C&C - Death Note - "Rebirth" [10/20]

[Space Cadet]

The newest anime has arrived to AS. It's highly anticipated and it definately has it's fans. It premieres on Saturday at midnight, but you can watch it on AS Video now.


And I forgot to mention it, but please keep major spoilers of Death Note out of the talkback threads. While we usually don't have problems like that, sometimes things do happen. If you must post a spoiler, make sure it's a minor one and it's put in spoiler tags.

[Pepperidge]

Enjoy Death Note. Hopefully you'll be able to make out the audio over the sound of my teeth grinding.

[Space Cadet]

Enjoy Death Note. Hopefully you'll be able to make out the audio over the sound of my teeth grinding.

It makes you wonder if Viz was holding out YTV from airing it until it secured the broadcast rights from AS.

[Soul]

Into the 2rd half of the episode now..
I love Brad Swaile now.. :D
He nailed Light dead on IMO.
Now like Mamoru before him, we need to see if he can pull off Light's insanity.

[Pepperidge]

It makes you wonder if Viz was holding out YTV from airing it until it secured the broadcast rights from AS.

It's definitely fishy, since Viz made it quite clear at SDCC that, at the time, YTV had the series and Adult Swim likely did not. Something similar actually happened a few years back with Dragonball GT, despite the fact that YTV wasn't even airing the FUNimation dub.

Oh well, at least AS Video seems to be working for me.

[Rolling Cloud]

watching now...

Full songs with Funkin subtitles! *faints*

Eyecatchers too. :O

Oh yeah, the dub is good too. :sweat:

Funk, that was gooood! Please don't put this on Hiatus, Bleach can wait for once!

[Rud]

Ryuk sounds awesome.

[Malex]

I was a little skeptical about Light in the first few minutes of watching, but when Light revealed his plan to purge the world of "what was rotten" I knew Mr. Swaile has got what it takes to be Light Yagami. Ryuk was perfect down to the laugh. I want to wait until the next few episodes before giving my final verdict, but Death Note is good so far.

Juicy?

[DBZALLSTAR]

I think the dub is pretty good. As long as Ryuk's voice actor can nail the scene's where he's acting a bit odd, to say the least, I think he'll do. I loved watching this series in Japanese, and I think I'm going to enjoy watching it in English, too. I've got to go re-read the manga now.:D

[Rocketboy]

Whoa, Swaile NOT using his Mousse voice? I can't believe it.

This dub is awesome. I think I'll enjoy this version more than the japanese.

[v1cious]

so NOW they use the word Shinigami.

that wasn't half bad, i really like Light's dub voice.

[macattack]

Wow.

I didn't like a couple of the minor script changes, but other than that, wow. Just wow. The dub's perfect and the music is superb and Madhouse has clearly brought their A-game for this one in the animation department. Added on top is Death Note's already-great story.

I already can't wait to see the dubbed episode 2. :D

[XOMiss_Samantha]

Usually I don't watch the episodes on adultswim.com, but this was an exception.

My god that was fantastic! BETTER than fantastic! I nearly fainted. I was worried about the dub, since I didn't go all crazy over the trailers online, but wow. Light sounds perffffeeectttt. His voice really suits his age. I hate it in alot of dubs when somebody who's say,17 or so, sounds like 50 year old man, but Light is dead on good. It's great all the psycho 'righteous judgment!' crap. I wouldn't mind having him as my god. mmm XD
Speaking of that, Ryuk is wonderful too.
I can't wait to hear the later cast. eeeee. Let the awesomeness commence.

[Ishtar]

Well, watched it. The dub seemed better than I expected, actually, especially compared to the dub trailer a few months ago. Light's voice sounds more tolerable than he did in the trailer, and I like Brian Drummond as Ryuk, although now I got this mental picture:

Light: Ryuk, what's the death toll of the criminials I killed?

Ryuk:. IT'S OVER 9000!

Light: What, 9000? Damn, I really have been on a killing spree. >_>

Also, I like that they added subtitles for the opening and ending and kept the eyecatchers!

[Rud]

Also, I like that they added subtitles for the opening and ending and kept the eyecatchers!

ive wanted to ask this for a long time now, What the hell are eyecatchers?

[macattack]

The fifteen-seconds images you see before and after commercial breaks in Japan. In this case it's the "Death Note: How to use it" parts that are serving as eyecatchers.

[Arxane]

ive wanted to ask this for a long time now, What the hell are eyecatchers?

An eyecatcher is a brief illustration or scene that airs before and after a commercial break. If you watch One Piece, you see just before and after the commercial break (the Japanese one, at least) illustrations of wanted posters. For Death Note, they're using shots of the various rules found in the Death Note itself.

[Rud]

An eyecatcher is a brief illustration or scene that airs before and after a commercial break. If you watch One Piece, you see just before and after the commercial break (the Japanese one, at least) illustrations of wanted posters. For Death Note, they're using shots of the various rules found in the Death Note itself.

oh, i never knew those were important enough to have names.

[Ishtar]

oh, i never knew those were important enough to have names.
Well, you know what bumpers are too, right? That's pretty much what they are.

[Neo Ultra Mike]

Believe it or not the last time I felt the way about the series like I do about Death Note is... The Replacements. Something that would make an interesting movie or maybe short novel, but something that as a series seems like it couldn't really stretch itself. I'm sure Death Note will do better then Replacements though. Afterall it's premise is a lot more interesting: Shinigami (why was that named changed in Bleach but not here?) named Ryuk gets bored in the Shinigami world and leaves a book in the human world to entertain himself. Light (angsty teen kid) finds it and realizes it allows him to kill whoever he wants, so uses it to try and change the world by offing all the murders and other villianous folk. It's a pretty weird concept that I wonder how they'll get to stretch for... however long the series is. I'm sure the bulk of it will come from the Ryuk/Light convos. I mean I guess after killing so much he wouldn't get freaked out when a death god appears at his door but he took it a lot quicker then I expected. I also wonder just how Ryuk gets his pleasure from this: It has to be more then just humans dying right? Well anyway it's an interesting series for sure but I'm still not convinced it should be a series. Then again maybe when I see how they plan on incorprating action that's more then just fancy camera pans while Light's writing something down I'll say different

[Rud]

Believe it or not the last time I felt the way about the series like I do about Death Note is... The Replacements. Something that would make an interesting movie or maybe short novel, but something that as a series seems like it couldn't really stretch itself. I'm sure Death Note will do better then Replacements though. Afterall it's premise is a lot more interesting: Shinigami (why was that named changed in Bleach but not here?) named Ryuk gets bored in the Shinigami world and leaves a book in the human world to entertain himself. Light (angsty teen kid) finds it and realizes it allows him to kill whoever he wants, so uses it to try and change the world by offing all the murders and other villianous folk. It's a pretty weird concept that I wonder how they'll get to stretch for... however long the series is. I'm sure the bulk of it will come from the Ryuk/Light convos. I mean I guess after killing so much he wouldn't get freaked out when a death god appears at his door but he took it a lot quicker then I expected. I also wonder just how Ryuk gets his pleasure from this: It has to be more then just humans dying right? Well anyway it's an interesting series for sure but I'm still not convinced it should be a series. Then again maybe when I see how they plan on incorprating action that's more then just fancy camera pans while Light's writing something down I'll say different

Death notes not realy an "action show" its more of a "Battle of wits and inteligence show", youl see.

