Story 10/10: The story of this anime is amazing and truly is well-crafted. Everything is well-thought-out and planned, just as if a master criminal him/herself were writing it! Even some of the slightest details have some sort of significance or role in the plot. The story is suspenseful and draws you in from beginning to end. Be prepared for cliffhangers at the end of each episode! If you do like complex and suspenseful plots this is definitely the show for you. Not only that, but the entire concept of the story is rather unique. I mean it really backs up the phrase: "the pen is mightier than the sword."
Art 9/10: The art is awesome, it definitely gives the anime a gothic feel. And again, it has details! From the character's faces to the clothes to the settings to the food that L eats and to the objects the characters are holding. It definitely does a good job with conveying the expressions, like thinking and crazy serial killer faces. Also another thing about the art that I just want to mention, as you watch the show, the art for at least some of the characters changes over time; Chief Yagami starts the show with no grey in his hair, but as time goes on, his hair has more and more grey.
Sound 8/10: Sound is pretty good, the music definitely fits with the show's mood. Only one thing I have to warn you about; the second opening song for Death Note is a heavy metal song, so do not watch the show with earphones in for the second half, I don't want people to fall out of their chairs in shock! I'm not a fan of heavy metal but I got used to the song and it kind of grew on me, I even kind of sing it sometimes.
Character 10/10: The characters are also well-done, there is some backstory, motives, relationships, and personality that comes with the characters. Even some of the minor characters have an incredible impact on the show. But the two characters that are the most well-done are L and Light. These are both intelligent characters that have an intellectual battle with each other. This battle does remind me of a similar battle between Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty, with L being Sherlock and Light being Moriarty. The two are equal opponents, which will leave you guessing till the end on who will win.
Enjoyment 10/10: I loved this show! Even though it was 37 episodes, I managed to finish it in only four days. That is about 9 episodes per day, wow I watched that show way too much. The only thing I would complain about is the tension, this show is very serious, it would have been nice to have a break in-between all the suspense and complex planning. But it definitely doesn't need to be that way for you to enjoy it!
Overall 10/10: Very well-thought-out and satisfying. I know you might be sick of people saying "Death Note is so awesome" but give it a chance anyway.
