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Death Parade is a continuation/pseudo-sequel to the Death Billiards short from Anime Mirai 2013, so go check that out first if you haven't already.

It's being produced by MADHOUSE and directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa.

The OP fucking owns.

I really like the first episode. It sets everything up really well and doesn't go into too much exposition on what is happening. It trusts the viewer to be able to figure some things out on their own, which not enough shows do in my opinion. I'm really looking forward to meeting the rest of the cast and seeing whom else gets dragged down to the bar.

 

Very interesting first episode. Although I felt that the husband showed his Colors way too quickly.

Spoiler

I'm curious though, in the first episode the Husband was clearly a terrible guy and his wife at the end was putting on an act. So why does he get reincarnation(unless he'll be reincarnated into a bug or something)

 

Spoiler

Because she was lying to him, or wanted him to believe that she was lying. She did sleep with the playboy, and even if that wasn't true, its an act of pure malice rather than natural misguided emotion. Had she staid quiet or played up her outburst as a lie she may have been spared.

I think it's important that the masks over the elevator switched. At the start of the episode, the husband was the one with the demon mask over it, signalling that he was at fault for their death. But at the end it was the other elevator, the one the wife got into, that had the demon mask over it.

 

Years too late, but I've finished watching Death Parade with @Vira and it's quite an interesting show.

I think the most interesting and noteworthy part of this show is that a large part of the show is dedicated to this idea of a judgement after death, but then the entire point that the show repeatedly goes to great lengths to show is just how wrong these judgements really are.

On the surface, it doesn't really seem like the decisions made by the arbiters are incorrect in any way, but then episode nine happens and you're forced to realize that perhaps every judgement arbiters have ever made is wrong. And then every further judgement after that continues to prove this point.

The show's strength lies in its characters, each and every one unique, each and every one with issues and flaws that make them so very human. It's difficult to make every character have their own unique defining quality to them, and Madhouse hits it out of the park in my opinion.

In fact, I spent a great deal of time in introspection, because my ability to relate to and empathize with some of the characters made me wonder just what kind of a person I am.

Music was brilliant too. I have Last Theater in my playlist now.

I'm genuinely surprised that this anime isn't more popular. I suppose it's not everyone's cup of tea, and I was certainly turned off by a couple episodes, but the overarching story was brilliant and rather unique, and I definitely enjoyed it.

9/10.

(If anyone cares, there's a pretty good fix-it fic out there for those unsatisfied with the ending. I'll put it up for review later.)