(some could see it as a thriller shown through the eyes of a villain though, but not me)

[Jacob T. Paschal]

Believe it or not the last time I felt the way about the series like I do about Death Note is... The Replacements. Something that would make an interesting movie or maybe short novel, but something that as a series seems like it couldn't really stretch itself. I'm sure Death Note will do better then Replacements though. Afterall it's premise is a lot more interesting: Shinigami (why was that named changed in Bleach but not here?) named Ryuk gets bored in the Shinigami world and leaves a book in the human world to entertain himself. Light (angsty teen kid) finds it and realizes it allows him to kill whoever he wants, so uses it to try and change the world by offing all the murders and other villianous folk. It's a pretty weird concept that I wonder how they'll get to stretch for... however long the series is. I'm sure the bulk of it will come from the Ryuk/Light convos. I mean I guess after killing so much he wouldn't get freaked out when a death god appears at his door but he took it a lot quicker then I expected. I also wonder just how Ryuk gets his pleasure from this: It has to be more then just humans dying right? Well anyway it's an interesting series for sure but I'm still not convinced it should be a series. Then again maybe when I see how they plan on incorprating action that's more then just fancy camera pans while Light's writing something down I'll say different

Ah, I see you don't know much about this ttile. The episode and chapter count is below.

One hundred-eight chapters, twelve volumes. Thirty-seven episodes.

To be honest, from what I watched, this dub is friggin' awesom. Ryûk, Light, and Sachiko are all voiced by Gundam alumni (Zechs, Amuro, and Mirai respectively) and boy do their voices fit, not to mention the delivery of the lines are quite strong. I cannot wait to hear the dub later down the line.

[bigddan11]

I've always enjoyed the righteous judgement idea they begin with in Death Note. The heart attacks are also pretty cool (but only since I'm not a target).

I almost didn't recognize Brasd Swaile's voice. He seems to be trying to balance his roles o he's not always playing a hyper teenager. It actually seems to fit.

Only four VA's appeared in this first episode. It'll be interesting to see how they do as the cast expands, but it was a good start. I'll keep on watching each Friday night on AS Video.

[NAGATO]

Ah, I see you don't know much about this ttile. The episode and chapter count is below.

One hundred-eight chapters, twelve volumes. Thirty-seven episodes.

To be honest, from what I watched, this dub is friggin' awesom. Ryûk, Light, and Sachiko are all voiced by Gundam alumni (Zechs, Amuro, and Mirai respectively) and boy do their voices fit, not to mention the delivery of the lines are quite strong. I cannot wait to hear the dub later down the line.

plus the 3 hour special.any way i cannot wait to how they handle crazy insane light which,the japanese guy which play light should have gotten a oscar for his potrayal of light because he had me terrified.

[veemonjosh]

One hundred-eight chapters, twelve volumes. Thirty-seven episodes.

Don't forget the two movies. :sweat:

[NAGATO]

Don't forget the two movies. :sweat:

which by the way were horrible

[FireStarterLE]

oh yeah, i like Ryuk's laugh they got that down almost perfect. I'm glad to since that gave him more ... character i guess and if it was messed up it just wouldn't have been Ryuk to me

next up, Light's laughter, I need to hear more of that now.

[Gatomon41]

Wow, Death Note premeried on Adult Swim! It's amazing considering the utter lack of advertisments.

[NAGATO]

oh yeah, i like Ryuk's laugh they got that down almost perfect. I'm glad to since that gave him more ... character i guess and if it was messed up it just wouldn't have been Ryuk to me

next up, Light's laughter, I need to hear more of that now.

happy or crazy maniac

[Peter Paltridge]

Fare like this is a little too morbid for my taste, but I'll give it a couple more chances. I may not like it anyway because it looks like it's going to be mostly talking.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I didn't think Swaile could pull off Light but he's really surprised me with this one. The laugh was a bit cheesy sounding but dang if it didn't also sound... crazy. And that's how it should sound.

Apparently this episode has already gotten 50,000+ views on the AS video site.

[DBZALLSTAR]

Don't forget the two movies. :sweat:

There is also a guidebook called Death Note 13: How to Read, a prequel movie in the works focusing on L, and an hour-long special that I believe is a recap of the series with a few new scenes thrown in to maintain interest.

[Prdgn]

Then again maybe when I see how they plan on incorprating action that's more then just fancy camera pans while Light's writing something down I'll say different

Get ready for epically-done potato chip eating and TV watching.

[DBZALLSTAR]

Get ready for epically-done potato chip eating and TV watching.

Just in case:
I know that the potato chip sequence isn't meant to be funny, but it cracked me up. I don't think killing anyone is a good idea, but it was an interesting way to do it.

[Dark Fact]

Get ready for epically-done potato chip eating and TV watching.
Don't forget chocolate. ;) But that comes much later.

Great to hear that the dub is good. After all, Death Note is a crown jewel in anime and manga fandom. The dub has to be good lest Viz wants a lynch mob on their hands.

However, I think we all need to hear L before we can decide on whether this dub is truly perfect.

[livingfruitvirus]

I didn't think Swaile could pull off Light but he's really surprised me with this one. The laugh was a bit cheesy sounding but dang if it didn't also sound... crazy. And that's how it should sound.

Apparently this episode has already gotten 50,000+ views on the AS video site.

I'm seeing 43,422

[Prdgn]

I didn't think Swaile could pull off Light but he's really surprised me with this one. The laugh was a bit cheesy sounding but dang if it didn't also sound... crazy. And that's how it should sound.

Apparently this episode has already gotten 50,000+ views on the AS video site.

The laugh was cheesy in the original as well; I've never wanted to punch a fictional character in the face as much as when Light laughed.

Light's an interesting character, but damn if he isn't a straight-up ass.

[DBZALLSTAR]

The laugh was cheesy in the original as well; I've never wanted to punch a fictional character in the face as much as when Light laughed.

Light's an interesting character, but damn if he isn't a straight-up ass.

He is an ass, but he does have some good points about the world. He's going about it the wrong way, but wouldn't you at least be tempted to use a Death Note if it meant making the world a better place?

Only a couple of months before one of my favorite characters makes his/her English debut!

[New Noise]

I hate watching episodes on my computer. I can wait until midnight. :p

[Demonic Raven]

Even though I've already seen it, I'm still really going to enjoy going through all of the ups and downs of Light Yagami.

The dub is spot on so far, by the way. It seems there were absolutely no edits, too. Freaking sweet.

[Sandoz]

He is an ass, but he does have some good points about the world. He's going about it the wrong way, but wouldn't you at least be tempted to use a Death Note if it meant making the world a better place?
The problem with Light is that he doesn't genuinely want to create a better world, he just wants to create a world that will worship him ("Kira") as a god.

