Death Arcade (デス・アーケード, Desu Ākēdo) is the fourth episode of Death Parade.
Summary[]
Two new "customers" try to escape before deciding to play the game, which turns out to be a fighting arcade. Misaki Tachibana, a TV star, and Yousuke Tateishi, an otaku, each lose a round and recall some memories. The match ultimately ends in a draw. Decim embraces the two when they realize they are dead. He congratulates them and escorts them to the elevators for their judgments, where Yousuke gets reincarnated and Misaki gets sent to the void.
Plot[]
A middle aged woman and a younger man have been trying all the doors in the Quindecim to find an exit. They recall Decim explaining the rules to them, but the woman still believes it is a hoax. She brings the young man to the women's restroom to explain her theory. She reveals that she is Misaki Tachibana, and works in TV as the star of her own show. She believes they are on a hidden camera show and they should just go along with it. The man, Yousuke Tateishi, is doubtful, but agrees to play along when Misaki uses her "feminine charm".
They return to the bar and press the roulette button where the game is revealed to be an "arcade game". The game is a fighting style game and the only character available for selection is an avatar of themselves. Yousuke's character has no abilities, while Misaki's has a "temptation" ability. The black-haired woman mentions it will be a "best of 3" with no time limit. Decim urges them to start.
Yousuke is skilled and wins the first round quickly. Misaki appears frustrated but accepts her loss. When she loses she recalls memories of her youth. She fooled around as a teen and got pregnant, she married the same boy, and later had another child with him. He was shown beating her in front of their kids, and then he left with a suitcase. She found another man who she has 2 more children with and also beats her.
Before round 2, Misaki uses her "temptation" to make Yousuke agree to lose the second round to keep things interesting, she promises he can win the last round if he wants. Despite this he appears to fight back until Decim uses a device to break Yuosuke's joystick causing him to lose. Yousuke recalls his mother telling him he shouldn't have been born and divorcing his father. He remembers being sad throughout high school and meeting his father's new wife.
Before the final round, Misaki angrily brings Yousuke to the washroom again, where he explains that he was fighting back to increase the tension for the audience.
Decim is seen fixing Yousuke's joystick where the black-haired woman tells him to stop using the device. Decim says he has to use it to create extreme conditions in order to see into the "darkness of souls", for it is his job as an arbiter.
Back in the washroom Yousuke reveals he thinks it isn't a TV show and cant remember how he got there, he only remembers sitting in his room. Misaki cant remember being brought there either, but remembers her disappointed children. Misaki confronts Decim, who confirms there are no camera's and its not a TV show. He refuses to answer any more of her questions until they finish the game. Misaki remembers Decim's "body" room and his threats of death. She explains it's not fair that it's an arcade game as she wont win against Yousuke. Decim says life is unfair she should know by now. Misaki recalls breastfeeding a fifth child, with a bruised face from a third husband that beats her.
During the last round Misaki manages to use her ultimate combo but it hardly does anything. At that moment Decim uses the device to break her joystick this time. The black-haired woman takes Decim's device in frustration and smashes it, she believes "forcing the issue" is wrong. She turns around and is surprised, because instead of losing like Yousuke did, Misaki ran around and started smashing Yousuke's head into the arcade machine to prevent him from winning. Misaki says she didn't even realize what she was doing and wants to help Yousuke. Decim tells her to finish the game.
While unconscious Yousuke remembers falling from his apartment window, his stepmothers desire to be called "mom", and riding in an ambulance with her crying over him. He wakes up when Misaki is about to win and manages to end the game in a draw.
Afterwards Yousuke remembers jumping from his window to commit suicide, and Misako remembers abusing her assistant/manager who then strangled her to death. Decim states they are in fact, dead, and he is there to judge their souls for Heaven or Hell. Misaki angrily attacks Decim who restrains her with string. She proclaims she didn't care what anyone thought of her and just wanted to be happy. She believed that her wish was finally coming true. Yousuke is sad that he didn't care for others as much as they cared for him. Decim embraces them both and congratulates them on doing well with the game. he then leads them to the elevators for judgement.
Yousuke gets reincarnated and Misaki gets sent to the void.
During the credits, many destroyed mannequins are shown with the focus on a female one with green eyes and green hair. It cuts to the green haired mannequin fully intact at a gathering of other mannequins. A red rose spouts among the gathering. She reaches out to touch the rose, but crumbles away with all the others as the rose sits there untouched. (Standard ED)
After the credits, Decim is gazing at the broken device that the black-haired woman destroyed.
Theories[]
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- The fighting game is called "Battle of Life".