Death Parade

[Ryllharu]

I'm sorry, but your interpretation of the events is just not correct.

Ginti devilishly smiles post-credits episode 10 when he recreates Harada, with the intent to trick Mayu. He's frustrated and pissed at her when they go to the elevators in episode 11 because she defied is expectations yet again.

Mayu was told to 1) Choose someone to swap Harada with while Ginti "brings him back", something we know is impossible, or 2) Leave Harada to the void, something Mayu could never stand for.

Mayu chose option 3). Go to the void too, where Harada is, rather than fulfill the deal and "get him back," which in turn would have gotten her condemned.


Ginti: "Harada or this guy. You choose who gets thrown in there."
Mayu: "Eh?"
...
Mayu stops right before she presses the button as asks who this is. Ginti refuses, saying she doesn't need to know.
Ginti: "What kind of person would it take to cast Harada into the void?" [Who would Mayu choose to save in order to give up Harada?]
Mayu: "There's no way I'd ever do that!" [There's no way Mayu would ever give up on Harada.]
Ginti: "Then you've already given me your answer, right?" [Ginti is saying that she's always going to choose to save Harada.]
Mayu hesitates.


When we see them again, Harada and she both go to the elevator, knowing she's going to go where he is and be reunited there rather than as part of sparing him from the void, per the deal Ginti created to trick her. Mayu refused to choose, and asked to go to the void where Harada is, rather than accept the deal.

Mayu: 'There must be some meaning in devoting my life to Harada without thinking about why?!'
Ginti: "Wouldn't that be nice..."
Doors shut.
Ginti: "And that's that." [But not delivered with a tone of satisfaction, but with resignation and relief, very uncharacteristic for Ginti]

Their souls fall, but spiral together and finally merge. If Mayu was being secretly punished for making a selfish choice, their souls would have been separated or she would have gone in a separate elevator.

The final image of the dolls holding hands reveals their fate. There is far less meaning to the masks than you're giving them credit for. They only indicate direction, not the judgment.

edit:

EDIT: Additional evidence that she dropped Light (kudos to the creators for this) into the void:
At the beginning of the elevator scene, Mayu was looking at her right hand with guilt. It was probably the same hand she used to press the red button. There's no other reason for the animators to draw that scene like that.

Ambiguity is what makes this series as good as it is. But again I cannot agree. You could easily interpret that same shot as her not choosing, and regretting for not swapping him for someone else. She looks at Harada's unconscious face next, then asks where they will be going. She wouldn't have to ask if she had agreed to his trap because Ginti was supposedly going to bring Harada's soul back in exchange for "Light" being condemned.

Ginti asks what Harada means to her because he can't understand why she would choose to be with Harada rather than to condemn a potential innocent to try to save him.