Happy New Year everyone! This time I decided to tell you about the most stylish and atmospheric anime I have ever seen. I reviewed it twice – and twice I found something new in it for myself. It's not very often that you come across an anime whose central theme is human psychology, because this is a very complex and finicky matter that not every script can handle. However, the anime Death Parade succeeds with a bang.
Brief information
Death Parade has an unusual history of creation . In Japan, there are special courses for young animators called Anime Mirai (Anime of the Future) , where promising animators participate in all kinds of seminars, trainings, visit large anime studios - in general, they learn from more advanced colleagues. During their training, animators create short films, of which the four best receive a government grant. So, the young director Yuzuru Tachikawa attended these courses, and the result was a short film, Death Billiards. His work was noticed and 38 million yen were allocated. As a result, studio Madhouse , based on the short film, released a 12-episode anime called Death Parade , directed by the same Yuzuru Tachikawa. And just like that, the short film miraculously turned into a series. And all thanks to government support. But we continue to make remakes of Soviet comedies...
The anime tells us about a bar. Decim works there , and he is helped by a pretty brunette who doesn’t remember her name (later it is revealed that her name is Chiyuki , so in the future I will call her that way). But it is not the bar itself that is of particular interest, but its visitors - people who died at the same moment end up here. It turns out that after death the soul does not go directly to heaven or hell, but must go through a trial, the results of which will determine what awaits the person: rebirth or eternal oblivion. The verdict is made by judges - creatures very similar to people, but without emotions that can interfere with making the right decision. Dekim is one of them. The following rules apply to judges:
- Judges cannot stop passing sentences, because that's what they exist for.
- Judges cannot experience death because it would make them too human.
- Judges are not capable of feeling emotions, because they are just dolls.
People go to the bar in pairs. There are certain reasons for this. They do not remember that they are already dead - the shock of death is so strong. Therefore, the bartender invites his guests to play a game at the cost of which their lives will be played. People can't get out of the bar until they play. Of course, not everyone agrees at first, but sooner or later they realize that they have no choice. By pressing the button, a random game selection occurs. The options are quite banal: darts, bowling, slot machines, billiards, cards, air hockey, twister and several others, which, however, are not shown in the anime. Each game has its own peculiarity. For example, people may begin to experience pain or fear. Gradually the person begins to remember the details of his death. This was done deliberately to make it easier to reveal the “dark” sides of the personality, and, therefore, make the right verdict. As a result, the judge decides whether a person is worthy of being reborn, or whether he will sink into oblivion from which he cannot return.
Interesting fact - the bar where Decim works is called Quindecim. While watching, I thought that it comes from the names of the bartenders: initially, Queen worked there as a judge, and then Decim became a bartender. However, everything is much more banal: the bar is located on the fifteenth floor of the tower, and quindecim translated from Latin means “fifteen”. It follows that the characters' names come from the number of the floor on which they work. For example, Ginti is a cheeky red-haired guy who works on the twentieth floor, which in Latin sounds like viGinti. Nona lives on the ninetieth floor, which means Nonaginta. This is the magic of numbers.
Plot[edit]
The series takes place in a bar called “Quindecim”, which is unremarkable at first glance. The visitors of this bar inevitably become people who have already died, but have not yet gone to heaven or hell. The manager of the establishment, and part-time bartender named Dekim, invites visitors to play a game where their lives are at stake (which shocks many at first, but since they do not have the right to refuse the game, they simply have no choice), and find out who worthy of reincarnation (rebirth), and who will go into oblivion (emptiness).
