Death Parade Episode #4 Review:

Another great episode of Death Parade. We return to the dark and gloomy atmosphere that we're used with 2 new exciting characters.

The Show:

This episode was quite a good one. Once again we reverted back to a more unstable and violent relationship for our main characters. Both characters did not know each other, and it isn't clear if they both died at the same time. 

Honestly, Misaki's personality was annoying and snot-nosed all the way until she finally got sent to the void. Although she did have multiple divorces and multiple children, she doesn't seem to truly love any of her children. In her flashbacks, the older children seem to always have bitter faces, and she is smiling with the younger crew. There seems to be an unequal sharing of the love, if you can even consider it love. While playing the game, the special attack she uses with the children is all things to considered "weak". This time all the children are in the frame, but she still claims that they are weak. Even during her final pleas to Dequim, she was kept talking about herself. She never once mentioned talked about them as if she really missed or needed them. She saw them as solely an essential part of her life that was now coming back to order.

Kousuke' s life a lot less dramatic, but still melancholy and a worthy one to explore. He seemed to deeply regret the fact that he never called his step-mom, "mom". In the end, Kousuke never really was that exciting, and I thought his story was kind of lackluster. Though it's clear he deeply regrets his decisions to reject his step-mother, it is not too clear why he died. Was it because of his regrets? Is it because he couldn't face his step-mother after all the pain he caused? I don't really know?

The Good:

• A fine return to our regular themes of despair and heart-break.
• Animation is still great and the music especially was diverse and fit the scenes well.
• Once again Dequim is showing a more human side to himself. This time is the most direct, but the most unnoticeable. If he didn't actually say that he had pride, honestly, I wouldn't have known it. He is becoming more and more human and less of a robot/flat character each and every episode.
• The part with Misaki smacking Kousuke's head into the screen was amazingly done. I was most certainly not expecting it, and it helped demonstrate her impulsive nature as she immediately regret it. 

The Bad:

Although I really enjoyed the episode as a whole, there are a couple things that really urked me.

• Really Kousuke? Really Madhouse? They gave him Crocs. I might just be me, but that was really annoying. Why couldn't they have just given him regular shoes. 
• I felt that overall Kousuke had a rather boring and uneventful story, and this showed by the producers. He definitely received a lot less flashbacks and they were often similarly themed.
• The step-mother's jaw is huge and honestly, if you gave her a 10-foot body, she could be a Titan.

The Questions and Answers:

• NONA? --Nope
• Maria? -- I'm still pretending like I never saw it.
• Arbiters?-- Well still no real news about them. I guess Dequim is showing human qualities.
• Otaku/Hikkomori? -- Yes there was one, albeit not a very exciting one.
• Dequim's Character?-- He continues to evolve and show his human emotions and values.
• What is the relationship level for players to meet up? -- Apparently now any opposite-sex players that have died can meet up.

The Questions NEW:

• I honestly cannot think of too many questions that I have for now.

The Conclusion:

I certainly did enjoy this episode more than the previous, though that isn't to say that it was better. It was a highly enjoyable episode that really had me cheering against Misaki the whole time. I'd give it an 8.01 similar to last weeks episode, as although I enjoyed it better, I think it was slightly worse overall. As always don't forget to Follow, +1, Comment, and CYA!

Death Parade Episode #3 Review: A Sweet Change of Events

Sorry to the people waiting for this review. I had a ton of exams and had to get those done. I will get this review done today and hopefully catch up with episode #4 tomorrow. Anyways, onto the review.

The Show:

This week, we start off with a brand new couple. The male's name is Shigeru, and the female can't actually remember her's. Although at first they struggle to fathom what is going, eventually the girl decides you can't "live" without knowing her name. The game of the week is Rolling Ballade, essentially bowling. The players are to bowl like normal; however, this time the will be able to feel each other's heartbeats in their respective bowling balls. What ensues is not a bloodbath, an all out war, or even the pain train; instead, both players are playing happily along and cheering each other on. Eventually, the 2 start getting their memories back, and we learn that they were actually childhood friends. Her name is Chisato and she was always secretly in love with him. It seems that when they were kids, Chisato, Shigeru, and another girl, Mai, used to play together. When they were still young, Mai moved away and the protagonists were left alone. Although, it seemed as though Chisato liked him, he didn't really seem interested in her. Chisato's solution was to get plastic surgery to look just like Mai and get Shigeru to notice her. Well...It worked!!! The problem is that the first time he decided to approach her in real life, they died in a bus crash. In the world of the dead, he learns to appreciate her and they enjoy every last moment of their time together. The end result is that they are both sent to be reincarnated.

The Good:

• I decided that the OP is seriously amazing and it has already leap-frogged itself into my top 10 anime OP. I will be making a top 10 Anime OP's of shows I've watched soon.

• This episode was really a change in pace. It was much more relaxing and there wasn't any tense drama. I liked how it managed to still keep the mood gloomy and sulky. One of the most important things introduced is the possibility of both "contestants" going to Heaven or both players going to the Void.

• Dequim. He is showing more of a human side. In the previous episode, he proved he wasn't a robot by making a mistake. This time he showed that he has a sense of humour (albeit barely, but it's still a work in progress). 

• It was a real slow build up that led to a strong and unexpected finish. Although, the whole episode was about the two childhood friends getting together, I was just waiting for them to pull something crazy and turn them against each other.

• The background music was once again great.

• An overall strong story that is surely a change of pace for what is to come in Episode #4.

The Bad:

• It certainly wasn't as good as the first episode, but that isn't to say it was bad by any means. It was slower-paced and there was far less drama. For me, the first episode set the bar really high.

• The story seemed slightly too dramatic. I mean how could Shigeru seriously ignore Chisato, for that many years. They lived in the same town and I assume they went to the same school. Ignoring her for that many years and only noticing her after she looked like Mai, is kind of a dick move if you ask me. The short time frame, 

• Overall, just a slow and different episode compared to the fast-paced previous episodes.

The Answers:

• Will we learn more about Nona? - No, not in this episode

• What is Maria's real name? - Interestingly enough, she does seem to have her name revealed, though I'll just pretend like I never read it.

• How does one become an Arbiter? Are Arbiters immortal?  - I don't know, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM

• What happens if nothing exciting happens in the game? - Why did I even ask this question?

• Can both players go through the same gate? - Yes, Yes, and YES!

• Will all the story arcs be 2-parters? -With the preview, showing a new game, most likely not. Also, I suspect that throughout the next 9 episodes, there will be 7 more games. There are 9 tiles on the roulette and they will most likely all be rolled once during the season.

• Did this game live up to the hype of the first one? -Not really, though it still was good in its own way.

• Is Dequim the only arbiter that can start games?- Still not sure, but in the intro they show Nona presenting a game.

• Can a Person Stuck in the Void Come Back? - I'm going to avoid this question for now.

The Questions:

The Old:

• Will we learn more about Nona?
• What is Maria's real name? 
• How does one become an Arbiter? Are Arbiters immortal?
• Is Dequim the only arbiter that can start games?

The New:

• Will Death Arcade involve a Hikikomori or Otaku?
• How will Dequim's character continue to evolve?
• What is the lowest relationship level for players to meet up? (Ex: Episode 1 involved a married couple. Episode 3 involved close friends. Could an otaku who has a crush on another girl work?)

The Conclusion:

A good episode that really stretches the imagination and provides a unique spin on the Death of Death Parade. I'd give this episode an 8.01/10. It delivered most of what I was expecting and managed to clear up a few things. As always, don't forget to Follow, +1, Comment, and CYA!