Life works in mysterious ways. But how does Death work? We’ve been living our lives watching how humans work. But what happens after death? Death Parade shows us what happens after we die. Or at least that is what we believe happens. Of course, we do not know for sure if this is exactly what happens but looks very convincing.
When we see the bad people always getting their way with life, we wonder if they ever get judged. Who judges them? The good ones who live an unfair life, what happens to them after they die? Do they get a second chance to live again an unfair life? If not then what happens? Is there any justice? Because when we are alive we do not get to see justice more often.
Death Parade Plot
In Death Parade, whenever two humans die somewhere at the same time, they are sent to one of many mysterious bars, without any memory of how they might have died. There they find a bartender who hosts a game for those two humans. A game of death. And the bartender acts as a judge who judges their characters when they come to know that they are playing a game of death. In this game, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses. All that matters is what is their true nature when they are close to death.
According to that, the bartender decides who gets to be reincarnated and who goes to the void. The main bartender around which Death Parade is revolved is Decim who serves in his Quindecim bar.
Is Death Parade just an anime to give us the satisfaction that life may be unfair but death is not? Or is there more to it? If you feel this way about life and death, then Death Parade is the anime you must watch. This is not the only reason you should watch this anime. There’s more to it. And here are the 10 reasons you must watch Death Parade before you die.
1. The Concept Of Reincarnation And Void
From the day we were born, we were told that the good people go to heaven and the bad ones to hell. But, Death Parade shows us a new concept. A convincing one. There are millions of billions of humans. And the possibility of two humans dying simultaneously is very high. When two humans die at the same time, they both are sent to a place where they will be judged.
Instead of being sent to heaven or hell, they will be judged as to whether they will be given a second chance to live or will be sent to the void. How these two humans who died simultaneously behave when they have to play a game of death, will reveal their true nature. After all, when a person is close to death, that is when his true identity is revealed.
2. Death Parade Shows The Mistakes Humans Make When They Are Alive
Life is full of mistakes humans make. In the end, all that matters is whether humans can accept the result of their mistakes or not. Humans tend to never accept the wrong they have done. They all think what they do is always right. And that’s the first mistake they always do. In Death Parade, whenever two humans are sent to one of these bars without any memory of their deaths, they still believe that they were alive. And during these death games, they keep repeating the same mistakes as always. They all want to win. And in that process, they forget to see what’s right and what’s wrong.
Death Parade teaches us that winning doesn’t matter if the path is wrong.
3. Humans’ True Nature When They Are Close To Death
Humans tend to fake their nature all their lives. But, they can’t help but show who they are when they are close to death. During the death games, Decim gives each human a sly chance to win. And if one chooses to go the wrong path with the pressure of death behind them, that’s the deciding factor. That’s how Decim decides who’ll get reincarnated and who’ll go to the void. Believe it or not, there still exist people who consider others’ feelings before their own. They are the ones who get a second chance at life.
4. Death Parade Showed Us How Human Emotions Work
Human emotions are never stable. If somebody’s emotion can be stable then they won’t be called human anymore. They’ll either be called God or they’d be one of the bartenders from Death Parade. Decim and other bartenders keep their emotions stable so they can judge these humans unbiasedly. During these death games, humans’ emotions take their true nature. Even those who’ve been kind all their life, they change the moment they are close to death. They try to cling to their lives badly. Even though they don’t understand death, the fear of death pushes them to go on the bad path just so they can live a few more moments. But, little did they know they were already dead.
5. Judging Others Take A Lot Of Pain
We, humans, judge others without a single thought, intentionally or unintentionally. But, they don’t understand the reasons of the other person. They don’t even try to. But, Death Parade shows us the true meaning of judging others. What it takes to judge others, Decim showed us. Chiyuki, the black-haired woman being a human when she saw how humans are judged in Quindecim bar, wondered how can Decim judge these humans with that ease.
Decim was not a human. He never judged anyone with human emotions.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Psychological Anime of the 21st Century
6. Humans Can’t Be Judged Based On Few Memories
In Death Parade, Decim usually gets the memories of the humans right before the moment they die. And humans right before they die usually do some mistakes that become the very reason for their deaths. Chiyuki often questions Decim about how these few mistakes and memories can be the reason whether they should get reincarnated or go to the void. But Decim is programmed to never have human emotions or ask questions like these. So, he judges the way he should.
But, who knew someday he’ll feel the emotions and ask himself if he is capable of judging others or not. After all, can humans be truly judged based on a few memories or mistakes? Sometimes, situations require humans to do something they never would have wished to do so.
7. To Judge Others One Needs To Understand Their Pain And Suffering Too
When Chiyuki was able to infect Decim with human emotions, Decim started to question his judgments. It was like Decim was turning into a human himself. He started realizing that was the mistakes of humans enough to judge them. He never understood the reasons behind why humans did what they did. Without understanding those pain, feelings, and emotions, he passed his judgment upon them. Was that all a mistake of Decim?
8. Suicide Doesn’t End Suffering But Passes On To The Loved Ones
When Chiyuki started getting her memories back, she remembered that she was a human too. She used to be a professional ice skater. But, due to her knee injury, she could never skate again. And due to depression, she committed suicide. But, later when Decim showed her her home and she found out that her mother misses her every day, she regretted taking her own life.
Suicide may seem like an escape from pain and suffering, but it isn’t. It may end for one person, but the pain passes on to their loved ones.
9. How Reincarnation Doesn’t Always Mean A Second Chance But A Punishment
Isn’t life chaotic? The more we live the more we feel helpless every day. Yet, we still cling to this life every moment we are close to death. During each of these death games, we saw a side of humans that could never understand this fact. Everyone fought for their second chances in life. Just so that they can live again their miserable lives. But, doesn’t that sound like a punishment. All the mistakes these humans have done while they were alive, they get to live again. Or maybe it is a second chance to correct the wrongs they have done.
Sometimes, it feels like the void is finally letting these humans rest. It’s like, they have suffered enough. Now it’s time for them to rest.
10. Death Parade Showed How Even The Cold Void Can Feel Warm
The story of Mayu and Harada was different than other ones. Here, both at first tried to cling to their lives, but later realizes how wrong it felt. The moment they were about to push other ones to win they felt guilty and accepted their fates. This is where Ginti offers them to spend some time together as they started developing feelings for each other. But, when Mayu was to choose whether to get a second chance at life by letting Harada go to the void, she chose to stay with Harada and share his fate. As they both were going to the void, they started turning into dummies. But, right before they completely turned into dummies, Harada embraced Mayu one last time.
Who knew even death could feel this peaceful. Who knew the cold void could feel this warm.
Also Read: Death Parade Review: An Uncanny Watch For Mature Audience
