Death Parade

Death Parade
Key visual for Death Parade featuring main character Decim
デス・パレード (Desu Parēdo)
Genre	Drama, mystery, psychological thriller
Anime film
Death Billiards
Directed by	Yuzuru Tachikawa
Produced by	Takuya Tsunoki
Written by	Yuzuru Tachikawa
Music by	Kotaro Tanaka
Studio	Madhouse
Released	March 2, 2013
Runtime	25 minutes
Anime television series
Directed by	Yuzuru Tachikawa
Written by	Yuzuru Tachikawa
Music by	Yuki Hayashi
Studio	Madhouse
Licensed by	^AUS Madman Entertainment ^NA Funimation
Network	NTV, SUN, BS Nittele, AT-X, MMT
Original run	January 9, 2015 – March 27, 2015
Episodes	12

Death Parade (Japanese: デス・パレード Hepburn: Desu Parēdo) is a 2015 Japanese television anime series created, written, and directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa and produced by Madhouse. The series spawned from a short film, Death Billiards (デス・ビリヤード Desu Biriyādo), which was originally produced by Madhouse for the Young Animator Training Project's Anime Mirai 2013 and released on March 2, 2013. The television series aired in Japan between January 9, 2015 and March 27, 2015 and is licensed in North America by Funimation. The series was obtained by Madman Entertainment for digital distribution in Australia and New Zealand.

Premise

Whenever two people on Earth die at the same time, they are sent to one of many mysterious bars run by bartenders serving as arbiters. There, they must participate in Death Games with their lives on the line, the results of which reveal what secrets led them to their situation and what their fate will be afterwards, with the arbiters judging if their souls will either be sent for reincarnation or banished into the void. The series follows Decim, the lone bartender of the Quindecim bar, whose role in judging these souls changes when he meets a curious black-haired woman.

Characters

Main characters

Decim (デキム Dekimu)^[1][2][3]

Voiced by: Tomoaki Maeno (Japanese); Alex Organ^[4] (English)

The bartender of the Quindecim bar (located on the 15th floor) who oversees the Death Games. His hobby is making mannequins that resemble guests he had previously judged. It is stated that he has no human emotions; however, he is the first dummy or puppet to be given human emotions for Nona's own reasons.

Chiyuki (知幸 Chiyuki)

Voiced by: Asami Seto (Japanese); Jamie Marchi^[4] (English)

A human who initially has no memory of her life or her real name and is simply referred to as "the black-haired woman" (黒髪の女 kurokami no onna). She works as an assistant at Quindecim, learning the methods that arbiters use to judge human souls.

Arbiters

Nona (ノーナ Nōna)^[5]

Voiced by: Rumi Ōkubo (Japanese); Jād Saxton^[4] (English)

Decim's boss, she manages the entire tower, primarily working on the 90th floor and sometimes overseeing the games.

Ginti (ギンティ Ginti)

Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya (Japanese); Robert McCollum (English)

Another bartender who runs a bar, Viginti, on the 20th floor. He also oversees Death Games. As of episode 6 Mayu stays with him instead of being judged.

Clavis (クラヴィス Kuravisu)

Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama (Japanese); Z. Charles Bolton^[4] (English)

An elevator attendant who is always seen smiling.

Quin (クイーン Kuīn)

Voiced by: Ryōko Shiraishi (Japanese); Anastasia Muñoz^[4] (English)

A member of the information bureau who ran the Quindecim bar before Decim took her place.

Castra (カストラ Kasutora)

Voiced by: Ryōka Yuzuki (Japanese); Morgan Garrett (English)

A woman in a skull helmet who oversees deaths across the world and decides which souls are sent to which arbiters.

Oculus (オクルス Okurusu)

Voiced by: Tesshō Genda (Japanese); Jeremy Schwartz (English)

An alleged god who spends his free time playing galactic pool.

