Shinigami no Ballad.

I\'m the first to write a review about this lovely anime?

Surprising. Well, Shinigami No Ballad is pretty much this: There\'s a shinigami named Momo, and if you don\'t know what a shinigami is.. it\'s basically a death god. A god that takes people\'s lives. So she\'s all around watching people and judging who\'s life she\'s going to take next. But the thing about this is, there\'s more to just that.

Each episode is based on one or two people, sort of like mini stories about each person, and the reason why they\'ve been chosen to take their lives away is based on what they\'ve been doing, ... or what they wish for, or the fact it is really their time to go.

It\'s really a nice, sweet anime to watch. Honestly, 6 episodes wasn\'t really enough.. it could have gone on for at least another 6. Momo is a really sensitive character, considering her job is to take lives away, but in the anime, she says \"I cry for them\". Each story is really touching, I think the first episode got me into it straight away because of the story.

It\'s short, which I personally think is a downfall to the overall score I\'ll give it, because I think it\'s enjoyable, and the music is pleasing to the ear. But I would say the stories are pretty good to watch, I guess it depends on everyone\'s preference. But, give it a go and see how you like it.

Some might think, 'oh, six episodes, this series must have not gone so far' or something along the lines of that. And you just had to watch it to figure out why it only had six episodes.

Story: 10/10. Overall, this story was very nice and impacting. Let me tell you - six episodes sure can mean something. Each episode was about Momo (the main character, the shinigami) basically watching over a different person and trying to help them realize why they should live and what's good about their life. We as human beings often under appreciate what we have so the story was pretty unique ... and made me think that even the smallest things can make a difference.

Art: 10/10. Not much to say. I thought the OP/ED was sequenced nicely and I like how the animation and how the characters were drawn.

Sound: 10/10. Again, not much to say. I liked the OP/ED songs and the background music fit the scenes quite well. All in all, very relaxing and put together well.

Character: 10/10. Each episode had different characters involved, but the one that stated constant was Momo and her cat Daniel. I thought Momo's personality really fit her. Generally, shinigamis aren't imagined as "nice" but rather "mean, evil," and whatnot. I loved the fact that they showed that shinigamis can be nice and peaceful. Every different character she was with had personalities that fit the situation and the story.

Enjoyment: 8/10. This series was only 6 episodes, and for 6 episodes, it was awfully slow-paced. I know, this anime wasn't really one to focus on action, and I don't think it was intended to at all, but I thought just a teeny teeny tiny bit more action (to keep my low attention span) would've been better. At times, it was just a little too mellow and calm for me, but in general, the peaceful atmosphere of it was nice to see.

Overall: 9/10. This series was a short and simple one that told a lot in six episodes. Although, be warned, if you're one that likes action and has to have something going on, you might not really be all that interested in this series as I was. I personally like animes that kind of give us a 'life lesson' so that kept me watching. :)

5 WORDS OR LESS REVIEW: Nothing special. Bland.

If I would describe Shinigami no Ballad in one word, I would describe it as bland. I usually like loli anime, but Shinigami no Ballad barely caught my attention.

Cute girl gets her hands dirty by working a job that involves death. Such premise is almost similar to the plot of Hell Girl, except Hell Girl had more “zing” to it. There were no high or low points in Shinigami no Ballad – it was monotonous during the whole 6 episodes. There wasn’t really a climax either. You’d think the last episode would be more exciting than the first ... 5 episodes, but nothing really set it apart from the other episodes. I think the problem lies in the storytelling – the sequencing of events were a bit off, there were some holes in the story, and you couldn’t really relate to the events or the characters.

Speaking of the characters, the characters didn’t grab me either. As much as I like lolis, I didn’t like Momo at all. I thought her personality was weird, she seemed almost bipolar. Whenever she did her job, she seemed cold and stoic, but in the end she would always cry for some reason. It wasn’t really explained why she was such a crybaby, but apparently her assistant cat (Daniel) thinks the same. As for the other characters, they were all forgettable and almost insignificant. They all lacked charisma.

