Anime is an abstract medium. While not as mainstream as other mediums it certainly has more surrealistic and creative ideas. Death Parade is an example of it. Shows like this are the reason why I like the medium so much and prefer it over other mediums. Death Parade is a psychological thriller centered mainly around the concept of death and the afterlife. It gives a unique approach to the concept of the afterlife to put it simply instead of simply going to hell or heaven reincarnation or void the show presents the idea of an arbiter an emotionless judge who decides which of the people who appear in his bar goes to hell an empty void which goes on forever or heaven a form of reincarnation. The arbiter being emotionless objectively tries to determine which people deserve what kind of fate by emotionally wrecking them and getting the darkest aspect of their character out. In a way this show is an extremely accurate character study which shows the mental state of people and how each person has a different perspective on life and death and how humans cant understand each other. The show also explores the randomness and unfair nature of life and how humans arent in control of it and how they can lose their sanity in any given moment due to dire circumstances. Watching this show hit me hard and it made me extremely sad at times. However the reason I feel this show is so well done is because of how the characters in this show the ones which come to the bar feel so human all their actions are neither good nor bad all the characters have some flaws or are morally grey that you as the viewer cant help yourself but judge the people coming in the bar yourself and determine which person deserves what kind of fate. Something the show screams at the viewers to not do. In a way we humans are arbiters as well we pass judgment on people without knowing their circumstances and determine which person is good or bad when in reality everyone has flaws and everyones lives are different hence we shouldnt really pass judgment on them. This level of thematic exploration via the characters is brilliant and how the show manages to engage the audience and provoke them and get reactions out of them is just brilliant. Hence I feel the show does justice to its themes. Now moving onto the characters They are messed up. The Human characters are great however the arbiters in the bar are extremely flat and one dimensional and for the most part serve nothing to the story and are underdeveloped and their plot points are unresolved. Hence in a way none of them are in any way necessary to the story and all they do is open up plot points and give empty threats which are left dangling and not fully addressed. The exceptions are Decim and Chiyuki who have layers of depth to them but Decims character is extremely sloppy as well. The arbiters constantly refer to Decim as being an arbiter with human emotions however that point is never foreshadowed or emphasized in the show until the last 4 episodes where Decims character goes through some development and becomes likable. Chiyuki on the other hand is already layered and has enough depth to her and she makes the judgment episodes entertaining. Plot and Pacing The anime is episodic and is focused on thematic exploration hence an actual plot in this story is absent. However the show tries to hint at a possible plot whenever the show focuses on the side characters but they are not really addressed which for the most part is the only weakest link of the show and the most prominent. 1/3rd of this shows episodes are not required and dont progress the story nor close up the plot points they tried to explore hence they are just there and make the progression of the main story slower. So I feel the show couldve ended in at most 9 episodes and that couldve been better. Art/Animation and Sound/Music The art style and the way the show is animated is just marvelous. Its madhouse studio after all. The character designs are unique and visually appealing and the art of this anime sells its setting well. However the A game of this anime is its sound and music. The background music in this anime is harmonious and just suits and sells the depressing setting this show has. Also the opening song is really misleading because it just subverts viewer expectations and delivers something completely different in a way it contradicts the show. The ending is my personal favorite though. Since it just makes the experience feel more emotional and is a great and impactful way to end the episodes. Final Verdict This show feels really realistic and handles the idea of death in an extremely original realistic yet abstract way. If you can turn a blind eye to some of the points the show messed upon you will have a fulfilling experience with this anime and gain a lot of value from it. Hence my final score is 89/100