Story: 9.
Death Parade was incredibly original and it was a breath of fresh air because of it. The storyline was well paced, perfectly unfolded and well written. It was very entertaining and VERY emotional and it left me with so much to think about - and those are the types of stories I love. They stick with you because they had something to say and they said it well and that is very true of Death Parade. I would go into detail about the story but it isn't worth spoiling any aspect of it so you'll have to trust me and give it a try! ;)
Art: 8.
The art style and character designs were well made and rather unique and ultimately, very appealing. It wasn't the type of art that leaves you breathless - like Nagi no Asukara or Guilty Crown - but the art was well done, detailed, colourful and very well suited to the theme of the series. Where it shone was in it's character design especially - the designs were wonderful!
Sound: 8.
Death Parade had a lovely soundtrack that was well made to fully deliver the tone of the series and it's many "moods". The opening was unique, catchy and brilliant - a true standout this season but it was it's emotional, darker ending theme that left me speechless. I would crank up the volume after every episode to fully appreciate it's dark and twisty brilliance. I always appreciate when opening and ending themes are not only good - but very well suited to the series and helpful in conveying the series messages and that is very true here. The two themes were a sharp contrast to each other and that conveyed the two sides of the story Death Parade delivered very well.
Characters: 9.
Death Parade had excellent characters. Each and every secondary character that came through the doors to Quendecim was well handled, beautifully developed and well designed. The main characters, Chiyuki and Decim, were beautifully developed and both unfolded before your eyes with perfect pacing. The other mains were very well done too - a few could have been focused on a tiny bit more but it was a 12 episode series and in that 12 episodes it delivered incredible characters and development so I'm not going to pick it apart for not taking a few more background characters a little further. Death Parade reminded me you CAN develop good characters in a shorter time frame - and more series need to work harder in doing so, or if they can't , select the appropriate amount of episodes for their series.
Enjoyment: 10.
I immensely enjoyed every single episode of Death Parade and it took me through every emotion possible. It was entertaining, moving, enthralling and left me in "think mode" after each episode, as the events I just watched couldn't leave my head. It has been quite awhile since I cried as a series came to a conclusion, feeling like I had been on a "journey" with a show, but that was my experience with Death Parade. It was a 10/10 for enjoyment - and is a series I will be rewatching many times in the future.
Overall: 9.
Death Parade is a fabulous and original series that was really well developed. Be prepared to be entertained and in 12 short episodes, be put through a lot of emotions and left with a lot to think about. It IS sad so do prepare the tissue boxes well in advance! IMO, it is the shining star of the Winter Season!
