Today I will be doing a review for the highly praised psychological/police thriller namely - Death Note.
STORY : 8
Death Note starts off fairly sluggish as the plot is quite complicated and needs to explain to the viewer of the rules that apply during the remainder of the series. This can be a bit daunting at first, but this allows the viewer to shape creative ideas, as if you were in the shoes of the protagonist himself. This is also beneficial when the story really picks up its intensity so the viewers' focus can be solely on the plot. It must be said, when the wheels are turning, this show is intense as can be and an absolute joy to watch. One setback the plot had was the mid-series climax and was delayed to pick up momentum again, but once it did, this train went all the way.
ART : 8
The art-style is very well suited for the genre as it creates this sense of claustrophobia and solitude. You could argue that the creators of Death Note wanted the viewer to have an isolated viewpoint as that from the main protagonist. All color-contrasts has been stripped from this world with the only exception being objects linked to the plot.
SOUND : 7
This is very subjective and I feel most viewers would disagree with me on the subject. No part of the OST stood out for me, and I suspect it was simply my preference to the musical genre. That being said the OST served its main purpose in setting up the atmosphere in every scene and I'll let you know the openings were phenomenal. Death Note is one of the rare cases where the English dub was done fairy well, so pick whichever to your liking.
CHARACTERS : 9
This is were the anime sets the benchmark for the thriller genre.
The constant tussle between two geniuses (Kira and L) to stay ahead in their believed vindictive perceptions and to anticipate each others actions. The supporting roles also deserve a special mention as they are also focused to intertwine with the twists and turns the plot takes you on.
ENJOYMENT : 7
For my low-attention span brain, this show was draining to watch to say the least, but was very entertaining. Most viewers will constantly have their minds in overdrive to keep up with the plot, but that is to be expected watching an in-depth thriller such as Death Note.
OVERALL : 8
I wouldn't recommend this for younger audiences as the plot is complex and the twists aren't as obvious to notice even if you were fully focused on the plot. For mature audiences fascinated with the detective-thriller genre, this is an absolute must-see and will probably go down as one of their finest.
