It would not be entirely accurate to describe me as an “anime fan.” Although I have been known to enjoy on occasional dose of anime in the forms of Cowboy Bebop, Vampire Hunter D, and Ghost on the Shell, I could never really get into the more traditional aspects of your average anime. (These being the overly androgynous characters, the silly way in which they convey emotions and the outrageous, over-the-top story elements that often bear little relevance other than “coolness value”) Then came Death Note. After brief exposure to some of the early episodes, I knew I had found something, not only extremely fresh and original, but something that would set the bar in storytelling of any kind. Here was a show that stood out to me as being at the top of its game and one of the best series on television ever.

    I had first heard of Death Note through a co-worker, who had explained the basic elements of the plot. He said there is a character in the series who comes upon a notebook (the Death Note) in which he can write anyone’s name and they will die. He also mentioned that the character planned to eradicate evil using this power. It sounded like an intriguing premise, but my skeptical mind started filling in the blanks with the usual anime tropes so I was not sold by the plot synopses alone. I very well may have never discovered the copious awesomeness of the show had I not literally stumbled upon it on one of the few occasions that I had cable over the past few years. After watching one episode, somewhere within the first ten of the series, I realized by its end that I had dramatically underestimated this show.

    This was not the same action-packed, robot fighting, samurai sword-wielding nonsense I was used to seeing in a series of this nature. Here was a show massive in its intelligence, tasteful in its character development and so strikingly fresh that I was altogether helpless to resist its instantly captivating plot. The show follows Light Yagami, an extremely intelligent young man, who indeed stumbles upon a notebook that explains the power it possesses and the rules to which it is bound. These rules serve as a skeleton to which the meat of the story clings. The power of the Death Note is in its killing ability, but the limit of its power lies in rules where the user needs the person’s name and face in mind to be able to kill. Other rules dictate how a person can be killed and over how long of a period. These become increasingly important as the existence of the Death Note becomes more widely known. Just as my friend had described, after Light tests its effectiveness, he decides that he should use this power to help create a world he has envisioned free from evil, thus being dubbed “Kira” by the media; the Japanese pronunciation of the word “killer”. It is at this next crucial juncture that Death Note veers off course from the predictable and mundane. Where other series might make this simple set up the premise for the rest of the story, showing a hero who uses super-natural powers to fight against some equally powerful evil that will surely emerge, Death Note grounds itself by making us ask what would logically happen if something like this Death Note did exist. That logical answer being that eventually someone would get smart to what was happening and try to make it stop. Light becomes less the hero and more the secret villain as he continues to exact punishment on criminals while evading the investigations of police, FBI, and a Special Investigative Force headed by his father. To make things more interesting a highly secretive, brilliant, and world-renowned detective known only as “L” has decided to take the case.

    The relationship between Light and L becomes the story itself and as viewers, we find ourselves wholly captivated by what is at first a simple game between two rivals. Things take a surprising turn early in the series when L reveals himself to Light and asks him to join the case against Kira, a dangerous move for now Light knows L’s face. But is L bringing in Light for the support his intelligence could lend to the case or because he suspects Light of being Kira and wants to keep him close? It is the progression of elements like these where we see the wit of two young men crash against each other in the most subversive combat I’ve seen that keeps the story blossoming as it progresses.

    It is this approach to the story that sets it apart from anything that has come before it. As a viewer, I was expecting it to follow a course of fantasy-like proportions, when instead it takes what could have been a not-so-original premise and turns it into a web of intrigue as each side draws closer to the other. The suspense is almost unbearable at times as Light and L continue their cat-and-mouse games in pursuit of one another. This intensity shows no signs of letting up throughout the later episodes. Even after certain plot elements have come to fruition and passed the new elements serve to captivate your interest as well as distract you from the over-all question: will Light succeed?

    The series was developed by manga writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It originally appeared as a serialized comic in Weekly Shonen Jump from late 2003 to 2006. Since then, the story has spawned not only the well-known TV adaptation but three live action movies and a novelized version as well.

    It is the animated series though that stands out as something truly special. The animation is brilliant; the over-all design of the characters and environment is stunning, the music is well orchestrated and moving, and the acting in the Japanese original feels very natural. After completing the series, I was left not only with a feeling of complete satisfaction, but also motivated to ensure my own stories can live up to the high standard that Death Note set.

    Much of the story’s originality seems to stem from the folklore it created. In the world of Death Note Shinigami, the gods of death, become entwined in our world when one known as Ryuk drops a Death Note in the human world. This of course is found by Light who is then able to see Ryuk. Ryuk and Light have an unusual relationship that can't be described as entirely friendly. Ryuk’s intentions are never clear, as he seems to aid Light at some points but leaves out important information at other times. Their roles in each other’s lives are made firmer when Ryuk tells Light that although he will follow him and sometimes offer help, he has no intention of allying himself to Light’s cause. He also promises that one day he will write Light’s name in his own Death Note, casting Light’s soul into purgatory, for such is the price of any human who uses the Death Note.

    It was a bold choice for the series creator to follow the story of a boy who is both protagonist and antagonist, which is never an easy element to follow through on. We sympathize with Light to a degree and bubble with anticipation as he narrowly evades his pursuers, yet we know Light’s actions are wrong and, as audience members, cannot help but wonder how this bad guy will get his in the end. Or if.

    That itself is the genius of Death Note: can we stand up for what is right despite the fact that the evildoer is basing his intentions on ideals of good? Kira is ridding the world of evil men and putting a stop to wars worldwide, but he’s using murder to do it. Can we live with that? And if we can’t, can we survive his wrath long enough to stop him?

    The show is a roller-coaster ride the whole way through. The ups, downs, twists, and turns will keep you guessing, laughing, jumping for joy, and at the edge of your seat right up to the last episode. The rules of the Death Note state that any human who touches the notebook will be able to see and hear the Shinigami to which the Death Note is bound. Likewise, any human who watches this show will be granted the vision of an animated series that knocks down the walls of expectations and would make an anime fan of even the most adamant protester.

Labels: film/tv