[Conan-san]

The dub is excelent fair; the ocean group's realy put thier best cards on the table for this one and it's paid off.

Brad Sweilie, I had impressions he was a hack of a one-voice actor untill he nailed the mix of madness and geniune intent.

and (On the ed)
uh, did they add that last shot of Light to teh ed? I don't remember that being in the orgional

[GWOtaku]

Giving the show a second chance. This an incredibly impressive dub, but Swaile steals the show as Light. This is possibly his best performance ever. All criticism about his lack of range is now utterly null and void. The way he weaves back and forth between normalcy and insanity is disturbing, and 100% on the mark.

Already, the tragedy that is the very foundation of this show is evident. First Light has disbelief about the Death Note. Then surprise and horror when it works, then acceptance, and then his delusions of grandeur--his actions are just and necessary, no one else is capable of doing what he's done with the Death Note, he will go from a genius honor student to a God passing righteous judgment. Right from episode one he's fallen to temptation and twisted his conscience to convince himself he's completely just.

A+, just for the spectacular acting.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

To serve as a sort of celebration of the dubs premier I began rereading the Manga again...for the fourth time.

God, I should use that time to report.

[silverfox1027]

Good dub is good. :D The voice acting for Light and Ryuk is fantastic. Will be watching again tonight so I can hear it on better speakers.

[anime_guru]

wow...
I just watched and this is not the first time I have watched the series. I am literally in love with this dub. If only bleach had a dub this good...
I only really have minor gripes and that is the subcaptions of the opening and those are truly gripes really and I can see why somethings were altered to get a better flow and intent with the song the world.
Now with the things I loved
the world...it is one of my favorite songs of 2006 from japan and it quintessentially describes the series to a T. Am I a broken messiah (a line we didn't hear in the TV version of the world) and the questions of light circulating in his head as he finds this note book. Very good. Also overall the music is just really well done here. The OSTs for the series match the series very well and the orchestral sound is only matched by the brilliant animation. It is a very dark and rather gothic take on anime as we typically see very light colors for anime that was released in 06. Very good.

On to voice acting-well...I think I am with the major consensus when I say:
Brad Swaille nailed LIGHT YAGAMI. I can't believe how sadistic he sounded during his dialog about his boredom, how he needed to have a purpose. These feelings are very common in people in his age group and I really can see why adolescents really felt drawn to the character of light. Brian drummond did an excellent job as Ryuk nailed his laugh almost flawlessly. Since these are the only two characters (with the exception of his mom) that are introduced, I can't wait to see how his dad is portrayed, and other people his dad may have to work with.

Now to the meat and potatoes. The story. Great way to wet the whistle here. Just when the discovery happened, it is over. Overall, the plot moved so fast in this episode it was almost magic, and in a blink of the eye the episode is over. Now...what's to say that this will happen in every episode... ...
9.5/10 excellent way to introduce almost a perfect anime to the adult swim. I can't wait to see who will be:
L or Light's dad

[Master Toon]

How come my cable's guide listed it as "Children's"?

I'll comment on the show later, I can't watch through Firefox. :(

[Hyper Shadow X]

Brad Swaille's Light is nice but I'd liked this japanese one better. Ryuk's voice is sweet and liked see the guy get owned by the truck again.

[Prdgn]

Did Ryuk's VA do his famous "Kekekekekekekekeke" laugh this episode? That must be hard to nail.

[Kitschensyngk]

Well, now that the Saturday midnight slot has been properly bleached...let's stain it.

No promo then? Man, they're lazy.

And I thought Japan had one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

The odds are slim, but I hope no one mistakes it for a hotel guestbook.

WHY IS HIS MOTHER SO USELESS!?

I thought he said "That's otaku for ya."

Biker + semi = PWNED.

Light...meet the Joker.

The first rule about Death Note is...you do not talk about Death Note.

Oh well. Purgatory's nice this time of year.

Ryuk sure loves his Granny Smiths.

Death really does take a holiday.

Do you have any idea how much havoc has been wreaked in this world by people who were just bored?!

Shape the world to your liking? Sure, you and every Bond villain.

[RockmanDash]

The human in this note book shall die?

Man if this was real I think we would be all gone by a week:sweat:

[Prdgn]

WHY IS HIS MOTHER SO USELESS!?


Haha :D

[livingfruitvirus]

I thought Mandarin Chinese was the most popular language.

[RockmanDash]

English is the most popular language in the world? I thought japanese was o_o

[Rocketboy]

This is my favorite scene in the entire episode. It was dubbed excellently.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

English is the most popular in the world? I thought japan was o_o

Japan isn't a language, it's a nation.

[RockmanDash]

Japan isn't a language, it's a nation.

Opps typed it wrong xD typo

[LordTerminal]

Okay this is kinda scaring me. I can see why AS picked this up for Halloween. (Or picked it up, period)

[Obi]

Definitely the best new show AS has shown since FMA. I usually don't have a problem with spoilers, but I've been avoiding them for this show since I've heard so much about it, and this is only making me more and more interested.

[MattThomasM2B]

Hey!!!


...That was sorta hot.

[k-day42]

Okay this is kinda scaring me. I can see why AS picked this up for Halloween. (Or picked it up, period)

Yeah. I always wondered what the big deal was about this show, but now I finally know...this will be a big hit!

[Obi]

I thought Mandarin Chinese was the most popular language.

I guess it depends on how you interpret it. Mandarin is the most populous, sure, as it is the most spoken mother tongue in the world, but it's more confined to a specific area. It's far more likely that somebody in any given part of the world is going to know English than Mandarin.

[Ishtar]

This is my favorite scene in the entire episode. It was dubbed excellently.
I have to agree. Brad Swaile nailed it as Light when he said "I will become the God of this new world...etc.".

[Master Moltar]

Epic writing makes me crack up.

Anyway, cool premise. I'll definitely be sticking around to see where things go.

[RockmanDash]

Ok what I learned from this episode

1: If I ever see a black notebook that has the title DEATH NOTE avoid it

2: The main character is a crazy twisted guy who in a way is some how actually helping the world by killing all the bad people(yet in the next episode it looks like hes killing people online o_o..)

3: I am now really hungry for apples

So I no this is just the first episode but is Light the good guy AND bad guy? Or am I just thinking things to soon?

[MessyB]

I thought Mandarin Chinese was the most popular language.

Mandarin is the most popular first language. But more people can speak English, either natively or as a second+ language, than any other.

[kewlmyc]

My God, this show is badass. Sad by lack of promos though.

[TnAdct1]

2: The main character is a crazy twisted guy who in a way is some how actually helping the world by killing all the bad people(yet in the next episode it looks like hes killing people online o_o..) Actually, the online scene has more to do with the "persona" that he uses when it comes to the Death Note (you'll find out more next week). As for Light being both the good guy AND bad guy, that is definitely one of the main themes of this show, with it being explored as the series progresses.

