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DEATH NOTE
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Animation - 9.3 |
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Sound - 9.0 |
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Story - 9.4 |
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Character - 9.3 |
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Value - 9.1 |
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Enjoyment - 9.4 |
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Average - 9.3 |
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Kaj |
(2009-07-23 12:26:35) 2009-07-14 18:07:10 |
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| I first heard about "Death Note" a couple of years prior to its release. Quite a few of my friends were reading the manga, and it felt like the hottest property around at the time. Unfortunately for me, a couple of my friends discussing the "Death Note" manga right in front of me ruined that big plot point that occurs mid series for me. At the time I didn't mind, as I don't really read manga, but I was a bit peeved when I learnt about the anime adaptation. The information I had been made aware of is arguably the biggest turning point in the entire story. I also remember my friends saying that they had lost all interest right after that development. At the time, I was skeptical that one event could have such a big impact on the series, but now that I've watched the anime, I found that my friends were right all along.
Death Note truly is an anime of two halves. Though saying that is a bit misleading since the two "halves" are unequal in size. The really good part of Death Note probably only extends as far as the first third of the series. But, man, WHAT a good part it is! That section by itself is probably more than a match for the best parts of any anime I've ever watched. That section by itself was enough to catapult the anime into my personal A-list... and most other people's too, judging from its reception.
The opening episode wastes little time in setting up the scene, and though the premises may be a little gimmicky, and the dramatising a little over the top (the main character Light writes with so much agression and vigour, you'd half expect him to be leaving a blazing trail of fire behind his pen), the intrigue and potential was there in buckets, and I was hooked straight way. And thus it continued relentlessly at a demonic pace. About 8 episodes in, I was thinking to myself "this is unbelievable... it's actually still getting better episode by episode". My friends shared the same sentiment - at the rate it was going, it was heading towards being the best anime ever by miles... surely something had to give.
And unfortunately it did. The anime soon peaked, and actually started going down hill before that Event-That-Was-Spoilt-For-Me... it's just that the drop was even steeper after that aforementioned event. Looking back on it, I guess it was inevitable, given that a lot of the fun parts were because of the bizarre way the Death Note (the object, not the anime) worked, making Light fiendishly hard to catch. Once that mystery is revealed, it was always gonna struggle to prevent the remaining story from becoming less interesting, even without taking into account the difficulty of matching the dizzying heights of the earlier episodes in the first place. Having said that, the revelation concerning the Death Note was not the culprit behind the anime's first sign of decline. The first decline was brought about by a development in the storyline that broke up the psychological cat-and-mouse game played between Light and his counterpart L, a routine that had served the series so well up to that point. Instead, they go and chase down some random villain that no one really cares about (aka the Yotsuba arc). The whole mood of the anime changes from that point on. Not only had the tension almost completely broken, the anime also started fancying itself as some kind of cheap comedy, throwing in more and more "comic" moments, mostly involving that hugely irritating walking-fanservice-doll Misa Misa. Whilst previously, the occasional comic moments involving L seemed appropriate and did not detract from the suspense, the new wave of comedy really grated on my nerves.
The somewhat dull Yotsuba arc eventually ended, and was soon followed by the Event-That-Eas-Spoilt-For-Me (not that I'm bitter or anything), and though the incident itself was executed extremely well (excluding the foot massage scene aimed at the fangirls), the series really takes a nose dive after that. What exactly went wrong in the final arc? Well, it's hard to know where to start - "Death Note" pretty much deteorated in all aspects: First thing to note was how unbelievable the story became. Granted, even in the beginning, there were occasions in the storyline that bordered on the ridiculous (the whole farce involving Light and his packet of potato chips, for example), but now the storyline had become so "out there" that the whole series started feeling a little surreal - that monkey business with the stealth missile that's untrackable by satelite and launched from some secret underground base is just... ludicrously ludicrous. Then there's that set of oh-so-original new characters that were introduced. Mellow and Near are just poor copies of L. No doubt that, given the immesnse popularity of L, the creator attempted to replicate the success with the new characters. You know those bands that scores a huge hit with their debut single, and follow up with a couple of songs that are really similar to that first hit, but are no where near as good? Well, that's pretty much what Mellow and Near are. Just as those follow up singles often end up being flops, so too does Mellow and Near fall well short of capturing the viewers' imagination in the same way L did. Not only does the new characters fail to impress, many old characters got worse: Light seemed to become more stupid (one of the causes for the psychological warfare losing that formidable edge), Misa Misa managed to become even more annoying than before (if possible), and L... err... through no fault of his own, L's image kind of got cheapened by the mere presence of Mellow and Near. Yeah, that's how bad they were.