Characters and their stories
There are essentially only two main characters But the whole highlight is not in them - Death Parade is valuable precisely for its secondary characters. I mean “guests” who come to the bar, that is, dead people. Each of them has its own life story, not always pleasant, but no less rich and complex. As Dekim correctly noted: “Life is full of mysteries. Each individual life has its own story, but in the end it is still intertwined with others, and no one knows where this will lead . Each person has his own character, his own fears and memories. The writers were able to make the stories for the guests believable enough to make the viewer want to empathize with what was happening on the screen. Moreover, the emotional coloring of the stories is different. In total, if I counted correctly, the anime shows seven ships (if you are afraid of spoilers, you can skip the following list):
1). The trial of the newlyweds. The first trial that we are shown, which Dekim conducts on his own. These episodes escalate the situation and demonstrate that human feelings, on the one hand, are simple (fear, anger, jealousy), and on the other, complex and multifaceted (love, self-sacrifice).
2). Trial of childhood friends. The series teaches you not to wait for the right moment. If you want to say something, say it now, later it may be too late. You know, this is perhaps the most unusual, but at the same time the easiest story ever told. All the emotionally heavy episodes in Death Parade are diluted with light ones. Apparently, this was done on purpose to give the viewer a break, because when you watch an anime, you begin to empathize with the characters, and this is not easy in the case of “Death Parade”.
3). The trial of a star and an otaku. Again an emotionally difficult episode, and the verdict pronounced by Dekim surprised me. I expected that he would acquit both of them, but no - the otaku went to be reborn, and he sent the woman into oblivion. There are a lot of interesting ideas in this series. At a minimum, you need to value your life, and even if it seems that everything is bad, you need to find something to continue living for.
4). The trial of a fan and a singer. This series has me confused. They really stand out from the general background. I don’t know what meaning can be seen here. Is this a kind of mockery of death and the seriousness of what is happening? After all, even the death of this fan is absurd - slipping on a bar of soap at home. But for all her stupidity, she is ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of her idol, and she is completely and completely satisfied with her simple life.
5). Trial of murderers. The most emotionally difficult episodes. What's the point? It is very clearly shown that any person under certain conditions can commit murder. It all depends on the circumstances. Although, as for me, the guy’s reaction at the end of the story is inadequate and illogical - what was the point of giving in to that guy’s provocations? Hurt him because he didn't help his sister? In general, it seemed to me that the writers went a little overboard with building tension.
6). Trial of the old woman. Here we are allowed to relax before the final episodes. It is shown that not all people face a difficult fate. There are also those who were destined to live a long and happy life.
7). Chiyuki's trial. Very powerful episodes, I watched the series twice – and twice I was deeply impressed. The moment when Chiyuki asks Dekima to press the button is simply incomparable. There is so much despair and hope in this request... Many are interested in the fate of Chiyuki - so, Dekim sends her to be reborn, the mask over the elevator is white. And he leaves the doll as a pleasant reminder.
World of Death Parade[edit]
Judge[edit]
The building has 90 floors and houses a large number of bars (Quindecim, Nona Ginta, Vi Ginti, etc.). In which judges conduct judging on their visitors (people who died at one point). People must play a game that stakes their lives. Judges judge people based on their memories as well as the humanity of their actions during the game. Before people get into the bar, their memories are collected and passed on to the judges. People themselves do not remember their deaths, so the judges make them believe that if they do not play the game, they will die. Judging is divided into several stages:
Stage 1 People arrive at the bar, the judge greets them and asks about their memories. (there are no people without memories)
-Do you remember anything before you got here?
Stage 2 The judge explains the rules inherent in the bar.
First: the judge cannot tell where people are at the moment. Second: People will have to play the game. Third: you have to choose the game using roulette. Fourth: the stakes in the game will be their lives. Fifth, people cannot leave the bar until the game is over.
Stage 3 Roulette chooses the game, and the referee explains the rules of the game itself.
The game can be any: bowling, billiards, cards, video games, twister, etc.
Stage 4 During the game, moments from life flash before people's eyes.
This happens unconsciously: from the slightest movement, touch or word.
Stage 5 Since people have forgotten how they died, the judges force them to remember.
