I watched Death Parade for the second time. I own the collector's box set that costed me more than I'd like to admit for a reason. What I want to say is that this show was something I adore! But... that being said...
Death Parade is a 12-episode 2015 anime that spawned from the Death Billiards short film which clearly took place somewhere in the middle of the show chronologically. In this, when people die they go to this bar called Quindecim to participate in Death Games with their souls on the line, going to either be reincarnated or banished to the void. The bartender or arbiter as they are called makes this decision. But our contestants don't know that they are in what resembles purgatory but still believe that they are alive, which is the best way to judge them.
This show played close to an anthology format where we get a "contestants of the episode" where we see what brought these people to their end and their performance with the Death Games. These were the absolute high points in the show. Various people of different age groups and different lives having to play with their lives on the line (or so they believe) gets real intense. You thought Deadly Twister was terrifying? Think again. Make your organs hurt when playing darts? Hell yes. Maybe someone tries to cheat. Maybe someone loses their cool. Maybe someone gets hurt. It happens.
When these games are getting played, we learn a lot more of the episode's guests, what got them dead in the first place, and their regrets. These episodes are the best! It's intense, it's gritty, you can feel the adrenaline of the characters. It manages to serve as a reminder of the importance of life, and that we have to die. "Memento mori", as you will. They don't know they died, but they're playing as if they got more to live for. Since there are always two guests, it's engaging to see the two guests interact and see how they both slowly lose it or not. My personal favorite is the air hockey two-parter. A young man and an experienced detective have to play a very painful game of air hockey, all the while regaining their memories that eventually reminds them how and why they died. And one of them is a murderer, which is something that hasn't been dealt with, until this episode. You get those snippets of memory, their love, their goals, the shit they had to deal with (which is true for most of these kinds of episodes), that keeps you wanting more and more until you get the full picture and eventually go "Oh." This and perhaps Death Billiards was at this show's peak. It really absorbs you into the situation and the curiosity fuels you into wanting to learn more behind the guests' demise, until the episode ends.
This is not exactly an anthology, mind you. There are tons of episodes here that dives us into the world and I have to say they are the weakest. There are certainly great parts in them and I'm not saying they should've been omitted, but it's these episodes that show us more into how the system operates and it leaves you wanting more that the 12 episode number cannot satisfy. Instead the pacing feels like it slows down later and you may think "It's okay. We still got more," only to realize that show's nearing its climax. We learn so much about the guests and yet these recurring characters get nothing said besides Decim and the black-haired woman. There's even a big plan said very early in the series and despite that, nothing happens. It leaves you with a feeling that this show could have done more but was held back by its number of episodes.
And that's the biggest problem. This show was great but could've been absolutely, perfectly amazing! A perfect ten out of ten if it could've done more instead of filling half of it with worldbuilding that leaves you wanting more with a 'big event' you were expecting but never actually happening. A colorful cast of characters that despite the screen time, we learn very little about. If this had 24 episodes it could've really satiated me. Give more to characters like Nona, Oculus and Clavis, especially the first two! More Death Games for other arbiters since we only had one episode for Ginti and everything else was Decim. Maybe one or two more arbiters into the mix? Well, looks like we will have to wait for season 2, if that ever gets made.
But damn, everything else the show offered was amazing but it's missing the mark from getting the A grade. Literally so close. SO close to being an A grade show. Damn. I still highly recommend this and I'm not afraid to say this is a personal favorite. But that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore its flaws.
The opening, "Flyers". Such a contrast to the actual show. It's great and amusing. Go check it out and start with Death Billiards if you're having a go with the series.
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