"Yagami-san, if I die in the next few days, your son is Kira.” - L
Death Note is a mystery, police,psychological,supernatural, thriller, and shounen
anime originally released in October 2006 by Madhouse with 37 episodes. The series does has not have continuing seasons, but does have a special.
General Rating: 8.7/10
My Rating: 10/10
Death Note is an anime that has been beloved among fans since its release, and one that still remains popular and well-loved. I am no different. I fell in love with the anime back in 2013, and it still lingers around my top 10 animes to this day. However unlike other animes on my top favorites, Death Note doesn't have any special meaning to me. It was simply a masterpiece anime that I had a lot of fun memories watching.
There are very few fans, even newbies, who don't know of this anime, but in case you don't, Death Note is the story of strategically smart Light Yagami who finds a mysterious black notebook one day that was dropped by a bored shinigami, Ryuk. The book is a book of death and the names written in it dictate how and when a person dies. Light soon dons the alias of Kira and proclaims himself the god of his new world. The case soon catches the attention of the mysterious eccentric detective, L, and he joins forces with the police to catch and put a stop to the killer.
Story: Death Note ... The very real-world type setting interlaced perfectly with the supernatural death note and involvement of the shinigami. It really was like taking a glimpse of two worlds. This is something that Death Note chose to do very well, because if they had chosen to have the death note exist in a supernatural world, it's ambiance would be entirely different. This is something that makes Death Note so unique, and often times I view it as a reverse isekai; where the being from the other world enters the real world. This is a troupe I would be so much more on board with, as the involvement of magic into a natural world is a very interesting topic, especially the way it plays out in Death Note.
Characters: There are only a few main characters in Death Note, but they each play a unique purpose to the story - be they the killer, the detective, or the shinigami. One of my favorite things about Death Note is how it shows the many different uses of the Death Note by the different wielders, and also how people respond to Kira. The main detective, L, is my favorte character of the series, like many. He is eccentric with a mysterious aura about him and his way of solving cases is not only unique, but it's fully engrossing to watch. His way of solving crimes constantly leaves me at the edge of my seat, and so does the way Light combats L with pure strategy and usage of resources around him. This anime is a clash of the mind battles between these two, and thus sparked my interest in this type of genre.
Soundtrack: Death Note has an outstanding soundtrack with a very 2000s feel to it, as it should. Some of the openings are a little too metal for my tastes, but I do say they fit the anime's theme very well and the soundtracks definitely aid well to the anime's dark ambiance.
Art: Death Note has an iconic dark style that fits the anime quite well. The character designs are pretty flawless, especially with L. The character designs match each the characters well and the style lends itself well to the darkness of the anime.
Death Note is iconic among the anime community, and rightfully so. It's a very well made anime and full of lots of memories. I say it is a must watch for any anime fan, especially fans of animes like Code Geass, Terror in Resonance, Psycho-Pass, Mirai Nikki, Durarara, or Detective Conan will love this anime.
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