Review of Death Note anime by Chandler Wang

 Death Note is a grim but exciting show based on a simple but potent idea - a notebook that controls death. If you write someone's name in the Death Note while imagining their face, they will die within forty seconds. You can also specify how they will die, as long as the conditions are reasonable. A Shinigami, a god of death, drops a Death Note in the human world, and it is found by Light Yagami, a disillusioned student. Upon verifying that the Death Note works, Light sets about "righting" the world by killing criminals. As hundreds of criminals die, one after another, people realize that something is happening. People call Light "Kira," and see him as a divine force passing judgement onto evil. Meanwhile, world powers recruit "L", the mysterious greatest detective in the world, to discover the truth behind Kira. Death Note is a thrilling, tense drama filled with endless new developments. Light and L are locked in an extended battle of wits. Light must hide his dual identity as Kira and find a way to get rid of L. L must discover Kira's identity and how he kills without being killed by Kira. Each episode is full of suspense, wonder, and disbelief as plans unfold and secrets reveal themselves. The show draws you in immediately and instantly picks up speed. It puts you in a state of constant disbelief and confusion as you devour episode after episode, eager for each new conflict and revelation. The psychological nature of the show is unique and intriguing, and leads to incredible scenes and reveals. There's a reason Death Note is regarded as such a great, classic anime. However, I had heard that the show got worse after the first half. After watching the show, I would tend to agree, unfortunately. There's something in the first half that the second fails to capture as beautifully, and it is severely missed. The second half is good in its own right, though, and still worth watching. Overall, Death Note is a classic, thoroughly engaging show with a unique concept and approach that latches on to viewers with a vengeance. 9/10.