I guess all my ranting must have made the latter parts of Death Note seem absolute pants. But from a more objective point of view, it wasn't. It did not fall short of being decent even at the weakest points of the series. The disappointment is because the later parts fail to measure up against the standard set by the first - the fact that it felt worse says more about the utter brilliance of its first arc than anything else. By the sheer merit of the first arc alone, Death Note manages to justify all the hype surrounding it, THAT'S how good it was. If you haven't seen this yet, what the heck are you waiting for?!
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
7.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| The first half of this series rates among the best anime I have ever seen. Every episode twists and turns and is a well-written, convoluted thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The brain match between L and Light is intense and very clever. Unfortunately from about halfway on it starts to lose its intelligence and the story deteriorates with each episode up until the disappointing end.
The animation and music is great and a dark mood is created by the characters and their surroundings. The Death Gods are a welcome addition and ironically add some light relief to the proceedings. L and Light are both amazingly well crafted characters. Misa gets rather annoying very quickly which is a shame, it would have been great if she had had some depth and intelligence to her. Near is too one-dimensional to be really interesting.
This would have been one of my favourite anime series if they had kept it short and ended it after the "L arc" instead of padding it out with a story that became increasingly unrealistic and felt like it was trying too hard to be clever and failing.
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1 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| At its core, Death Note is a story about two geniuses locked in a battle of wits. The winner being the one who can successfully outmaneuver the other. The protagonist, a detective and criminal investigator, goes only by the mysterious title of 'L'. The antagonist and main character, is Yagami Light, a college student in possession of a notebook that allows him to kill anyone he wishes with a heart attack simply by writing down their name.
Light quickly decides that it is his calling in life to use the notebook to rid the world of evil people and starts 'judging' criminals. Since he does not have to have any physical contact with the people he kills, it is some time before the police realize that it is no coincidence that all of the criminals are dying of heart attacks. They seek out the help of the mysterious investigator known only as 'L' to help catch Light, who is known only as Kira to the rest of the world. And so begins a series of mind games between L and Kira to see who can out smart who and who can find out the other's true identity first.
One of the things that makes Death Note so unique is that the main character is the bad guy. I have never watched another anime where that is the case, and I think it definitely works for this series. Overall, Death Note is awesome, and is unlike any anime that you have ever seen before. However, it suffers from one fatal flaw: its characters outsmarted their creator.
Now that I have given a little description of the series, let me explain my comment about the characters outsmarting their creator. Both L and Light are geniuses. Light has the highest college entrance exam scores in all of Japan and L is the best investigator the world has ever know. The first few episodes of Death Note are all about L trying to figure out who Kira is, which is a daunting task considering that Kira can kill people without having any contact with them or even being physically near them. However, because L is so smart he begins to make some headway and narrows down the possibilities of who Kira can be. This puts the pressure on Light to obscure and hide his actions so that it is more difficult for L to deduce his identity. These episodes are absolutely fascinating because they are so well done. It is as if the creator of the series really knew exactly how each character would act and react in every situation, and so the episodes play out like an intricate chess game where each move is analyzed, scrutinized and eventually decided on only if it is the best and most logical course of action. However, the problem is that both Light and L are geniuses, and while very intelligent I am sure, I doubt the creator of Death Note is the smartest person in all of Japan. So, eventually I think he reached a point where he could no longer predict his characters’ actions accurately. What I mean to say is that he boxed them in to a situation that only a true genius could figure their way out of, and so he could no longer come up with a perfect and elegant solution to his character's predicament. Basically, the logic began to break down. In the first part of the series, you thought that each move on the part of Light and L made perfect sense, and that had someone really been in the situation they were in, they could have figured out the next move with only the evidence at hand. However, later in the series, both Light and L are still able to figure things out and draw closer to each other, but you are left scratching your head and wondering how exactly they came to that conclusion. You could have figured it out because you see both sides of the mind games, but you wonder how they figured it out when they don't know the schemings of the other side. So, what started out as the most fascinating series ever to grace anime eventually turned into an excellent show, but not quite as life changing as it could have been.
That really is my only complaint about Death Note though. Otherwise it is almost flawless. In summary, Death Note starts out as the best anime I have ever seen. In the middle it is still pretty amazing but the characters make a few logical leaps that they probably couldn't have figured out in real life. During the end, the leaps of logic become larger and more frequent. However, the ending itself left me stunned and wanting more in a good way. Whatever problems the series might have had, the ending delivers in spades.