[Katsumara]

This was an awesome dub. Hit it out of the park with this one seriously. The ending was an awesome end to a first episode too.

[Rabi~en~Rose]

Fare like this is a little too morbid for my taste, but I'll give it a couple more chances.

yeah that's how I am feeling :( its not that its a bad show but its just really creepy and somehow doesn't feel like something I should be watching :confused: :(

[Grenzer]

yeah that's how I am feeling :( its not that its a bad show but its just really creepy and somehow doesn't feel like something I should be watching :confused: :(

Come on Rabi, we all need a little darkness in our lives. It keeps you sharp. :evil:

[Katsumara]

The oddest thing about Light's VA is he played Quatre Raberba Winner in Gundam Wing... and well.. wow. Total opposite of character. xD

[Mr. Ralph]

i wish i had a death note:anime:

i wonder what happens when you fill up the whole book though. it didn't look like it had too many pages. are you allowed to start erasing or breaking out the white-out??

[Jacob T. Paschal]

i wish i had a death note:anime:

i wonder what happens when you fill up the whole book though. it didn't look like it had too many pages. are you allowed to start erasing or breaking out the white-out??

I believe it has an unlimited amount of paper, if I'm not mistaken.

[D Dubbs]

Lol, this show feels so weird airing in Bleach's former slot. I'm use to badass fights at this time, but instead there's this dark, philosophical show...

Not that it's bad or anything. It's just different.

[Mr. Ralph]

I believe it has an unlimited amount of paper, if I'm not mistaken.

but how is that possible?

well i guess if it can make people die it can do anything else it wants to do too:shrug:

[Jacob T. Paschal]

but how is that possible?

well i guess if it can make people die it can do anything else it wants to do too:shrug:

The note book does not lie...!

Not yet, at least

[Mr. Anime]

Wow, I don't belive it but Light Yagami and Ryuk are the first anime characters to really scare me. This show looks pretty twisted yet at the same time cool.

[Kitschensyngk]

i wish i had a death note:anime:

Remind me not to give you my real name.

[PickHut]

Interesting how he said he killed all the major criminals in the world, and then they showed a montage of almost what looked like killings in Japan only. Though, it was pretty hard to tell with quick shots and dark areas. A little more variety would've been nice.

As for the episode, it was neat seeing Light go through so many phases in such a short time. By the end of the episode, he was claiming himself to be a god. I'm pretty sure judging by his character towards the end of the episode, he'll just get more demented as the show goes on.

[bigdeath]

Yep, thats what I'd do with a death note. Declare myself god. :evil:

[Master Moron]

This was pretty good. But, it kind of seemed a bit rushed to me. I mean, this guy goes from normal honor student to serial killer with God complex in one episode? Hell, they could have waited a few episodes before bringing in the shinigami. The note is an interesting enough concept that it would have been nice to just see him experiment with it for a few episodes.

[Ragebot]

The note is an interesting enough concept that it would have been nice to just see him experiment with it for a few episodes.

He does just the thing. As the eyecatches will continue to show, the book's rules are quite detailed and complex.

[Aldrius]

Ryuk's got no reason to tell Light what to do with the thing.

So his presence doesn't really effect how much Light can experiment with it.

Theoretically anyway.

[Rembrant]

I had never seen Death Note before, only heard quite some details about it from one of my best friends, who is a huge fan. And after episode one, all I can say is, they actually pulled Bleach off for this? Really bad first impression, because, except for the fact that it's well drawn and animated, I thought this was actually pretty mediocre. :sad:

[Conan-san]

The oddest thing about Light's VA is he played Quatre Raberba Winner in Gundam Wing... and well.. wow. Total opposite of character. xD
Just imgine it's insane zero-system Quatre and you'll do fine.


I had never seen Death Note before, only heard quite some details about it from one of my best friends, who is a huge fan. And after episode one, all I can say is, they actually pulled Bleach off for this? Really bad first impression, because, except for the fact that it's well drawn and animated, I thought this was actually pretty mediocre. :sad:
This isn't Fist of the North star, for god's sake. This is thriller action, the sort of action that requires the use of your brain and by that is don't meen the use of your brain as some dullard pleasure centure dealy.

[Rembrant]

This isn't Fist of the North star, for god's sake. This is thriller action, the sort of action that requires the use of your brain and by that is don't meen the use of your brain as some dullard pleasure centure dealy.

Actually, I can pretty well tell the difference between a lot of fights, action and gore and something that goes for a more subtle, intellectual approach. Simply put, the whole thing about some genius/psycho kid going into a God complex because he found a magic notebook that kills people simply wasn't to my liking, and the whole episode bored me thoroughly. It's a simple matter of difference of opinion. Funny enough, I didn't like Fist of the North Star either. :D

[Vallen Valiant]

Actually, I can pretty well tell the difference between a lot of fights, action and gore and something that goes for a more subtle, intellectual approach. Simply put, the whole thing about some genius/psycho kid going into a God complex because he found a magic notebook that kills people simply wasn't to my liking, and the whole episode bored me thoroughly. It's a simple matter of difference of opinion. Funny enough, I didn't like Fist of the North Star either. :D
Perhaps it's because right now Light has no "rivals"?

Perhaps when the antagonist, his intellectual equal, showed up, you might gain more interest. One-sided fights can only last so long.;)

[Kurokawa41]

Impressive. Light's voice actor did much better than expected. But I'm not sure if he can pull of Light later on in the series. His voice will need to get gradually more quiet and less emphasized, considering a few things. Overall, though, great episode (love that they kept the OP and ED, I looooove Nightmare.) I'm a little skeptical of Ryuk, his VA didn't seem like what I had imagined, but it seems I can grow to like it.

[New Noise]

I just watched it on my DVR and man, was it awesome. FUNimation did a fantastic dubbing job. The script's exactly the same, as far as I'm concerned. Light sounded a lot like Brad Swaile, so I'm guessing that that was him, right?

[XOMiss_Samantha]

Light sounded a lot like Brad Swaile, so I'm guessing that that was him, right?

yup. It was him.
I rewatched the episode again this morning and I think his performance as Light just knocked his performance as Rock from Black Lagoon off the chart of my favorites roles that hes done.

The guy who was reporting the death of that criminal on Tv sounded exactly like Masako X who did the Naruto Abridged series, too. I had a complete WTF moment.

[Lord Mawdryn]

Fare like this is a little too morbid for my taste, but I'll give it a couple more chances.

yeah that's how I am feeling :( its not that its a bad show but its just really creepy and somehow doesn't feel like something I should be watching :confused: :(

I read about Death Note awhile back and saw some previews and my first thought was that this was going to be a good series, but it was also going to be a particularly disturbing one too as it really nails home the ugly sides of the Human condition. Color me surprised when AS picked this one up.

Normally, I record every new anime on AS Action, but this one I'm just going to be a viewer. I don't think this is something that I'll want to watch more than once...
:sweat:

[Bubblegum Girl]

Well I must say they did a good job with the dubbing. Though I wonder how L's voice is going to turn out. ;) Watching Death Note makes me wanna reread the manga.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

I just watched it on my DVR and man, was it awesome. FUNimation did a fantastic dubbing job. The script's exactly the same, as far as I'm concerned. Light sounded a lot like Brad Swaile, so I'm guessing that that was him, right?

