Death Parade – 02
Sit back and enjoy the show.
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Well, we said “very soon”, so hopefully this is soon enough. Who is “we”? Er, this week it’s me and every other week it should be Kyo. |
The second episode took us into a more detailed view on how Quindecim operates. Onna seems pretty new, so we had an exposition episode with her as the excuse as to why things are being explained, but they managed to work that pretty well into the plot. Decim seems to lack something in the understanding of human emotions, as proven with Takeshi and Machiko, so having Onna there as a (more understanding) second opinion of sorts gives her a purpose for being there.
As for the system, it seems to work like how most people assumed it did, with the games being more to drive people into a corner to have them reveal their true selves than something to actually judge people by. After all, Machiko won the game, but was still carried to the void. Now, Quindecim’s judgement system worked exactly how Nona said it would in this episode, but people can be unpredictable, so maybe this isn’t the perfect system and things could probably go wrong. Not just with the arbiter’s judgement (since the episode already showed that it was flawed), but more with the way people act, like being able to keep from revealing just how awful they are during everything. And if that room is full of mannequins, what really happens to the people who refuse to participate? However, having the arbiters have the memories of the people and combined with the fact that the people don’t have any memories of dying and think they’re playing with their lives at stake, maybe this system will work exactly how it’s supposed to (at least for the duration of the anime, surely something has to go wrong eventually).
Back to the flaws that were actually shown though, it’s really interesting how that despite having the power over people’s destination after death, the arbiter can also make mistakes. Decim seems to lack something, so Machiko lying in the end just meant that she was an awful person to him, and not her trying to “save” Takashi, even despite their circumstances. They kind of gave us hints at her nature too, like when Takeshi was starting to break down and he injured Machiko seemingly on purpose (after the flash in his mind of him dying in Quindecim), the points she scored on him after seemed to be by accident. Of course, everyone’s actions were more ambiguous at the time and who knows who really meant what at the time. It’s only because of Onna’s observation while being a third party viewer at the time that Machiko’s actions didn’t look so bad at the end of the 2nd episode.
Overall, it’s really interesting how Death Parade played this situation. By the end of the first episode, Machiko looked completely terrible. However, just from a different point of view in a single scene, she was actually a really sympathetic character. Maybe they won’t take as much effort to explain each case like they did here, since this seemed to be an explanation episode that also justified why Onna was needed around the place. However, it would be nice if they put this much depth into every judgement that happens. Human nature isn’t that simple, and it would be interesting if Death Parade could explore that aspect over it’s run.
It’s also interesting how humans are a part of this process too. Maybe that’s because this place exists for the purpose of judging humans, but Nona walked Onna through the process and she never really insulted humans as a whole. Even despite watching the absolute worst of people, there was never the easy “humans are terrible” line. Since the arbiters are there for judgement, you would think that they might consider themselves superior to the ugly side of people, but there didn’t seem to be anything like that. Decim is also pretty polite to everyone (though that might just be his character) as well and it seems that it’s important that humans are judged correctly. Decim seemed shocked that he might have made a mistake and Nona reprimanded him for it.
There’s probably potential for an overarching plot, even with the formula of having a new group of people being judged every episode or so. Nona seems to be looking at something beyond what the initial premise of the anime is. Plus Onna seems more adjusted to seeing human emotions than Decim, so she might end up revolutionizing something in the system. Of course, this is all just speculation at this point, but I think the set up the first two episodes had opens up quite a few possibilities as to where the series will go. Or maybe they will be able to pull off just having people judged, and manage (or fail) to keep that interesting for 12 episodes. It’s always interesting to see where these anime-only storylines go.
Ahh 2 episodes in and I still love this anime. There’s just so many things it give you to think about, and I love how they managed to completely turn a character around with the addition of a few scenes. There wasn’t even any dialogue there (minus Onna’s explanation), but just crying. This anime has done a lot with just showing things through character’s emotions! Though the settings themselves are also pretty interesting. Everything during the game and where Nona led Onna seems pretty dark and urban, but then as a huge contrast, the place where Onna woke up and where Nona was at the end of the episode was light and very natural looking. Maybe this was just a style choice, but it would be interesting if they justified it later in the season somehow. Also, they have a lot they could explore regarding who Decim is, who Onna is (she seemed to accept her job relatively easy considering the circumstances) or even Nona, since she seemed to be higher up in this system. They have a lot they can work with here (and a lot more characters to introduce if the OP is anything to go by) and I’m still excited to see where Death Parade goes from here.
Looks like there are more fun times ahead.
About Karakuri
University student and the one at Metanorn who's known for wearing glasses. Likes blood, insanity and plot twists, but also plays otome games and adores cute romance anime. It balances out... somehow.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Two posts of the same show on one list. There’s something you don’t see every day.
The second episode saved itself from falling into immediate mediocrity by making a little twist. Laborious it would’ve been going through all the recaps of the first episode if not for the behind-the-scenes bits with Nona and Onna. Setting the sequence up as though they’re commentators watching and judging a show. In a twisted sense, they’re doing what we’re doing.
The second half incited despair. If even arbiters are capable of making errors in their observations, especially with first hand experiences, they’re just as imperfect as the humans they put through the wringer which in turn shows the core of the system bears a serious flaw. Meaning even if a person has lived on the straight and narrow from start to finish, like Machiko as a prime example, the slightest miscalculation and that person is eternally screwed. That’s hardly different from betting in a casino and an arbiter who exudes an anti-social aura and doesn’t have the capabilities of reading people beneath the surface is another hazard in and of itself.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
I think I did it a long time ago with Tasogare Otome, but I’ve been very… uh, slow with my posts over the past couple of months. And even less diligent with comments.
Ahaha yeah, kind of. Though I do believe that they had a better view, since we needed to see it twice to understand.