Players

Man (男 Otoko)

Voiced by: Yuichi Nakamura

He appeared in "Death Billards" as a cocky young man in his 30s who came in before Roujin at Quindecim. He and Roujin were forced to play a game of billiards that would decide their fate. In the midst of the game, he was completely surprised when he underestimated Roujin who, at his advance age, was already beating him in the game and was able to defend himself after he lunged at him with a cue stick. After the confrontation, he was able to recall that he is already dead and that he died at the hands of his girlfriend who murdered him after he cheated on her. At the end of the game, he and Roujin where both led to the elevator where their fate wasn't known.

Elderly Man (老人 Rōjin)

Voiced by: Jun Hazumi

He appeared in "Death Billards" who died of natural causes. He arrived in the Quindecim after Otoko, where they were both made to play a game of billiards that would decide their fate. Unlike Otoko, who is cocky and aggressive, he is calm and level-headed. Even when in the face of a confrontation with the latter, he was able to defend himself from Otoko's assault. At the end of the game, they were led to the elevator by Decim where it wasn't known as to what their fate has become. Before entering the elevator, he whispered something to Decim whose details are unknown. In the final scene he was seen with a smirk on his face.

Takashi (たかし Takashi)

Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai (Japanese); Eric Vale^[4] (English)

The first to play the game. He and his wife Machiko enter a darts game with their lives staked on it. After realising Machiko's affair he sets out to win the game, later learning his jealousy drove him and his wife to their deaths. He ends up losing but Decim's judgement puts him through reincarnation rather than the void.

Machiko (真智子 Machiko)

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese); Trina Nishimura^[4] (English)

The first to play the game. She and her husband Takashi enter a darts game with their lives staked on it. After admitting an affair and that she married Takashi for his money, she landed the winning shot. Takashi attacks her but Decim intervenes. Although she wins the game, Decim's judgement sends her to the void. It is later suggested that she lied about the affair to lessen Takashi's guilt about having killed their baby. Although Chiyuki noticed her sacrifice, it was too late for Decim to reverse his judgement.

Shigeru Miura (三浦 しげる Miura Shigeru)

Voiced by: Junji Majima, Lynn (young) (Japanese); Micah Solusod (English)

He is a college student who awakens at Quindecim and reunites with his childhood friend. He plays Death Bowling against her, later learning that they died in a bus accident together.

Mai Takada (高田 舞 Takada Mai)

Voiced by: M.A.O., Yuna Taniguchi (young) (Japanese); Bryn Apprill (English)

A part-time attendant at the bowling alley where Miura and his friends often played. It is revealed that she was childhood friends with Chisato and Miura.

Chisato Miyazaki (みやざき ちさと Miyazaki Chisato)

Voiced by: Marie Hatanaka (young) (Japanese); Tia Ballard (young) (English)

A childhood friend of Miura and Mai who moved away. Mai initially claims to be Chisato when she meets Miura at Quindecim.

Misaki Tachibana (橘みさき Tachibana Misaki)

Voiced by: Yuriko Yamaguchi (Japanese); Monica Rial (English)

She is the hostess of a reality television show. Misaki's explicit relationship at a young age leads to an unexpected pregnancy with an abusive man. She attempted to raise her five children despite the mishaps of her multiple failed relationships. She was strangled to death by her talent manager in a fit of rage after she slapped and antagonized her.

Yousuke Tateishi (立石 洋介 Tateishi Yousuke)

Voiced by: Masakazu Morita (Japanese); Ian Sinclair (English)

Yousuke's parents had a divorce and his father remarried. However, Yousuke refused to accept his new mother and avoided her at home, eventually committing suicide. He is placed in a Death Game against Misaki where they must fight in an arcade game.

Mayu Arita (有田 マユ Arita Mayu)

Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki (Japanese); Leah Clark (English)

An excitable high school girl who died after slipping on a bar of soap. She is sent to the Viginti where she plays a game of twister against Harada. Unlike the other guests, she ends up staying at the Viginti instead of passing on. Ginti later on presents her with Harada's soul-less body, telling her that it's possible to revive him, but it would require sending another young man's soul into the void in his place. She chooses to do so, bringing Harada's body with her to retrieve his soul. As they enter the void, Harada manages to be revived for a brief moment before both their souls fall into the void, reducing their bodies back into the mannequins they originally were.