FUNimation has nothing to do with this title, Viz Media is the license holder.

[Captain Zechs]

And Death Note begins...

Wow, what an incredible Dub, Light sounds amazing! Ryuk also.

Light himself is an amazing character though, I find it awesome how he uses the Death Note, not being afraid of it like others would be.

And you might regret not recording this series, it really gets you thinking and you will want to watch it again.

[Khurath]

First rate work here, I've watched this twice now and can't wait to see the next episode. Since it's on the Fix, I've been passing it along to a few friends who like good cartoons but avoid anime because they only know about DBZ/Naruto style action shows. I'd encourage everyone else who wants to see this grow do the same. Now, since I've read the manga and know how the stories play out, I'll see if I can't explain the appeal to people who just don't see it. I'll speak as generally as I can to avoid spoiling anything.

Death Note is that rarest of specimens, a drama/thriller cartoon. Light does not dragon punch his opponents into submission, he doesn't distort into a caricature when one of his goofy pals says something silly, and there isn't a harem of girls he has to sort through to find his one true love. Light is an ordinary human with extraordinary intelligence and a plot device that allows him to kill from a distance without leaving a trace. This leads to a show that's about two things: moral dilemmas and fantastic, Sherlock Holmes-esque logic games.

The moral dilemmas aren't necessarily new ones, but we're given a new perspective and a lot of depth into them. You have to remember that Light is protagonist, he is not necessarily the hero. He's a genius and fully aware of that fact, machiavellian to a remarkable extent. He manipulates everyone and everything all the while trying as hard as he can to rationalize it. And we're privileged to all of this because we're fundamentally following his story, not that of the good guys. At what point does it become wrong to kill someone? Can you kill someone just because he's a criminal? What if he's only a suspected criminal? What if the only thing he's done is attempt to protect criminals from vigilantes? Would you throw away your own humanity to make a better world? How can you be sure you're really making it better? Who are you to pass such judgments anyway? In the coming months, we're going to see Light deal with all of this and a lot more, watching as he changes because of what he has to do. First to keep his plans going, then to keep others from catching on to him.

The other element to this is the cat and mouse game that begins starting next episode. Yes, Light is a genius and fully aware of it. What happens when someone his equal yet opposite shows up on the scene though? The primary antagonist (who is introduced next episode, so don't worry about waiting for too long) is the first person Light's ever met who can truly cross mental blades with him, a terrifying thought. The result is going to be a long battle of wits the likes of which people who like to play detective will savor every moment of.

There are lighter moments in this series as well. I say "lighter" because it's still never a comedy, there are just some good jokes that are secondary to the plot and occasionally break the tension. As Ryuk stated in the first episode, he finds this whole situation even more interesting than he had hoped for. His lack of familiarity with humans results in a lot of gallows humor as he delights in what goes on around him. He's amoral, laid back, and loves apples. A winning combination for sure, but it's what he tells Light a few weeks from now that really sells me on his character.

Spoilers about Ryuk's relationship to the other players in the series:
Ryuk will explicitly tell Light that he isn't on his side in multiple instances. He doesn't care what happens to Light, but seems to help him along in some cases just because he wants the "fun" to continue. Even better, despite being functionally more powerful than Light, Ryuk is nowhere near as smart. Ryuk doesn't know anywhere near everything there is to know about the Death Note, and soon Light will know more than he does. What results is that we often only find out about what on earth Light and L are doing when Light takes the time to explain his plans to Ryuk. This seems odd at first, since Ryuk is quite clear that he isn't Light's friend, but actually seems funny once you realize that Ryuk is the only person Light can confide in. Nobody else can sense Ryuk, and Light can't tell anybody about what he's done, yet his colossal ego desperately needs someone to marvel at him. At least, this is true until Misa comes along much later. Still, in a lot of ways Ryuk remains the only in-universe audience member to Light's plans, and Light seems to love it. He's made a deal with a demon, and doesn't seem to mind that he's really just an actor in a play for Ryuk's benefit.

Summary: If you like thinking and are tired of cartoons just being superhero action and middle school kid and/or anthropomorph comedies, I really think you'll like Death Note. Come back next week to see how things work when Light actually has an opponent. That's when this really starts to shine.

[Conan-san]

Funny enough, I didn't like Fist of the North Star either. :DWell, there you go. This is Fist of the North Star...FOR THE MIND!

[WolfieKiwi]

...And although I have the manga, I'm considering buying the dvd's, too. Light's voice is perfect. (I really liked his little monologue on the Death Note after he first used it and then slowly cracks as he goes on about it.) As for Ryuks' voice, its definitely a lot more sinister than I imagined, but I like it that way.

I can't wait for hear more L.

[btv]

Death Note seems to be starting off really well! I only caught a part of it, but everything was tightly directed. I'm more partial to the manga, but hey, I'll still tune in. Love the dark stuff.

[livingfruitvirus]

AS Video hit counter currently sits at 100,223.

[Freedom Fighter]

Ah, I remember when Shonen Jump had a preview of the 'Death Note' manga however long ago it was. I remember being interested in the concept, though not enough to consider buying the individual volumes.

Now comes along the anime... not a surprising reaction by myself, not an interesting one, either. But I find myself oddly gravitated towards Light and his situation. I mean, he's in quite the moral dilemma. He gets a book which can kill anyone if their name is written in it. Light uses it to rid the world of all the dirty criminals out there, calling it 'righteous judgment on the wicked.' But is killing even bad people good? In most cases, the idea is for the hero to beat the bad guy, but show him mercy and not kill him. But then, we turn around and say 'hey, this guy's killed so many people that he should die,' and so he's sentenced to the death penalty (whether it be lethal injection, electric chair, etc.). I'd actually find it fun to see how this show addresses this dilemma further - Light already shows signs that he debated it at one point.

Of course, they he went off the deep end and justified it as what God would do... heck, he even declares himself God!

I'm with Ryuk in that his Shingami world is boring. Hanging around Light might make life interesting again. I mean, it works for Light already! :p

Did I mention I like shows with a genius as the lead character? And that seeing that guy from Light's cram school get hit by a semi was awesome?

Man, I'm so gonna get Death Note'd for thinking that.

"Rebirth": 4/5.

[Beat]

So without even ONE ad, Death Note premiers, and we're introduced to two characters that are according to the show, BORED OUT OF THEIR FREAKING MINDS. So, one, the death god, decides to fix his boredom by letting his killing tool go to Earth and the other, the genius just happens to pick it up, and in a matter of one week, develops a god complex, while the other just sits back and watches the fireworks.

OK, rushed describes the first episode. We haven't seen the repercussions of this. If global criminals, terrorists, and business executives just started dropping dead, you'd think SOMEONE would pick up on this. Hell, you'd think the global perception of such a thing would vary from horrified to joyous, but none of that is picked up here.

