It's been a while since I've last seen the mega-ultra-youmustwatchitrightnow-anime series known as Death Note. In terms of the show, I technically read the first thirteen episodes, as I was reading the manga through Volume 4 until bookstores I went to stopped having it so I decided to check on Netflix so lo and behold...it was there and I watched and I loved.
But since I haven't watched it in a while I'm going to keep this review spoiler-free because I don't want to get anything wrong, instead focusing on the main characters, overall story, music, animation, and just how much I enjoyed watching this.
Because I enjoyed it a lot.
Honestly, this is the first anime I've ever watched where there isn't an overwhelming amount of action or violence in it. There's no guns (well, there are but not like Black Lagoon), no epic battles, and cities aren't being eaten by giant creatures. No, it's actually something of a CSI type show, a detective show.
The show centers around Light Yagami, who is a graduating high school student that is top of the class and is essentially a mega-genius. He's going to one of the best schools in his region and is taking down college entry exams like paperwork. Then, he finds something...a little notebook known as the Death Note.
See, in the world of the Shinigami (or, in English, "Death God"), a bored Shinigami named Ryuk dropped his notebook into the human world to see what would happen when someone picked it up. As it just so happened, Light picked it up, and the rest is anime legend. Light meets Ryuk and discovers the major component of the Death Note:
When you write someone's name and the way they are supposed to die, they die. No matter what.
The premise alone gets you hooked. There are certain terms and conditions to how the Death Note can be used, but it's none of the magical genie crap. The only way for someone to not die is to misspell their name, that's pretty much it. You could write, "Jumps off bridge at one am in Seattle on Thursday November 31" and even if the person is in Florida, fate will guide them to that ultimate demise. If you don't write a method for them to die then they'll die of a heart attack forty seconds after their name is written.
Light decides to use the Death Note to eliminate criminals from the world to strike fear in the heart of evil, and from there, he will become the "God of the new world" as he puts it. It's a pretty bold statement, and as a Death God, Ryuk just goes along with it. To tell anymore would be a spoiler, so let's get into the characters.
The best part about how the show works is that the hero is the villain and our main character is the one with the conflicted ideals. Light dons the mysterious new name of Kira, the one killing all the criminals, which attracts the attention of the FBI. The world's leading detective, L, decides to take down Kira, and from there it is pretty much all out war between the two in a battle of wits and strategy. I don't even really want to discuss Light's motivations because they're so twisted that you can't really take a side, you can only watch. It gets to a point in the show where you're like, "Well, okay, yeah, this is a bit much" but before a certain character makes herself known, Light's actions are very...interesting.
That said, the show fleshes out all of its characters very well, Light and L in particular. They do a lot of thinking, having to constantly figure out what the other's move will be and how they can get ten steps ahead. As such, they are always ten steps ahead of the other, so when they have to cross or when something happens to halt a plan is when the show really picks up. Light is impressively smart for a boy just out of high school and we get to see why L has the reputation he is stated to have.
There isn't much in terms of Ryuk besides being our guide into the rules of the Death Note and providing some of the audience insight. His usual lines are, "Oh, he got you there heh heh" or "Things are really heating up now, aren't they, Light?" And never forget, guys...Gods of Death Love Apples.
I did really enjoy, also, the closeness of the show regarding the characters. Not too many are brought on so we get to know and interact with the same ones for a long time. Also, most the characters are closely related. The Police Chief is Light's father (put that one together how the relationship works) and it's all based in one region of Japan.
There isn't really one main character I can say I really didn't stand, or that didn't have an overall influence to the story. There is one arc in the anime that kind of strays way off the beaten path as far as story and somehow wraps itself up so that one person is left standing, but, outside of that little moment where characters sort of change it isn't too grand. Light does become more twisted as the show goes on, but they do explain why that it.
One of the great traits about the show is that they will literally explain to everything that will happen by the end, but you actually pass it off as impossible. I actually forgot about most of the things Ryuk told Light early on or about some of the rules of the Death Note because I got so wrapped up in the story, and by the end when it all came down to it (in one of the best and most fulfilling endings ever, by the way), I couldn't help but applaud the writers for carrying things full-circle.