Despite its flaws, I highly recommend Death Note to everyone. Just keep in mind that the first five or six episodes are the best of the series, and you will not be disappointed later like I was.
A value of 7 is my 'average' for each category.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
7.0 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| A refreshing (if empty and chilling) series that falls short of delivering the knockout blow.
A heart is a heavy burden to bear. Without it, we'd be screwed. Light is perfect proof.
Imagine if there was no consequence to anything you did when you were alive. That you could do whatever you wanted and know that anything beyond this life held no retribution for all the evil you had committed. What if there was something that could allow you to kill whoever you wanted, however you wanted, such that it was virtually impossible to prove your guilt?
This is the descent into a world devoid of morality or justice that Death Note provides. Yagami Light, the smartest student in Japan, is bored with his routine, non-challenging life. Ryuk, a scheming Shinigami (aka a Death God), is bored with an eternity stuck in a degenerate Death God world. So Ryuk drops a Death Note for Light to find - a notebook that gives Light the ability to kill anyone in any way. After testing it out of mere curiosity, which is understandable...kind of...Light feels no regret or remorse. In fact, he feels excited and as if his life's true purpose has finally been revealed. Light, under the guise of Japan's #1 student and the son of the chief of the Tokyo police, proceeds to kill criminals at an alarming rate. The police counter by sending in L, the world's greatest detective, who has never failed to solve a case. Eccentric, clinical and moral - he is very similar to Light except for one thing. He refuses to believe the wholesale slaughter of criminals or anyone is justified and considers it the ultimate evil. Light considers himself to be the god of a new era and that any actions he takes to be justified. Thus the battle of wills, in a deadly cat and mouse game, between two equally intelligent, competitive and chilling people, begins. However, this is not a case of winner takes all...
Death Note is probably the most solid title to emerge from the Shonen Jump pool to date. A novel concept with some age-old dilemmas that are presented in a very chilling way. This will either draw you in and keep you gripped or make you walk away in disgust. When I first heard of Death Note and considered where this would go, I was initially disgusted. However, I decided to will myself to watch it. Overall, it was a decent decision. However, I felt heavily conflicted every time I watched an episode of Death Note. I still do and I hope I always do. Death Note is not the kind of series one would want to be at ease while watching.
Madhouse, a fairly reliable studio with numerous good series under their belt, took the production for this volatile series. And for the better part they did a good job with it. The worst aspect of their product is definitely the animation. Excessive shadows, poor colour depth/variation, skin textures so oily they look fresh out of a Swedish massage, helmet-head hair, very dark lines that become even worse from Episode 14 onwards, average CG effects. For such a drawcard of a series, it is confusing why the animation quality was not up to scratch. Sure, it was true to the manga-ka's style, but mistakes that were made here weren't a result of original style. This is a result of Madhouse, who are usually have better standards, dropping the ball.
Sound-wise, things are a bit better. In-episode music with its climactic orchestral pieces and choir vocals, soft rock overtures and the odd sly dig tune - a good mix that covers just about any mood. As for the themes, while lyrically they make a good connection to Death Note, sound-wise they're not so flash. The 1st set of opening and ending themes are both soft, to the point of being too soft. They almost feel like soap opera themes rather than a prelude to a mystery/thriller series. Not ideal when you're after a bridge to get into the visceral, morally devoid feel of Death Note. However, the 2nd round of themes do a much better job. 'What Up People' is exactly what was required for an opener - chaotic, visceral, vengeful, reckless. 'Hey hey ningen sucker, ah ningen ningen f*cker' - what a line. It doesn't matter what language you speak - that line sets off bombs universally. The 2nd ender beats the 1st but still falls on the weak side. At least it doesn't put one to sleep, though.
The story can be split into three arcs - L, Yotsuba and Near. For 16 episodes, the focus is on the epic battle between Light and L, both trying to uncover the other's true identity and take the other out. Perceiving each other's moves and coming up with 11th hour buzzer beaters to send the game into overtime once more, it is very engrossing to see how Light can keep up the facade of being Kira - the ultimate killer - yet still be the guy that everyone admires and least suspects, while L has to construct a viable case with almost no tangible evidence at all in a way only he can. This is what Death Note lives or dies by - how the viewer takes the battle of wills between two very similar people that have a major disagreement about justice and morality.
But then with half the series done, things change. The battle reaches its first climax....then the story slides a little in the Yotsuba arc. It becomes a bit frustrating to watch because you know how this section of the story will end and you just want the show to get back to the guts of the story which made it worth watching in the first place. However, while the majority of this arc is weaker compared to the start, it has a better climax. The battle is over...but the war is not won...