Anyway, next episode looks like it might introduce a few other characters, including a sloppily dressed guy that might be Japan's answer to Monk. Hopefully they explain more about the actual story.

[purplehairedwonder]

Just caught the episode and I'm definitely impressed with the dub. I wasn't convinced originally but as the episode went on, it grew on me more and more til the point that Light reveals his plan. That was the point I was really sold. Ryuk sounded great and it's amazing how Light becomes so demented so quickly. Really good stuff so far, I'm impressed. I've only seen through the first twenty or so episodes, so I'm looking forward to seeing the end of the anime. The manga, after all, was great.

[elsie]

Now comes along the anime... not a surprising reaction by myself, not an interesting one, either. But I find myself oddly gravitated towards Light and his situation. I mean, he's in quite the moral dilemma. He gets a book which can kill anyone if their name is written in it. Light uses it to rid the world of all the dirty criminals out there, calling it 'righteous judgment on the wicked.' But is killing even bad people good? In most cases, the idea is for the hero to beat the bad guy, but show him mercy and not kill him. But then, we turn around and say 'hey, this guy's killed so many people that he should die,' and so he's sentenced to the death penalty (whether it be lethal injection, electric chair, etc.). I'd actually find it fun to see how this show addresses this dilemma further - Light already shows signs that he debated it at one point.



"Rebirth": 4/5.


That's the thing. Light obviously doesn't believe in or never considered the possibility of redemption, the idea that a criminal could repent for one's crimes and hope to do better, which is how shows usually run. Look at Rurouni Kenshin. Kenshin was always telling people that they could redeem the wrongs they've done. Light just wants to eliminate all who've ever done anything wrong, not giving them a chance to change their ways. I hope someone calls him on this.

[Ackar]

I think using the death note so much would be dangerous to the person using it since other Death note users would notice the pattern right away.

I haven't seen or read about this series other than watching the AS showing, but it seems to me that with all the other death gods around, at least a few of them would have also gotten the idea to give humans access to their death notes.

And if there are other deathnoters out there, you'd want to discover their names and kill them before they kill you. So what the main character is doing is just drawing the attention of the other deathnoters, who will most likely see him as a threat and rival to be eliminated.

Or the death gods could have surperiors that wouldn't want a loose death note, so they'd come after whoever is misusing it.

[Prdgn]

I may be in a slow mindset at the moment, but "Rebirth" of what?

[FinnMacCool]

Was it just my imagination, or was Light using Wikipedia to look up criminals to kill?

I'm not sure whether the Wikipedia folks would consider that good publicity or bad.

[Conan-san]

I think, given that they're being used to help clense the world, they'd be thirllled! ;p

[Classic Speedy]

At first I wasn't sure I'd like this, as it looked really dark and I'm not a fan of broody shows. But once he began testing the death note book, I started getting more into it. I especially liked the scene in the classroom when he contemplates killing the bully who regularly steals money from a geeky kid. Oooh the temptation...

My only concern is how quickly he's started to think of himself as God because he has the power to judge whoever he sees as evil. That change came about pretty quickly- such is the power of the book, I guess. I only hope they have enough material for almost 40 episodes.

Dub-wise, I had no qualms. The show looked darn good, too; however, I do express some concern about it being perpetually dark like this, even in the daytime. Do they vary the lighting a bit?

[Space Cadet]

Dub-wise, I had no qualms. The show looked darn good, too; however, I do express some concern about it being perpetually dark like this, even in the daytime. Do they vary the lighting a bit?

Yeah, there is light(no pun intended), but even with the light, you can still tell it's a dark show.

As for enough material for 37 episodes? Yeah, there is more than enough.

[v1cious]

OK, rushed describes the first episode. We haven't seen the repercussions of this. If global criminals, terrorists, and business executives just started dropping dead, you'd think SOMEONE would pick up on this. Hell, you'd think the global perception of such a thing would vary from horrified to joyous, but none of that is picked up here.

minor spoiler they have. that's where the confilict comes in.

i have only read the manga, but judging from the previews the good stuff starts next week.

[Conan-san]

I figgured that someone might want the intro page splash in due order:

So here- http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2680/adultswimintrorg3.th.png (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=adultswimintrorg3.png)

[Nanashi]

Put me in with the "impressed by the English dub" group.

At first, I thought Light sounded too young and expressive (as compared to the Japanese actor), but the more I think about it, the more perfect the voice seems. Light's exterior is SUPPOSED to be deceptively innocent-looking, and his sweet, teenage voice is just all the more to add to the delicious irony - Light's looks don't exactly match his nature, see. He's a well-groomed, proper, straight-A student, who just happens to go home and kill people after school.

The beginning episodes of this show are so amazing. Every episode picks up steam and adds something new. It's totally riveting.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

I think using the death note so much would be dangerous to the person using it since other Death note users would notice the pattern right away.

I haven't seen or read about this series other than watching the AS showing, but it seems to me that with all the other death gods around, at least a few of them would have also gotten the idea to give humans access to their death notes.

And if there are other deathnoters out there, you'd want to discover their names and kill them before they kill you. So what the main character is doing is just drawing the attention of the other deathnoters, who will most likely see him as a threat and rival to be eliminated.

Or the death gods could have surperiors that wouldn't want a loose death note, so they'd come after whoever is misusing it.

Death God's each only have one notebook, outside of Ryûk who stole a second behind the Shinigami King's back. Ryûk still has a Death Note of his own, having simply dropped his extra in the human world for fun. If another Death God with but one were to drop his, well...you'll see...


At first I wasn't sure I'd like this, as it looked really dark and I'm not a fan of broody shows. But once he began testing the death note book, I started getting more into it. I especially liked the scene in the classroom when he contemplates killing the bully who regularly steals money from a geeky kid. Oooh the temptation...

My only concern is how quickly he's started to think of himself as God because he has the power to judge whoever he sees as evil. That change came about pretty quickly- such is the power of the book, I guess. I only hope they have enough material for almost 40 episodes.

Dub-wise, I had no qualms. The show looked darn good, too; however, I do express some concern about it being perpetually dark like this, even in the daytime. Do they vary the lighting a bit?

Actually, I believe some material from the Manga is cut, and some other stuff, like in this episode, are added. I was a little annoyed by the difference between this episode and the material it adapts from, to be honest.

[Rud]

Actually, I believe some material from the Manga is cut, and some other stuff, like in this episode, are added. I was a little annoyed by the difference between this episode and the material it adapts from, to be honest.

wait till you see how they changed the ending, that disapointed me greatly.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

wait till you see how they changed the ending, that disapointed me greatly.

The sentiment is shared. I wonder what Series Director Araki-san was thinking when he chose to do what he did, but this is hardly the place to speak of said events.

[email2003]

To be honest, the 1st episode was really boring but please tell me it gets better later on down.

[GingaDaiuchuu]

To be honest, the 1st episode was really boring but please tell me it gets better later on down.