Hmm, she kind of desired that outcome though, in order to save Takashi. Or maybe she didn’t want to go to the void exactly, but she wanted to lessen his despair. So in a way she got what she wanted? It should be interesting to see if Decim makes a mistake again or not.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Whether it was a selfless act not, in my opinion, Machiko didn’t deserve such an end. If Takashi is that untrusting, let his foolishness drag him down and him alone. An innocent woman has been damned because of his mistrust.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Innocent? Hardly. It was pretty clear that she had had something regretful happen. It’s just whether that was enough to condemn her.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Whatever it is I doubt it was enough to end up like this.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Onna’s opinion was the same one that I had at the end of the first episode. She was just a more believable character than Takeshi, and at the point where she broke and seemingly showed her true self, she had no reason to do so. She had ‘won’ whatever game, Takeshi had shown himself to be insecure and faithless. And she didn’t seem like the kind of person who would be rubbing it in.
But that’s what led to wondering like skylion did in the first post about which was the reward condition. Given Decim’s reaction to possibly having made a mistake, it does seem like the reincarnation is the ‘good’ end, and the void is the bad end. But I didn’t quite get the same feeling as you from Nona’s reaction. To me, she seemed to be confirming Decim’s judgment (perhaps because that was also her own judgment and noone likes being wrong), not chastising him for making an error, and only later was wondering if they were wrong. She also then dismissed that at the very end, at least that’s what it seemed to me with her “She’s got a lot to learn” kind of comment.
I liked this step back from the “let’s judge some people!” type of story. I wonder why the term for Onna seems limited to 3 months, whether it’s a trial or they just rotate someone new through to keep judgments fresh.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I still don’t know how the system works, and how much is lost in translation, or how much even needs translation. But, it’s exploration as far as I’m concerned, and I do love that aspect…
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ah, well I was thinking of Machiko’s break down at the end being more like “I’ve won the game now, we’re dead anyways and so I’m just going to finally get this off my chest! Ahaha!” sort of thing. But I know I usually just expect the worst of people.
I never replied to skylion’s comment, but my thoughts were along the lines of maybe they’re saying that life is the best thing someone can have? I mean, sure, life can be full of suffering and whatnot, but there can also be really rewarding moments. It’s probably better than just simply not existing?
I don’t see how Nona was confirming Decim’s judgement, since didn’t she say something like “watch carefully next time”?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I’m not sure, and I haven’t gone back to watch it, but my impression was that after Kurokami Straight Long floated her hypothesis, Nona considered it for a moment, and Decim wondered if he was wrong, and then Nona dismissed it. And then at the end, Nona reconsidered again, and again dismissed it, and said something like “Well, she’ll only be here 3 months”. I might have misinterpreted the whole thing, tho.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yes. This is what I wanted to see. Despite the outward appearances of control, they are just as messy as we humans.
Nona is a gem of a character, and I think we’ve yet to see how far her depths go….gonna be interesting….
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
We are pretty all over the place… but yeah, it’s nice to see the arbiters screw up too…
Yeah, she seems like she’s more important than a lot of the characters, if only for the fact that she’s not in some shady bar.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Nona must be the shadiest of the bunch since she’s Decim’s superior.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yep, this is exactly what I mean…
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
Oh, how I love anime’s with nicely made exposition. Showing, rather than telling, or worse, how a lot like to do, when one characters explaines to the other sh*t that he should already know.
I wonder if there will be an episode, with a clever “dead” character that will refuse to play, because he hacked the system of how things go. That would be quite entertaining.
P.S. Since Karakuri likes to call this lady “Onna”, just wanted to say, my friend, idk why, likes to call this Onna “Daria”. lol.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
Uhh, just noticed, how I made no sense in the second sentence. I meant, that “showing the viewer rather than telling is better”. As Karakuri explained very well how we see pretty much emotions only, with a few exceptions.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Yeah, what you’re saying about “hacking the system” is what I was thinking about the judgement process being imperfect! I’m sure someone would do it eventually (knowingly or not). I just wonder if we’ll get to see it.
Oh, I call her Onna since the site has her listed as “Kurokami no Onna”.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
“Black haired girl (Kurokami no Onna)”? Well, that’s a rude way to address someone.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Noone’s addressed her that way. It’s like “watashi” from Jinrui no Suitai Shimashita, something for us to call her in reference since she doesn’t have a name as yet.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Now that you mention that though, I wonder if she’ll ever get a name.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
If she doesn’t on the show’s site, I would say 99% that she won’t.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
You got to name her something. An identity begins with a name.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Oh, I was thinking like it might be a significant plot thing that would happen near the end of the series. The rest of the staff has a name (or at least the ones they’ve shown). Maybe giving her a name would be like a “welcome, now you’re fully part of our team”. Or maybe they’ll give us the name she had before she came to this place (if she even existed before then).
…Or they could just keep it vague so we all think that this show is deep and meaningful. There’s so much they could explain or keep hidden at this point.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Why does the name others give her matter? I disagree that ones value of self originates from the label others give you.
I’m guessing it’s just a “let’s not give her a name because then it’s easier for the audience to insert themselves in her spot.”
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
Oh, I see. Since it’s an official website, that makes it kind of sad, not giving her a name.
Though if you go through the names of the other characters, except Mayu, all of them sound…kind of mythological(is that even a word?), maybe?
It just sounds a bit, that their names are something like nicknames. Maybe you have to ‘Get’ a name bassed on what are you like and what kind of work you are doing. That’s just a thought.
I first thought, when Onna appeared in their world, that she died and whas chosen by Nona. So lets say that all of the other characters are dead, and dont remember who they were, just like Onna, so maybe Nona gave all of them their ‘new’ names? Again, because they dont sound like names that people would normaly use in our world.