Written by: Kevin Berge
Courtesy of: fanboygalaxy.com.
When the topic of anime comes up, Death Note is one of the first names that comes up. The clash of minds between Light and L is iconic. It was not my first anime, but it was one of the first I clambered to see. When I got a glimpse of what it was all about, I desperately wanted to explore it more.
What I loved about anime as a kid was what the creators did with animation. They created crazy characters and fun action that could only work in animated form. Death Note was my realization that anime could be dark and mature, driven by far more adult themes.
I was too young at the time to watch it from beginning to end, but I never forgot how interesting a concept it was and bided my time until I could check out why a giant demon looking creature was hovering over the head of a boy writing into a journal.
What I loved about anime as a kid was what the creators did with animation. They created crazy characters and fun action that could only work in animated form. Death Note was my realization that anime could be dark and mature, driven by far more adult themes.
I was too young at the time to watch it from beginning to end, but I never forgot how interesting a concept it was and bided my time until I could check out why a giant demon looking creature was hovering over the head of a boy writing into a journal.
Synopsis
Light Yagami is a highly intelligent high school student poised for massive success in whatever field he wishes but finds the world around him boring. Luckily, he is not alone in his boredom as a shinigami named Ryuk appears in the human world and drops his Death Note, a journal that can kill anyone, to spark some excitement.
Light finds the Death Note and begins writing the names of criminals in the journal to make the world a better place. As people slowly begin to piece together what is going, Light puts on the persona of the serial killer Kira to hide himself from the now very watchful eye of Interpol.
When no one can explain Kira or find out his power, world famous detective L joins the fray to investigate the case and capture Kira. While it is easy at first to root for Light, trying to make the world a better place, his quickly revealed God complex changes the dynamic to the point where it becomes very hard to see who the good guy is.
A grand cat and mouse game ensues between Light/Kira and L as Ryuk laughs madly in the background, helping and playing a game with Light all for his own amusement, one in which it's unlikely much of the world will survive.
Light finds the Death Note and begins writing the names of criminals in the journal to make the world a better place. As people slowly begin to piece together what is going, Light puts on the persona of the serial killer Kira to hide himself from the now very watchful eye of Interpol.
When no one can explain Kira or find out his power, world famous detective L joins the fray to investigate the case and capture Kira. While it is easy at first to root for Light, trying to make the world a better place, his quickly revealed God complex changes the dynamic to the point where it becomes very hard to see who the good guy is.
A grand cat and mouse game ensues between Light/Kira and L as Ryuk laughs madly in the background, helping and playing a game with Light all for his own amusement, one in which it's unlikely much of the world will survive.
Courtesy of: deathnote.wikia,com.
Story Arc Analysis
***This section will contain heavy spoilers. Please skip this section if you have not seen the series yet. You don't want to find out too quickly if Light has your name written down on his Death Note.***
Most anime are developed through story arcs where the main characters come out of each part with a new view on the world. Death Note doesn't quite have that wide berth. This series is only 37 episodes long, telling a fairly tight story throughout, but there are clear story progressions that define the anime.
The Best of Intentions (Episodes 1-10): This anime begins as most stories do: revealing the protagonist of the story. Well, at least the closest thing the story has to a protagonist. Light is intelligent, cocky, and a ladies man. In other words, he's very hard to like. Even when he's talking about saving the world from evil, it comes off as entitled and vicious.
All of this is very intentional. The good guy is not as much a well meaning avenger as a spoiled boy corrupted by absolute power until he begins killing people to save his own skin rather than just to improve the world. L is introduced early as the supposed antagonist, but he is immediately likable even from a far distance.
The Second Kira (Episodes 11-17): The mythology of the world quickly grows when a "second Kira" appears also with a Death Note. She is model Misa Amane who has her own Death Note and shinigami Rem, and she is the wild card in Light's tight knit plan. Carelessly, Misa introduces herself to Kira and blackmails him into going out with her with only Rem's affection for Misa keeping her alive.
She's an annoying, idiotic character who makes sense to the story but also kills the tight pacing of the tale. Her introduction leads to both Misa and Light getting seemingly figured out and captured before the slow reveal that they could relinquish their Death Notes and their memories.
What follows is the most fascinating mystery of the series. How can Light give up the Death Note, put the onus on someone else as Kira, then get back everything he lost all behind L's back?
Working with the Enemy (Episodes 18-25): The grand plan of Light begins with him infiltrating the very task force L has assembled to capture him. In very L fashion, L accepts Light as part of the group despite believing Light is Kira without proof. This all works so well because it finally gives the story the interaction that matters: Light and L together.
The two work together and in opposition, growing seemingly to deeply respect one another. Shortly before the climax, L even admits that Light has become his first and only friend. Part of the time, the two are actually working as friends with Light having no memory of the Death Note or his time as Kira.