The referees create an extreme situation (the state of tension that arises during the game, mainly psychological).
people do unconscious things
(dark essence),
also hints from judges about their past life, make them remember bad moments and their death.
Stage 6 After people have remembered how they died and under what circumstances, the judge tells the whole truth.
-After death, people go to “Heaven” or “Hell”. These places (QuinDekim, Nona Ginta, Vi Ginti, etc.)
and exist to determine where.
Stage 7 Judging.
The judges render a verdict. Only the judge knows who will go where and this is inevitable. The judge cannot help in any way - send two people to reincarnation
or into
oblivion
.
In the third episode, both characters went to reincarnation. Whether the character has gone to reincarnation or into oblivion is shown by a mask above the elevator doors.
Information Bureau (or sentencing)[edit]
Memories from the lives of the two guests are transformed and sent to the judges by the information bureau. This serves as one of the basis for sentencing.
Memories that have been transformed look like a mosaic or kaleidoscope pictures. They are collected into pictures. (quite a lot of memories)
Having revealed their dark sides as much as possible, judges pronounce a sentence, and to create extreme conditions, a person’s memory is necessary.
Bureau[edit]
The bureau (usually) has several judge-like employees. For example, Castra (a minor character who appears from time to time, like Quinn), has been working with people’s memories for a long time, according to her, about 7,000 people die per hour, and it’s hard for them to work.
Plot
From what was written above, it is obvious that the plot is built on one or two-episode arcs in which Decim or other judges decide where to send their “guests” - into oblivion or rebirth. At the same time, there is one general storyline, the main heroine of which is Chiyuki. This plot structure was successful because it adds variety to the narrative. You don’t have time to move away from watching one story before they present you with another - what kind of boredom can we talk about? And even if you don’t like the stories of the bar’s visitors, you will sympathize with the girl you’ve been watching for 12 episodes in any case.
Stylistics
Of course, one cannot fail to note the excellent style of Death Parade. The ambience of the bar, exquisite alcohol, light music in the background - all this makes up a single, very stylish picture. The quintessence of this atmosphere is beautifully reflected in the opening , filled with madness and mesmerizing with smooth dance movements. Add to this realistic drawing and believable stories of people coming to the bar - and you get the formula for the Death Parade atmosphere. Oh yes, and don’t forget about the most gorgeous ending , reminiscent of the fragility of life. Just like that, you think that all that’s left of you is a soulless dummy—and a shiver goes through you.
Criticism[edit]
Shortly after the series premiered, ANN critics gave the short film's sequel a generally positive reception. The original “bewitching” style and realistic characters were noted. Also, according to critics, the target audience of the series is quite old, as it talks about the cruel destinies of people and shows their negative side. The plot has been compared to Jean-Paul Sartre's play Behind Closed Doors. Despite the positive reviews, critics expressed concern that the original idea of the film, used in the 12-episode series, might bore viewers accustomed to the rapid development of the plot[1].
Issues
I have already noted that Death Parade touches on a large number of eternal human problems : these are questions of life and death, the question of justice, and also the question of purpose in life. What is most interesting is that these questions are not only asked, but we are also offered several answer options. For example, Dekim says a very wise phrase about the meaning of life: “People do not live only to die. They die precisely because they live. This is the meaning of life.” Or, Chiyuki says that you never know where your life’s path will lead: “You won’t know until you die. Although no, even after death you won’t know. But you know, it’s even more interesting.” It’s not often that you see anime dare to touch on such subtle matters as life and death, and especially suicide. And the “Death Parade” looks all the more valuable against the backdrop of a sea of harems and other rubbish that they are trying to “feed” the viewer with lately.
Death Parade {RUS}
Nona (ノーナ Nōna) - Arbita System Manager, as well as bartender Nona Ginta located on the ninth floor. She is the boss of Decim, Ginti, Clavis and all the other employees on the other floors.
Appears in the opening.