Harada (原田)

Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese); Josh Grelle (English)

A male idol who was part of the boy band C.H.A., who plays against Mayu at the Viginti. After causing a fan to commit suicide after breaking up with her, Harada was killed by a timer bomb given to him by his girlfriend, who was that girl's sister. His soul-less body makes a comeback in episode 11, eventually revealing that his soul has been sent to the void. Mayu was given a choice to revive him, but in the end she accompanies him and joins his soul in the void.

Shimada (島田)

Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese); Todd Haberkorn (English)

Together with Tatsumi, he arrived at Quindecim, where they both have to fight in a game of air hockey that would decide their fate. Prior to the game, he finds a bloodied knife in his bag with no idea as to why he had it. During the game he recalls that he has a sister named Sae who was violently raped by a stalker and that he was able to kill the stalker with the knife from before, but was mortally wounded during the struggle. He then killed whom he thought to be the stalker's "accomplice", not knowing it was Tatsumi. He later remembers that he died from the loss of blood from the fatal wound he sustained earlier. In the last phases of the game he realizes that the one he thought was the accomplice was actually Tatsumi who went there to kill the stalker as well. He becomes extremely enraged when he learns that Tatsumi, a detective, actually witnessed his sister's assault but did nothing to save her. Despite Chiyuki's attempts to lessen his guilt, he gave in to Tatsumi's tauntings. At the end of the game it is suggested that both he and Tatsumi were sent to the void.

Tatsumi (辰巳)

Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese); Kent Williams (English)

He arrived with Shimada at Quindecim, where they have to fight in a game of air hockey. He was a detective whose wife had been brutally murdered. After tracking down and killing the culprit, he began a string of vigilantism where he monitors suspicious people before executing them should they commit a crime, hence he witnessed Sae Shimada's rape and was deduced by her to be an accomplice involved in the assault. Arriving at the stalker's house later, he found the stalker already dead before being fatally stabbed by Shimada, who assumed he was the "accomplice" his sister mentioned. He died of blood loss just as Shimada passed out from his own fatal wound. At the end of the game it is suggested that both he and Shimada were sent to the void.

Sachiko Uemura (上村 幸子 Uemura Sachiko)

Voiced by: Ikuko Tani (Japanese); Linda Leonard (English)

A lone guest who was sent to Quindecim so as to judge hers and the black-haired woman's souls in a game of Old Maid. She was a story book illustrator and the wife of the elderly man from Death Billiards. Chancing upon a card illustrated with a character she never got to draw, she deduced that she was dead, despite not remembering how she died nor does she want to learn it, thankful that she has seen her illustration come to life. Later on as she witnesses cards with illustrations from the Chavvot story, she explains the story and the author's feelings that went into it, which allowed the woman to recall part of her childhood memories and her name, Chiyuki. After the end of the game she is sent to be reincarnated.

Media

Death Billiards

Death Billiards was produced by Madhouse as part of the Young Animator Training Project's Anime Mirai 2013 project, which funds young animators, alongside other short films by Trigger, Zexcs and Gonzo.^[6] Death Billiards and the other shorts each received 38 million yen from the Japanese Animation Creators Association, who receives funding from the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs.^[7] The short was created, directed and written by Yuzuru Tachikawa. The short, along with the other Anime Mirai shorts, opened in 14 Japanese theatres on March 2, 2013.^[8]

Title	Release date
"Death Billiards" "Desu Biriyādo" (デス・ビリヤード)	March 2, 2013
Two men – a younger man wearing a suit and an elderly man – find themselves in a bar helmed by a single bartender and his female assistant. Their reason for being there is to play a game of billiards, but the bartender drops several hints that suggest the loser of the game will forfeit his life.