This makes the ultimate renewal of Light's memory and his betrayal of L all the more affecting. Kira has never been a real good guy, but there was a sense that you could still root for him at times especially when he is the boy who is uncorrupted by the Death Note. This final act though makes it clear that our main character can never be the hero of this story.
Here comes the crucial spoiler. If you for some reason have read this far and still have not watched the series but plan to, please stop reading this section because this is the most important moment that should be experienced before spoiled.
Kira wins. By convincing Rem to kill herself in order to kill L so that Misa does not die in the crossfire of Kira's war with L, Light finishes his most important task: he kills L. He cheats to do it and uses a shinigami to get his way, but he succeeds and takes up the reigns as the second L with no one ever suspecting he was Kira.
L's Successors (Episodes 26-37): Four years pass and two new members of Interpol take up L's reigns behind the scenes even as Light is the new L in full view. This is the part of the story that drags the most. The most interesting character in the story, L, is gone, and neither of his successors Near or Mello feel like genuine replacements.
Light goes through some stories with his father dying and the seduction of a reporter, but it is all just filler for the final few episodes where Near and Mello, despite being competition, come together to fulfill the will of their teacher and reveal Light for being the true Kira.
Despite Light's intelligent scheme to end all of his competition, he finally fails, outmaneuvered by Near who makes it one hundred percent clear that Light is Kira, and Light finally loses his mind in front of everyone and runs only to be killed by Ryuk who uses his Death Note to write Light's name now that it was clear the fun was over.
Most anime are developed through story arcs where the main characters come out of each part with a new view on the world. Death Note doesn't quite have that wide berth. This series is only 37 episodes long, telling a fairly tight story throughout, but there are clear story progressions that define the anime.
The Best of Intentions (Episodes 1-10): This anime begins as most stories do: revealing the protagonist of the story. Well, at least the closest thing the story has to a protagonist. Light is intelligent, cocky, and a ladies man. In other words, he's very hard to like. Even when he's talking about saving the world from evil, it comes off as entitled and vicious.
All of this is very intentional. The good guy is not as much a well meaning avenger as a spoiled boy corrupted by absolute power until he begins killing people to save his own skin rather than just to improve the world. L is introduced early as the supposed antagonist, but he is immediately likable even from a far distance.
The Second Kira (Episodes 11-17): The mythology of the world quickly grows when a "second Kira" appears also with a Death Note. She is model Misa Amane who has her own Death Note and shinigami Rem, and she is the wild card in Light's tight knit plan. Carelessly, Misa introduces herself to Kira and blackmails him into going out with her with only Rem's affection for Misa keeping her alive.
She's an annoying, idiotic character who makes sense to the story but also kills the tight pacing of the tale. Her introduction leads to both Misa and Light getting seemingly figured out and captured before the slow reveal that they could relinquish their Death Notes and their memories.
What follows is the most fascinating mystery of the series. How can Light give up the Death Note, put the onus on someone else as Kira, then get back everything he lost all behind L's back?
Working with the Enemy (Episodes 18-25): The grand plan of Light begins with him infiltrating the very task force L has assembled to capture him. In very L fashion, L accepts Light as part of the group despite believing Light is Kira without proof. This all works so well because it finally gives the story the interaction that matters: Light and L together.
The two work together and in opposition, growing seemingly to deeply respect one another. Shortly before the climax, L even admits that Light has become his first and only friend. Part of the time, the two are actually working as friends with Light having no memory of the Death Note or his time as Kira.
This makes the ultimate renewal of Light's memory and his betrayal of L all the more affecting. Kira has never been a real good guy, but there was a sense that you could still root for him at times especially when he is the boy who is uncorrupted by the Death Note. This final act though makes it clear that our main character can never be the hero of this story.
Here comes the crucial spoiler. If you for some reason have read this far and still have not watched the series but plan to, please stop reading this section because this is the most important moment that should be experienced before spoiled.
Kira wins. By convincing Rem to kill herself in order to kill L so that Misa does not die in the crossfire of Kira's war with L, Light finishes his most important task: he kills L. He cheats to do it and uses a shinigami to get his way, but he succeeds and takes up the reigns as the second L with no one ever suspecting he was Kira.
L's Successors (Episodes 26-37): Four years pass and two new members of Interpol take up L's reigns behind the scenes even as Light is the new L in full view. This is the part of the story that drags the most. The most interesting character in the story, L, is gone, and neither of his successors Near or Mello feel like genuine replacements.
Light goes through some stories with his father dying and the seduction of a reporter, but it is all just filler for the final few episodes where Near and Mello, despite being competition, come together to fulfill the will of their teacher and reveal Light for being the true Kira.
Despite Light's intelligent scheme to end all of his competition, he finally fails, outmaneuvered by Near who makes it one hundred percent clear that Light is Kira, and Light finally loses his mind in front of everyone and runs only to be killed by Ryuk who uses his Death Note to write Light's name now that it was clear the fun was over.
Courtesy of: deathnote.wikia,com.
