Death Note Death Note Death Note. There was so much potential to be an absolute masterpiece. I legitimately thought that it was a solid 9/10 after 13 episodes or so. Then it kept going....And going....And going...And going long after reaching a satisfying conclusion after two characters that could go down in history as the greatest rivalry of all time concluded their epic intellectual battle. But much more on that later. Ill get to the technical side of the show briefly then talk about my feelings regarding the show its characters and my verdict. Needless to say I will be going into spoiler territory in the favorite character section and beyond. I feel like I kinda have to do this to effectively talk about the shows postive and negative qualities. Anyway on to it. Ill keep my discussion of Death Notes technical aspects brief. Audially I thought it wasnt anything special. There were certain OST songs that really hit hard such as Ls Theme and Misas Song but as far as openings and endings went I really couldnt tell you. I listened to them once I think then skipped them every time after that. Take that as you will. As far as the shows visuals again its nothing special. For a show made in 2006 it certainly is very good and has aged fairly well although it certainly wont be winning any awards for stylistic reasons since its fairly standard. I liked most of the character designs although most of them were pretty bland which was fine. It didnt detract or add anything to the show that way which is probably for the best. I do have to say though I really loved the way that they framed some shots mostly near the end and in episode 25 where I noticed them the most. Very symbolic. Favorite Character: L Lawliet https://shareitnow.net/wpcontent/uploads/2019/12/LLawlietquotes.jpg I really dont think there is another answer thats possible here honestly. For anyone who watches this show. And this is coming from me who didnt really care for L initially. However seeing him bond with Light and bitterly come to terms with the fact that his first and only friend was also the person that he was hunting down was both exciting and extremely saddening. Episode 25 really turned me into an L fan where he comes to terms with his death and accepts that Light has won. Its then that we finally see the cracks in Ls wacky persona a lonely boy who could not be understood by the world and those in it. Something that he grew accustomed to with only his caretaker and assistant Watari as his companion. It was an absolute punch to the gut watching L deflate in his final episode finally shedding the detective shell he wore like a skin and revealing the boy underneath. The one who just wanted a friend. This is probably where I should say that I think these two Light and L are up there for greatest rivalry of all time in my mind. Greatest rivalry....And greatest friendship in an alternate world. I think thats what made me so sad about that entire episode and why Ls death hit me so hard. Because in another universe Light and L are the best of friends and each others only intellectual equal. It actually made me emotional to think about and still does if Im being honest. However to talk about the actual show a bit more I thought this stretch where theyre playing cat and mouse with each other is the peak of the series. The show is at its best when its focus is on these two and their back and forth and it reached an intense and perfect climax in the 25th episode. Death Note should have simply ended there because the snoozefest that proceeded was absolutely killer to the show in my mind. Now before I rant about the ending and the last few episodes Id like to say that I also didnt like a single character outside of Matsuda by the end. Misa was an idiot and useless after L instead of being quirky but useful because of her eyes. The replacement Ls were insufferable Near being the worst offender. And the entire Japanese Police Task Force was way too quick to go back to suspecting Light. Not to mention that Light himself was just constantly doing absolutely nothing the whole time while Near just picks him apart. Anyway the ending. My god the ending. First Id like to state that I wish Light had died with L. That they sort of defeat each other in a sense. Secondly I would have also happily taken a Kira victory. However we got neither of those and instead got the worst option: Light just losing. Just because. Dont get me wrong it was cool to see him torn down like that but Light just kinda lets it all happen as the episodes are winding down. He has no contingency for if his plan goes haywire he puts all his trust into his sidekick who messes everything up and Near just kinda....wins. It just felt lazy like the author had used up all his ideas with Light and Ls arc and had nothing left in the tank for the actual ending which would make complete sense from how lazy it was and how little Light did to stop Near or Mello at the end. Also The Japanese Task Force are morons who at the slightest mention of Light being Kira immediately jump back into suspicion based on one flimsy piece of evidence offered by this random dude calling in. Not to mention the plot hole that is Lights father literally saying in front of all of them on his deathbed that Light isnt Kira because he has the Shinigami Eyes and can see Lights lifespan. But thats conveniently forgotten about. Overall Im not really sure how to rate Death Note. It was so solid for over 2/3 of the runtime so its certainly worth watching but its just such a disappointing ending to such a promising series. I would say watch it but just keep in mind that the last 12 episodes are hella boring and at least in my opinion ruin the show. Yet even with all of that said I still greatly enjoyed Death Note for the most part and I hope you do too if you decide to give it a watch