This episode was nice, full of information, it didn’t steam the plot forward but it gave it a gentle nudge. So, what happens this episode? We set up for the judgement of Kuro, whose name we learn is actually Chiyuki. AWWW, what a pretty name.
So first thing that happens this episode is that Decim goes to see Nona and express his worries about how they judge things. He actually expresses an interest in stopping doing judgements all together, that is till Nona asks about Kuro and her judgement. Noting that her time is almost up, human souls can’t stay there for too long and soon she will return to being nothing more than a puppet.
We see it cut to her and her skin starting to peel off. Decim heads in and tells her that it’s time to judge her, and that they are expecting a guest soon.
So who’s the guest? Well this absolutely sweet little old lady. It’s nice to see them judge someone who actually lived a full live, rather than someone who died young. She’s rather accepting of the game and says that she has the time and asks Kuro if she’s alright with it. Kuro says yes and the old lady presses the button and we come to the game ‘Old maid.’
So Decim, Kuro and the old lady begin playing cards. The designs of the cards are based off of things that are important to them as people. In particular, for the old lady. It’s the illustrations she drew.
Meanwhile, Clavis is down with Oculus, who proceeds to use his flower beard to brain suck information out of his head. I didn’t know that was a thing that he could do, you learn new things every day.
Nona is trying to gather up all of the memories of, alright, since we’re in this part of the episode. I’ll start calling her Chiyuki, Nona is gathering up Chiyuki’s memories for some reason.
So as the old maid game goes on, Decim remembers a conversation he had with, Ginti over why they judge people. The old lady remembers that she’s dead and Chiyuki remembers her name and her mother, who used to read the story Chavotte to her a lot as a kid. The old woman wins the game and in the end, Chiyuki is the one left with the old maid.
The old woman steps into the elevator and is reincarnated, she lived a good, honest life with her husband. It’s not an interesting story of murder, or cheating, or anything of the sort. A honest, happy, fulfilled life. I really liked this, set up for a chaotic series ending where we’ll probably end up balling our eyes out aside, this was a warm and fuzzy kind of episode. One that makes you feel good and restores your faith in humanity, watching someone who just lived an honest and happy life. The game was nothing epic, just a game of Old Maid, so the visuals for the episode aren’t anything out of this world.
That doesn’t make it any less of an episode though, this game wasn’t enough to judge Chiyuki. It’s so strange to give her a name now after calling her Kuro for most of the series. Decim asks her to teach him things in the time she has left…GAH, I can’t, when I get the chance i’m watching the dub of this because ALEX ORGAN, PLAYING DECIM IS GOING TO DESTROY ME!
Er, anyway,
It looked to me like next episode is going to have a lot going on. So i’m hyped for that.
~Midnight
Aww, the sweet old lady was the wife of the old man who was in the original Death Parade one episode feature. And Kuro’s name is so cute, Chiyuki. My guess is that poor Chi-chan’s death was related to ice skating because she used to be an ice skater, right? (joker card was a pair of ice skates, old lady hinted that he joker was the most important card and actually a trump card, Chiyuki was the last one left with the joker, or the ice skates, maybe meaning that her most important memory was ice skating/ that’s how she died. And the credits did show Chi in wha looked to be a figure skating outfit) Just my guess though. I’m excited for next week’s episode and hopefully we’ll she more of her memories and perhaps even how she died?
There’s a series of Youtube podcasts from Japan where the voice actors(?) discuss the week’s insights in that episode of Death Parade. It’s all in Japanese though, so anyone here who’s fluent in it can get some insight on the show’s production.