Death Note: Anime Review

Back in 2008 I watched the Death Note live action movie and was really impressed, I had seen a few episodes of Death Note on Adult Swim back in the day but never got around to watching the entire anime series......until last weekend where I had a "Labor Day Death Note Marathon"....only 7 years after it was released here in the U.S....oh well better late than never!
So the first two live action movies follow first 25 episodes of the anime more or less, but the final 12 episodes was new to me, holy crap I didn't expect what happened in episode 25!
The birth of Kira and the introduction of L was just as great as the live action version if not better, I absolutely loved the cat and mouse between Light and L and the introduction of Misa Amane worked so much better in the anime than in the live action movies in my opinion.
There will always be criminals, crime, terrible things happen....All humans may be inherently good but I believe that Yin and Yang resides in everything in life...it's within us all.
Light Yagame's vision for a world with out evil was noble but for someone of his intelligence to assume he could act as judge, jury and executioner with the Death Note was insanity. I love the part where he returns the death note to Ryuk and loses all memory of being Kira to elude L's suspicion. You see Light really struggling with the possibility that he might be Kira because a part of True Light sympathizes with Kira's vision.....not his methods though.
The plot device may be a bit ridiculous, a notebook owned by a Shinigami.....a spirit of death, which can grant a human the power to kill with a name and a face and has multiple "rules", but if you can accept it for what it is the brilliance comes when Light decides to use the Death Notes powers for "justice" and how his powers affect others and the face off between Light and L....both trying to discover who the other is....in the name of "justice".
I also found it interesting how after the events of episode 25 I began to dislike Light more and more, where as prior to episode 25 I didn't have a problem with Kira's motives.
Death Note was refreshing, it didn't revolve around the usual anime tropes, and offered some very memorable characters Light Yagame and L. And the conclusion was absolutely satisfying seeing the expression on Lights face was great!

The road to Hell Mu is paved with good intentions....
I know this anime got alot of kids in hot water with their parents and schools but if you had a death note how would you use it?

A

Oh the second intro song What's Up People by Maximum Hormone  kicks so much ass!