Its not just grief. There are as many emotions as there are people. The fragility of someone who lets their anger get the best of them The strength to overcome fear because of love You cant comprehend anything about them. Chiyuki An anime that you might recognize because of its iconic OP or unique setting Death Parade was one that I was looking forward to watching for a while. My first impression were pretty well met and the first thing that I had noticed was its unique atmosphere. Right off the bat Death Parade had managed to establish a tone of air that grabbed my attention. Soon afterwards I realized that I was in for something dark and special. For the most part it was pretty episodic with the events that unfolded as the anime progressed. While there was a somewhat vague goal in mind going on behind the scenes there didnt seem to be any REAL storyline or message in the beginning of Death Parade. I had enjoyed the various events that took place though because of the psychological awareness that us viewers had of the participants. You were able to see what they were thinking feel what they were feeling and what made them tick on the inside. This is where the art/animation shined because of the stunningly realistic and dramatic facial expressions that were featured. Another thing that stood out were the unique designs that had fit the environment almost perfectly. While Death Parade did have its dark tones it still had much more to offer in terms of entertainment. Both the character interactions as well as the occasional comedy were enough to lighten the mood a bit and give viewers a break from the intense moments that were soon too appear. While this anime did have an episodic style in the beginning that didnt seem to have much in terms of a storyline it soon turned into something MUCH deeper than I was ever expecting to see. And now its an anime that has become one of my favorites that Id highly recommend to any who are in to either dark or philosophical genres. Lets get on with the scoring: Art and Animation: 9.2/10 This anime had some really good art/animation to offer in every element that it featured. From the surrounding environment dynamic sequences moody color palette and unique character designs every element worked in unison to contribute to the overall atmosphere of Death Parade. Despite all of these positive elements I have to admit that this type of style has to be down your alley in order for you to fully enjoy it. It brings to the table an ominous feel that i havent experienced too often with other anime. My eyes never felt strained or distracted by poor animation so be rest assured that this anime delivers from a technical standpoint. Storyline and Character Progression: 9.4/10 I felt quite conflicted while scoring this section because of a few reasons. The main thing that i must admit was how long it took to build up the story. For while the story in the end was AMAZING beyond words it took until the last few episodes where it all blossomed into one powerful message. In the beginning the anime was very episodic and occasionally hinted at a storyline developing in the background. While this style of anime might appeal to some an episodic feel undermines many events in an anime as irrelevant. The unique thing that i appreciated was how the beginning used these episodes to slowly and secretly add to the main message behind the events. Near reaching the end of the storyline it all came together in such an unexpected way. In ONE episode my opinion of Death Parade changed dramatically for the better to the point where it brought tears to my eyes. It truly was a breathtaking and wow moment where it seemed like the whole world stood still in this moment i couldnt believe what i was watching. Im not being dramatic either i truly felt like this was a special moment in my anime career without a doubt. Overall the story was phenomenal despite the slower and unclear beginning. This anime is definitely geared less to a general audience but aimed towards one more specific in tastes. As for the characters this too was executed VERY well. From the very beginning i felt like i was watching ordinary humans with sincere feelings and thoughts. It was quite an art to see how they interacted with such natural fluidity and thought process. It was as if we were diving into the inner thoughts and desires of each person to see what made them as a person. What made them happy what made them sad what made them scared or what pushed them to insanity. All of these thoughts and actions were carefully observed by the main characters and they too were still figuring out why humans made the decisions they did. This anime showed that while humans seemed simple the emotions they felt were beyond comprehension. Being able to feel what they felt and see what they saw it was still a challenge to deduct WHY these humans acted in such a manner. And in the end our main characters came to a beautiful realization that suddenly blossomed into something truly spectacular. With each passing moment they came to terms with their emotions and accepted what seemed to be fate. I felt connected with them at this point and the emotions experienced became my own. I was fully immersed into the anime at this point and i soon realized how well executed the character interactions and dialogue were. This was by far the strongest part of Death Parade and i enjoyed every single minute of it. The only downside i felt with this anime was the insignificance of the supporting characters. I didnt really end up caring or connecting with them and one girl in specific was just annoying and unneeded for me. So while the main characters were developed VERY well i felt like the supporting roles were somewhat overlooked or neglected. Soundtrack and Audio: 8.9/10 What can i say? The OP is one that Im sure many of us have seen and heard because of how iconic it is. Its upbeat the animation is dynamic and i never grew tired of listening to it. The rest of the soundtrack didnt feature much but was spectacular when it was showcased. It contributed both to the mood and atmosphere of the moment to amplify it even further. The piano piece specifically was the highlight of it all as this was the moment I was moved to tears. I had no complaints with the voice actors since most of them executed their roles very well in conveying sincere emotion. Sounds effects too were of decent quality and didnt negatively affect my immersion so no big complaints at all here. My final thoughts? A slower paced episodical beginning that suddenly grew in meaning and significance towards the end in order to blossom into a powerful lesson. This is one of the few anime Ive seen where the ending FAR surpasses its beginning. Truly an emotional and intense experience that I wont soon forget and one that Id recommend to anyone looking for something more mature psychological and with a touch of darkness. This is why i believe Death Parade deserves the score of 9.1/10. For its unique environment memorable soundtrack and truly beautiful lesson this is an anime i wouldnt hesitate to recommend. Thanks so much for reading this far and Ill see you in the next one 3 Streaming Platform: Funimation