What also really helps the story is the way things are animated. When Light or L is thinking, usually the screen shifts to a different color: for Light, the background becomes black and he becomes red. To directly contrast that, when he thinks of L or when L is doing something, the background becomes black and he becomes blue. The expressions of the characters also match directly to their thoughts. Light usually has a pretty innocent look about him, but when he gets to thinking you can see in his eyes that he has something dark on his mind.
Each of the characters also has a unique look to them, including the Shinigami. All of them look vastly different which makes them both freakishly outlandish as well as stand out among their kind. The setting is Japan so if you've watched modern anime before you've seen these backgrounds and buildings and cars before. They do go to some newer locations but for the most part it's fairly standard. The most detail comes in L's base of operations and Light's room, which doubles as his base of operation.
Don't think I believe the animation to be bad, though, in fact it's very good. I'm just not very good at describing it is all. It feels very human, if I'm to say anything. From the expressions to the movements to the way that the characters interact helps keep the show grounded.
Having said that, I can say that I like how the show operates. Most shows will display the FBI or police force as an incompetent group of losers that can't stand up to our hero, meanwhile Death Note displays the exact opposite. The police force, led by L and Soichiro Yagami (his father, the police chief), manage to keep up with him very well, despite him having the advantage of being the innocent son of the police chief, him being busy with school, and obviously having the ability to kill anyone who would come near him. Their investigation is very well thought out and makes for a great showdown with Light. I would say that the show is very real, but I can only say that in the respect to how the force acts, given that the show is based on the fact that a Japanese Death God gave someone a notebook to kill people.
If I may stray away for just a moment before segueing into the music of the show (which, now that I think about it, may be a pretty good segue), I'd like to touch lightly, for now, on the symbolism the show has. Some people may be offended by it, but I actually found it to be really interesting and even boosted the show for me.
Most of the opening for Death Note portrays Light as God, like the Pagan God, or as Jesus Christ, to go along with him saying he will become "the God of the new world" (his most repeated line). Some Christians or folks of the sort may be offended, but you have to think about it in terms of the show. If we are seeing this through the lens of Light, then this is how he sees himself. He has a major God complex. The show isn't saying that we should bow down before the awesome, horrifying might of Kira, but rather that Light is so full of himself that he would actually see himself as God.
Also, the imagery of the apple with him and Ryuk is spot on fantastic.
So how does one match the God complex of a character? With an epic score, of course! The songs "Death Note Theme," "Low of Solipsism," and "Kyrie" are the two main songs that people think of regarding the show, or Light/ L's theme. Most of the songs are orchestra with a choir singing, almost like something you'd find in a "Lord of the Rings" or "Star Wars" theme. They place a very grand, large sense of scale onto the show. Usually the main themes play when a move has been made by either Light or L, or when one of them strikes victory. It strongly helps set the mood for the moment. Again, to go along with the motif of God and stuff, the songs sound like something you would hear in a Catholic church before or after a prayer or moment of Communion...or something like that.
The show is essentially a battle of wits between detectives, two minds at war. The fact that the music is so epic is what makes it so good to begin with. Most CSI or detective shows have their own typical music that is somewhat upbeat and keeps the mood fresh. With Death Note, you get very intense music, which only helps serve the true mood of the show. If you think about it on a larger scale, it really is a battle to save the world. Light's mission is to change, or in his mind save, the world, while L is trying to stop him. As such, there really is something bigger going on here.
I also feel that the music matches the characters to a point. The characters in Death Note are often noted as some of the best characters in the medium. They are grand characters that almost all anime fans are aware of to a point. Thus, you need music to remember them by. This music is excellent for them. It has almost a feel of impending doom sometimes, even death. Hence the title, obviously.
Yes, sometimes the music is a bit out of whack. Very epic music sometimes makes no sense when you're just watching a boy in his room thinking. However, when you hear what Light is thinking about or visualizing, you quickly realize why the music is so needed. His plots to avoid the police or L are often so well thought out that the music compliments it perfectly by being so immersive to match Light's thoughts.
There isn't much else to explain without digging into spoilers, so I'll stop here and save it for Part 2, where I will discuss everything else, the moments of the show basically, and give my thoughts!
For now, though, you should be satisfied in knowing that yes, there is anime without extreme violence (shocking, right?...sarcasm). If you're looking to get into anime, this is definitely one of the first series to check out. It's a very thought-provoking show with some of the best characters in all anime and one of the most epic scores of all time. And it's only 37 episodes long, so for you binge-watchers, you have no excuse.
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