4/4 stars
When Yagami Light, the top high school student in Japan, comes across the Death Note, a notebook with the power to kill just by writing one’s name in it, he takes it upon himself to become the god of a crime-free utopia by killing criminals and anyone who stands in his way. Nicknamed “Kira” by the public, the vigilante faces the quirky super-detective L and a thinned out Japanese police force that maintain that murder is murder. The race is on between Light, who needs to find out L’s name in order to kill him, and L, who needs direct proof that Light is Kira.
Light and L are simultaneously foils and cut from the same cloth. They are similar in their carefulness and high intelligence, but one is a pathologically lying model citizen and ladies man, while the other is an odd yet virtuous insomniac. Death Note author Tsugumi Ohba allows the viewer to enter the hyper-intelligent minds of Light and L. Able to hear the thoughts of both, the audience embarks on a thrill ride to see who will outwit the other.
Death Note promotes the intriguing theme that lust for power is more dangerous than the lust for money or women. Those who are power-hungry such as Light are at the epitome of evil, while those who desire material things such as common criminals are much less of a threat to society.
Intimidating characters run the risk of alienating viewers. Ohba knows this, and solves the issue using curious irony. Ryuk, a God of Death and Light's unbiased companion, is hideous and monstrous, yet has an addiction to one of the world’s most popular fruits: apples. Likewise, L, a solemn genius, despite his mental sophistication, has a fetish for sweets such as cake and ice cream.
Powerful symbolism throughout Death Note is also prevalent. A falling castle made of dice indicates the failure from taking a gamble; the ring of a bell indicates fatalism or death; rain and snow indicate gravity or sadness; colored windows of a church like orphanage housing brilliant children indicate true divinity, as opposed to Kira’s fake godhood. Thus, Death Note viewers are left with strong impressions that last beyond the final thirty-seventh episode.
Characters that are essential in Death Note are well developed and are played by talented voice actors, both in the Japanese and the English dub. The creativity of shots, such as those of drawn shock-inducing facial contortions, is difficult to match in traditional live-action series. Unlike many long-running anime, Death Note does not lazily recycle animation. Rather, the anime is made with great care, combining a great story with high-quality animation and stirring musical numbers.
Death Note is a fast-paced psychologically thrilling series of the highest caliber. Viewers who crave mental stimulation and appreciate dazzling illustrations will thoroughly enjoy this dark anime.