Proper Source
A young man from Tokyo, brilliant, wealthy, proud of his home and family. Gallant boy, famous, good older brother but extremely bored with the perfection of his life; he silently longs for a revolution in his unchanging but, yes, very well off life... In everything he does he is the best and the most admired. In everything he does, he is the best and the most admired. This translates in modern-day Japan as something very similar to being a demi-god. However, life has mysteries that even the most rational minds find it very difficult to comprehend. Sitting, staring into the void, contemplating his existence full of everything we would all like, he finds a "black notebook"; the Death Note...
He (the perfect boy) doesn't know it yet, but his life is about to take a 180-degree turn... Fascinated, he picks up the notebook and notices that it comes with precise instructions. Indications of how to use it, how precisely to use it, and interesting but certainly curious instructions for a mind that thinks it knows everything it is about to experience in its short but arrogant existence. On the other hand, the entity, who is also the protagonist of this marvel, like the Japanese teenager also carries his days as demons in the most absurd but always existentialist boredom. We begin with a story of introspection and a lot of philosophy.
Full of introspective dialogues rich in arguments, methods and a lot of misanthropy, what we can witness in each short but powerful episode of this anime, is simply a must-see gem. In fact, it is, from my perspective, one of the best creations Japan has had since the unattainable classics of its animation (Dragon Ball, Doraemon, Mazinger Z, Sailor Moon and Knights of the Zodiac). The plot of Death Note is simple but beautifully violent and human. A combination of what we all are, really.
Proper Source
When you think about it, what would you do if you had the power to decide everyone's life? Many people believe (and are very convinced of it) that the exercise of evil and violence is something for a few misfits? Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it has been shown many times that with the right minimum of incentives, human beings tend to show a face that is not very well received in the public light but that explains many of the things we can see and witness everywhere on the planet. Death Note, then, is the materialisation of this very human duality...
Even the same mind that can devise such psychopathic ways of killing anyone, with method, form and coldness, is the same mind that is capable of protecting, loving and being extremely kind to his younger sister. Of course, let's not forget that everything bores him and that although his life could be perceived as perfect, for him it was nothing more than a repetition of patterns and actions that were so absurdly easy for him to achieve, that they lacked any kind of value and notable distinction... His Shinigami, or god of death, who guards the Death Note, is the representation of the other half of our morality.
Proper Source
He observes, cautiously, how the protagonist moves, how he uses the notebook, and the playful importance he gives to life with all his actions.... He does not intervene, he is a silent, furtive referee, who has explained what the rules are and who will not tremble at the moment of acting as he must (he is the keeper of the notebook. He owes allegiance only to that fact). Cops, detectives from all over the world, even the UN itself are after the "deadliest serial killer in the history of mankind". What they don't know (or maybe they do), is that this is just a game. A very tough and deadly one, but a game nonetheless....
To be able to play the game, you need two, right? That's where "L" comes in, the shadowy "detective" who for decades has been "choosing" the cases he's interested in solving when no one else can or will... While this is a work of fiction, it perfectly represents the duality inherent in each and every one of us. The simplicity and impact of the name of this anime series is an invitation to think, to contemplate the introspection of our existences, and to enjoy the consequences of making immature, vile and thoughtless choices. There are choices, and this anime shows us their consequences and what we have to pay for our choices.