And thus we enter the third and final arc - one which heavily divides Death Note fans. The Near arc. The style and feel of Death Note changes. It assumes a sense of foreboding and a slow poison, gradually creeping to the finale. Little that happens in the final arc feels to be of much significance. Characters are written off in rather clumsy, pathetic manners. Tragedy after tragedy comes. So when Death Note finally hits the finale, it is a relief to have it come. Because the one weakness for a series like Death Note is that you always knew how things were going to end. Heck, the series spells it out for you several times over. However, the manner in which the series ends provides a mixture of moral relief and a denial of satisfaction.
Death Note's strength is its characters. As morally empty and visceral as this series is, Light makes one heck of a villain. Possibly anime's finest, in terms of being a true villain from go to woe and never letting up. Light knows exactly what he's doing, how and why. That doesn't mean anything to him. Light is ready to do exactly what he wants and is just asking for someone to stop him. The ability to be enthralled by Light comes not from liking him. Because there is no reason to like him. If you do wrong or try to stop him doing what he does, say hello to a heart attack, good night. Light respects no one and nothing but himself. He is the ultimate BS artist and fools just about anybody. He feels no gratitude to Ryuk for giving him the Death Note. He has no gratitude to his family for providing him with everything a person could ever want. No gratitude to his father for working his body and mind to ridiculous limits to provide that lifestyle. No respect for his classmates, seeing them as tools to achieve his ends. No respect for the mass populace he claims to champion. No respect for his followers. He is the epitome of the word bastard. But you can't help but be impressed that he manages to weave his way out of a situation that would have anyone else screwed. He is the master of escape and does it in a clinical fashion that is both masterful and chilling. It is heart-wrenching to see someone who is clearly driven by justice go so utterly wrong because he was given the power to do the ultimate evil. Light himself reflects on what might have been. But Light never feels regret or remorse. He is a vain, spoiled brat with the rationale of a teen that never grows up. A villain to the end. Intriguing to watch but chilling enough to make your heart stop.
L - the closest thing to a hero in this series. Because unfortunately in Death Note, there is no true hero. L is the symbol of justice and using better means to provide it. With his oddball antics, his perilous vice for sweets (Q: How the hell can someone eat the equivalent of a sweet store in a day and stay perfectly slim?! A: He's fangirl material so he must stay fangirl material! :P ), his stubborn nature and extreme intelligence, L unravels the truth. However, in doing so, L gradually has to lower his standards, over and over, to the point where L's way of thinking and his actions come to a point where they border on being just like Light's, simply for the reason that L can't accept defeat and is willing to do whatever it takes to prove Light is Kira. Hence L is no hero. But he is just as intriguing to watch as Light, albeit for better reasons.
After that, there is a fair spread. Soichiro, Light's father, is the one person who remains moral throughout. He doesn't shoot to kill, he follows the law to the letter, he is truly just and sacrifices his own wellbeing over and over for others. A trait found in no one else in this series. He provides someone to respect. However, his subordinates in Matsuda, Mogi and Aizawa are very sedate and non-threatening. They don't feel like cops, they don't seem smart enough to be. They do have their moments but they just contribute to making the police look like a bunch of clowns. Misa, the only female character that gets any prolonged exposure, is equally amusing and irritating. Superficially pretty, vengeful and smitten with Light, she provides the odd spatter of humour, but with her squeaky high voice it grows into more of an irritant over time. And she really is superficial. She doesn't represent females well at all in this series. Watari, L's faithful servant and mentor, is a decent fellow. Well-mannered, meticulous, highly skilled and committed to L, he is anything but an old man. To be honest, Watari puts the younger cops to shame with what he gets done. Ryuk is a mixed bag. His goth-like physique, his habit of bleeding out Death Note facts only when Light is in a bind, not to mention enjoying nothing more than watching Light suffer then evade discovery and the fatal consequences for those involved - or a red apple. However, he does provide a decent foil to Light's permanent self-righteousness.
I leave for my last character description the one character that made me almost enter REM sleep mode in the final arc - Near. Some adore him, some call him the ruin of Death Note. I side with the latter opinion. Near is simply a prick. He has utter contempt for anyone that isn't himself. He is willing to use any of his colleagues as collateral damage to achieve his ends. Most of all, he doesn't seem smart or intellectual. Things just magically fall into place for Near to close in while he makes arrogant remark after arrogant remark.
