Death Parade & Speculation
Before diving into the main topic, my compliments first and foremost to MADHOUSE Inc. for producing animes that I have no regrets coming across:
- Cardcaptor Sakura
- Chihayafuru
- Death Billiards
- Death Parade
- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
- Monster
- Parasyte
- Rainbow: Nisha RokubÅ no Shichinin
- Supernatural: The Animation
- Tokyo Godfathers
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| Please spare a moment to look at this ravishing picture of a cube doll. |
Okay, jokes aside, I must say that this series has quickly become something I look forward to this season. If you have not watched Death Billiards before starting this series, you are highly encouraged to.
So, how would I describe Death Parade? It's like a chill party with Jigoku Shoujo where the people who have passed on play games to decide their fate instead of facing the full wrath of the judge.
The Offer of Life or Death
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
- Deuteronomy 30:11 - 20
<< Warning: Spoilers & speculations from episodes 1-7 ahead! >>
Do not proceed if you have no idea what "Chavvot" is.
I love the ambiguity and mystery of the concept of afterlife in Death Parade.
1. The concept of the afterlife
- For now, it seems that the DP's world of the afterlife primarily revolves around the concept of reincarnation, enlightenment and the void (representing earth, heaven and hell respectively). What we know so far about the lifts are that the arbiters do not necessarily have to send one player to 'heaven' and the other to 'hell'. Rather, depending on the outcome of the game and the moral decisions the players make during the game, the arbiter decides their fate. So both players have an equal chance of being sent to 'heaven' or 'hell'.
2. The arbiters
- How were they chosen?
- Where did they come from?
- Why isn't 'God' the one doing the judging?In one of the episodes, the old billiard man (Oculus) mentions that 'God' is no longer around. So, I'm guessing the arbiters were probably once "angels" who served 'God' but took it upon themselves to do his work. How else would he have known that 'God' wasn't around?
- What happened to 'God' in this anime?
- What happens if the arbiters made a wrong judgment? Are there consequences for making a wrong judgment?Decim was shown to have made a wrong judgment so it hints that the arbiters are fallable. However, Decim did not seem to receive any form of punishment for his error. Nona seems to be more concerned about her existential crisis and the manpower shortage.
- Decim: Interestingly, Decim mentioned not having felt what it was like to live. Nona is drawn to her creation formed as a result of her curiosity to judge people in more than one way. At this point, I would question if it would be fair to judge people using yardsticks of different lengths. What we know so far is that all of the arbiters, except for Decim, have no human emotions (however laughable that is). In fact, every arbiter we've seen so far seems more expressive than Decim.
- Onna: Her origins, though currently unknown, are mysterious and open to speculation. Some online forums have mentioned several possibilities.
3. The book 'Chavvot'
- Do Jimmy & Chavvot represent Decim & Onna's relationship literally or metaphorically?
- Literally: Decim & Onna could have been childhood friends. Onna may have been born deaf.
- Metaphorically: Some online forums speculate that Decim & Onna symbolises 'death and life' or 'yin and yang', opposite in nature but an equally necessary balance.Sources:
4. Decim's mannequins/marionettes
- Possibly a symbol of his yearning to understand humans and their emotions.
- Decim wanted to remember each and every of his guest but cannot due to the frequent mind wipes he has to undergo, thus making and storing the dolls in his "memory palace".
Well, that's all for now. If you're hungry for more, check out the alternate links provided. Enjoy!
Alternate reviews & speculations:
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