Death Note - The Complete Series (9 Discs) (Review)
Saturday, 3rd October 2009, 12:40

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I’ll admit that it’s hardly a guarded secret that ‘Death Note’ (the anime) is one of the best series of the decade. But for slow-coaches like me, a complete box set is the perfect opportunity to join in with the wave of appreciation for what is, quite simply, one of the best anime shows ever.

I haven’t seen the live action movies so have no idea how the anime compares, and in truth I haven’t read the manga so for me, this set was also something of an introduction to the alternative reality that is ‘Death Note’.

As a series it mixes the best of crime detection (with ‘L’ almost Sherlock Holmes like in his quirky ingenuity) with the best of imaginative fantasy sci-fi shows like ‘Heroes’. This isn’t mere entertaining escapism – it’s intellectually satisfying too.

Despite the series running for a surprising 37 episodes it manages to maintain a level of interest usually reserved for thrillers packed into a mere 90 minutes. Its length allows for some fairly elaborate character study too with some great observations and nuances that give the show’s central characters a depth that you just wouldn’t think would be possible in an animation. There is undoubtedly a period (after the death of ‘L’ who was the most entertaining character in the series by far) where it looks like it’s going to run out of steam but it manages to re-gain its early momentum in the final episodes and delivers a final punch that makes the whole thing seem more cohesive then perhaps it really is.

As ever, for the wise words of anime wisdom that a hard-core fan might need, check out Jitendar’s reviews of the individual volume discs that make up this set. They are identical to those housed in this collection and perhaps more of a purist than I; Jitendar will give you a good insight into the original Japanese dubbed series, whereas, for my own viewing, I stuck to the US dub which I thought was excellent. Jitendar also brings out a broader and more knowledgeable perspective than you’ll find in this review as his frame of reference is substantially wider. Yes – I’m afraid when it comes to anime I am something of a fair-weather, part time supporter of the cause.

You will also find perfectly penned episode synopsis and descriptions of the extras – and those extras will not excite anyone but the obsessed or those with way too much time on their hands. (Audio commentaries, textless opening and closing credits et al).

If you are intrigued by the genre and don’t know where to start then I would strongly advise that you look no further and buy this set. It reflects everything that is great about the genre and is a fantastic example of just how powerfully entertaining good anime can be when it is intelligently written, carefully animated and superbly dubbed.

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