The character design needed work too. I didn’t like how the characters looked like each other – if they had the same hairstyle, there would be almost no way to tell them apart. Furthermore, nothing about the character design was striking. In fact, as a whole, Shinigami no Ballad’s visuals were bland.

I don’t completely hate Shinigami no Ballad, I actually like the voice acting. The voices really matched their respective characters. Also, a lot of notable names on the cast list, such as Ai Shimizu (Koyori in Sola, Tamao from Strawberry Panic), who played Daniel. Other notable names are Daisuke Ono (Yukito from Air, Koizumi from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya), Kana Ueda (Yumi in Maria-sama ga Miteru, Sakuya from Hayate no Gotoku) and Ryoko Shiraishi (Hayate from Hayate no Gotoku). I’m a little disappointed that these voice actors were only present for one episode each.

The music wasn’t bad either. I liked the playful BGM, but it was still lacking. There was nothing really special about the BGM. It’s the same for the opening and ending themes. It was okay, but not great – the themes didn’t grab me at all. If any, they made me a bit sleepy because both songs were too mellow.

I’m glad that Shinigami no Ballad was only made up of 6 episodes, but then again, I think that more episodes would make it better. Shinigami no Ballad definitely has potential to become a great story, probably even better than Hell Girl, and I think having only 6 episodes stifled that potential a bit. More episodes would definitely provide more room for that potential to shine.

Shinigami No Ballad is a 6 episode series consisting of 6 short stories (each story 1 episode long).　The main premise of the story is centered around a Shinigami named Momo and the people she deals with.　(By the way, A Shinigami is a ‘gatekeeper” to the afterlife’)　While there were great moments in the　individual stories, I found the series as a whole to be rather lacking.　Although all of the story premises we’re great, the last 3 episodes suffered from a bad case of “cheesy storytelling”.

Story 3.8/5
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The first 3 episodes we’re brilliant. The stories we’re all done very well with a great “mystery” aspect to them.　Granted, its difficult ... to pull of an effect story in 20 minutes, but from the first moments, these episodes we’re quite enthralling. (4.5/5)　Now, where this series suffers (and gets a much lower score) is in the last 3 episodes.　As stated above they suffered from a case of “cheesiness” and seemed rather predictable and bland.　If they had maintained the same momentum as they had with the three preceding episodes, the series would have been MUCH better off.

Characters 2.2/5
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Not good. It honestly felt as though it could have been the exact same character playing in each episode.　There were no “defining characteristics” that made individuals stand out from episode to episode.　Nothing memorable or exciting in the character department.

Sound 3.5/5
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The music and sounds were very fitting and well executed most of the time.
There we a few moments when the style seemed out of place with the atmosphere, but by-and-large, a job well done.　The musical style is your typical anime-esque type background music. A helpful bout of strings, piano, and electronic keyboard create a classic anime atmosphere.　The sound effects were very standard and casual, but well placed and executed.

Art 4/5
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It would be silly to expect complex animation or art style in an anime as simple as this one.　Though the art wasn’t exceptional, it did fit the style of the story perfectly and had a rather unique feel to it.　Job well done.

Overall 3.5/5
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In the end, Shinigami No Ballad was a rather decent anime.　The first half of the series excelled with excellent plots and storytelling. I just wish they had stuck with it for the last half as well.　Although not extraordinary, the anime as a whole was an enjoyable watch and certainly not a waste of time.

Recommended to anyone who wants to see a series that light-heatedly experiments with the idea of death and reflection on ones own life.

This review, like the anime, is short.

Frankly(sorry to the fans), I feel that my experience of watching this series was not precious. Viewing this was not a waste of time yet it wasn't really enjoying either. For some people, this is deep, tells about death in a artistic and anime-like way and I agree with them but still Shinigami no Ballad left no impact to me is incomparable ... to other series that really blows my head and heart.It does tell us that we should accept death and move on for its is just a fleeting moment i n the world that is very precious yet misunderstood; however, this message was not portrayed in a way that will make the audience rethink.

Momo is cute but also are many other girls and she did not really show more of her character;we know little of her personality. The show may have failed to keep other viewers interested and I really did not find a lot of uniqueness and surprises from this anime, it was typical.

