Review of Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

I have seen several isekai (and isekai adjacent) shows, as they generally provide me a sort of guilty pleasure. So I have to say, I'm almost impressed at how bad this show was, considering the general lackluster quality of this variety of anime. It would be overpraising Death March to say that it is generic - as it fails to reach even the lowest bar of quality that your average isekai does. The lead character is the most personality-less fictional character I think I have ever encountered. He somehow manages not only to avoid at all costs having his own characterization, he also actively drivesaway the development of the characters around him. It's kind of amazing.

And on the subject of characters, I think I won't be the first to point out how intensely creepy it is that the majority of female characters hovering around the lead character are literal children. And slaves. I've seen some push-back on this, as certain commenters claim that Satou is only acting as a father figure to the girls. However, slight SPOILERS, there are several episodes where the children are involved in fanservice-y moments with Satou. In the last episode alone, three little girls lick (or attempt to lick) a gooey substance from the lead's fingers while the background is sparkling. It's not exactly subtle.

In terms of storytelling, Death March is much more a slice of life style isekai than anything else. This in an of itself is not a problem, but it becomes one when the characters that are being relied upon to carry the narrative are so lifeless.

I wish I could say the show makes up for its faults in another way, but I found the soundtrack, character designs, animation, etc to be completely average.

I can't say whether you would enjoy watching this series or not, that always varies from person to person - however, I think I can at least say that if you are looking for some fun fantasy escapism, there are so many better options out there.