Females get a very raw deal in Death Note. For 99% of the series, they are treated as merely sexual objects or people who don't have the brains or capability to handle what happens in this world. This story provides a world driven by men, controlled by men with male mentality oozing all over it. Aside from a brief appearance from Naomi Misora - who ironically provided Light's harshest challenge to avoid been found out - the females are just background nice. Which they shouldn't be. One can't help but feel this was intentionally done to provide a greater void of morality and warmth. It doesn't feel justified though. Women are not this stupid or shallow, in general. They're worthy of respect and positions of importance. Death Note says otherwise. Not cool. (And yes, I am male FYI)
The other disturbing factor is the lack of morality and consequence. When all is done and dusted, as well as along the way - the only consequences seem to be for those who were fighting for justice. Those who chose evil never receive retribution or are made to feel sorry for what they done. Which seems all too convenient. In the end, a fair section of Death Note feels gratuitous and creepy. It provides a moral dilemma but doesn't condemn wrongdoing at all. Violence and wrongdoing are almost portrayed as a viable, justifiable end. No there are series I have liked that have presented very graphic violence, but those that did it and had my respect had morality at their core and sent a clear message that while violence can provide thrills, it's not justified. Aside from the odd comment from Light's father, there is no moral conscience to the series. Which can lead to one almost liking Light or admiring him. Admiring a psychotic killer...no thank you. Intriguing, yes. Screw ever respecting the bastard. Now perhaps each individual should be able to discern that for themselves. Not everyone will. But in the end, that was one of the manga-ka's main intentions - to shatter conceptions of consequence and a life after death. To challenge one's will and morals. Well, mission accomplished. But there's a difference between simply conveying those messages and reminding one that there are consequences in life regardless of whether there is an afterlife or not. That I would have liked to see. Because without the condemnation, it almost seems like the manga-ka enjoys the notion of a world without consequence or morality. Then again, even the manga-ka admits he rode this for longer than he should and that the final arc was somewhat of a mistake, so should we really feel compelled to take his notions as gospel? Hell no. Believe what you want to.
Death Note - provides gripping viewing between strong leads with important moral dilemmas. But it lacks the finesse, production values and backbone to be truly memorable. Worth watching but not worthy of being labelled great.
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2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| One of my favorite animes if not the best! Initially i thought that the story would not be brilliant compared to other more action filled animes, yeah a book ok no super powers an stuff but the characters and relationships in this anime are so deep. The story is so good it leaves you wanting more at every stage and is very clever with lots of twists turns and suprises that will leave you on the edge of your seat. the animation is brilliant and is backed by a perfect soundtrack that adds so much depth. Even though the anime lacks the action some others may have it is much more clever and the characters so much more interesting, for example all the characters develop so much throughout the series and the relationships between them grow and change as they discover the true motives behind each other. This draws you in and the constant game of cat and mouse between the main character yagami light and L almsot makes you feel like you are part of the interactions as you puzzle through the monologues and mind games. I recommend this anime to anyone and everyone 10/10
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| Average |
7.2 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Im not really a suspense-anime fan but i really liked this series, probably one of my favorites. The good part of this is the suspense it gives and how Kira is able to escape from being discovered. The characters are good, in this series you will feel confused on who is the hero and who is the villain since both L and Kira believes that they are fighting for justice. Soundtrack is good especially the second batch, that is if you like hardcore rock. However, there are some parts in this series somewhat rather...boring, like that part when they were trying to capture the second Kira, its just dragging. Re-watch value is low for me because once youve finished watching it, then try watching it again is just not that entertaining anymore since there is no more suspense, which is the very reason why this series is good. This could have also been better if they tried to explain furthermore the existence of deathgods and deathnotes. Anyway, this is how I criticize animes, even if Deathnote is one of my favorites, I still give an unbiased opinion.
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0 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| How many stories can you think of that can challenge your conceptions on morality and assess the value of life in general? If you can count them on one hand, you're actually doing well in comparison to the actual amount of mediums that exist and offer superior quality in doing so.
Death Note is literally a superb cat and mouse game in its initial progression. It tells the story of a youth, Light Yagami, who comes across a notebook where, at the inscribing of one's name, as per according to the rules of the book, the person would meet their demise. Naturally, with great power comes both great responsibility and corruption, in Light's case, he becomes obsessed with the power of the notebook and acts under the guise of "Kira", claiming to eliminate the criminals of the world. Yet, when countered by a mysterious individual under the name of "L", Light is forced to scramble in order to keep his identity secret, as well as eliminate all who may stand in his way, including "L".
