Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody is a fantasy isekai anime based on the light novel series of the same name by Hiro Ainana. The anime aired from January 11 to March 29, 2018, and was produced by Silver Link and Connect studios. The anime follows the adventures of Ichiro Suzuki, a 29-year old game programmer who is transported to a parallel world that resembles some of the fantasy RPG worlds he had worked on.
He assumes the identity of Satou Pendragon, a 15-year old adventurer who has access to a game-like menu screen and powerful abilities. Along the way, he meets various people and creatures, such as beast girls, elves, dragons, and gods, and explores the mysteries and secrets of this world.
The anime adaptation covers the first three volumes of the light novel series, which span 12 episodes. The anime has received mixed reviews from critics and fans, with some praising its lighthearted and humorous tone, its colorful and diverse cast of characters, and its faithful adaptation of the source material, while others criticizing its lack of plot development, its excessive fanservice and harem elements, and its inconsistent animation quality. In this article, we will review the anime’s story and ending, and discuss its strengths and weaknesses.
Anime Story
The anime begins with Ichiro Suzuki, a game programmer who is working overtime during the weekend to fix several bugs in two MMORPGs his company is preparing for publication. He falls asleep on his desk and wakes up in a fantasy world that looks like a combination of the games he was working on. He finds himself surrounded by an army of lizardmen who are about to attack him. He instinctively uses a special attack called Meteor Rain, which he had added to the game as a quick fix for new players, and wipes out all the enemies in his vicinity. He also accidentally kills a god named Zen, who was behind the lizardmen’s invasion.
He then realizes that he has a menu screen in front of his eyes that shows his status, inventory, skills, and other information. He also notices that he has become a 15-year old boy named Satou Pendragon, which was his nickname when he was running beta tests for the games. He decides to use this opportunity to explore this new world and have some fun. He also hopes to find a way back to his original world someday.
He travels to the nearest town, where he meets Zena Marientail, a female soldier who saves him from a group of thugs. He also meets Liza, Tama, and Pochi, three beast girls who were enslaved by a bandit group that he rescues. He then buys them as his slaves and frees them from their collars. He also meets Nana, an artificial lifeform who was created by Zen as his weapon. He activates her with his magic and makes her his servant.
He then sets off to the royal capital of Seryuu Kingdom, where he meets Arisa and Lulu, two more girls who were enslaved by a noble family that he saves from an assassination plot. He also buys them as his slaves and frees them from their collars. Arisa reveals that she is actually a reincarnated person from Japan who was reborn as a princess in this world. She also tells him that there are other reincarnated people in this world who have different agendas and motives.
He then encounters Mia, an elf girl who is being chased by a cult that wants to sacrifice her to revive their demon lord. He rescues her and takes her under his protection. He also meets Karina Muno, a noble girl who falls in love with him at first sight. He then learns that there is a conspiracy involving the king of Seryuu Kingdom and the cult that wants to resurrect the demon lord.
He then travels to various places in this world, such as the labyrinth city of Selbira, where he meets Sera, a priestess of Parion God; the dwarf kingdom of Bolenan Forest, where he meets Toruma Zandros, a dwarf merchant; the elf village of Boruenan Forest, where he meets Aze, an ancient elf who has a crush on him; and the dragon valley of Kuhanou Mountain Range, where he meets Seiryuu (Blue Dragon), one of the four dragon gods.
He also faces various enemies and challenges along the way, such as Zen’s undead army; Arisa’s former master Hiyato Kirishima (Hayato), another reincarnated person who wants to conquer this world; Parion’s apostle Sara (Satan), another reincarnated person who wants to destroy this world; Zen’s brother Zena (Zeno), another god who wants to avenge his death; and the demon lord himself, who is revealed to be a powerful sorcerer turned king of the undead.
Anime Ending
The anime ends with Satou defeating the demon lord and his minions with the help of his friends and allies. He also manages to save Mia from being sacrificed and reunites her with her mother, the queen of the elves. He then returns to the royal capital of Seryuu Kingdom, where he is hailed as a hero and receives various rewards and honors from the king and the nobles. He also proposes to Aze, who accepts his offer and becomes his fiancee.
He then decides to continue his journey in this world, hoping to find more clues about his original world and the reason why he was transported here. He also plans to visit other countries and regions in this world, such as the empire of Shiga Kingdom, the kingdom of Gururian, and the continent of Ougoch. He also vows to protect his friends and loved ones from any danger or harm that may come their way.
The anime ends with a scene showing Satou and his companions riding on a carriage, heading towards their next destination, while enjoying their time together.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The anime has several strengths and weaknesses that can be evaluated from different perspectives. Here are some of them:
- Strengths:
- The anime has a lighthearted and humorous tone that makes it enjoyable and entertaining to watch. The anime does not take itself too seriously and often pokes fun at the common tropes and cliches of the fantasy isekai genre. The anime also has some moments of drama and suspense that add some depth and emotion to the story.
- The anime has a colorful and diverse cast of characters that appeal to different tastes and preferences. The anime features various races and creatures, such as humans, elves, dwarves, dragons, gods, demons, and more. The anime also has a large harem of female characters who have different personalities and backgrounds, such as Zena, Liza, Tama, Pochi, Nana, Arisa, Lulu, Mia, Karina, Sera, Aze, and more. The anime also has some male characters who have their own roles and contributions to the story, such as Toruma, Seiryuu, Hayato, Zeno, and more.
- The anime has a faithful adaptation of the source material that respects the original author’s vision and intention. The anime follows the main events and plot points of the light novel series without deviating too much or omitting too much. The anime also preserves the original dialogue and narration of the light novel series without changing or altering too much. The anime also incorporates some scenes and details from the manga adaptation that enhance the visual presentation and expression of the story.
- Weaknesses:
- The anime has a lack of plot development that makes it boring and repetitive to watch. The anime does not have a clear direction or goal for the main character or the story. The anime mostly consists of Satou traveling from one place to another, meeting new people and creatures, solving their problems or helping them out, acquiring new items or skills, adding new members to his harem, and occasionally fighting some enemies or bosses. The anime does not have a strong sense of conflict or tension that drives the story forward or challenges the main character.
- The anime has an excessive amount of fanservice and harem elements that make it ecchi and cringy to watch. The anime often focuses on the sexual appeal and attractiveness of the female characters rather than their character development or relevance to the story. The anime also often shows scenes of Satou flirting with or touching his female companions in suggestive or inappropriate ways. The anime also implies that Satou has a sexual relationship with some of his female companions without showing any consequences or responsibilities.
- The anime has an inconsistent animation quality that makes it unappealing and disappointing to watch. The anime often suffers from poor art direction, character design, background design, color scheme, lighting effects, sound effects, music score, voice acting, editing, pacing, and other technical aspects that affect the overall production value and quality of the anime. The anime also often uses CGI animation for some scenes or characters that clash with the 2D animation style of the rest of the anime.
Conclusion
Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody is a fantasy isekai anime that has its pros and cons depending on one’s preferences and expectations. The anime can be seen as a fun and relaxing show that offers some comedy and adventure in a fantasy world with various people and creatures. The anime can also be seen as a dull and tedious show that lacks any substance or originality in its story or characters. The anime can be enjoyed by fans of the light novel series or fans of the fantasy isekai genre in general. The anime can also be avoided by critics of the light novel series or critics of the fantasy isekai genre in general.