Ep 6. Cross Heart Attack

Death Parade season 1 episode 6, titled "Cross Heart Attack," focuses on two newly deceased strangers who are sent to Quindecim to play a game of air hockey. The game is the latest attempt by the arbiters to determine the true nature of the humans who come through their doors, and the stakes have never been higher.

As always, Decim is the stoic arbiter who presides over the game. The two players are a young man named Takashi, who has died from a heart attack after saving a stranger, and a woman named Machiko who appears to be a headstrong fighter. The two are evenly matched at first, but as the game progresses, it becomes clear that there is more at stake than just bragging rights.

Takashi is a difficult subject for Decim to read at first, as he seems to have no ill intentions or wickedness in his heart. However, a series of flashbacks reveals that he has been suffering from a crisis of faith in his recent life. In fact, he has committed suicide after becoming disillusioned with his role as a priest.

Machiko, on the other hand, is quick to anger and seems to be hiding something. As the game heats up, she becomes more and more aggressive, until she loses control and lashes out. Finally, her true nature is revealed when she accidentally reveals that she was responsible for the car accident that resulted in Takashi's death.

The situation becomes even more complicated when it is revealed that Machiko and Takashi were actually on a crosswalk at the time of the accident, and Machiko was only able to save herself by shoving Takashi into the path of the oncoming car. Her real goal was to acquire a valuable emblem that she knew the other driver possessed, and she didn't care who she had to hurt to get it.

As the game comes to an end, Decim must decide what fate awaits the two players. Takashi's crisis of faith and suicide are serious transgressions, but his pure heart and intentions count for something. Machiko's actions are much more nefarious, but her bravery in saving herself is also worth considering.

In the end, Decim's judgment is swift and unexpected. Takashi is given the opportunity to go to the afterlife, but he is told that it will be a lonely one as he has abandoned his faith in a higher power. Machiko, however, is sent to the void, where she will exist in a perpetual state of sorrow and regret for her actions.

"Cross Heart Attack" is an intense episode that explores the true nature of good and evil. It showcases the difficulty of judging human actions, especially when there are no clear villains or heroes. The episode is heart-wrenching, and viewers will be left with a sense of sadness and uncertainty about the afterlife and the human condition.