Story 6/10
I was initially drawn to the show because of the interesting concept of life, death, and the afterlife. It's no mystery that death is a topic that concerns everyone at some point in there life and there is no true way to cope with an inevitable outcome. You only have one shot at life, and making the best of it is what counts.
The premise of the show twists that concept, as the the decision of Hell and Heaven are thrust upon arbiters that judge their participants in games that bring out the true darkness in their hearts. This presents an issue that the show itself acknowledges but it doesn't exactly rectify. The quality of a person's life should not hinge on the final moments of their conscious soul; this leads to episodes with climaxes that feel like cheap shots that sway viewers into a contrived resolution of each minor plot.
Surrounding these episodic (and repetitive) structures lies an overarching plot that deals with the existence of the main character and his companion. I can't say too much about the story, but it was unimpressive, and predictable from the start. There is not a lot of lore that the show touches upon, as it is seemingly grounded in reality, but the couple of episodes devoted to exposition merely pad out the length of the season, before it provides an ending with no satisfaction.
Art 10/10
Outstanding. There is not a lot that I am able to express in my own words as mere screenshots of the show can tell the whole story. Beautiful usage of hues and shadows give a dreamlike presence to the main setting. Characters are drawn very well, with a serious tone with excellent, subdued expressions.
Sound 9/10
Behold this season's catchiest OP that will get you in the groove. There was not a single episode where I felt compelled to shave off a few minutes to get straight to the meat of the show; the OP was always my favourite part of each one. Don't be fooled by its upbeat tune; the show deals with heavy issues that contrast greatly with the positive vibes. Background music is done perfectly as the jazz-influences complements the bar setting perfectly. Voices and sounds have a tinge of depth and distance to them that remind you how empty their world really is.
Character 3/10
This is where I start pulling punches at the show.
The main character, Decim, is not capable of showing any emotion and should be an objective judge. This leads to an easy setup for growth through the show that the viewers will experience with him. Early on, he is even capable of feeling remorse about whether or not his actions were correct. In my opinion, there was no significant, believable arc for him that justifies the 'logical' ending that we were given. We went from point A, to point Aa, to Ab, all the way to C
His companion serves as the backbone to the growth that Decim goes through. She humanizes him with her methods of thinking, and it is capitalized again and again that humans have no place among the Arbiters. From almost the very beginning, her conclusion is predictable, and it was only a matter of how slowly the show progressed with tiny hints until her character was resolved. For the time being, she was only a companion with no heartfelt scenes with Decim that gave the two any real chemistry.
Almost every episode, in accordance to the premise, introduces a pair of characters that slowly reveal whom they were before entering Quindecim. This makes for simple plots that were mostly completed within the same episode of introduction. This is also the fatal flaw of the show. Each pair has no more depth than an episode of CSI. There are shallow mysteries that are solved paint-by-numbers style and each climax is an explosion of melodrama that have no personal effect to the viewer. Perhaps I am exceptionally critical of the show, but the only way these plot twists could be remarkable to anyone is if they have never watched television before.
There are recurring characters that are introduced in the show, but I will save myself the trouble and summarize it by saying they have absolutely no bearing to the conclusion of the show.
Enjoyment 5/10
I give this a middling 5/10 because despite each short story being average at best, I always returned to the show because of the phenomenal art style and catchy OP. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy anything in the show. The games played were very interesting takes on traditional games that gave them a strong Saw-vibe. The overarching plot provided reason to tune in for each episode, while the characters were slowly expanded upon.
Overall 4/10
I don't average my scores. I give a gut feeling as final scores, as shows have certain qualities to them that cannot be described with the sum of its parts. I'm no stranger to excessive consumption of media, and this show falls squarely in the "average-decent" range for me. The shallow messages brought forth each episode are poorly done. The grand thematic elements are themes I've seen time and time again (you should watch Blade Runner).
I would recommend this show to people that don't have time to watch a lot of things in their busy lives.
