"Death Billiards" is a Japanese 25-minute short film from 2013, so this one is still fairly new. The director here is Yuzuru Tachikawa and he is also the one who came up with a series afterwards that was based on this little short film. Needless to say it is an animated work. The premise is fairly simple. A young man and an old man are in a bar and the barkeeper tells them that they have to play a game of billiard and it's about life and death. This is nothing too extraordinary, but works nicely to set the general frame for the films. Sequences of what happened in the past add nice detail to the movie. All in all, I enjoyed it. It's never cringeworthy, even if I did not like all of the voice acting. At under half an hour, it never drags. I would not say this was a great watch by any means, but the convincing efforts in terms of animation and story let me recommend it. Thumbs up and a good watch for anime lovers.
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Horst_In_Translation28 July 2016
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Irishchatter16 August 2018I have to say, I wasn't ever going to expect watching an anime that takes place in a swanky bar where the dead are decided to go to either heaven or hell. Basically this short movie starts off with an old man and young man playing pool. However there is a twist in it, their nervous systems are inside the pool balls and whoever wins the game, I suppose goes to heaven (?). Add to that, memories come back for them while they were alive. With the old man's backstory, he seemed to have died of a heart attack and probably heat stroke since he was outside in the sun. Along with the young mans backstory, he died because of his psychopathic girlfriend who she suspected he cheated on her. You would honestly feel sorry for the young man in all fairness because he literally was crazy for his desperation to get out the bar and be able to fix his real life problems when he couldn't! Whereas the old man is concerned, he didn't seem that bothered by it but that smile really made me have full of questions to myself, what on earth was he hiding seriously? Lol
Any ways I'll move on to reviewing the wonderful Death Parade! ^^ -
Wwmbrd5 March 2015Welcome to Quin Decim, mystical bar of fate.
What happens when two people, whether they're strangers or the closest of companions, are pitted against each other in a seemingly mundane contest, with the stakes being their own lives? Suspicions, outrage, deceit, bargaining, and all manner of psychological warfare commence, all in the name of survival. However, is everything as it appears?
------If you have questions or comments about this review, please message me------- Note: I feel this episode 0, if you will, should actually be seen after the first two episodes of the Death Parade TV series. That way, one has an idea what's going on, and who the characters are. Part of the mystery of the one-shot may be dispelled, but it made much more sense and was more interesting and compelling having seen some of the series.
Story: 9
Two persons enter, and play what's a seemingly unremarkable game, such as darts, bowling, or in this case: pool. The people have no memory of why or how they've come to be at the Queen Decim, and are given no explanation of why they're being forced to play the game; other than that their lives are on the line. The alternative to playing is explained as "not something they want to experience."
Eventually, after bargaining, attempts at escape, and outright threats, our contestants concede, and begin their life altering game.
Outwardly, we watch two people locked in a simple contest of pool, each demanding no less than victory for themselves, if only for the pride of winning. Inwardly, we see a classic struggle: a clash between souls, with the ultimate reward or price at stake.
The interplay of fear, suspicions, motives, emotions, and the individual thoughts, feelings, and memories that make up the person are a phenomenal conflict within themselves. They lead us to the question- "What will you do to survive?" which everyone can only answer to the best of their ability to do so. Life isn't fair, and rarely presents an opportunity for two souls to be on equal footing in their struggle, but again, our characters find themselves answering a question- "what is it that I have to live for?"
Characters: 10
In this one-shot, we're introduced to Decim, the white haired, steely composed purveyor of the Queen Decim. The Queen Decim, an enigmatic bar (and character within itself), with a grand ballroom and game theatre whose only entrance is a pair of elevators ordained with a pair of ornate theatre masks- representing heaven and hell.
Decim's purpose is to ensure that the entrants to the establishment agree to, and carry out their contract to play a random game of chance, enforce the rules, and execute the results. He's a stony, dispassionate man, and seems to take no joy in the games that he has his contestants undertake.
Our two visitors in this episode are an old man, and a young businessman, each with their own Raison d'être. Neither has a clue as to why they're in the Queen Decim, playing pool for their life, but both have the same goal: win. As their fates unfold, so do their pasts- their memories begin to return to them- and alters the path that their life henceforth is set on.
Art: 9
Excellently colored. Dark, ominous shades permeate the show. A miasma of blacks, purple, reds, and blues set the foreboding tone. Beautifully hand drawn characters are very consistent, and the anguish, the swell of victory, and the crush of defeat are very evident in the body language and facial designs. Moving.
Sound: 9
Soft BGM, appropriately dark and foreboding. Subtly raises the intensity of the visuals. I felt that the moments of absolute silence were the most oppressive: it allowed the character's speaking to have a much more profound effect, as there were no distractions.
Enjoyment: 9
A very intense and emotionally gripping episode. Twists and turns, and while not much makes sense in the beginning, everything is revealed in due time. While a bit dialogue heavy, and metaphorically challenging, it was absolutely enjoyable. It never felt like a chore to decipher the meanings behind, and has a very interesting outcome. The gloomy atmosphere and sense that something isn't quite right that surround the show are entirely addictive. Left me wanting more.
Overall: 9
I've been looking for a new psychological thriller since finishing Ergo Proxy, and I may have found it. Very excited to see where the TV show is headed. -
"Death Parade" has a brilliant and unexpected premise that delivers, and this is the OVA/Pilot that after winning awards allowed the 1st season to happen.
It is one of the best anime's I've watched to date, I was invested enough to track down the Pilot.
The animation quality isn't as high as in "Death Parade" but the core vibe is still there, the cast of characters, engaging story and dark beauty are seen as well.
This OVA was found after the binge of "Death Parade" and the regret when I found episode 12 was the last one available (2nd season promised for 2018 hasn't materialized) but I stumbled upon this (thankfully) for a final "fix".
Pros:- Solid animation.
- Excellent premise.
- Great cast of characters.
- A final fix and the way to see what spawned the series.
Cons:- No English Dub (you'd think they would have gone back and done it for the sales!).
- 2nd season promises in 2018 has yet to materialize.