The way the series paints L and Light/Kira as natural foils to each other is superbly done, and the number of cliffhanger moments engage and enthrall the viewer in figuring out who will come out on top. Yet, after a significant twist in events, the series meets a rather steep decline, as the characters meshing past that point don't have as much momentum or intrigue as the previous part of the series. Granted, that doesn't mean that the ending doesn't reap its respective rewards: it's a fitting conclusion, and perhaps done so more potently than the manga counterpart (which I read and was subsequently disappointed with). Watching the anime adaptation brings the conflict to much more fruition than reading/watching it on paper, and in part this is due to the stellar voicework, animation, music, and respective settings.
The transition from manga to anime in respective character design was very well done, and I appreciated the consistencies and the darker artwork to create a mature and heightened sense of suspense in the overall animation style. Cel backdrops were of good, consistent quality and prove fitting to the respective scenarios the characters found themeselves.
I won't fib, Death Note has a stellar soundtrack, from instrumental themes to the OP/ED sequences in both the first and second parts of the series. I'd likely name both ending themes and the first OP theme as my favorite contributions overall. J-rock groups Nightmare and Maximum the Hormone perform the themes for each respective part. Nightmare's performances are lush, engaging and catchy: "The World" has a rather driving, dynamic melody, while "Alumina" takes the tempo down to give a sweet backing guitar and dark, mid-tonal structure. Maximum the Hormone's contributions are much more overt, "What's Up People" is vulgar with seething bitterness that overflows in abundance, while "Billy in Despair" teems on the brink of overflow, but manages to be lush and engaging with its respective sequence. BGM ranges from beautiful orchestrated themes to shrill pieces played in the clutch of events.
Voice acting in the Japanese and English dub counterparts are of stellar quality: I think Light's, L's, and even Chief Yagami's VAs are well worth noting among a few. Special mention to Aya Hirano playing Misa-Misa in the Japanese version, she manages to make the character tolerable, though her respective construction/role is rather bothersome at times. That would just be in part of her character though. :P
The characters in Death Note are easily able to adapt to and be engaged by, though these constructions are actually much stronger in the beginning stretch of the series than the latter. Primary characters are treated very well, but secondary character quality varies dependant on the role they play in the overall story. I was actually disappointed with some of the antagonists in this series, and the downward quality by which Light's character operates towards the latter part of the series: it just doesn't have as much spark as the beginning momentum of Death Note, but one can argue this is also in part due to the story quality and progression as it carries forth.
Did I find Death Note worth the watch? An emphatic yes. Would I watch it again? Certainly, and I have already added it to my respective anime collection. Do I find it to be the best anime series I've seen or subsequently constructed? A resounding no, but it carries enough merit worth noting for its respective success, if even noted by the beautiful execution and intrigue of its story in its initial endeavors.
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Desu Note |
(2008-12-04 14:10:40) 2008-10-18 11:20:26 |
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| The Story is about Yagami Light finding a note book called Death Note, if you write a persons name in it thet will die
With This Notebook he tries to rid the world of evil.
All I can say is WOW this anime is by far my favourite anime. Its exciting, has a fantastic story line and good animation, The Sound is great, good soundtracks nothing to complain.
Almost all of the characters were interseting and were special in there own way.
Everything was great and I have nothing to complain about. I defintitly recomend this Anime
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3 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Yours truly is a big fan of anime. And I’m not very demanding in what I want from my anime, either. For the most part, give me some big-ass robots shooting at each other while pretending there is deeper meaning to the plot, and I’m as happy as a pig during one of his world renowned 30 minute orgasms. However, once in a while an anime will surface, that from the very first episode will have me go: “Wow! This is so awesome!” even when there are no giant robots to speak of. The last few animes to give me this vibe were probably Cowboy Bebop and Gungrave. And now, another one came along: Deathnote.
For the first 25 or so episodes, Deathnote is just perfect. It depicts very well what can happen to Light, a perfectly nice genius, when he is given the power to kill almost at will. (Hint: it does not involve rainbows, puppies or gumdrop trees), and how such a genius measures up to a genius of equal caliber who is determined to arrest him and show him to the chair. Enter L, said genius of equal caliber, and for a two dozen episodes, the mind games involved are a joy to watch. Then stuff happens and the show becomes much, much worse.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
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If theres a genre that doesnt get many productions in the anime industry, that must be the thriller genre. Theres MONSTER too, but its definitely not the most popular kind of production. Tired of school life and naruto-like series, Death Note was quite refreshing. Animation is totally top notch, and designers choose a fitting colour palette, which gives the anime a really solid and mature look. The sound FX are good, pretty standard stuff, but i dont particullary enjoy some of the ops, too unnecesarilly wild for me. Characters are mostly cool, except for some of them who are too clitched, but they arent show stoppers at all. The story is the shining point, but its so spoiler unfriendly that value might be partially ruined if you know something you are not supposed to, or on a second run, so beware.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| As an anime critique, I found this anime to be top rated in all of the above.
