Dec 5, 2018
Death Note, being my first anime ever, has probably become one of the most unique anime I've ever seen. Now that I think about it, I honestly can't think of another anime that has been written similarly to Death Note. (I've seen around 50 different anime series by the time I have written this review)
Story: Death Note's story in the first arc is absolutely phenomenal with its highly driven suspense and thought-provoking circumstances. Each and every episode from 1 to 15 serves a huge purpose and couldn't have delivered its theme/message more beautifully in my opinion. I almost guarantee you that for every scene
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that occurs, you will be thirsting for more. Its one of those series you will need to watch every day because forgetting the major or even minor plot points may end up confusing you. You don't have to worry too much though because the exposition is quite easy to understand, however, coming from someone who has watched this show twice, there is a lot of symbolism and foreshadowing you may easily overlook so make sure you pay attention. This anime is not like Dragon Ball Z or Pokemon where you can just have it in the background. Anyways, if I had the option to rate the first arc any higher than a 10 I would. As for the second arc or episode 20-37, this is when things start to go a little downhill. Unlike the first arc, there is a lot of unnecessary filler. The ending is a very controversial one and in my personal opinion, I did not like the ending, however, that does not mean the ending wasn't portrayed well. It really depends on your outlook towards the series when it comes to being satisfied with how the events play out. Though, I'd give the second arc a solid 8/10.
The story of the second arc of Death Note was nothing too special but the first arc makes up for everything to give the a story a 10/10 in my opinion.
Art/Animation: The art in this series is amazing, especially for it's given time (2006). The camera angles, shading, and coloring fits Death Note's mood and tone very well. Although, Death Note doesn't have much action in store, when the animation does kick in it does not disappoint. The precise, smooth, and distinct movements of the hand and pen in general is what makes the animation shine. It can be very difficult to animate pens and pencils while making it seem natural. I will always appreciate how the animators went all out with that aspect. In conclusion, the art/animation deserves a 10/10.
Sound: When it comes to the sound effects I'd say they did an awesome job. Even though the soundtrack isn't very catchy and memorable, that is okay because Death Note isn't the type of show to have uplifting music and is more so focused on performing the sound effects in order to dramatize and apprehend the atmosphere. Overall, the series did a great job on putting in the right music at the right time and place. I'd give it a 9/10.
Character: Ah, the character development. This is one of the aspects I appreciate about Death Note the most. The characters in the series are definitely one of the most interesting characters I've ever come across in a fictional story. What I find most intriguing between the main cast is the way they present their morals. There is hardly anyone in Death Note who is supposed to be labeled as simply good or evil. In truth, the characters helped me realize or question the moralities of the world differently towards society in general. So....yeah. I'm not saying you'll like the characters but there is no doubt that Death Note did amazing on their developments regarding Light and L specifically. I'd give it a 10/10.
Enjoyment: As I already said before, this series will most likely draw you in and take you on a thrilling roller coaster of emotions. I have enjoyed Death Note tremendously so what more can I say? Easily a 10/10.
Overall: If you don't like psychological thrillers/mysteries then this is probably not the show for you but I'm begging you to at least give Death Note a chance. I've known some people who don't even like anime but have still come to adore this series. The story (at least the first half) is amazing, the art is outstanding for it's time, the sound is great, and the characters have very interesting types of dynamics that you don't really see often in fictional stories. In conclusion, I highly recommend you check out this show out. There is a reason why it's still extremely popular today.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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