This review may contain Spoilers
####I definitely don't think this show is perfect it has a few flaws particularly in the latter third but to me, it isn't as bad as some people would say it is. This review's main purpose is to (maybe)make some people better appreciate the series as a whole and especially the ending as I believe that the ending was good at the very least.
Visuals
This anime adapted the Illustrator of the Death Note manga; Takeshi Obata's art style very well, it is simple but effective and it also has a darker palette than most, fitting for a show with very dark themes like Death Note. The animation is done well but not exceptional, of course this is no surprise as the animation isn't really a main focus when it comes to non-battle series. The directing on the other hand is some of the best in anime, the use of colors, emphasis on contrast, and the exaggerating of movements create for some of the most stunning and chilling scenes in anime.
Characters
The characters, especially the main two are very well done: Light; an arrogant but righteous genius that uses the Death Note – A notebook with the ability to kill any person by writing their names in it, this power slowly consuming and corrupting him as the story progresses giving his character a sense of progression and L, a quirky and likeable genius with a hidden agenda, both having different views on what "Justice" means posing a greatly written philosophical debate for the viewer to think about however the others are not just bystanders, they have their own sets of goals and motivations that make for interesting dynamics with the main two. Ryuk for one is a great sidekick to Light and acts as an outlooker for the story and the other task force members each have their own different take on "justice" that differ from others, however Near; the main antagonist of the latter third of the series and the successor to L is very misunderstood in my opinion, most people will say he's just a worse version of L but that's basically the point, he is not as great as L but he tries his best to emulate him, be it the way he speaks or his mannerisms similar to how Rock Lee from Naruto tries to emulate his master and Near's rival; Mello is not bad as well though neither are as fleshed out as their predecessor.
Plot
The main plot is basically that it starts off with Light "randomly" getting a Death Note which is mentioned previously, is a notebook with the ability to kill people by writing their names in it, however there are many rules that the user has to follow such as needing the knowledge of the victim's face and obviously needing their name, he uses this power to try and solve the world's problems but is then hunted down by L throughout the course of the show and because it requires Light to be able to find a way to work around the rules to be able to kill someone, it makes for an interesting story full of twist and turns and an interesting cat and mouse chase from L and Light as they try their best to outwit each other because of opposing ideologies that eventually turns into a game of pride, each episode will leave you a cliffhanger that leaves us hanging for each succeeding episode that is until eventually in the 25th episode, L dies after being outsmarted by Light. Light without a rival is is left to purge the world of those he deems as evil according to his "Justice" however he is then hunted down in the latter third of the show by Near and Mello. This part in many people's opinion is not very good, but though I may agree that it wasn't as exceptional as the first 25, they were definitely not bad, it still had a great philosophical debate that made Death Note what it is, and though not as exceptional as what came before it, it still made for an enthralling game of wits and the way it ended was done in a way to send an great message, that there is no one who truly is a "moral" person. There are also some scenes in which people deem to be "bad" such as the scene where Near escapes from Light's followers that are out to get him by throwing money at them which may seem to be uncharacteristic as it does not showcase Near's intelligence as they would like to, but what most people fail to take into account was that Near also wanted to send a message to Light, that his "loyal" followers are easily influenced by materialistic things to show that Light isn't the God that he thinks he is which is a massive blow to his ego by this point in the story, there are several more instances of these types of "misunderstood" scenes which is such shame in my eyes.
Sound and Music
The Voice Acting is phenomenal for both sub and dub, it really depends on what you prefer, Light's voice acting for both versions in particular are very well done.
The sound design is nothing memorable though, it's not really a main focus.
The Openings and Endings are phenomenal, the songs are great with just as great visuals, metaphors and is packed with symbolism. and the OST is one of the best out there, some of the most memorable and compelling tracks in anime.
Other Stuff
This Anime has a great amount of well done symbolism with the use of colors or with the Christian symbolism especially with the first opening.
The philosophical debate that the show introduces is one of the best you'll ever see, it makes one think a lot about what the true objective meaning of "good" or "evil" truly is or even if there is one.
Though the final 12 episodes were definitely not as good as the rest of the show considering how exemplary the first 25 episodes were, they certainly were not bad. It still had great themes, philosophy and some of the most compelling scenes in anime with some very thought-provoking ideas that can make one re-evaluate their views.
"Supposing a god and his world existed, even then I’d stop and think for myself. I’d decide for myself whether his teachings are right or wrong. After all, I am just the same as you. I put faith in my own convictions as to what I believe is right, and consider them to be righteous.” – Near