Impact and Art Style
Death Note is primarily about justice and the corruption that comes with power. The war between Light and L isn't the story of good vs. evil or the other way around but simply a battle of minds where each man has his own set of beliefs that make them interesting foils.
The excess characters to Light and L are almost all so boring that they make the main clash even more incredible. While the show is already relatively short, it could have been tighter and focused even more on the people that mattered, proven by how easily the series has translated to a film version.
The main impact of this anime is its dark tone. While there are some attempts at humor, this is really a suspense thriller with even some horror elements, and the art style of the anime suits that. The characters stand out most in the shadows. The most brutal scenes are also the most bombastic, always standing out.
There is very little color in the proceedings. It is basically themed in black with most brighter colors are being shown in washed out tones. Complimenting this style, the artist Takeshi Obata does not fall into anime tropes of making his characters stand out wildly. The men have normal builds and hair while the women even those clearly called outrageously beautiful are not ridiculously proportioned for emphasis.
The excess characters to Light and L are almost all so boring that they make the main clash even more incredible. While the show is already relatively short, it could have been tighter and focused even more on the people that mattered, proven by how easily the series has translated to a film version.
The main impact of this anime is its dark tone. While there are some attempts at humor, this is really a suspense thriller with even some horror elements, and the art style of the anime suits that. The characters stand out most in the shadows. The most brutal scenes are also the most bombastic, always standing out.
There is very little color in the proceedings. It is basically themed in black with most brighter colors are being shown in washed out tones. Complimenting this style, the artist Takeshi Obata does not fall into anime tropes of making his characters stand out wildly. The men have normal builds and hair while the women even those clearly called outrageously beautiful are not ridiculously proportioned for emphasis.
Sub vs Dub
I'll be honest when it comes to this subject. I am one of those anime viewers that always gravitates toward the dub of a show rather than the sub. While subs are often more authentic to the experience, it is easier to just sit back and enjoy the show when you can just hear what it going on rather than reading it.
However, it is often the case that the experience is significantly lessened by watching with English dubs because the voice actors can rarely deliver the right feeling for the originally Japanese dialogue. Death Note is one of the most notable anime that was never well dubbed.
Much of the secondary characters are voiced in ways that just come off as annoying where it eventually becomes hard to listen to. While Light's voice actor Brad Swaile (Mobile Suit Gundam) is good, he also seems to be trying too hard with a difficult role.
The one standout is Alejandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica) as L whose memorable cadence to his speech is memorizing and almost makes up for everyone else. Still, it is very difficult to recommend the dub for this anime.
Recommendation: SUB
However, it is often the case that the experience is significantly lessened by watching with English dubs because the voice actors can rarely deliver the right feeling for the originally Japanese dialogue. Death Note is one of the most notable anime that was never well dubbed.
Much of the secondary characters are voiced in ways that just come off as annoying where it eventually becomes hard to listen to. While Light's voice actor Brad Swaile (Mobile Suit Gundam) is good, he also seems to be trying too hard with a difficult role.
The one standout is Alejandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica) as L whose memorable cadence to his speech is memorizing and almost makes up for everyone else. Still, it is very difficult to recommend the dub for this anime.
Recommendation: SUB
Courtesy of: 7-themes.com.
Conclusion
There may not be a better 25 episodes of anime than Death Note's first 25. The tension and rising threat between the two main characters is palpable as each scenario gets closer to the end of one of the two men. The story written by Tsugumi Ohba is intelligent and deep with a sense of quiet moral ambiguity.
However, the tale's third act never lives up to its first two. With the climax being the show's greatest moment but also the end of the best dynamic of the story, nothing can really compare even though the finale does pay off the entire series with the series' second biggest scene.
The well illustrated, memorable environments and characters keep the introspective tone and dark foreboding prevalent throughout the series, never making turns in the story feel out of place. This is the tale of two men battling over who has the right to kill, and the lines gets blurred just enough that right and wrong matter very little.
By creating two of the most memorable characters in anime and putting them in conflict, Death Note stands the test of time as one of anime's definitive classics which even today people are emulating. The series has been finished for almost a decade and still has American filmmakers scrambling to make a live action version of the tale to capitalize on its thrilling and intelligent take on morality.
However, the tale's third act never lives up to its first two. With the climax being the show's greatest moment but also the end of the best dynamic of the story, nothing can really compare even though the finale does pay off the entire series with the series' second biggest scene.
The well illustrated, memorable environments and characters keep the introspective tone and dark foreboding prevalent throughout the series, never making turns in the story feel out of place. This is the tale of two men battling over who has the right to kill, and the lines gets blurred just enough that right and wrong matter very little.
By creating two of the most memorable characters in anime and putting them in conflict, Death Note stands the test of time as one of anime's definitive classics which even today people are emulating. The series has been finished for almost a decade and still has American filmmakers scrambling to make a live action version of the tale to capitalize on its thrilling and intelligent take on morality.