by arbiters over who goes to their version of heaven and hell based on their actions and behavior while
undergoing severe psychological stress.
Each episode is a different tale with different characters. In my opinion, Death Parade improves on the
formula on Hell Girl by including a series-length plot with the main character that connects the episodic
stories together.
Hell Girl's weakness was repetition. Each episode focused entirely on the humans under evaluation by
the sprits, so each episode ended with the same themes and outcomes. In Death Parade, half of the
episode focuses on the human subjects and the other half covers how it changes the main character.
This leads to an extra layer of depth and variety in the stories.
The look of the show is mind-blowing at times. The set design and backgrounds is top notch. Each
location has a different atmosphere so the visuals don't get boring. The musical score is nothing special
but is a key to contributing to the immersion.
It appears they opened up the possibility to a continuation of this show and its world based on what
they set up. Unfortunately, that did not materialize. Thankfully, the majority of the character arcs and
critical story beats were resolved, so it's not that big of a deal.
If you are a fan of horror or thought-provoking anthology shows like Black Mirror or Cabinet of
Curiosities, this is the anime to check out. Even if you are not a fan of shows like this, I highly
recommend giving the show a try just for the visuals and the entertaining scenarios the humans are
subjected to.
