Death Note

The first 25 episodes of Death Note are simply insane. The mental fight between L and Yagame Light is something I've never seen before in that intensity. They are both such great characters so if either of them wins you will be sad for the other one. The last 12 episodes were still pretty good but just not at the same level as before. But the ending was really great again and a worthy one.

Death Note was a stellar TV Show and on its way to being one of my favorite animated TV Shows. With its incredible concept, interesting villainous protagonists and an antithesis to the protagonist that complimented his genius perfectly. The formula was great with the exception of episodes 18-22 which features our protagonists cunning on a boring way that leads to a lackluster payoff. After this however. Episodes 23, 24 and 25 are phenomenal works of art. This is where the series goes from Incredible to incredibly mediocre. With the exception of the last 3 episodes of the show, there is no right for any of the episodes after episode 25 to exist. The show went from having me completely invested to it feeling like a chore to finish, which is a shame because of how great the last 3 episodes actually were. They introduce new antagonists that are literally the exact same thing as the last one we had, except much worse and no fun at all to watch. I was frustrated with these new characters and their placement in the show. In my opinion Death Note should have ended at episode 25 then it would have been a nearly perfect anime.

This show just keeps getting better and better! Every episode has a new twist, and is never the same as the last! It will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you will watch it again and again! The story is centered around a young man, Yagami Raito/Light who finds a "Death Note". I won't tell you anymore about this "Death Note" (as that would spoil it). With this "Death Note" he sets about ridding the world of evil and creating a "Utopia", with himself as the new god. Filled with interesting characters, lots of intelligent dialouge and exiting plot twists, this show is definitely on my top 10! I would Highly recommend it to anyone, those who enjoy crime/psychological/dark themes.

I will be short, the series is a gem: character buildup, screenwriting, tension, drama, art, cinematography, everything. Truly captivating story...

...until (without spoiling it) the main story arc ends quite anticlimactically and new subplot begins with new characters in the primal focus. The latter half takes away a hint of brilliance from rest of the story.

Still I would recommend it!

This is anime at its best. I'm fairly new to the world of anime, but I have to say from what I've seen that Death Note goes above and beyond your typical run-of-the-mill action based anime. Whereas a lot of anime strategically relies on action packed battles and fights, Death Note is a refreshing change of pace. It's slick, clever, and witty with the eccentric "L" heading the investigation. It's a constant game of cat and mouse as the lead investigator and the suspected "Kira" or "Killer" always seem to be one step ahead of one another. The two brilliant minds constantly outwit each other. The plot is complex but easily laid out for you and the story is remarkably intelligent and inventive. All the while you're watching you think, "Wow, this can't possibly get any deeper," but each new episode proves you wrong. What I like the most is that this is very, very complex material but it's flawlessly and easily presented so each new development in the case comes as an excited shock.

This is great stuff and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who might be looking for a change of pace in anime. It's not for everyone, of course since it's more of an intellectual thriller and not so much an action fantasy, but anyone who can appreciate the mental challenge of following along with this suspenseful battle of wits will be in heaven with Death Note.