This is good conclusion to the previous episode but I must admit it’s not a finale I was looking for in Death Parade.  It’s like I mentioned before this series is meant to be 2-cour.  I really hope this is the case because it would not only says a lot about original material but for the Anime Mirai project.  I’ve been impressed with the style of content the Mirai program produces and look forward to blogging about the 2015 lineup as well as the Animator Expo that’s currently airing.

Onna’s arrival at the bar due to suicide gives a lot of closure to her character and how mindful she’s been about the humans partaking in these death games.  What does in-fact take center stage is the relationship surround Decim and Onna.  Embracing human emotion is the core concept behind this series and we’ve seen that with the episodic characters  now this episode takes the two leads and creates really good chemistry by this finale.  This episode’s game is more a test rather than anything else. Onna’s empathy and understanding of her past with regards to her mother and the life she is leading now.  This is powerfully inviting–  a daughter yearning to see her mother holding on to some degree a regret about killing herself.  She has a choice.  Press the button in order to sacrifice someone’s life in the world giving her a second chance or cast herself into the void.

Never has this show posed this method of life and death before:  by choice so straightforward.  We did see foreshadow with Mayu and Harada’s outcome yet this episode focuses on how other people’s experiences changes over time.  What we see here is the illusion Decim has created using temptation, love and most importantly understanding.  The understanding of how important life is–  we saw that with Mayu’s decision in the previous episode and now it’s the central issue creating a well-defining moment in Decim’s emotional break.  The ending is subtle–  it leaves off any indication that Nona has confronted Oculus literally and illustrates this idea that puppets can change through experiences just as humans do.  It’s pivotal in handling so many deaths throughout the world.  Hopefully a second season will develop Oculus’ character even more.

Judging humans based on their pasts Nona understands this concept isnt the only piece in creating a sound decision on who goes to heaven and hell but the in-the-moment actions.  Michiko and Takashi from the very first episode represent this point really well.  This episode provides a satisfying token of appreciation in how Decim feels about Onna.  They’re all puppets getting a chance at experiencing some kind of life at the bar and Decim respects the people that come and go even Onna by making puppets out of them after they’ve been cast into the void or reincarnated.  After seeing this episode twice I finally understand the importance of these puppets:  they are the respected overseers of the arbiters’ judgments.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 7/10

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