Death Note
A TIMELESS CLASSIC!
Even if you have not watched this masterpiece yet, you’ve probably still heard about it before. Death Note is a globally loved anime series that is so popular that it even got a western live-action adaptation. Despite airing back in 2006, many fans still see this anime as the best anime in the entire world.
I wouldn’t call Death Note the best anime in the entire world, but it’s still an absolute must-watch. It is a masterwork, but some subtle shortcomings in the show affect our overall experience.
Today, we will take a closer look at all the different aspects of this anime that make it such a huge success. First of all, let us take a closer look at the plot of this anime.
This anime plot follows the story of a young boy named Light Yagami, an absolute prodigy. One day, this young boy comes across a mysterious book at his school. Titled “Death Note,” this book claims that any person whose name is written in it shall die. At first, Light just thought that this was a prank, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he took the notebook with him.
When he was in his room, Light decided to write a criminal’s name in this notebook. Miraculously, the criminal died. After finding out that this notebook is the real deal, Light decided to change the entire world. This ambitious young boy started to use his new-found powers to get rid of all the criminals in the world as a whole. However, is Light doing the right thing?
As you can see for yourself, the plot of this anime is unique and exciting. The premise quickly provides this anime with room for a lot of growth. As the show progresses, we see how Light’s character develops, and he starts to become evil without even realizing it.
The story in this anime progresses brilliantly. The show manages to continually put something new on the table and entertains us with every new episode. The pacing of the story is also insanely beautiful. Many unique and intense twists get introduced in the story that completely change-up the entire show’s flow. While it is breathtaking, the story progression of Death Note is also its major drawback.
Yes, I just told you that the story progression is impressive, but this isn’t the case throughout the entire show. In my personal opinion, the whole anime got a bit stale once (SPOILER ALERT! Please skip the rest of this paragraph if you are planning on watching the anime series) L died. I am not trying to imply that L’s death should not have happened, but I believe that the successors of L never managed to add the same flare into the story.
Despite being such a HUGE part of the story and its conclusion, both Mello and Near are pretty forgettable characters. I don’t believe that these characters are not well-written; I just don’t like how they were implemented into the series. The creators should have taken some more time to introduce these characters and develop their personalities properly.
While the show does get a tad bit stale midway, the ending is nothing short of marvelous, as mentioned in the previous paragraph. The way Death Note’s story ended was just excellent!
The animation of Death Note speaks for itself! Despite being more than 13 years old, this anime looks better than many airing shows right now. The show has been animated by studio Madhouse, a well-known animation studio in anime. The vivid and smooth animation of this masterwork will leave you in awe. There are no combat scenes in this anime, but the camera-work is handled so brilliantly that every stage seems just as intense as all-out war.
The brilliant animation is one of the primary reasons this anime is still being enjoyed by anime fans worldwide. Death Note also has a distinct and recognizable art style that makes it look better than other anime series. The anime uses a somewhat realistic art style to portray its complex story.
Characters
Like I mentioned before, a few characters are not implemented in the best way possible. However, we still need to acknowledge that Death Note provides us with some of the most well-written characters in the history of anime. The character development in this show is too intense, and we find each character relatable to a certain degree. The main two characters, Light and L, manage to get us completely invested in the story by using their charming and concocted personalities.
My favorite character in the entire show would be none other than Light Yagami himself. While he started as an innocent young boy, his journey towards becoming a ruthless psychopath is beautiful. In my honest opinion, Light acts just like a little kid who wants everything to go his way. This boy wanted to get rid of every evil person in the entire world, and in doing so, became a psychotic murderer himself.
Conclusion
It doesn’t even matter if you are a fan of the mystery genre or not; Death Note is something that caters to almost every type of person. Death Note is the type of anime that can be easily enjoyed by even someone who isn’t an anime fan. Every new episode of this masterwork introduces a new twist into the story, and you won’t be able to stop after you have watched a few episodes.
With its awesome animation, brilliant story, and interesting characters, this anime will always remain a timeless classic. I’d personally give this anime a rating of 9.5/10, and I think that every type of anime fan should give it a chance.