This is one of the shows that I personally label as the "ones that some insist to be deep because there is deepness in it yet in reality it is just like other heartwarming animes". The six episodes seemed looonnnnggggg to me because of the slow pacing.

On the good side, kids can watch this and will not fear the concept of death. As a conclusion: this anime tackles a deep issue in a shallow way.

This anime, it is truly pathetic, the first impressions that I had to see the only episode I saw, was that as a shinigami going to be white, do not necessarily have to be white, but if you have something of rudeness, or some dark object, or shinigami have attitude, but this shinigami was soft, white and Pa height, it was a shinigami loli without words.

Humans interacted with those who had a history pathetic and rather boring and meaningless, the final chapter was something that was very obvious to see the chapter.

An anime boring, desperate, senseless and very predictable, no surprise that motivates one to ... continue watching this anime

Shinigami no Ballad was created by light novelist, Hasegawa Keisuke. The series gained an anime adaptation in 2006 from Group TAC, who you may remember as the studio behind the Arashi no Yoru ni film as well as several other works such as Those Who Hunt Elves and the Street Fighter anime. Really, this could go either way based on their works I've seen. So let's look at Shinigami no Ballad and see.

Shinigami no Ballad doesn't have an over-arcing story. Instead, each episode is its own story. They're connected by the theme of moving on after a brush with death, usually due to the loss ... of a loved one. Each story involves a different person learning to cope with some assistance from a shinigami named Momo and her winged cat named Daniel. This concept could have been really interesting. The big problem is that too many of the episodes cover the same basic thing with the same resolution. Seriously, half of the episodes involve the person moving on because... love and that's the major contributing factor for them, aside from Momo's meddling. It was kind of stupid the first time they did it and the second two barely improve on the idea. Not only that, but it just gets repetitive and that should never be an issue with a series that only has six episodes. Here's the thing, there are a lot of ways to cope with death and move on. Narrowing the scope that much betrays either a lack of imagination or laziness. I'm a bit curious as to whether or not the light novels get that repetitive or they just chose those situations for the anime because Group TAC just thought they were that good. A big part of the problem is just that the length doesn't lend itself to romance. They have roughly twenty minutes to establish the situation, the focus character for the episode, Momo's role and put in their romantic sub-plot. As a result, the romance always ends up being pretty rushed and cliche.

Then we have the characters. The focus characters are actually really well done, except for that one guy from the second episode. I can't be bothered to remember his name as he was very dull. They seem like real people. The love interests, in contrast, are very bland and rely on tired archetypes. Momo and Daniel have a good dynamic, but they really could use more development since they tend to have side roles.

The art in this is decent. The biggest issue is that the focus meanders. A lot of scenes will have people talking, but the art will show random objects in the background. Which may let them show off their ability to draw aquariums and other such things, but it makes the art feel unfocused.

The voice acting is pretty well handled. Kobayashi Akiko and Shimizu Ai do well in the roles of Momo and Daniel and they get some pretty good performances from the other characters, when there's something to them. The music is decent enough and manages to do its job.

The yuri factor is a 1/10. This doesn't have any yuri.

And that's Shinigami no Ballad. It's... decent. The concept is good and the episodes that don't lose their focus with gratuitous romance are pretty good. For the record, those are the first, fifth and final episodes. But it's held back by some questionable art decisions and too many cliche romantic sub-plots. The final rating is a 6/10.

Story. 4
This show really didn't have a plot. Momo, the main character, showed up rarely and had no backstory, so it was actually about a different group of people each episode. Sometimes, one of them was going to die, other times, they were all dealing with a death that had already happened. I'd be okay with there being no central plot (i.e. something chain of events involving Momo herself) if the episodes had been more engaging, but even though I'm a total softie, I really wasn't moved by any of the scenarios. A young girl dies after an accident, leaving her ... protective best friend behind, a teenage girl tries to cope with her new responsibilities in her family after the death of her mother, a boy finds out he doesn't have long to live--these are okay setups, but they were done pretty frivolously. So while it's not a bad show, I found the treatment of the topic fairly shallow and inane.