The only flaw I could find would have to be the ending.
Nevertheless, I question whether or not Death Note ended as it was protrayed to have ended, as mentioned here:
http://deathnotecontinues.blogspot.com/
I remain hopeful that Tsugumi did this deliberately in order to keep the possibility of returning the viewers most favorite character, "L".
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1 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
7.8 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Death Note is the story of Yagami Light, who finds a notebook, “the Death Note” with which he cam kill almost anyone whose name and face are known to him.
Now Yagami Light is the perfect student i.e. he is popular with the girls and is one of the smartest people in his country if not the world………. Now I know you are wondering what problems can some one so perfect have???? Well, his problems are the world’s problems, the increasing crime rate, criminals going free, lack of Justice…..Now you’re thinking he is such a noble guy…… but your wrong he is a PSYCHOPATH. He decides the solution is to kill all the criminals of the world. This decision eventually turns him into a self obsessed monster with a God Complex. The show is based on how he kills them and tries to prevent himself from getting caught….. The best part of the anime is a battle of wits between Light and ‘L’, a world renowned investigator.
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1 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I have to tell, that this anime is "must watch". Not only that, but even people, that do not like anime too much, will enjoy it.
This interesting detective story don't let you to stop watching it. In the beginning you just can't understand, how is it possible to catch someone like Light. Then, the story is going to be more interesting and more complicated. Every single episode you're wondering: "How the hell they will do it?".
The characters - Light, L, Ryuk, Misa, every one is different, but together they just make a perfect ensemble. Light is a very smart and intellegent boy; Ryuk is here like doctor Watson - all the time following Light and asking him questions in his "Shinigami style"; L is a kind of lonely wolf with strange habbits and finally - Misa giving a "kawai" side in this serials.
Animation - very interesting colour gamma, yes I saw better animation, but this one is good for this type of story, don't forget, that manga is in black & white.
Music just fits the story perfect.
I must say, that I began to watch this serial in the very beginning of its appearence on japan TV, but after 6-7 series I couldn't wait for the next every week, so I just read the whole Manga. Then I stopped to watch the TV series, cause it wasn't interesting for me any more. After a year or so, I decided to fill the space and watched the whole series from the beginning. I do not regret and I'm also sure, that I will watch it again sometime.
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1 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Amaryl |
(2008-05-27 22:05:32) 2008-05-27 22:01:16 |
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Every now and then, a series pops up that is completely different from anything else. It has something familiar, yet is completely unique. Death Note is a prime example of this, it is pure genius.
The world of Death Note is mostly our very own one. Our main character in Death Note, is your average genius college freshman. Suddenly, by mere coincidence, he acquires the ability to pass judgement on those he deems unfit. And so he does... Our main character is, for most people, the perfect anti-hero. We all know that what he does is wrong, yet we will all root for him.
To counter this, the known forces of justice have their own genius, a detective whose identity is unknown. With this, the stage is set for a battle of wits, more exciting and jawdropping than anything I have ever seen before.
The whole is of course superbly animated. The main character, Light, is set to look like a semi-popular guy, while his nemesis, the detective L, looks like discarded punk-rocker. The two are, at first glance, complete opposites. Only in their strokes of genius do they resemble one another. Whereas action anime has battles, Death Note has mind battles, and even these are animated to perfection. The way every scene is directed could not have been done better. But what pinnacles the animation are the Death Gods. We don't get to see many of them, but all are equally creepy or downright frightening.
The only issue that I have with the sound, as mentioned by others, are the metal OP/ENDs. They are great songs, no doubt about that, but they just don't fit Death Note. Everything else however, does. Like his looks and character, Light has an easygoing voice...One that can suddenly, yet creepingly smooth, turn into the voice of the psychopath he actually is. L's voice on the other hand, makes it sound as if he's always tired of talking. Very monotone, befitting for a character that hardly ever interacts with the world.
There is one great glitch in the genius of Death Note: It has two endings. When Light and L are at each others psychological throats, the series has a climax and something that could have been an ending.
