

Product Description Death Note Vol. 1 (DVD) Standard Edition w/ Limited FigurineMeet Light Yagami, a brilliant but bored high school student whose life is changed when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami, or god of death, named Ryuk. When Light discovers that any human whose name is written in the book dies, he vows to use its power to rid the world of evil. But every action has its consequences, and Light soon finds himself in a life or death battle of wits with the mysterious genius detective called L. Humanity itself becomes the battleground to determine what form of justice will prevail!]]> .com Although he's one of the top-ranked high school students in Japan, Light Yagami, the hero of the dark fantasy Death Note (2006), is alienated and bored. His life changes dramatically when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped into human space by Ryuk, an equally bored and alienated Shinigami, or god of death. If anyone writes the name of a human in the notebook, that person will die within minutes. After testing the Death Note's powers, Light quickly overcomes his initial qualms and launches a grandiose vigilante campaign: he will rid the world of criminals and evil people to create his version of a perfect society. But the string of deaths he causes inevitably attracts the attention of the police. The mysterious investigator known only as "L" vows to track down the murderer and bring him to justice. This high-stakes battle of wits pits Light against L, while Ryuk watches with icy bemusement. Death Note is less overtly violent than Elfen Lied or Gantz, but it revels in a similarly off-putting amoral cruelty. The Limited Edition comes with a collector's figurine of Ryuk. (Rated Teen+ Older Teen, suitable for ages 15 and older: grotesque imagery, violence, violenec against women) --Charles Solomon
T**S
...wow
Superb psychological thriller.Brilliant but insane college student Light Yagami begins a deadly game of cat and mouse with a mysterious detective when the 'Death Note'-a powerful instrument of destruction from the Gods-falls into the wrong hands. Light decides to create a 'Perfect World' where he alone decides who lives and dies, and as the criminals of the world begin dropping dead a quirky but renowned detective known only as 'L' begins to close in on the killer...and a stunning battle of wits ensues. Gorgeous animation curtesy of Studio Madhouse (X/1999, Gunslinger Girl), incredibly beautiful music, edge-of-your-seat action, and some surprisingly emotive moments Death Note is instantly a modern classic.A quick note on the english dub-from what I've seen so far (2 epsiodes) it is SUPERB-L's VA is the furthest cry from his japanese counterpart yet manages to make the role entirely his own in a sophisticated, smooth, performance with just a hint of british accent. Brian Drummond's Ryuk sounds so brilliantly creepy-just like the original-that when they cackle evilly you can barely hear any difference. Probably of most importance, while Brad Swaille sounds vocally like Mamoru Miyano's english speaking twin, he just cannot hit the right note of emotion and tenderness that was in Miyano's Light Yagami. For me, listening to that beautifully gentle yet cold voice while watching Light's descent into madness was inescapebly one of the most effective things about Death Note, and his performance especially in the final epsiode sounded so emotionally realistic and harrowing it brought me to tears. Amazing stuff, and because of this I will always favour the sub-though I may flick over to listen to L once in a while :3 Give both language tracks a try since this is a series blessed with above-par actors in both.Easily the most amazing anime I've seen in years, it will have its hooks in you from the first episode until the perfect finale. Don't miss it this november.
L**A
Amazing
As the first few episodes in an amazing series, these are awesome. They set up the plot and drama really well. There are some cheesy scenes (like Light using his pen like a sword) but they don't detract from the fact that this is a very serious, mature drama and definitely not meant for children. One of my friends saw me watching this and was like "aren't you too old for cartoons?" but once I sat her down and made her watch the first episode with me, she agreed that it was great and definitely not for kids. There is nothing in this volume that is particularly violent (even the deaths are just heart attacks) but it IS a story about a mass murderer and a death god. Show it to children with great care, or not at all. Sometimes the actors do use swear words, but once again, it is not very often. I love how you can watch it in original Japanese as well. Some of the japanese voice actors are much better than the American ones. Light's english VA, however, beats out his japanese one, imo. The evil laugh is perfectly psychotic and he captures Light's sociopathy and "innocence" perfectly. Ryuk's voice actor never seemed to fit (I could only keep imagining the OVER 9000!!! crap each time I heard him), but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the series.
N**R
One of the best series ever.
Honestly, this is one of the best tv series ever simply because of the mental part of it. There isn't so much action in the sense of people fighting. It's all about the mental warfare. This series will keep you guessing what is going to happen inbetween each episode and as you're watching the episode itself. This is something that everybody and anybody should watch at least once through.The Bad Part: It technically ended with the resolution at the end of the first "season". You can tell what part I'm talking about when you see it. Then because the fans loved it so much and they pressured him, he went about making a second "season". Think of it really being two books in the set. The second set of episodes takes some episodes to really get along. He had to take it slow to keep the human reactions in the show realistic as opposed to them "magically" figuring somthing out or slipping up. So that's it's only real downside.There is one other part I don't particularly care for, but I can't say because it's a spoiler. If you enjoy the series, you'll know instantly what part I mean when you see it. ;)
J**Z
Two Stars
too dark for my liking
A**R
An Unforgettable Experience
Okay, I know it's true that anime is typical for opening and closing their shows with very annoying songs for the credits, and after enough exposure becomes somewhat entertaining, but this does NOT bring "Death Note" down in the least!This will remain in my top 5 favorite animes of all time, always. I loved the manga unquestionably and simply admire how well it was faithfully adapted into a TV series. The 3 live action movies out so far are just deplorable, a bit entertaining, but don't do the story justice. The TV series? Oh yes, and I don't think any other medium can come close to doing the manga justice like this.If you loved the manga, then you'll get a kick out of seeing the memorable moments play out so beautifully. I know some people hold skepticism, but give it a chance, watch it straight through, then make up your mind. As for me, I must acquire all the volumes and watch these episodes religiously. This is by far one of the best stories I have ever come across.
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