Appearance:
Nona is a small woman with pale skin. She braids her hair and secures it with a blue hairpin. She has thin eyebrows, large round earrings, and her nails are painted the same color as her hair. Her eyes are bright purple and have a cross painted on her iris.
She wears a white button-up top with fluffy sleeves and black suspenders attached to her high-waisted black pants.
In addition, she has a red ribbon attached to her collar with a pin. Nona also wears purple sneakers.
Nona's appearance.
Personality:
Nona has a rather serious demeanor and disciplines her employees. She manages those responsible for each floor below her, and corrects any mistakes they make. Despite her youthful appearance, she is a calculating person and is an experienced and knowledgeable arbiter.
Nona and Dekim.
The anime ends with Nonna's voice narrating the four rules of judging. Her fate and future plans are unknown.
Capabilities:
Super Strength: Nona uses unnatural, enormous strength and becomes capable of knocking down anyone. She uses this ability against Ginti to interrupt his pool fight in episode 5, and also silences him for a few seconds in the episode. Ginti is usually in excruciating pain from her blows to the point that she cannot move.
Data:
● Nona has been a manager for over 82 years.
● Even though she is the boss, she never has dead guests visiting her in the series.
● Her name Nona Ginta (Nona Ginta) is the Latin word for "ninety". This is a reference to the floor she works on.
● She appears in the intro wearing a red dress, but this is not shown anywhere else in the entire anime.
● There is speculation that she has feelings for Clavis
Quotes:
《 1. Judges cannot stop judging, because this is the meaning of their existence.
2. Judges cannot die, otherwise they would be too much like people.
3. Judges are alien to all emotions, because they are just dolls.
4. Judges must not perform their work together with the living, for this will destroy the judges. 》
《 — No matter how difficult it may complicate the trial, people do not deserve thoughtless sentences. The world shouldn't be the way it is now.
“But what is the point in deliberately making judges suffer?”
“What’s the point of going to court if there’s no suffering in it?”
- Meaning?
- Suffer - but don’t give up. Is this what life is all about?
- Life? The word life is used only by those who are capable of dying. You can't die if you've never lived. Even if they become more human, they will still remain dolls.
- No! We are all alive. 》
(c) Nona, Oculus
《 — You can’t judge people based on their memories alone. 》
《 — Still, human feelings tend to manifest themselves in different ways.》
《 — How interesting people are! I told so many things and still didn’t fully understand how their minds worked. 》
《 — Do you know what the most primitive human emotion is?
- No.
- This is fear. 》
(c) Nona, Chiyuki.
Flaws
shortcomings in “Death Parade ,” the most obvious of which is the small number of episodes. You just have time to get used to the heroes - and it all ends. Although I must admit that the ending of Death Parade is wonderful. It's hard to imagine a better ending to the story than the one we were given.
And the second drawback is the large number of questions left unanswered . For example, what kind of tower is this that dead people end up in? Who actually judges the “guests” – people or dolls? If dolls, then who created them? Who is this guy who plays billiards with Nona? What happens to souls that are reborn or have sunk into oblivion? I watched Death Parade twice, but still couldn't find the answers to my questions.
Characters[edit]
Dekim
(Japanese: デキム
Dekimu
) is the main character of the series and film.
The manager of the Quindecim
(Japanese: クイーンデキム
Kui:ndekimu
) (before Decim, the bar was managed by Queen), located on the 15th floor (the name of the bar is related to its location and is translated from Latin as “fifteen”).
A bartender and also a supervisor of deadly games. Calm and cool, does not show emotions. He takes pride in his role as a judge, while also respecting patrons as a bar manager. Has the ability to control threads. Judging by the fact that they can lift a person, as well as several objects at the same time, these threads are very strong. It is unknown whether he is a living person now, or whether he ever was in the past. As a hobby, he creates mannequin dolls. According to Nona, she makes first-class cocktails. Translated from Latin, his name means “ten” (lat. Dècim
).
