(L) Death Parade

[Goty]

Originally Posted by AC-Phoenix

so if they are connected then they just died at the same moment. Maybe a bus accident or something like that while walking the same street.

I really doubt we're gonna get such a trivial and anti-climactic resolution. Doesn't seem to be building up to something like that (especially not a bus accident, done in a previous episode already).

[White Manju Bun]

Originally Posted by Haak

Well there goes my theory. XP

Yeah but this is Death Parade, all bets are wild until the credits roll.

Even if in the end neither killing has to do with each other they are still connected in events leading up to Quindecim.

[Nachtwandler]

BTW. Than ED single comes out?

[velocd]

I wondered since episode 1 what would happen if a murderer was one (or both) of the guests. Didn't expect that plot to actually happen. Although my scenario was more what if an actually evil and demented murderer was a guest, but I guess that could still happen next episode. (M. Night Shyamalan plot twist - the kid has split personalities, beat his sister and murdered himself)

Another thought is will we see an episode with guests from outside Japan? Or does Decim only deal with deaths from Japan? At least, by the memories of their guests so far and the settings, it seems like they're all from Japan.

[Arya]

Yep, provoking episode, and probably the best so far.

Originally Posted by velocd

I wondered since episode 1 what would happen if a murderer was one (or both) of the guests. Didn't expect that plot to actually happen. Although my scenario was more what if an actually evil and demented murderer was a guest, but I guess that could still happen next episode. (M. Night Shyamalan plot twist - the kid has split personalities, beat his sister and murdered himself)

Interesting, that could be the case

Spoiler for further speculation about split personalities, just in case:

having his sister covering, so to speak, him because she knew about his disorder but felt indebted, since he raised her and devoted himself to her. That would explain her normal behavior around him even if he had been already arrested. In the preview we saw also pieces of her sister being assaulted if I got it right. Memories?

In fact that would be also interesting in how they could handle his memories, given the split personalities. Who is the one is playing? Whose instead the memories? On the other hand having him in jail would have been a problem for them, given that from what we know he was the only one working.


It would also work, oddly, as relief since I'm already feeling for the little sister, she lost her parents then she got assaulted. And now lost even his brother. In this way her loss could be seen also as a relief.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by GDiddy

Damn I was hoping there was a connection too...



So that was Sakurai as Shimada? Wow...

I love Sakurai in the right role (ex.: Shirokuma) but he really needs to stop trying these high-voiced youngsters. He sounds more ridiculous every year.

[EroKing]

Fujiwara Keiji going all Ali Al-Saachez in this scene

[konart]

This episode makes me wet D: So good...

[Stark700]

Episode 9:
Wow. That was just bloody (literally) intense!

Tatsumi really has a twisted logic about passing down his "judgement" against killers. And I do somewhat feel sorry for Shimida considering what happened to his sister. What he did at the end isn't going to change a damn thing though.

Intense as hell.

[Fellen]

This episode... Too good. Best one in 2015 thus far one might say. The despair, anger and twisted outlook on vengeance, along with Onna disagreeing with Decim's methods were all amazing and well executed.

[ookamigirl]

The truth came out.
It's amazing just how much darkness people have inside.
There's no quitting this game.
The emotional pain was high.
Twisted way of thinking... he got what he deserved.
Black haired girl made an very accurate point.

[videoman190]

That is the most intense game of Air Hockey ever!

[Lota]

God, this was just so intense. Just finished the episode, I'm literally shaking as I'm typing this. The emotions were so raw, so... Wahhhh, pretty sure this one is going to stay with me for a while...

[Kanon]

That was an absolutely stunning episode. This two parter was definitely the best arc in the series by far. The raw emotions at the end of the episode... wow.

Tatsumi was quite a piece of work. I never expected him to be this twisted. He became even more of a monster than the monsters he hunted. The worst part is that he was convinced his actions were righteous. At least people like Dexter knew they were messed up.

Shimada, on the other hand, was a nice person. He didn't want to involved anybody else in his revenge, and he didn't do it for himself, but to give some peace of mind to his sister. It should have been obvious to any other human was he deserved to be reincarnated. In that sense, Onna had a point. How can Decim judge humans if he can't understand their heart? What he did in this episode was push Shimada so hard he broke. It wasn't who he was. He got turned into this by Decim and Tatsumi. That said, Onna wasn't entirely right. She wanted to stop the game right away, but if she had done that, it would have been impossible to judge them, no matter how much you understand people. Tatsumi, for example, first came across as a nice guy. Memories and words aren't entirely reliable. The game to draw out the darkness inside people's hearts is necessary, but it shouldn't be pushed so far as to create darkness. A balance needs to be found.