Art. 6
The art was neither bad nor good. Okay character designs, although I really disliked Momo's outfit.

Sound. 6
Sound was also unremarkable. Nothing stood out. The OP is okay.

Character. 4
I'm sure people will disagree, but I didn't find the characters to be good at all. Even though everyone was wrestling with death in some way or another, you really couldn't feel anyone's pain or fear or anger. Also, Momo, who is supposedly the central character, was incredibly uninteresting. The only characteristic you got from her was compassion.

Enjoyment. 4
I was fairly bored. There wasn't much to latch onto with this show. I picked it up after watching Shigofumi. I was still in the mood for some Shinigami stuff. It's similar in many ways, each episode usually dealing with a different group of people dealing with death or other heavy stuff, but in Shigofumi, you REALLY feel the characters' tension. This show by comparison just couldn't pull me in.

Overall. 6
Despite all my criticisms, I'm giving in a 6 because it lacked a lot of the things I truly hate in anime--no unbearable comic relief, no elements that just made no sense or almost no sense(e.g. Rahxephon or Evangelion), and no women with huge breasts (well that's okay to a point but the lack is a plus for me). I think it was more or less what it intended to be, an episodic show with no real plot, focused on death but trying to be light-hearted about it and not really angsty and intense. So I won't say don't watch it, just don't marathon it the way I did.

"Shinigami no Ballad" is a collection of six laid back short stories about an emotional shinigami Momo observing and often meddling in the lives of those who had to deal with the death of someone dear.

For a show centred around death, "Shinigami no Ballad" is neither dramatic nor exciting. Its episodic stories all share a similar contemplative mood, and there's a common underlying theme of living life to the fullest. It's a melancholy, relaxing kind of show that gently opens your eyes and lets you appreciate what's around you that little bit more. However, the stroll-in-the-park pacing means that it isn't going to be ... everyone's cup of tea. I was watching the 2nd episode whilst eating dinner, and found that episode to be boring; the remainder I watched without doing anything else, and found those enjoyable. So it seems to me it's probably the kind of series that requires undivided attention in order to be enjoyed, even for a viewer as patient as myself.

Though not spectacular in any department, "Shinigami no Ballad" is also a show that doesn't really do much wrong. It's likely to bore a lot of people out there, but I personally have a soft spot for this quiet, unassuming show.

Shinigami no Ballad is a rather short anime, but still well done. It is a pretty calm anime (Which means no action/violence) and it is innovative as it shows the duty of a shinigami (Also known as God of Death) from a different aspect.


► Story { 7 } ◄
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The anime does not follow a particular plot during the whole time. Instead, it is an anime that consists of six different stories, one for each episode. Even though some may not like the idea of that, I must say that all the stories are rather interesting and very touching. The stories this anime has could make ... someone shed a tear and at the same time make that someone smile.


► Animation & Art { 8 } ◄
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I haven't got much to say about the art. The way everything's drawn in the anime is simplistic; yet beautifully done. The art is certainly going to be something you will enjoy if you decide to watch this, especially if you like cute characters. Everything related to animation was really good.


► Sound { 7 } ◄
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The opening and ending songs are both very slow, but you could say they fit the anime after you hear them. Also, the voices the characters have fit them really well. However, there are rarely any sound effects, then again, that's not much of a drawback for the anime so the sound is quite alright.


► Character { 8 } ◄
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I really liked both the main and supporting characters since every character looked pretty real (If you exclude the fact that Momo the protagonist wanders around with a scythe on her hands {It'd be funny to see someone in real life doing that}).
Anyhow, I'll now talk about the two main characters;
Momo ⊱ As I've already mentioned, this is the protagonist in the anime. However, even though she is the protagonist, she does not appear very often, when she does, it is so as to influence her "clients" the way she thinks they should be influenced, she always tries to make them value their lives so they can live them to the fullest. I would like to add that she seems to be a very sensitive "God of Death" and is usually seen crying at the end of certain episodes, she's also pretty. One last thing about Momo, she appears in front of people who are still not scheduled to die.
Daniel ⊱ This is Momo's familiar who always accompanies her, Daniel has the form of a cute cat with bat wings and is rather apathetic towards humans, unlike Momo. Daniel's voice makes him sound a bit like a child he likes to tease people.


