And, wow, I was not disappointed.
Death Note is a truly interesting and engaging anime that asks some of humanity's most unanswerable questions. Who decides what is right, and how do we as human beings make that choice? What makes a person good or evil? Is there even such a thing as that kind of black and white concept in this world?
I'm not sure, but Death Note certainly made me think about it. The main protagonist, Light, is not exactly your average hero. In fact, one could argue that, while the main character, he was more of a villain than a hero. While I could sympathize with some of his ideas, ambitious genius quickly changed and grew more corrupt as he continued to kill people with the Death Note. He was selfish and cruel, and while he may or may not have truly thought of humanity's best interest in the beginning, he ultimately proved that he didn't care about much of anything or anyone but achieving his goals and playing God. It was quite tragic.
That said, Light was a very well-written character and I enjoyed watching him, even if I wouldn't want to meet such a person in real life. I liked some of the other characters too, such as Light's father, who always kept on the path of justice, and Matsuda, a younger member of the police force with good intentions but a habit of klutzy behavior. I wasn't a huge fan of Light's "love interest" Misa, but it wasn't so much because of her attitude and actions as it was the fact that the writers basically just used her as a tool throughout the series to further Light's agenda. As one of the only female characters in the entire show, it just kind of felt like a waste. I did feel a little sorry for her though, since she really did love Light despite that she was so blinded by it that she couldn't see his true intentions.
On the other hand, the one other character who really stood out to me was the antagonist, L. L is the world's greatest detective, and the force that works against Light for the majority of the series to try to catch the one responsible for the Death Note killings. Although he isn't exactly a saint himself, I think he is my favorite character mainly because of his quirky personality and his little habits that become apparent as you watch him. His relationship to Light is particularly engaging, and perhaps the best part of the show, as they play cat and mouse trying to bring the other down.
Some people think the show goes downhill after a certain character death two thirds of the way through the show, but I enjoyed the last part of the series. Some new characters were introduced, and at first I couldn't decide how I felt about them, but overall my interest stuck and I was every bit as satisfied by the ending as I was saddened and slightly disturbed by it.
All in all, Death Note is a wonderful anime that I would recommend to anyone, even non-anime fans!
