Hello and, with the winter anime season in high gear, Welcome to Three Episode Rule where shows have 3 shots to prove a point.
Today, I will be doing a mini review of Death Parade. Death Parade is a continuation of the well received Death Billiards, a short made by Madhouse in relation to the "Young Animator Training Program" set up by the Japanese Ministry of Culture to support aspiring animators.
In the short, two people enter a mysterious bar with no memories of how they got there and they must play game with their lives at stake all the while learning about themselves and secrets they hold. Concerns were present that there was not enough material to support a full series with a concept like the short. While the show plays it's hand a bit too early and has a recap/new character intro episode by episode 2, the rest of it plays out more like an anthology while we see a slowly expanding cast of people. In addition, while I can't explain why due to spoilers, the show has a way of keeping you on edge and then letting the tension loose to either dramatic and sharp effect or, in the case of the last episode, a soft and warm comfort.
Animation wise, it has some hiccups here and there and female faces tend to have very large eyes in proportion to their faces but it's fluid, brightly colored and contrasted with little off model characters.
Music is the bigger sticking point; While the ambiance for the episode is well composed piano and orchestral notes and fits the tone, the opening and ending don't fit the tone. The opening is a upbeat and fast paced jazz beat right out of the Funk era and while, independent of the show, it's high energy and good times feel are backed by both good English and Japanese lyrics and a sharp beat, it's pretty much the opposite of the show's tone. The ending is a more somber rock ballad but personally, an operatic voice with a morbid tone would fit better.
Still, despite the very minor flaws, Death Parade is a show that may not pack a lot of action or noise but it plays it's cards well and will leave you with an emotional ride.
Death Parade is streaming on Funimation [http://www.funimation.com/shows/death-parade/home]
Today, I will be doing a mini review of Death Parade. Death Parade is a continuation of the well received Death Billiards, a short made by Madhouse in relation to the "Young Animator Training Program" set up by the Japanese Ministry of Culture to support aspiring animators.
In the short, two people enter a mysterious bar with no memories of how they got there and they must play game with their lives at stake all the while learning about themselves and secrets they hold. Concerns were present that there was not enough material to support a full series with a concept like the short. While the show plays it's hand a bit too early and has a recap/new character intro episode by episode 2, the rest of it plays out more like an anthology while we see a slowly expanding cast of people. In addition, while I can't explain why due to spoilers, the show has a way of keeping you on edge and then letting the tension loose to either dramatic and sharp effect or, in the case of the last episode, a soft and warm comfort.
Animation wise, it has some hiccups here and there and female faces tend to have very large eyes in proportion to their faces but it's fluid, brightly colored and contrasted with little off model characters.
Music is the bigger sticking point; While the ambiance for the episode is well composed piano and orchestral notes and fits the tone, the opening and ending don't fit the tone. The opening is a upbeat and fast paced jazz beat right out of the Funk era and while, independent of the show, it's high energy and good times feel are backed by both good English and Japanese lyrics and a sharp beat, it's pretty much the opposite of the show's tone. The ending is a more somber rock ballad but personally, an operatic voice with a morbid tone would fit better.
Still, despite the very minor flaws, Death Parade is a show that may not pack a lot of action or noise but it plays it's cards well and will leave you with an emotional ride.
Death Parade is streaming on Funimation [http://www.funimation.com/shows/death-parade/home]