Mar 21, 2015
Death note review (9.5/10)
(This aims to be a spoiler-free review. However, if included, any explicit spoilers will be in a marked off section at the bottom of the review.)
Story:
Death note has a quite original concept behind it; a book in which you can write peoples' names to kill them. Death note is a mature, intelligent anime which displays a battle of wits between the main characters. You get thrown straight into the story with in 5 minutes and the action really does not let up for at least 10-15 episodes.
The engaging battle between Light and L dominates most of this period, starting with an
...
epic opening encounter. This conflict is made so good by the detail and logical approach with which each of the two make their plans and how their thoughts are conveyed to the audience. There are some great tense moments with unpredictable and clever uses of their resources as well. It is clear that both are geniuses to be reckoned with and both have the same goal, to find out the other's true identity. Furthermore, both characters are made to be likeable (some people would disagree for Light) so that you are not really sure which side you are supporting, especially as the main character, Light, is technically the evil side.
The story takes some interesting twists, coupled with introductions of new ideas and characters. Most of my favourite episodes were the ending episodes of each arc which were made to feel really intense.
The first 25 episodes almost equal my favourite anime series I have watched so far. The story has a near perfect pacing, not becoming repetitive at any point and it brings together a lot of interesting concepts. The last 11-12 episodes were weaker. The pacing was slower and less detail was given into the plans and logic of the main characters. And the dynamics between the characters was less enjoyable. It was still a good run though just wasn't as perfect as the start. The ending was a bit disappointing and was probably the worst execution of a battle between the main characters in the series, which had so much potential in the circumstances.
Characters:
The main characters are well written with their motivations well set out and their weaknesses subtly shown at different points in the series. Light with his superiority complex, seeing as himself as a worthy God, fit well with his goals to judge the world. Ultimately most of the time he had the intelligence to back up his arrogance and his central goal stays quite consistent.
L presents himself as one who has a strong sense of moral justice, which spurs him on to try to solve the case. However, his methods of investigating perhaps show a different side of him and at times it does seem as if he is a detective to get a feeling of fulfilment by solving cases. Even though Light and L are very different there are clear parallels between them, which is most evident during the middle few episodes. The secondary characters are focused on less but you still feel emotionally connected to them and understand their feelings and most of them play important parts in the series, each contributing to at least one major plot event. There is not much character development in the series but different aspects of each character are explored in more detail in different arcs.
Overall Light and L are two of my favourite anime characters.
Soundtrack and art:
The soundtrack is spectacular and fits in very well with the setting and events of the series. L's and Light's theme have multiple remixes, all of which set the scene well and kyrie and low of solipsism are a few more of my favourites. The art style is nice and the variation of the drawing of Light at different times and circumstances in the series is great. L's character is a great presence to have in any scene and you always understand the emotions of the characters.
Enjoyment and conclusion:
As much as I consider the other categories in my rating, the most important thing for me is my subjective enjoyment of the series (which does somewhat depend on the above sections). During both my first run and my rewatch I wanted to continue to the next episode straight away almost every time.The cliffhangers and plans which span out over at least a few episodes makes it easy to rewatch, allowing further analysis and appreciation of how well written said plans are.
For this reason, I believe death note is a true masterpiece and deserves a 9.5, even if its last episode run is a bit weaker. Anyone who enjoys a thriller with supernatural plot points or an epic adventure with psychological aspects will enjoy this anime!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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