Death Parade

A television anime series based on the short, titled Death Parade, aired in Japan between January 9, 2015 and March 27, 2015.^[9] The opening theme is "Flyers" by Bradio while the ending theme is "Last Theater" by NoisyCell. The series is licensed in North America by Funimation, who simulcast the series as it aired. A broadcast dub version began streaming from February 18, 2015, both on Funimation's website and a Dubbletalk programming block which is streamed on Twitch.^[10]

Episode list

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"Death Seven Darts" "Desu Sebun Dātsu" (デス・セブンダーツ)	January 9, 2015
Newlyweds Takashi and Machiko find themselves at the Quindecim bar, where the bartender, Decim, has them stake their lives in a game of darts, where each dart landed causes their partner great pain. As the game progresses, Takashi suspects that Machiko had been having an affair and tries to bend the match in his favor, only for Machiko to state this wasn't true at all, landing the winning hit. At the end of the game, it is revealed they had both died in a car crash because of Takashi's jealousy, with Machiko subsequently claiming she only married Takashi for his money. After Decim prevents Takashi from further attacking Machiko, he sends them to the elevators, where Takashi gets reincarnated and Machiko gets sent to the void.
2	"Death Reverse" "Desu Ribāsu" (デス・リバース)	January 16, 2015
A black-haired woman with no name or memory is taken by a girl named Nona to the Quindecim, where she and Decim hire her as an assistant. Nona takes the woman backstage to observe the darts game between Machiko and Takashi, explaining the nature behind the games. After the game's conclusion, the woman gives her thoughts, believing that Machiko was lying about having been unfaithful and who her baby's father was in order to save Takashi's soul, which comes as a surprise to Decim, who feels apologetic about being mistaken in his judgement.
3	"Rolling Ballade" "Rōringu Barādo" (ローリング・バラード)	January 23, 2015
Two new customers, a college student named Shigeru Miura and an amnesiac girl who can't remember her own name, arrive in the Quindecim for yet another game. This game involves bowling using bowling balls containing each other's hearts, which each pulse according to its owner's feelings. As the game goes on, with the two managing to be in on quite friendly terms, the girl regains her memory, recalling she was a girl named Chisato Miyazaki who was once childhood friends with Shigeru before moving away. However, Shigeru then remembers both he and Chisato died whilst on a bus together, while Chisato also learning the truth about herself. After winning the match, Shigeru asks Chisato for a short date together with what time they have left. Shigeru also remembers the truth about Chisato, but still expresses his wish to be with her right up until their last moment. They part ways at the elevators, happy to have had a chance to spend time with one another one last time. It is then revealed that Chisato was actually Shigeru's other childhood friend, Mai Takada, who underwent plastic surgery to look like Chisato in order to catch Shigeru's eye. They are both sent to be reincarnated.
4	"Death Arcade" "Desu Ākēdo" (デス・アーケード)	January 30, 2015
A boy named Yousuke Tateishi and a TV celebrity named Misaki Tachibana arrive in the Quindecim, with Misaki convinced that they are on a hidden camera show and asking Yousuke to behave accordingly. The two participate in an arcade fighting game, where they each play as fighters based on themselves. After Yousuke wins the first round, Misaki, who experiences a flash of memories of abusive partners, asks Yousuke to let her win the next round, during which Decim triggers a device causing Yousuke's joystick to malfunction. As a result, Misaki wins the second round while Yousuke experiences his own flash of memories about his troubled childhood. After Yousuke voices his suspicions that they aren't actually on a TV show, which is confirmed by Decim, Misaki becomes paranoid that she will be killed if she loses. Misaki uses a special move based on her family, but Decim causes her joystick to malfunction, explaining that is necessary to expose a soul's darkness and pass judgement. This is made apparent when, in her desperation, Misaki starts physically attacking Yousuke herself and knocks him unconscious. Despite Misaki's remorse over her actions, Decim forces her to continue playing the game, but Yousuke, remembering the words of his step mother, regains consciousness and fights back with his special move, with the match ending with a double KO. Afterwards, they both realise they had died; with Yousuke having committed suicide whilst Misaki was killed by her angered assistant. After, Decim sends Yousuke to be reincarnated while Misaki is sent to the void.
5	"Death March" "Desu Māchi" (デス・マーチ)	February 6, 2015
The black-haired woman, who has been having the same dream about a boy and a girl, is surprised to find the girl from her dream on a panel Nona asked Decim to put up. As two new customers, a man and a young boy, show up at the bar, Decim is taken aback when the man seems to possess memories of having been in the Quindecim before. Just as Decim restrains the man, both he and the woman are put to sleep by the young boy, who is revealed to be another arbiter named Ginti. Ginti questions Decim about the woman, who was not chosen for the games as she already knew she was dead, until Nona puts a stop to him. Nona reveals the guests were part of a test for Decim, noting that he failed to realise the boy had no memories due to being distracted by the man, who was a dummy implanted with memories. Later, as the woman continues to dream about the boy and girl, Jimmy and Chavvot, Nona is seen with a book about Chavvot.
6	"Cross Heart Attack" "Kurosu Hāto Atakku" (クロス・ハート・アタック)	February 13, 2015
Mayu Arita, an over-excited schoolgirl, and Harada, a member of a popular boyband, arrive at a different bar run by Ginti, who has them play a game of Twister together. While Mayu is excited to play with someone from her favorite band, Harada is more concerned with getting back to his girlfriend. As Mayu and Harada start demanding a break, Ginti changes up the game, which causes the climate of the game mat to change with every panel they step on, ranging from heating panels to freezing cold. After narrowly avoiding freezing to death, Mayu and Harada are suddenly put in a sudden death situation above a pit of spikes. Just as Harada is about to push Mayu off himself, Mayu, not wanting to soil herself in front of him, decides to forfeit and let herself drop, but Harada, guilty over driving one of his ex-girlfriends to suicide, tries to stop her from doing so. Mayu, who safely lands on some fake spikes, remembers that she died slipping on some soap, while Harada recalls he was killed by his girlfriend, the sister of his ex-girlfriend whom he let die. Afterwards, Harada takes an interest in Mayu after she changes her clothes, and the two hold a concert for the other staff.
