It was introduced to me by my friend a long time back, and it's where my interest in anime was starting to fade and my enthusiasm in programming started to grow. I'd say that it's introduction is a perfect timing in times where I get stressed in school work. Death Note is such a marvel indeed, I was saying to my friends there's nothing out there yet, which is good enough to be included in my Anime list but when I start watching the anime series and as I progress to each episode, I could say that it deserve the "totally cool" anime that ever existed ever.
I still remember, Naruto, Bleach and One Piece dominated the anime community here in the Philippines, Death Note is not yet popular and only a few of my friends know it. The anime is totally a bore when I started watching the first three episodes and the plot where a guy can kill using a notebook is kinda gay! (Sorry for the term). Shonen is the thing! this is totally not my type but I was wrong and I have to admit you should never judge an anime when you just saw the first three episodes. And just when I finished watching the third episode, I just knew it, this will be next big thing and my prediction was spot on.
If you like thriller and detective animes then you should put on hold any anime that you're watching and start playing death note. I'll tell you, it's something that you'll never regret. The story is out of the ordinary compared to detective anime's that existed during the time Death Note was released. The main characters of the story Yagami Light and L (Ryuuzaki) are two forces that battle with each other. Both have very strong principles that they want to hold on and won't give up till the very end.
These then leads to the fact that there's no villain or hero in the story cause the debatable description of "good society" is something that both of the two are trying to represent. Yes, There's no protagonist and antagonist in the anime, what I'm saying is that you may side each one of them and that is of course depends on your own view of the perfect society. Both are two geniuses and what's cool about this one is that you won't see guys with glasses that fights with the help of a formula, a secret weapon or technique. What's a joy to watch here is the execution of their wits and that I believe is a good reason why the series never bored out.
The story I believe is not overly complicated, it's pretty simple but not to the point that it goes very predictable. There's no episode in the series that ever bored me, everything's good and important in shaping the story as a whole. Each one leads to a series of chain reaction which makes the whole anime a materpiece. The story is divided into two arcs, critics and fans believe that the second arc is not as good as the first one and the second arc shouldn't be introduced. I find it pointless and I have to contradict on what others have said, it's good in it's ways and it looked more like a refresher to some who was dissapointed on the outcome of the first arc. The suspense and the things that made it good in the first arc is still there so I still rate it as an A+ even though the excitement was not as good to the first.
The animation is fluid, darkly themed but you won't get a downer watching them. I find it very average compared to the animes today. The opening and ending songs are not catchy, I totally hate rock, heavy metal and it's not my type. But well, it's something that won't turn you down and I'm sure that the story and how the plot revolves is more than enough to keep you munching up your popcorns and foodies. Death Note is a Classic! and I consider the series one of the most influential anime of it's time.