In subsequent events, he exhibits human emotions that change him. At the end of the series I was able to smile sincerely. Voiced by: Tomoaki Maeno
Chiyuki
(Japanese 知幸), formerly known as
the Woman with Black Hair
(Japanese 黒髪の女
Kurokami no Onna
) is the main character of the series and film.
Decim could not condemn her, since she remembered the events of her life. Nona erased her memory and invited her to stay in Quindecim. Now she helps Dekim in holding games as an assistant and greets newly arrived visitors. She's smart and doesn't hesitate to say what she thinks. In recent events, she remembers her home, relatives, friends, how she loved to skate (figure skater). But one day she seriously injured her leg and it soon became clear that she would no longer be able to ride. Due to the inability to understand herself and the people around her after the injury, she committed suicide. Voiced by: Asami Seto
Nona
(Japanese: ノーナ
No:na
) is the manager of the
Nona Ginta bar (Japanese: ノーナーギンター
No:na:ginta :)
, located on the 90th floor of the same building as Quindecim.
He has been working in the tower for about 82 years. She is the boss of Dekim, Ginti and the rest of the bar owners in this building. She looks young, but is smart and very experienced. Very strong (spiritually and physically) Sometimes present at deadly games as a jury. He often plays billiards with Oculus. Wants to create judges with emotions. Voiced by: Rumi Okubo
Ginti
(Japanese: ギンティ
Ginti
) - manager of the bar
Vi Ginti (Japanese: ウィーギンティ
Ui: ginti )
, located on the 20th floor.
He has a rather rude character. Doesn't like Decim. Doesn't trust the Woman with Black Hair. Able to control water by creating balls out of it. He is afraid of Nona. And Ginti has a hobby of collecting kokeshi dolls. He is also constantly bothered by Mayu, the only one of his customers whom he could not condemn and who still hangs around the bar. After he has to send the girl into the void because of her choices, even the cat leaves him. Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya
Clavis
(Japanese: クラヴィス
Kuravisu
) - an elevator operator with green hair.
Has a mysterious and cheerful character. He can often be seen paired with Nona. Likes to laugh at Ginti's misfortunes. Always smiling. Voiced by: Koki Uchiyama
Oculus
(Japanese: オクルス
Okurusu
) - often plays billiards with Nona (5770 times) and loses very often.
The main candidate for the position of God. Oculus' beard and hair are shaped like a lotus; also, if Oculus's beard, that is, the lotus, opens, then he has the ability to cover someone's head with it (for example, like Clavis), thereby seeing his memories. Against Nona's idea of creating a judge with emotions. Wears purple shorts and a blue striped shirt. A little narcissistic, a little. Voiced by: Tessho Genda
Ratings
Characters – 10.0. Here the highest rating can be given to the “guests” of the bar and their life stories alone. But Death Parade doesn't stop there, and adds unusual characters as main characters. It’s just a pity that we weren’t shown many judges.
Plot – 9.0. Very competent plot construction: one general storyline and a large number of one or two-part arcs. But questions left unanswered and without a hint of a solution do not allow us to give the highest rating.
Drawing – 10.0. High quality and ideally suited to the surroundings of Death Parade. Violet and lilac colors were used. I would also like to mention the character design.
Music – 10.0. Just what you need for a bar. Violin, piano, saxophone. Lots of lyrical compositions. The original soundtrack lasts more than an hour, which is more than enough for twelve episodes, especially considering that there are no passable tracks in it. Special respect for the opening and ending, they are also wonderful.
Atmosphericity – 10.0. I haven't seen such a stylish and atmospheric anime for a long time.
Psychology – 9.0. Even though I noticed a couple of illogicalities in people’s behavior, these were more nitpicking than a real flaw. Besides, people are people to behave illogically.
Issues raised – 10.0. A huge number of topical and important questions are touched upon, to which anime characters are trying to find answers. And, most importantly, they share their ideas with the viewer.
