"The evening's the best part of the day."
~ Stranger, Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Remains Of The Day", 1989
Yes, this is Anime's take on the renowned Japanese-British writer's work.
So does it gain any Brownie points with this Ishiguro fan?
STORY- 6 (15/25)
Death Parade starts off with an interesting premise, providing viewers a unique look into the Afterlife. Main Arc 1 was good- that of the protagonist getting a TROTD style self-reflection and thus becoming a more understanding being. Main Arc 2 less so- observant viewers will quickly catch on to the past of the Amnesiac female protagonist.
There was also no strong Antagonist challenge to build suspense. Seriously, the greatest "heel" was the rival character, and he did not do anything overtly villainous.
All in all, the Story was interesting, though not necessarily paced and presented in the best of ways.
ART + SOUND- 9 (22.5/25)
The praise will be showered on the thunderous opening "Flyers" by BRADIO. Definitely a fun song that adds irony to this serious Anime. "Last Theater" by NoisyCell is also enjoyable, fitting in with the show's perceptive nature. With Madhouse in charge here, the Artwork unsurprisingly scores high marks, setting the tone appropriately with consistent high standards maintained throughout.
With regards to the Voice Acting, the likes of Tomoaki Maeno, Asami Seto, Rumi Okubo and Yoshimasa Hosoya all produce performances ranging from steady to impressive. Maeno's Decim in particular has a calm cadence that the English dub cannot replicate.
I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to the OST again, but overall quality aesthetics are abound.
CHARACTER- 7 (17.5/25)
Decim Stevens (because Ishiguro) is your typical Arbiter, judging the souls of the Dead, then giving or denying them salvation. He is decent at his job but emotionally withdrawn. Maeno basically portrays a more likeable version of Anthony Hopkins's Stevens. The bartender-cum-Arbiter displays some apt and strong emotion following his epiphany.
The Miss Kenton to Decim's Stevens is Kurokami no Onna. Onna is a Gothic-dressing Amnesiac who interns at Decim's world by chance. Her interactions with the protagonist are enjoyable. Unfortunately, her character development was more cliched and lacked the same emotional impact as Decim's.
Nona and Ginti provide further enjoyment. Nona, whose dress belies her experience, is my favourite type of Female character. (Laid back and fun but still able to maintain high competence in her work) Ginti is Decim's hotheaded rival. While his usual arrogance juxtaposed with his subservience to Nona is fun, why would Ginti be irascible when "Arbiters cannot have Human emotions"? I chalk that down to poor Storytelling, though it affects Characterisation here.
Furthermore, characters such as Castra (same VA as Satsuki Kiryuin) were rather forgettable. I understand that Supporting characters shouldn't overshadow the Protagonists, but not to the extent of being nondescript. And the 1D Fangirl character is awful. :D
ENJOYMENT- 9 (22.5/25)
Despite all the issues with world building, I can say with certainty I enjoyed Death Parade greatly. Following a roller coaster ride of Episode 1, the series constantly keeps things fresh by alternating between the heartwarming and callous with great finesse. At no point did I feel that the show was boring, even if the Story ventured into shaky ground towards the end.
OVERALL- 77.5/100- 8/10, rounded up
All in all, Death Parade was certainly an interesting take on its subject matter, but I might have set the bar too high comparing this with "The Remains of the Day". While making for enjoyable viewing, it lacked certain streamlining and intricacies to make this Anime a true masterpiece.