7	"Alcohol Poison" "Arukōru Poizun" (アルコール・ポイズン)	February 20, 2015
The black-haired woman comes across a book containing the Chavvot story that appeared in her dreams, causing her to regain some of her memories and remember she is dead. When she asks Decim about who the book belongs to, he tells the woman about Quin, the Quindecim's former arbiter before he joined. After observing one of Quin's death games, Decim was questioned over why he did not use a remote to affect the nature of the game, to which he replied that he respects those who had lived full lives, and told by Quin to take care of things he treasures. Meanwhile, Quin, who became part of the information bureau after quitting her job as arbiter, has a drink with Nona, discussing how Decim is an arbiter with human emotions. Decim shares with the woman his treasure, in which he collects the dummies formed from guests who were sent to the void, which would otherwise be completely disposed of, so that they won't be forgotten. Later, Nona arranges for two special guests to be sent to Decim.
8	"Death Rally" "Desu Rarī" (デス・ラリー)	February 27, 2015
As per Nona's arrangements, Decim is sent two new guests; a young man named Shimada and a detective named Tatsumi, one of whom is allegedly a murderer. While searching for a way out, Shimada finds a blood-stained knife among his belongings, unsure of where it came from. As the two participate in a game of air hockey, Shimada gradually regains memories of looking after her younger sister while Tatsumi remembers that his wife was murdered. With the two regaining further memories that fuel their motivations to escape, with Shimada remembering his sister was assaulted, Decim changes up the game, in which scored pucks deal pain to the respective player's organs. Meanwhile, the black-haired woman makes a request to see the memories that Decim received, learning that both Shimada and Tatsumi are murderers.
9	"Death Counter" "Desu Kauntā" (デス・カウンター)	March 6, 2015
As the game resumes, Shimada realises his knife comes from someone he already killed, remembering there was more than one person involved in his sister's assault, while Tatsumi remembers that he had killed his wife's murderer. When Shimada wins the game, Tatsumi regains his full memories that Shimada was the one who killed him, further revealing that he had simply watched Shimada's sister be assaulted just so he had reason to 'pass judgement' on her attacker. Feeling the need to ascertain Shimada's motives, Decim gives him the opportunity to exact punishment on Tatsumi via stabbing the pucks containing Tatsumi's organs. However, the woman objects to Decim's means, stating he can't judge people's souls based on their darkness alone, and tries to hold back Shimada from going through with it. Despite her efforts though, Shimada is too swayed by Tatsumi's antagonising and gives into his anger. The fates of both Shimada and Tatsumi are left unknown.
10	"Story Teller" "Sutōrī Terā" (ストーリー・テラー)	March 13, 2015
Decim, who questions his ability to judge people following the previous game, is reminded by Nona that he needs to judge the woman, who will turn into a dummy if she goes too long without judgement. Deciding against having the woman's memories sent to him, Decim arranges a game in which he, the woman, and an old illustrator named Sachiko Uemura, play Old Maid using cards featuring designs based on all three of them. Upon spotting an illustration she herself never got the chance to draw, Sachiko quickly deduces she has died, giving thanks to Decim for allowing her to see her old illustrations again. With Decim and the woman left in the game, Sachiko tells them about the feelings that went into the Chavvot story, which leads the woman to remember her name, Chiyuki. As Sachiko leaves to be reincarnated, Oculus, the god of this dimension, absorbs the memories of elevator attendant Clavis and learns of Decim possessing human emotions. Meanwhile, Nona has Quin gather up Chiyuki's memories while Ginti is up to something suspicious involving Harada.
11	"Memento Mori" "Memento Mori" (メメント·モリ)	March 20, 2015
Ginti gives Mayu the choice to choose another human soul to be sent into the void in exchange for Harada regaining his. Meanwhile, Decim, who recalls how he first met Chiyuki, asks her to perform some ice skating, having noticed it was a large part of her memories. As she skates, Chiyuki regains her memories in which she used to be a professional ice skater until a severe knee injury forced her to retire, which led her to become severely depressed and kill herself. Just as the pair have their final drink together, Decim puts Chiyuki to sleep before asking Quin to send him her memories. Meanwhile, Mayu, having made her decision, is tricked by Ginti, who sends both her and Harada's souls to the void.
12	"Suicide Tour" "Sūsaido Tsuā" (スーサイド·ツアー)	March 27, 2015
As Oculus confronts Nona, who wants to prove that arbiters are more than dummies, Decim brings Chiyuki to her old house, offering her the chance to be brought back to life in exchange for another's life. Observing how much her mother cares for her even after her death, Chiyuki comes close to taking up the offer. However, upon remembering everyone she met in the Quindecim, she ultimately decides against it, believing that the life that would've been sacrificed also has people who cherish them and regretting not cherishing her own life. This causes a wealth of emotions to swell up in Decim, who reveals this was all part of Chiyuki's judgement and experiences sorrow for the first time. As Nona observes the outcome with Oculus, showing that an important part of judging humans is to understand their suffering, Decim sees Chiyuki off to be reincarnated with a smile on his face. With Nona and the others arbiters pondering where things will go from here, Decim welcomes new guests to the Quindecim, with the camera fading on Chiyuki's dummy.