I don't agree with the first episode being boring but it gets better with each episode (and chapter of the manga) in my opinion. As for the dub, although the Ocean Group isn't my favorite studio, the voice actors were the best I've ever heard them, and very fitting for their characters, as they must know how important it is for this dub to succeed. (And if it wasn't good I know "Brad Swaile" would be written in some Death Notes. :anime:)

[danreyes1]

Pretty cool-looking series. I might actually start watching the action portion of AS again.

[Paul_Cousins]

Of the Death note Ep 01 and the series as itself.

Animation, solid.

Voice acting in the dub very good.

Characters; Not good. The main character, Light, was likeable until he got a grew a big head over the power of the Death Note and turned into "Charles Manson", going on an insane killing spree.

And Ryuk is just plain creepy. I don't see any redeeming values from these characters.

Plot pacing, pathetic; they should have waited at least a couple of episodes before the main character developed a "god complex" over his power of the Death Note.

Series Concept, not good; the series feeds off of the viewers darkside of their souls and goes against the concept of free will.

And don't worry to those who like this series. I don't watch series I don't like, so I am not going to comment anymore on this series either if I can help it.

[SSJPabs]

I am quite a fan of the Death Note manga, though Light definitely looks less wild-eyed in the anime. This was pretty good with some strong acting. What was interesting to me in the Manga was the interplay between Light and the Authorities (even before L) so I hope they play that up.

And yes, I have no doubt that if I had the Death Note I would probably go down Light's path--though I'd probably go after people in other countries as well as those who oppose my agenda. It's an interesting thought experiment: if laws didn't apply to you, just how far would YOU go?

[elsie]

Rewatching Death Note on the dvr today reminded me of one of the oldest thought experiments of this type -- the ring of Gyges. In Plato's Republic, one of the characters talks about a ring that makes someone invisible so that the wearer can do things without being caught and asks whether the wearer would be more likely to act justly or unjustly. The Death Note is a similar sort of device, the difference being that to use the ring one wouldn't have to engage in murder but one would have to in order to use the Death Note.

[Vallen Valiant]

Series Concept, not good; the series feeds off of the viewers darkside of their souls and goes against the concept of free will.
You are free to dislike anything you want, of course, but I am curious;

What does this first episode have anything against free will?

Regardless of what Light was trying to do, he wasn't trying to control anyone. Light was judging people, and he did nothing more than trying to replace the entire legal system with himself alone. People can commit crimes or not commit crimes, that is their choice. The only difference is that in addition to the normal forces of the law, someone out there would also want to murder them.

I am pretty sure rights of free-will did not extend, in any society, to the rights of criminal activity. Light merely became a vigilante, a more extreme version of the Punisher, if you will.

Yes, Light is now quite insane. But taking away someone's right to live is not related to taking away their free will. He is a mass-murderer, but there are still things he should not be labelled as.

[Luna]

This is my first time seeing the Death Note anime (though I have read the entire manga series)....

I thought the voice acting was AWESOME!!!!(usually,it takes me a couple episodes to get used to the voices before I decide whether they're good or bad)....when I first heard that Brad Swaile was going to voice Light,I wasn't sure about it (as I've only really heard him as "nice" characters),but he really nailed it...I loved the scene where he's trying to justify the killing of criminals to himself....Ryuk's voice was really good,too....

I'm surprised they used the term "Shinigami"(Bleach calls 'em "Soul Reapers"),though I'm happy they did....

I'm also happy that they subtitled the opening and closing songs (something Viz doesn't do often enough....the only other series I can think of that have song subtitles are Ranma 1/2,and a couple of the Naruto openings)...

Anyway,it's was an enjoyable show(I like dark,serious shows),and I'm already looking forward to the next episode....

[veemonjosh]

And don't worry to those who like this series. I don't watch series I don't like, so I am not going to comment anymore on this series either if I can help it.

I love how you judge a series that doesn't pick up the pace until later on by just watching the first episode.

First episodes usually suck anyways, so I'm surprised you even like to watch TV.

[Paul_Cousins]

You are free to dislike anything you want, of course, but I am curious;

What does this first episode have anything against free will?The Death Note flies in the face of the concept of free will. If someone writes a person dies in the Death Notes, that is how the person dies, argo, no free will.


I love how you judge a series that doesn't pick up the pace until later on by just watching the first episode.

First episodes usually suck anyways, so I'm surprised you even like to watch TV.I read online all the way up the ending of the anime. So I am speaking from a informed point of view.

If you enjoy the Death Notes series, fine, good for you. I just don't like it.

[Roman Legion]

The Death Note flies in the face of the concept of free will. If someone writes a person dies in the Death Notes, that is how the person dies, argo, no free will.Remote-controlled pigeons fly in the face of free will, but you don't hear them complaining. Wait, le'me try that again. Alright, question. Even if free will exists, why should it be impossible to suppress or override?


I read online all the way up the ending of the anime. So I am speaking from a informed point of view.Seems like a polite way of saying you were too impatient to watch and judge for yourself, so you read spoilers which may or may not accurately reflect the metaphysics in Death Note, and jumped to your own conclusions. :sweat:

--Romey

[Vallen Valiant]

The Death Note flies in the face of the concept of free will. If someone writes a person dies in the Death Notes, that is how the person dies, argo, no free will.
?

I know all the rules of Death Note, but how is that relavent?

As soon as the person's name is written down, that person is already murdered. He or she might live a certain amount of time depending on instructions, but that's about it.

You might as well charge someone for both murder via baseball bat and for causing bodily harm on the same person. Murder is the ultimate form of removal of one's human rights, so "removal of free will" shouldn't even matter.

[Rembrant]

Perhaps it's because right now Light has no "rivals"?

Perhaps when the antagonist, his intellectual equal, showed up, you might gain more interest. One-sided fights can only last so long.;)

Oh, I know about L, since my friend told me all about the quirky, eccentric, weirdo genius detective kid who is such an oddball that you can't help but really like him. I'll wait and see what he's like, since it wouldn't be the first time I'd watch a show i hate only because one single character is plain awesome.

[Dark Moridin]

ok, I have been hearing about this show for what seems like months, and I must admit, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I am a fan of thinking series' like Paranoia Agent, and GITS, and even of dark shows like Witch Hunter Robin. So this show fits the bill. And since I usually dont' watch many dubs of the popular stuff (only off the wall stuff it seems), I don't let the voices really affect me unless they are really horrid. I am more interested in what they say instead of how they say it. So once again, no problem with it.

The part that disturbs me (and no, not the premise of the story), is the pacing. Maybe I am used to all the drawn out story telling that has been shown on AS the past few years, but this seemed to go too fast. I mean, until it is told that 5 days had passed between Light getting the book and the Shimigami coming for it, I thought I had missed an episode or two. While it is refreshing that a story can get to the point, can it keep it up for the whole series? I would hate for it to rush to a plain, and then become plain for the middle of the series before feeling rushed at the end.

As for the next few eppys, I would only wish people would try to veil their hints a bit more, or even be more generous with the spoiler tags. Some of y'all have let slip stuff that you should probably have tagged (in my opinion).