But it's not. The series progresses, a new genius is to battle the other one, and while I loved to simply watch more episodes, the mind battles were no where near a exciting as the first half of the series. The real ending is a great anticlimax. It is for the viewer to decide wether justice has failed or prevailed.
Death Note is a must watch title in every respect. It makes the viewer think, root for one side. It's impossible not to pick a side when you watch it. Even tough Death Note has a little dip later on, everything comes down to the end, where no plot hole is left open. All the dialogue has meaning, not a sentence it uttered in vain. The way the characters think, act and react and how this is portrayed is unique.
Death Note is easily one of the best, and certainly the most original anime that I have watched to date.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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|
frick |
2008-04-16 18:22:07 |
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| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| In this series, the pen is proved mightier than the sword. Death note is a battle of wits between an investigator named "L", and the protagonist assassin, Light Yagami. Light gains a weapon early on that enables him to kill people from the comfort of his own bedroom, the Death Note. The Death Note is a notebook brought to him by a Shinigami or God of Death which allows him to kill simply by writing the name of his victim with their face in mind. As the son of a police chief, Light decides to use this gift to become the god of a crime-free world through killing off criminals as well as any standing in his way. "L" is one of those that stands in his way. However, knowing neither the face nor the real name of "L" greatly complicates his disposal which begins the pendulum-style struggle between them to flush the other out into the open.
I find the writing to be absolutely brilliant as far as the battle of wits is concerned. The character development, plot line, and the speed of the delivery of the story are all well done. Often after the completion of an episode I find myself locked in either thought or discussion of corporal punishment and the death penalty. And despite the fact that my politics would never allow me to support any of Light's actions, somehow I find myself pulling for this character to succeed.
The introduction of the female character in the story, Misa, was somewhat discouraging to me as she is nothing more than the token dumb blond cliche anime female who has no place in this highly intellectual story line. She does lend to thickening the plot somewhat and providing obstacles and complications to both Light and L, however she also tends to detract from the serious nature of the storyline with her air-headed behavior.
I love the selective choice of color that draw the eye toward the important objects in each scene. The religious references are a little overdone to the point of being accused of 'emo' but I think it works for this series given the god complex of the protagonist. I think the intent of the goth lighting, red apples, biblical-style lighting all serve to reinforce the god-like statements of Light.
The music choices leave something to be desired, particularly the metallic introduction theme song. I would have loved to have seen some more mature selections here to better accompany the mature discussion taking place in this drama. However the music during the show itself is fairly minimal and usually doesn't detract from the content even in the cases where it fails to add.
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2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| overall this was an absolutley fantastic anime! one of the best i've ever seen.
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1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| I cannot say that I like it a lot, but then to be fair to this anime, its quite a good one. It will appeal to many people. The story is very complex but its a bit worn out. The story is all based on circumstances and manipulation of other people to achieve the ultimate goal. It does work, but the concept was slightly too long.
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0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Neon Mist |
(2008-02-10 11:32:35) 2008-02-10 11:31:02 |
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Death Note is a rare anime. It brings up more philosophical questions about humanity's role. Yagami Light, a top student and ideal son, runs across a notebook one day that kills anyone whose name is written in it within forty seconds. He can control how they die as well, and he then begins to rid the world of criminals. Detective agencies, however, become concerned when criminals, both in jail and out, start dropping left and right. The world's best detective, called "L," takes control of the case, and the story turns into a series of mind games and deception between L and Light. I thoroughly enjoyed watching L try to catch Light. Every moment was so intense, and the story's message and meaning remained very profound through to the very end. The animation was so well done and added a lot of depth to each character. Subtle emotions and slight changes in facial expression made a lot of difference. Most other animes rely on characters exuberantly displaying their emotions to get the tone of the scene across, but Death Note plays everything differently. I simply loved it.
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4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| When a shinigami, named Ryuk drops a "notebook" "by accident", he is supposed to go after it. At the same moment, the brilliant Japanese student Light Yagami notices a notebook laying in the grass. Yagami Light grabs the mysterios notebook and he takes it to his home. Lead by his megalomania, he is determined to free the world of criminals with the name "Kira". Soon enough,, the mysterios genius L.seems the only one that is capable of catching the prodigy Light (Kira), but he discovers that this isn't so easy as he thought and the battle begins, which shall decide who is the most clever.
DEATH NOTE is a complicated thriller with an increasing tension.
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1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Perhaps the most perfect anime I have ever seen. This anime was beautifully directed, and you will find no fillers in this one. I would say that it is one of the rare animes that are better than the manga. I enjoyed it so much it became an obsession. The voice actor for Yagami Light is absolutely marvelous.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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