References

1. "アニメ『デス・パレード』公式サイト". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
2. "Death Parade". Nippon TV. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
3. "Rumi Ookubo, Yoshimasa Hosoya Join Death Parade Anime Cast". Anime News Network. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
4. "Funimation Announces Death Parade English Dub Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
5. "Death Billiards' Death Parade Show Previewed in 2nd Video". Anime News Network. December 12, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
6. "Gonzo/ZEXCS/Trigger/Madhouse's Full Anime Mirai Trailer". Anime News Network. February 5, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
7. "Gonzo, Trigger, Pierrot, Madhouse Make Anime Mirai 2013". Anime News Network. June 6, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
8. "Anime Mirai 2013 Slated for March 2". Anime News Network. December 16, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
9. "Death Billiards' Death Parade TV Anime Slated for January 9". Anime News Network. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
10. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-02-13/funimation-dubs-assassination-classroom-death-parade-tokyo-ghoul-a-7-more-winter-shows/.84440

External links

Death Billiards

• Death Billiards at Anime Mirai (Japanese)
• Death Billiards at Madhouse (Requires Adobe Flash Player) (Japanese)
• Death Billiards (film) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Death Billiards at the Internet Movie Database

Death Parade

• Official website (Japanese)
• Death Parade at NTV (Japanese)
• Death Parade (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia