Death Parade is a psychological thriller that plays with viewers' expectations of the afterlife during its 13 episode run. The anime tells the story of a new arbiter who has been tasked with judging those who have left the land of the living. Decim must force his guests to play through a gruesome set of bar games to reveal their true nature.
The stone-cold protagonist that judges humanity is unique amongst the other arbiters. Though his demeanor might not show it, Decim is the first arbiter to be allowed human emotions. The words of wisdom he shares as he feels the weight of judging human souls take the form of profound quotes in Death Parade.
10 "I am afraid you have both left the land of the living."
The mysterious nature of Death Parade is one of the things that makes it a thriller. Still, viewers of any show appreciate when mysteries are slowly resolved, little by little, each episode. This slow build-up toward the resolution allows the mystery to stay intact until the final episode but keeps the viewers from getting lost in the abyss of misinformation.
The world of Death Parade is both mysterious and substantial. Here Decim tells his patrons and viewers that this show is set in the afterlife. The way Decim delivers it, with the same level of poetic expression that he always has, is what makes this line so memorable.
9 "Oh, I see. You are talking about love."
Watching as Decim takes baby steps toward understanding human emotions is as thrilling as any of the bar games in Death Parade. Like every other time he speaks, he says these words with a dispassionate and uninterested tone of voice that makes the word "love" sound trite.
Though most children are taught the power of love very early on in their development, Decim seems to have missed this. This bit of back and forth between Decim and Chiyuki cues viewers in on the fact that human emotions are not accounted for when meting out judgment. Decim uses the word as if he were describing the type of cereal his patrons ate for breakfast, both uninterested and uncertain about its effect on his ability to judge.
8 "I apologize. I was making a small joke."
Decim's stone-cold demeanor often hides the softer sides of the arbiter. His lack of expression and poetic language creates a distance between himself and the originally quite unsettling characters. As the show progresses, and Decim reveals his lighter side with quotes like this, Decim's behavior becomes endearing.
Decim has never been allowed to enjoy his existence. His whole being seemed to be created for one single goal: to judge the souls that have left the land of the living. Outside of this role, Decim proves to be lighthearted, respectful, and even a little fun.
7 "We can keep going if you like."
Episode 5 brings along with it something many anime fans will be thrilled about. The battle between Decim and Ginti is short but still manages to entertain and inform viewers. By the end of the battle, Ginti is firmly set up as the foil to Decim's character development, and each character's power levels are more clearly defined than ever.
Hearing Decim's niceties when related to judgments is a bit creepy, but hearing it here is thrilling. It is as if Decim is looking past Ginti and checking in with the viewers. After four and a half episodes without an action sequence, perhaps the arbiter noticed that a few of his fans were losing interest in this heady psychological thriller and prepared himself for action.
6 "...Yay."
The post-credits scene in episode 6, "Cross Heart Attack," brings Decim and Chiyuki into an episode that they are largely absent from only to play the role of a fanatic. Mayu is the second character introduced that an arbiter has difficulty judging. Her fascination with Harada confuses Ginti because of the simple reasoning behind her motivation.
Regardless of Mayu's intentions, her open and exciting expression is what makes her such a likable character. While every other character in this show mopes around the ideas of death, Mayu is thrilled, simply because she died at the same time as her idol. This excitement is infectious and makes for one of the best post-credit scenes ever put to screen.
5 "I have respect for people who have lived a fulfilling life."
Decim proves by the end of this 13 episode series that he is different from the other arbiters. Though others may have experimented with sympathy in the past, Decim seems to be the first capable of empathy. He respects those that respect life.
This quote and the way that Decim treats his patrons is proof of Decim's respect for life. While the other arbiters seem to have a superiority complex regarding humanity, Decim shows them respect. Readers and viewers alike will find him to be a much more likable character thanks to this respect.
4 "You cannot get a full picture of someone just from memories."
Though the question of judgment efficacy is on the forefront of everyone's mind each episode, it is rare to hear the characters discuss all the variables that go into making them. From the beginning, viewers know that the arbiters are loaded with their patrons' memories and then tasked with guiding them through some abusive bar game to judge them.
Until Decim says this, it seems strange that the arbiters would need to play a bar game with the patrons to judge them. Viewers might have assumed that a complete image of someone's memories would be enough to judge them. As it turns out, the memories are not enough, and even the bar games seem to have their limitations.
3 "Judging is tricky and difficult to do right. It requires human emotions."
The monologue Decim delivers in the tenth episode of Death Parade answers the question that this show is built upon by explaining that judgment is impossible without human emotions. This fact challenges the status quo.
As far as viewers understand, Ginti and all the other arbiters other than Decim are entirely emotionless. The rules that govern over the arbiters demand that they do not possess human emotions. Still, Decim believes it to be necessary. It would have been interesting to see Oculus' response to Decim's well-worded hypothesis.
2 "From my understanding, humans smile when they are happy, and shed tears when they are sad."
The heartfelt moment shared between Chiyuki and Decim in Episode 11 of Death Parade is beautiful. After viewers watch Chiyuki dance around the ice like a trained skater, she settles in next to Decim and opens up about her past.
Decim shows viewers again just how much of a child he is when it comes to understanding emotions. His honesty and soft expression combine to create a beautiful moment. Fans would surely be in for a treat by returning to the second to last episode of this series.
1 "Do not forget that you are certain to die someday, and as such, you have all the more reason to live now."
Episode 11 is beautiful. After Chiyuki skates, she and Decim finally sit down to discuss life, death, and judgment. The episode is titled "Memento Mori" which Decim translates into the words above.
While the message is similar to the colloquial phrase "you only live once," the poetic way Decim speaks helps it pack a heavier punch. The vague words may seem to be more cliché than wise, but perhaps every cliche holds more wisdom than it is credited for.