Death Note

Human and moral laws both insist that taking human life is wrong. But for victims and their relatives, what could be more satisfying than knowing that justice was served and karma has done its job. Most of the people who are directly affected by a crime, say murder of a loved one, would not think twice that death penalty is the only way to ease the grief.

Imagine if you had the power to punish those people for the victims and their families.

Light Yagami, a brilliant student and the son of a police officer, saw an unusual notebook lying on the ground in the schoolyard. While examining the book, he learns that he could see the shinigami who supposedly owns the Death Note. He also finds out he can use it as a weapon to kill people as long as he can see the faces and know the real names.

He began experimenting with it and it was not long before he thought of using it to cleanse the world of criminals to build a new one where he can be proclaimed god. A world where there is true justice. Ryuk, the shinigami, who thought of the plan of dropping the Death Note into the mortal world was glad he could finally watch something interesting.

As the series went on, more rules in the notebook will be explored. Light's actions caught the attention of the public and soon they nicknamed the mysterious murderer or saviour "Kira". The authorities however condemned him as a criminal that must be sought out and punished. It wasn't soon when a gathering of detectives and other police officials was called. It was here where Light's arch-nemesis was introduced. Like Light, the well-known detective was cloaked in mystery. He was known to everyone as L. After introducing himself and pledging to help them catch Kira, he orchestrated a demonstration to prove that Kira is in Japan and he can kill people without physical contact. Light saw all this on television and took it as a challenge.

The first half of this 37-episode series showcased the battle between Light and L. L soon narrowed down the primary suspects and finally set his eyes on Light. He was intent on proving that Light was Kira. Along the way too, Light meets another person who also possessed a Death Note.

It was exciting to watch the two trying to outwit each other. I was also impressed with the fact that the series did not dwell on the moral issues that it has certainly touched. It focused more on the abilities of Light and L. It showed that the public had divided opinions about Kira. Some of them approved of killing the criminals while the others pointed out that he was no different from murderers.

The first half of the series was fast-paced. I could not force myself to stop watching. Midway through the series, Light outmaneuvered L by tricking another shinigami. At this point in the series, L was almost convinced that Light wasn't the culprit and he even gave the latter a chance to help in the investigation. It was an impressive move and yet it also marked the change of the pace in the series. Without L, who would be able to stop Light?

The rest of the series was a frantic race to prove and disprove that Light really was Kira. Then Mello and Near, L's heirs (or so each one claimed), showed up and took over the investigation. Light was forced to devise methods not to get caught. He still had success but some people who working with him in the investigation were already very suspicious. Light sought out help from other people. However, a mistake from one of Light's followers gave Near an opportunity to finally reveal who Kira is. Light managed to flee but in the end Ryuk wrote down the former's name in the Death Note.

I liked the series a lot. Light himself was a very interesting character. It was also unusual to have that type of character as the protagonist of the series. His rivalry with the equally-brilliant L is definitely worth watching. The second half of the series was disappointing. Both Mello and Near's intellectual prowess were exaggerated in my opinion, although it can be argued they have just picked up from where L left off. It was disappointing how fast Near found out who Kira's followers were by looking at multiple TV screens. It wasn't explained how he did it and it almost seemed like the series just wanted to hurry off and finish Light.

When Misa entered the scene, it provided another perspective to the word 'justice'. Misa's family was a victim and it so happened that one of the criminals that Kira executed was the one who had done her wrong. She claimed it was true justice. I have to admit I agree with her. Although I have seen a lot of viewers claiming that Light's actions morally wrong, from a victims point of view I can understand why Misa saw this as retribution. Kira was a hero. What the justice system cannot serve, a insensitive man was able to deliver. I say Light is insensitive because he did not show any flicker of remorse for any of his actions. He felt he was on the right path. And to kill, you need to be detached. I must admit I like how his mind works no matter how twisted his methods might be. I think even L was not doing the investigation for the purpose of serving justice. He liked it because of the challenge it gave him. Sure in one episode, he claimed that Kira's methods are unforgivable, yet what reasons can you give to your co-investigators but the most accepted one.

It's more fun to watch without all the moral issues it entails, so I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is sensitive about such things. I liked this series a lot and if it was not for the early death of L, I'd have given it a perfect score. I'm giving this series a 9 out of 10 rating.