Featured Articles

Picking Apart the Death Parade Opening

The Death Parade opening has gotten a lot of attention for both its bombastic nature as well as its tone, which supposedly goes completely opposite of the show's. Here's a look at why the Death Parade opening actually fits almost perfectly with the anime's diverse themes.

by luckychaos
Nov 19, 2015 6:33 PM | 23,197 views

Death Parade Opening

Death Parade is a show that's about, well, death. Most of the series' time is spent taking a very deep look at a new pair of recently-deceased characters every episode, forcing them into intensely stressful situations so that their "true natures" can be revealed for judgement. Once this judgement is passed, one person's soul is sent back for reincarnation, while the other's is consigned to the void forever.

But the Death Parade opening doesn't even touch on what is supposedly the show's core, instead featuring a fun pop song with the cast gleefully dancing around. So what's the deal here?


The Imagery


Death Parade Everyone Death Parade Opening

One would be forgiven for thinking that Death Parade is a goofy show after watching the silly Death Parade opening. Every single character can be seen dancing, drinking alcohol, playing around, or some variation thereof. In fact, everyone is all smiles throughout the song, save for the notable exceptions of Decim and Ginti. However, paying a slight amount of attention is all it takes to catch glimpses of Death Parade's true subject matter in the opening, as well as the complicated nature of everything about it.

Nona apparently playing Dance Dance Revolution on top of a Japanese altar for the dead in the Death Parade opening is a shining example of this, especially when one notices the hands of Buddha behind her. Continuing with the Buddha imagery is Oculus, who strikes a similar pose as the multi-armed Buddha with most of the female members of the cast. Oculus has a lotus flower as some sort of top knot on his head, once more evoking the Buddha. All of these images in the Death Parade opening and more suggest that Death Parade has more than a few ties to Buddhism and its beliefs pertaining to the afterlife.

There are also more than a few hints of the black-haired woman's character arc in the Death Parade opening, with a "blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot" of her ice-skating as well as her holding the two Chavvot dolls at the very end. However, the significance of both of these images will only be understood by those who have seen the entire series.


The Lyrics


Death Parade Decim, Nona, and Chiyuki Death Parade Opening

The Death Parade opening song, "Flyers", sung by Bradio, is all about experiencing life to the fullest - the good and the bad. It's the arbiters' jobs to draw out both aspects of the souls brought before them. This isn't exactly a pleasant process, and it's implied as such in the first few lyrics of "Flyers":

Through delusions of how you want things to be vs. reality
Keep stirring the pot, building your individuality

Taking things from beginning to end
That's my life's entertainment!

These lines indicate that they're about someone that spent their life being unable to accept reality and suffered for it. The "individuality", at least when brought to the fore in Death Parade, is actually the suffering they'd experienced in life and the painful release of emotions as a result.

Death Parade Decim Death Parade Opening

Related Articles

Vocaloids and the Anime Inspired by Them

Vocaloids and the Anime Inspired by Them

Vocaloids have transformed the way music is being created, how characters are brought to life, and how some companies are viewing their intellectual properties. They've also influenced and inspired the creation of 'Vocaloid anime'. It's time to delve into the world of Vocaloids!
The Opening of Tokyo Ghoul: Unravel

The Opening of Tokyo Ghoul: Unravel

Tokyo Ghoul is a romantic tragedy that follows the young Ken Kaneki who is born human but is transformed into a man-eating ghoul. A twisted story of morality, humanity and friendship, its opening theme song beautifully captures this complex narrative.
Gantz Opening: Get Your Adrenaline Pumping With the OP

Gantz Opening: Get Your Adrenaline Pumping With the OP

The Gantz opening gives us a glimpse into the action of the anime, while introducing some of the main characters… and revealing more about their personalities than you realized.

by Littoface

21,675 views

Feel Your Cosmo With Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold's Opening!

Feel Your Cosmo With Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold's Opening!

Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold follows the story of Athena's Gold Saint, Leo Aioria, and the other Gold Saints who were mysteriously revived in Asgard after sacrificing their lives to destroy the Wailing Wall. Let’s feel our cosmos and discover the mystery and their epic adventure in its unique opening!

by akirajasmine

11,672 views

The Wail of the Bloody Siren: The Corpse Party OST

The Wail of the Bloody Siren: The Corpse Party OST

Always a fan favourite, Corpse Party has taken the world by storm since its arrival. The limited number of episodes released for the OVA left its core audience craving for more, with an enchanting soundtrack that leaves nothing to the imagination.

Related Database Entries

Anime: Death Parade
Characters: DecimGintiOculus

All Tags Trending Tags

It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login