Death Note Review and Recap

Morality is such a weird word. Some use it to describe their righteousness, while others justify their guilt. In the most basic sense, it means the sense of inner judgment one feels when committing a crime. It is modeled by the society we live in nowadays, but in the old times, it was based on the current situation of their immediate surrounding. Because they had morals when it came to peace times, but when war broke out, their so-called morality died, and they proceeded to commit acts of mass violence and destruction, all in the name of peace.

It is this conundrum that Death Note tackles, as it is a psychological thriller that has us see the story of one Light Yagami and how he uses his sense of morality to pass out ultimate justice. It is based on the manga of the same name by the highly talented Tsugumi and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. Later on, anime was directed by the now-famous Tetsuro Araki, who later used his knowledge learned from the series to direct the acclaimed Attack on Titan anime. Death Note also served as the gateway for many people to start their anime journey.

Death Note Recap

Our humble story starts with us seeing a normal high, achieving high school student Light Yagami. We see that he is pretty famous in school and is known all around as the most intelligent guy. But inside, he feels like he is alone in this world. He wears a mask when he is in public as he thinks that no one can understand him. As he thinks on a level different from the rest. We also find out that he has a decent family life due to his father being in the police. But one day, out of nowhere, he comes across a simple black book titled Death Note. He finds it interesting and so decides to take it with him, and while studying the book, he reads a set of instructions only to find that the book can easily be used to kill anyone whose name is written on it. You can also describe the exact way you want that person to die. After Light discovers this fact, he is thrown into a moral conundrum as he might wield power to be the absolute law of the world and stop the people above the law.

As he contemplates this, he encounters the original wielder of the book, an entity known as Ryuk, who is a Shinigami. Yagami thinks Ryuk dropped the book on purpose for some major goal but soon learns that Ryuk only dropped the book because he was bored. At this point, Light lets his mask drop and shows his true colors as he goes on a targeted killing spree, first with all the death row inmates and then with the most corrupt people in the world.

As these killings are going on, the authorities get wind of it and see a pattern in them, which scares the higher powers as it seems someone now has the power to kill anyone he chooses. Light drunk on this power and his own ego, which results in him revealing himself to the world as Kira, an almighty entity that will bring justice to the world. To combat this, the world gathered together a group of unidentified investigators led by the enigmatic L, who hides his identity.

L turns out to the someone who can combat Kira as he can find out not only where Kira is operating from but also how he operates. If it were not for him, then the authorities would not know that Kira could kill anyone he has the name off.

From here on, the true thriller begins as it seems like Kira is always one step ahead of the investigators. This is primarily due to Light’s father being on the team which is trying to find Kira. Soon after confronting his father and L, Kira can join the investigation team, which allows him to sway the narrative of the investigation team.

Light also uses this to enact his plan to find the identity of all of the members because after the reveal that a name is needed, the authorities scrambled the true names of all of the individuals involved.

All the while this is happening, the world is starting to see this Kira as an almighty figure and their one and last true salvation from the world of corruption. In all of this, a fan of Kira known as Misa can find another Death Note which she tries to use to help Kira. Later, Light finds her and can mind-wash her to get her to do his bidding.

Only to discard her after she has completed her purpose, which turns out to be his downfall as the Shinigami linked to Misa cared for her. Later on, after many different twists and turns, the investigation team is picked apart one by one, and when L is at his lowest, Light tells him that he is his friend, which causes L to make the final mistake as he tells Light his actual name.

Light, for his sick and twisted satisfaction, proceeds to let L know that he was Kira all along and that he has finally won. With the death of L, the world now truly believes in Kira, which causes the crime rate to decrease rapidly and cults to be formed Kira.

Sometime later, we see that L did have a contingency plan in case he was ever to die; this plan turns out to be two boys who are L’s successors, and using the data of the previous team and new evidence, they can deduce that Kira is Light. This leads them to plan a trap for him, where Kira is finally killed. But in the end, he won as he was able to show the world his true might, and who knows this true end as he is shown to have made a deal with Ryuk near his final moments.

Conclusion

The plot of Death Note is consistently engaging, with numerous twists and turns that keep the viewer guessing until the very end. The tension between Light and L is intense, and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters are thought-provoking and add layers to the story. The animation and soundtrack are also top-notch, adding to the overall atmosphere of the series.

That being said, Death Note is not for everyone. The subject matter can be dark and disturbing at times, and the psychological manipulation and scheming between the characters may be unsettling for some viewers. The ending has also been divisive, with some feeling that it was a fitting conclusion to the story while others were left unsatisfied.

Death Note is a must-watch for fans of psychological thrillers and complex character development. Its intricate plot and captivating characters will keep viewers on the edge of their seats until the very end. Just be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions and some disturbing content.

It is easy to see why Light is one of the most beloved characters in the Anime community as the way he manages to outsmart everyone till the very end. Even with his death in sight, he knew he would have the last laugh because he was Kira. His relationship with L was also fascinating as we saw hyper-intelligent people fight each other in a battle of only wits and words. The ending may have been a bit anticlimactic for many, but it served the show’s core theme well.