Impression
to start off the approach this anime takes I found similar to who bleach started, your main character is a teenager and one day some supernatural stuff happens and then he's exterminating offenders of heinous crimes. The rules of the concept play very well with the plot as it turns into a very riveting psycho thriller with a perpetual cat and mouse game that goes on for most of the anime until about the 26th episode which would have been a great place to stop however the last 17 episodes are kind of a train wreck so most people pay attention to the first initial story.
Now if you are into action and don't find thrillers very entertaining you may not like this anime, (you may not like this anime, [YOU MAY]) I say that because this anime has a tendency to pull in fans of the other genres mainly because of the way the story is laid out.
Characters
there is light yagami, who is a bright young man who is the lead protagonist of the story, now this is not an anime that is particularly kind to it's characters and I won't get into them to much because it may spoil the story and the characters are not particularly the main focus of this anime but more of the concept, but there are defiantly some likable, L who is sort to the antagonist/protagonist has an awkward nature that can be relatable to some and is just as smart as light, there is Ryuk a shinigami who is the source of the death note who is the badass monster clown character who despite his appearance show's some pretty funny antics for comic relief but can maintain a serious stature, finally there is Misa Amane the sort of love interest for Light, (sort of).
Sub vs. dub
for this round the sub and dub seem to match blow for blow, the english dub can bring you into the story very well just as the sub does and the sub can be pretty entertaining to listen to. the only real difference is between a few characters. Ryuk in japanese sounds like a regular old man wile in english he has a grittier and more sinister voice as do most of the other shinigami which works better to their somewhat dark nature. the only other difference which doesn't make as much of a difference unless you despise the sound of hi pitched squeaky japanese school girls is Misa amane, in japanese she has a real high pitched voice which isn't as annoying as you think and in english her voice, in it's own way was still high pitched but was still it's own thing but it doesn't make much difference because both are portrayed very well and I suggest getting a taste of both the sub and dub if you can.
final verdict
I'm going to either give this one an eight or a seven, it's not the greatest but I couldn't tell you what is the greatest, but this anime is a definite must watch or at least you could try it out.