The main problem with the current system is the lack of emotion and life experience of the arbiters. Thing is, I'm not sure having humans as arbiters would be such a good idea. They wouldn't be able to remain objective, which seems to be the aim of this system.

[Nachtwandler]

I don't get one thing: how Shimada died?

[Lota]

Originally Posted by Nachtwandler

I don't get one thing: how Shimada died?

Yeah, that was the one thing I did not understand

[OverNOut]

Originally Posted by Nachtwandler

I don't get one thing: how Shimada died?

Blood loss probably since he was stabbed by the stalker.

[bakaouji]

The arbiters are basically judge, jury and executioner all rolled into one. On top of that they lack empathy. Everything about this system goes against what it's meant for, i.e., second chances, otherwise the lost souls would be simply judged based on everything they'd had done until the moment they died. After all, they have access to all their memories. It would've been faster that way, too.

These lost souls are basically getting a second chance to prove themselves in a controlled environment by functioning sociopaths who lack any and all empathy. These arbiters base their judgements solely on how much darkness the lost souls had displayed over the course of the game. Moreover, the arbiters are emotionless by design so that they can judge impartially without getting attached to their customers but that doesn't stop them from rigging the games and skewing the results in the process.

In the interest of making an efficient system that would gauge human darkness which got quick and distinct results, they forgot that Quindecim, first and foremost, is a place where these wretched souls are given another stab at redemption. This current system is filled with flaws and contradictions and needs to be overhauled if they care about judging the souls fairly at all.

About the episode: I loved Onna's outburst because she basically screamed out everything that had been in our minds for a while. This arc worked perfectly for me because they actually took two episodes to set up the story and the characters hence giving me enough time to develop an emotional stake in the final result. I was completely sold on the detective's mania as he slowly revealed how fucked up of a guy he really was. His transformation from a hardboiled old-school '50s noir detective to an insane vigilante psychopath was fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

This really makes me wish Death Parade had two cours and had enough time to set up a two episode arc for everyone.

[Flower]

Ep 09

Agreed. That was an excellent and intense episode, but also for me it felt rather tragic, particularly for Shimada.

Originally Posted by Kanon

...Shimada, on the other hand, was a nice person. He didn't want to involved anybody else in his revenge, and he didn't do it for himself, but to give some peace of mind to his sister. It should have been obvious to any other human was he deserved to be reincarnated. In that sense, Onna had a point. How can Decim judge humans if he can't understand their heart? What he did in this episode was push Shimada so hard he broke. It wasn't who he was. He got turned into this by Decim and Tatsumi.

Hmm ... you think Shimada's revenge was only for the sake of his sister? That may have been part of it, but I did not get the impression his intentions were so ... erm ... altruistic, I guess.

Tatsumi was, in my opinion, already somewhat of a "lost soul". He had crossed a line and lost a bit of his humanity, and knew it.

Perhaps the worst part of it (as far as I could tell) was that when he found out what the whole air hockey game and being in Quindecim was about he seemed to take enjoyment in trying to taunt/persuade Shimada over to "his side" - meaning the other side of "crossing the line". And if the smile Shimada made after stabbing the hockey pucks just before the ED were any indication, Tatsumi succeeded in his attempt.

Originally Posted by Kanon

That said, Onna wasn't entirely right. She wanted to stop the game right away, but if she had done that, it would have been impossible to judge them, no matter how much you understand people. Tatsumi, for example, first came across as a nice guy. Memories and words aren't entirely reliable. The game to draw out the darkness inside people's hearts is necessary, but it shouldn't be pushed so far as to create darkness. A balance needs to be found.

Good summary of what I think Onna's main point in her protests was. Onna wanted to stop the game, yes, but became especially insistent after the air hockey game was over.

Perhaps (total guess here) what the primary test (among other things) on Shimada's side was whether or no he would cross the same line as Tatsumi did. Things might have been different for Shimada if the test had stopped after the air hockey game.

Originally Posted by Kanon

The main problem with the current system is the lack of emotion and life experience of the arbiters. Thing is, I'm not sure having humans as arbiters would be such a good idea. They wouldn't be able to remain objective, which seems to be the aim of this system.

Agreed. Perhaps Nona has come to the same conclusion and is seeking to make a beginning attempt at "solving" it by implanting feelings in the arbiters? The aim being for an arbiter to understand the heart of humans AND be able to be impartial at the same time, thus allowing for more ... accurate, I guess? ... judgements.

[White Manju Bun]

Brilliant, fraking brilliant. I knew these two were connected somehow. What a game of air hockey and what an ending. I have chills. Fujiwara and Takehiro were just superb.