First of all, I would like to preface this review with a summary before I write anything. Death Note is an amazing anime, and you're an absolute fool if you've never watched it before; it's one of the top animes of the decade, and of the medium itself.
That said, I suppose it's time to delve into the actual scores given and why they were given.
To start, let's talk about the story. I, for one, weight the story as 40% of how I feel about an anime. Generally, if the art is glitchy or the sounds inappropriate, I can overlook it if the story is
...
compelling enough to cause me to ignore the inconsistencies and faults of the aesthetics. That said, on my scale, Death Note receives the full 40% of the grade for it's peerless ability to tell a story. It may seem corny or an easy cop-out, but I simply can't describe the sheer effort that goes into the pacing and structure of the story, which is told in such a way that linked actions remain fluid, yet the overall arcs are rigid enough to be distinguished from each other.. Put simply, if you were to watch all 37 episodes consecutively, the flow would be balanced enough that any transition in setting or feel would not stick out enough while in the process of watching; however, upon thinking, much has changed without being necessarily distinguishable, which is a good thing. Honestly, I feel that discussing details other than the synopsis would merely spoil the experience for a viewer, so just accept that Light finding the Death Note creates a strange synthesis of suspense, horror, mystery, and intelligence which weaves an elegant tapestry of a plot. To keep score of the composite, 40% * (10/10 = 1(staggered score)) = 40%
Now to the art, I only weight this as 10%, as I feel that a story can be told in any way, and allowing for visual recognition only boosts comprehension; however, art is merely a medium for a point, the story. The art for Death Note is absolutely beautiful. It may not be the brilliant colors of a GaoGaiGar or a Gurren Lagaan, but it serves its' purpose, as a medium for the story. The color palate is noticeably dark and gritty, yet the lines are generally smooth and concise, illustrating the precise nature of the story's twists and turns while also underscoring the dark consequences of the actions taken. As a medium, it really sets a tone and drives home that the story is about one mature person's beliefs and how one man can really make an impact on the world, in this case in a negative light (sorry for the pun). To continue the composite score 40% + (10% *[10/10]) = 50%.
The sound of an anime is similar to the art, in that it portrays the story in some light and is therefore a medium for an idea. If I had choose the weakest aspect of Death Note, it would be the sound. Now, don't get me wrong, all the VAs and Seiyuus are in rare form, with the most noticeable voice actor being Brad Swaile as Light in the English dub, whose performance is arguably the greatest in dubbing history. Rather, the problem with the sound lies in the earlier parts of the series, the first opening being the example. Although the anime itself is not necessarily all blood and gore, murder as a motif is still a brutal subject forming a brutal theme; however, a J-pop rock song that sounds necessarily whiny does not set the tone for such a brutal theme; and, in reality, it is sound track choices like "The World" by NIGHTMARE that are confusing. The second opening rectified this and was appropriately brutal and jagged, with a feeling of dread setting in from the first line of the song; however, musically, "The World" is just too soft of a song for the series, as are a handful of the earlier episode's orchestral cues. The sound does not necessarily take away from the experience though, and the effects are greatly reduced over time to the point where the sound becomes as excellent of a medium as the art by midway through the series. Continuing with the composite score 50% + (10%*[8/10]) = 58%
Characters in anime work as the actors to directly portray the actions assigned by the writers. While also technically a medium for the story to work through, the characters take a larger role as a medium; as, in addition to telling the story, they must also appeal to an audience, giving them two distinct roles, as a medium of such importance, I weight them as 20% of the score. Death Note is a prime example of what a cast should be in an anime. Upon retrospection, I couldn't think of a character without a defining characteristic or action at some point in the story that had relevance. There are no wasted characters here, and every character is developed fully until the writer has simply written them to their full potential. Light's transition from antihero, as a person who would use any means to achieve a noble goal, to megalomaniac illustrates the fluidity and balance of the character development the show holds. Light's character, beginning to end, changes almost completely, yet during the 37-episode run, the changes are never instantaneous or obtrusive and remain gradual enough that the characters appear to be just as normal in their behavior as they were in the start of the show, even if their changes are drastic in nature. Additionally, connections are established to the characters easily, as each characters motivations are understandable and rationalized from some perspective, resulting in very few, if any, unlikable or underplanned characters. Even Light, a man attempting to play God, is shown to be tangible and coherent, even if most would peg him with a Messiah complex and file him an overpowered or unrelatable character. To further the composite. 58% + (20% *[10/10]) = 78%.
Enjoyment is something I define as my ability to accept a series for what it is, and even if the parts aren't perfect, the whole is generally greater than the parts, leading to it holding 30% of the value on my scale. Let's be honest, the only part that hasn't been an absolutely glowing review is the sound, which was excellent by the end of the series. I couldn't put this series down; I watched the first 13 episodes in one night; it's that good. There's really nothing I can say other than opinion at this point, since this is how I personally felt about the series, but I can't really think of any point in time when I wish I could have changed something about the story. To finalize the composite score: 78% + (20% * [10/10]) = 98%
Placing the composite on a staggered scale would give this a 9.8 out of 10, which rounds to a perfect score of 10/10. In my eyes, no anime can be perfect, but I have to say that I have never seen an anime define a genre and influence a generation of series the way Death Note has already. The series has shown that it has replayability and is enjoyable at all points throughout, with no filler being distinguishable in the story; I give this high marks for being an overall enjoyable ride from start to finish.
Jun 11, 2010
Death Note
(Anime)
add
First of all, I would like to preface this review with a summary before I write anything. Death Note is an amazing anime, and you're an absolute fool if you've never watched it before; it's one of the top animes of the decade, and of the medium itself.
That said, I suppose it's time to delve into the actual scores given and why they were given. To start, let's talk about the story. I, for one, weight the story as 40% of how I feel about an anime. Generally, if the art is glitchy or the sounds inappropriate, I can overlook it if the story is ... 
Oct 11, 2008
Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002
(Anime)
add
Okay, I would like to point out just how varied those scores are, i'll explain that as we go.
Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 (Beyblade V-Force in the U.S.) is a tragic failure at a series. Story- Now, except for G-rev Beyblade fails at stories. This is the worst of it. There's more coherency in a drunk dad solo song at a wedding than in this. You'll never know where you're at in the story until the last 3 eps and other than that it offers nothing new or exciting. Art- Good, not butt ugly, it's passable and the CG blades look nice. The problem is consistency. Last season the ... 
Oct 11, 2008
Kidou Senkan Nadesico
(Anime)
add
Ah Nadesico, how I love thee. Personally, this is my favorite anime for multiple reasons, so let's just take a look at what makes this show worth it. Nadesico follows a fry cook reluctantly turned pilot through his screwball life in outer space with multiple dysfunctional characters exploited a hysterical level. Normally, this spells generic, but Nadesico takes a different approach to it.
The show's most endearing trait is its ability to stay upbeat despite the fact that this show follows a war in space that threatens the extinction of the earth. You will never truly feel saddened by any major plot points except for ... |