► Enjoyment { 9 } ◄
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I can most certainly say I do not regret watching this and I'd recommend it to anyone who feels like watching a series of calm and interesting stories regarding death and also regarding why people should value life.


► Overall { 8 } ◄
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To sum it up, this anime is short but very well made and can move some people emotionally. Of course, everyone's got their own taste, as such, if you're a fan of action, blood and violence only, you won't like it as much as I did.

To begin, I was not expecting this series to be that great.
I initially viewed it on the basis that it was 6 episodes in length.
I took "Shinigami no Ballad" more seriously after watching "House of Five Leaves", and learned the director - Tomomi Mochizuki - had directed both series. "House of Five Leaves" left that much of an impression on me.
The script writer Reiko Yoshida also had some influence on my decision, as she has written a lot of great scripts for many series such as Aria: The Natural, Major, Kaleido Star, and so on.

Like Aria, this series is episodic, you can literally ... watch any episode at any time, they're self contained.
Reading the synopsis and watching the first episode, you expect the series to be about what it is implying, a Shinigami taking the souls of people ready to leave this world. But this series is surprisingly more than a Shinigami taking a life every episode.
It has a lot to do with getting over death, or living your life to its fullest as you never know when the "end" will come.

This series is about a Shinigami who looks like a cute girl wearing white, her name is Momo. She's not your average Shinigami, she likes to appear before the souls she will take and let them know that they should start living life to its fullest, or she may even appear before the family, or a sibling[s] of the deceased, as the deceased had some "regrets" before leaving. Since people obviously find it hard to believe this cute girl is a Shinigami [despite her floating in the air and carrying a giant scythe around], she frequently flashes her ID card reading "Shinigami 100100" as proof.
She has a "sidekick" named Daniel, and he's kind of a quirky individual. Oh yes, he's a black cat with a bell around its neck. Most people believe she's a Shinigami after the cat starts talking.
Daniel usually calls Momo a crybaby, because Momo does exactly that. You will see it in episode 1.

Much like "House of Five Leaves" - I'm referring to the calm factor - , "Mushi-shi", or even "Aria: the Natural", which sounds like a very odd comparison to a show like this, but you'd understand if you've seen it. "Shinigami no Ballad" is calming and unusually touching.
This is in no way a horror, at all.

After finishing the last episode, I was actually sad that this very well directed series was over, and wanted to see more of Momo's adventures as a Shinigami.
The aesthetics fit the mood, the music was calming, and for the most part, the acting was very good.
I did not feel there was anything that was left out after each episode, except for in the 5th episode. Each episode is written and directed extremely well. You would think the slow pace would leave things unfinished, which is not the case here.

If there were a few things that put me off, some of the acting was a little too laid back at times, actually it was like they weren't even trying.
The idea of the Shinigami being a cute girl with a cat seems a little too generic when it comes to anime, but you get used to it after a few episodes.
Lastly, the series with its very slow pace and calmness, can be boring to some viewers.
Also the eye-catch is so unfitting and macabre that I burst into laughter every time I watch it. It does not fit the mood at all. Although there's a unique picture on the eye-catch for each episode, that's a nice edition, even though I only noticed it after 3 episodes.

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To conclude, this is a series, if you have any inclination into "Shinigami no Ballad", and don't mind the slow pace of anime like "House of Five Leaves", "Mushi-shi", or "Aria", this is a great story to delve into and enjoy to its fullest, as there are only 6 episodes. You can watch it like it's a long chapter by chapter film.
A surprisingly calm and touching series about death. It is not a horror in any way.

Keep pursuing your dreams! ~ Wynn

P.S.
[This show is currently rated at #2478]
Just because a series rating is not over 100 does not mean it is bad in any way (it can also be true that it is bad though), but the same goes for the fact that a series rated at 100 does not mean it is good.
I recommend reading the reviews that do not spoil the series as well as seeing if the synopsis agrees with your taste. But you can still be missing out even after not agreeing with any of those points.

