Reviews

I was initially concerned that the novelty of the “bar game decides the fate of your soul” premise would wear off sooner rather than later, but to my pleasant surprise, that wasn’t the case at all. In essence, what we get from Death Parade is one large story arc subtly playing out in the backdrop of several other short stories. Given the nature of this narrative format, many characters have “one-and-done” episodic appearances. Still, I found myself caring for many of them almost as much as I did the main cast.

As we can pretty much assume with Madhouse, the overall production value is excellent. The audience is treated to pristine animation, complementary voice acting and sound design, and the most LIT opening I think I’ve ever seen.

At its core, Death Parade is a drama that attempts to explore morality, and what it means to be human. Due to this lofty goal and the carousel of supporting characters, we don’t quite get the same kind of investment in our main cast as we probably could. That same criticism applies to world-building; there’s a very persistent sense of mystery surrounding the arbiters themselves. This wasn’t a huge deal for me, but definitely could bother viewers who like to know everything.

When all is said and done, though, Madhouse and company deliver yet another well-rounded, well-animated product.