 Several critics discussed the theme of death found in Departures . Scott highlighted the contrast between the taboo of death and the value of jobs related to it . He also noted the role of the <unk> in showing " one last act of compassion " by presenting the dead in a way which preserved proud memories of their life . Initially , Daigo and his family are unable to overcome the taboos and their squeamishness when faced with death . Daigo is alienated from his wife and friends owing to traditional values . Ultimately it is through his work with the dead that Daigo finds fulfilment , and , as Peter Howell of the Toronto Star concluded , viewers realize that " death may be the termination of a life , but it 's not the end of humanity " . Okuyama writes that , in the end , the film ( and the book on which it was based ) serves as a " quiet yet persistent protest " against the discrimination which people who deal with death continue to face in modern Japan : death is a normal part of life , not something repulsive . 