So basically you just have to get lucky, and hope for the best most of the time.

shinigami no ballad is kinda different in each episode you meet different people with different issues and problems .. each episode has a meaning behind it . a deep meaning i thought at first it was going to be kinda lame compared to the other shinigami animes but to be toatlly honest . i loved it . the shinigami name is momo and her comrade name is daniel .the second episode was really touching and different , she didn't do what i thought she was going to do and neither did the story go the way i thought it was going to go . it ... was a real tear jerker...

I gave this anime an overall score of ten because it's not a normal anime. The charatcer development is really good even though sometimes the character is only in the series for one episode. Also the anime usually has a sence of closure in each episode, it doesnt leave you wondering in other words. This anime is a nice change form the normal high adrenaline fighting ones.

Shinigami no Ballad is a short series of six self-contained stories about Momo, the god of death, her cat Daniel, and their ventures in the human world. All stories involve young people having to deal with the loss in some way or another. This might sound like heavy drama but Shinigami no Ballad manages to tell stories in a fairly lighthearted, soothing way.

All stories are very well written and have a point to make, which is really refreshing when most anime have a tendency to have scattered plotlines just in case the show gets renewed for a new season. Watching stories that have clean ... and nice resolutions feels almost like a privilege and I really appreciate it. This is an older anime and it has that early 2000s charm to it.

The innocent yet brave way these young students deal with loss and receiving a visit from Momo gives a dreamlike quality to this show that is very appealing and fun to watch. The original material is in fact an series of visual novels but I can't find it anywhere. Hopefully I'll be able to check that material soon.

No Spoiler Review:
The series is a collection of short stories told over the course of 6 episodes. The show comes off lackluster with it's presentation and the soundtrack used was awful. The bumper music used to transition from the first half of the episode to the second half of the episode is like listening to nails to a chalkboard. Tons of synching issues with sound and the characters talking as well. Very distracting. The choice of characters that were being followed was a bit odd as well. I can't go to into the details about the previous statement but with this show diving into the ... supernatural you could've shown different instances of life and death from ALL walks of life. The anime tries its hardest to come off as a comfy, bitter sweet series that the animation failed to meet. Overall, the show is very short animation and can be viewed in one go. There are certainly interesting premises done with the death god (Momo). The idea of characters finding their own reason to keep moving and finding purpose has its' own charm. Melancholic but with technical issues throughout the show, it is not recommended but does have its moments.

Even though it's only a set of six short almost-unrelated stories, it's a very touching series.
It is a highly enjoyable anime without a complex plot. The soundtrack is made only with synthesizer sounds but the themes are lovely and in perfect harmony with each story. Despite not having hyper dramatic scenes, it manages to create a very nostalgic atmosphere because of the contrast between the sad moments and the cuteness of the characters.
The only thing I've never liked about it is that it never got more episodes.
This series definitely needs more love. It's practically forgotten now despite how good it is. It should be ... considered a must-watch classic.

Shinigami no Ballad is a brief 2006 anime whose story is split in 6 indipendent episodes.

I found the stories somehow enjoyable till episode 5, although most of them were based on common clichés and only one or two of them really kept me interested.

The characters were pretty plain. The reason why I didn’t enjoy the last episode at all is the appalling stupidity of the main character, Sakura. Really, she took like 1 minute and a half to realise each thing. The dialogues were so silly and badly written at times, like in the last episode, when Momo told Sakura that Daniel had ... told her she was dead just to “joke around”. Haha, yeah, you made me think I was dead but I actually wasn’t that’s so funny. No it isn’t.

I wouldn’t say animation is low-tier, but it often gets static and boringly stuck on some scenes. Rather, CGI and SFX were visibly horrible and bad handled. When the camera focuses on the rainy sky I shouldn’t see the place were the rain animation originates. I know it’s 2006 CGI but I honestly expected something more.

Both the Opening and the Ending themes definitely pissed me off: they were in theme with the sad atmosphere of the show just because the singer appeared to want to end her existence because of how bad and bland the lyrics were (the verses didn’t even rhyme!). Also I could make a better base for a theme song in smth like 4 minutes. Soundtracks don’t deserve praise as well.