excitement.

Character development and the aforementioned philosophy aren’t deep or the least bit surprising, but it’s a successful method to provide a cohesive framework and sense of progression to what would’ve otherwise been an entertaining but “episodic” series that never becomes more than its concept. That’s what impresses me most about Death Parade. It retained Death Billiards‘s appeal while finding room to broaden it in a restrictive 12-episode format.

However, not every quality of Death Billiards was able to exist in this new format. As I stated in the introduction, many mysteries of Death Billiards are immediately cleared up. At first this disappointed me, as I found the setting captivating and loved fantasizing about what might be beyond it. Having it all explained outright takes a lot of the wonder away and what felt mystical now feels too ordinary and straightforward.

Despite this, further questions about the setting arise as these episodes can now take the time to show us more of it. My initial intrigue was mostly rekindled, although what it was all leading to felt much more obvious this time around with the increased information given so I still wasn’t as charmed as before.

The second aspect of the show is the games. I wasn’t very into any of them this time. The stakes aren’t the same to the viewer as they were in Billiards now that we know it isn’t a life or death situation, and on top of that many of the games just come across as lazy. They reuse the pain gimmick over and over, which is the only twist on these otherwise ordinary games of darts and air hockey.

The games are further uninteresting because the viewer knows their progression and outcome technically don’t matter when it comes to their judgment. In Billiards all eyes were on the game itself as it was where both characters and viewers met, but now there’s a disconnection from them.

I also take issue with some of the huge melodrama during these games. Some actions by the players I didn’t find believable at all, and in general I was against the convenient elaborations. Death Billiards having two players unfamiliar with and so different from each other made for a better dynamic and more individuality, but in Death Parade almost every two guests are related to each other somehow even though this is supposed to be next to impossible. I would’ve liked them to cut back on romantic motivations, as that’s an easy, universal justification for actions. It’s not hard to predict which punches Death Parade is going to go for, and a large part of being thrilling is having a strong element of surprise.

Being a Madhouse production practically guarantees above average animation, and Death Parade looks almost as good as the original theatrical short. I really love the dark backgrounds and contemporary design of Quindecim. I hope that when I die I get to chill there for a bit. The lighting is dim yet serene and even seems to be given off by the characters themselves with a ghoulish glow. It lends a necessary otherworldly feel that more than makes up for the generic art style of the character designs. The music score is suitable but also exactly what you’d expect. Very lowkey; light strings and slow piano melodies that match the solemn mood well but don’t contribute more to it.

I’m having trouble coming up with a good conclusion this time, but that’s a lot like how death can sneak up on you. Most people don’t get good conclusions according to Death Parade, but if the journey’s good enough maybe a brief run is still worth something. In Death Parade‘s case, it was. The execution lacks some needed emotional shock but the fun concept and mystery are enough to make it work for one season. Should it come back—and I predict it will—I’m going to be expecting something better.