Those of us who haven't watched/read this story might like to keep ideas of athorities, rivals, alternate personalities, and such in the spoiler tags where we can avoid them while still talking about the current eppy. Don't mean to be a downer, but since this is one of the few series that I didn't know much about BEFORE actually watching it, I felt a small need to say something. I am almost glad there wasn't much hoopla in promo's for it, I might have gone looking for descriptions and ended up spoiled.

sorry for the rant, it's late. resume discussion.

[Conan-san]

I'm intregged to see that most people posting here are against Light, inspite of him being technicaly correct.
The world (as presented in Death Note) is going down the U bend, people are doing attrocious acts and the athorities seem set to just shut them in the nearist pokey and be done with it. And that's saying nothing of the Criminals they don't catch.

Whilst Light has killed, there's no doubt about that, the "worst" of these muders was that of a guy who was attempting to rape a woman, in other words "Scum Of The Earth" material and if he was Scum of the earth, what does that make, as he says, "The world's supply of the worst criminals".
At this point in the story, Light has not done anyone in who truely didn't deserve it and wether or not he does so in the future is to be seen.

One wonders, if he were left alone to do this (even though, yes, it does mean there wouln't be a story) would the end result truely be bad? Would a world that is free of crime, with some invisiable god doing in all who tresspass (what some people truely want of God it has to be noted) Would that truely be a bad world?

At this point, Light says he wants to be the God of this world, he has never said anything about revealing himself as the one doing it and I feel he's too "Smart" to do that and will accept doing it in the Background.

And thus, I've poked the hornet's nest.

[Vallen Valiant]

I'm intregged to see that most people posting here are against Light, inspite of him being technicaly correct.
The world (as presented in Death Note) is going down the U bend, people are doing attrocious acts and the athorities seem set to just shut them in the nearist pokey and be done with it. And that's saying nothing of the Criminals they don't catch.

Whilst Light has killed, there's no doubt about that, the "worst" of these muders was that of a guy who was attempting to rape a woman, in other words "Scum Of The Earth" material and if he was Scum of the earth, what does that make, as he says, "The world's supply of the worst criminals".
At this point in the story, Light has not done anyone in who truely didn't deserve it and wether or not he does so in the future is to be seen.

One wonders, if he were left alone to do this (even though, yes, it does mean there wouln't be a story) would the end result truely be bad? Would a world that is free of crime, with some invisiable god doing in all who tresspass (what some people truely want of God it has to be noted) Would that truely be a bad world?

At this point, Light says he wants to be the God of this world, he has never said anything about revealing himself as the one doing it and I feel he's too "Smart" to do that and will accept doing it in the Background.

And thus, I've poked the hornet's nest.
Oh, I certainly have no problem with your views. Keep in mind, I do understand what you mean.

The only issue is that Light is NOT as perfect as he would like to think he is. And that as such, his utopia won't happen because he just isn't good enough.

[Conan-san]

Oh, I certainly have no problem with your views. Keep in mind, I do understand what you mean.

The only issue is that Light is NOT as perfect as he would like to think he is. And that as such, his utopia won't happen because he just isn't good enough. As far as I could see, Light never said he was, he was smart, he did give himself that much Kudous but "Perfect" was never in that note.

He even said he would be willing to give up his sanity, soul and what have you to do this, that's a lot more than what, say, Jhoney Law Boots would do.

[Vallen Valiant]

As far as I could see, Light never said he was, he was smart, he did give himself that much Kudous but "Perfect" was never in that note.

He even said he would be willing to give up his sanity, soul and what have you to do this, that's a lot more than what, say, Jhoney Law Boots would do.
He is willing to give up far more than even that, and that's what I have an issue with. But oh well, let's discuss this in two more episodes, otherwise we will spoil too many things.;)

[Paul_Cousins]

Seems like a polite way of saying you were too impatient to watch and judge for yourself, so you read spoilers which may or may not accurately reflect the metaphysics in Death Note, and jumped to your own conclusions. :sweat:

--RomeyWhy such the hostility, I am just stating my opinion.

I am glad you enjoy Death Note series, I just don't.


?

I know all the rules of Death Note, but how is that relavent?

As soon as the person's name is written down, that person is already murdered. He or she might live a certain amount of time depending on instructions, but that's about it.

You might as well charge someone for both murder via baseball bat and for causing bodily harm on the same person. Murder is the ultimate form of removal of one's human rights, so "removal of free will" shouldn't even matter.It is the difference between someone being murdered by another person through a direct or indirect physical action (shooting someone, stabbing them, hiring a hitman to do it), and being murdered by "deus ex machina" plot device.

[Conan-san]

Then again, these guys are criminals, they've pretty much asked for it.

[Vallen Valiant]

It is the difference between someone being murdered by another person through a direct or indirect physical action (shooting someone, stabbing them, hiring a hitman to do it), and being murdered by "deus ex machina" plot device.
What's the difference? Death Note is an exotic and fictitious device, but it is still a murder tool like any other weapon.

Would there have been any difference between killing someone with a rocket launcher or blowing the same person up with a fireball spell?

You still haven't linked Death Note with anything associated with free will, with what you have told me.

[veemonjosh]

I read online all the way up the ending of the anime. So I am speaking from a informed point of view.

If you enjoy the Death Notes series, fine, good for you. I just don't like it.

Well, you didn't mention about knowing what happens in the rest of the series, so I thought you were judging on just the first episode (which was pretty weak of an episode anyways).

[Roman Legion]

Why such the hostility, I am just stating my opinion.No hostility intended, just mild annoyance. :sweat:


I am glad you enjoy Death Note series, I just don't.Doesn't matter much to me whether you like it or not, but I'll still question how you managed to form that opinion. I've just barely started on Death Note, myself, but at least I'm forming an opinion by actually watching it. From what little I've seen, I'd say your stated problems with it are at least slightly off-base. Maybe if you'd actually watched, you'd have interpreted the metaphysics differently. Or maybe not, who's to say?

--Romey

[email2003]

Don't get me wrong guys but I'll continue to watch this series but I'm hoping we hit something good cause this is the exact thing that happened to me when I began to watch Bleach. First couple of episodes seem to be a drag then the plot thickens and gets good.:sweat:

[Beefy]

I'm pleasantly surprised at how many people like the dub. Normally I would expect to see "___'s voice is not a carbon copy of the Japanese VA, so dub = fail."
Equally surprising are the lack of comments on how a Shonen Jump series does not belong on Adult Swim.

People still can't seem to keep quiet on spoilers, but 2 out of 3 isn't bad.


For the episode itself: somebody's on a power trip, and power corrupts.

[Roman Legion]

I'm pleasantly surprised at how many people like the dub. Normally I would expect to see "___'s voice is not a carbon copy of the Japanese VA, so dub = fail."Hopefully that's evidence that not everyone complains for the sake of complaining. The voices seem suitable enough. I still prefer the original voicework, but I haven't heard anything worth complaining about.

--Romey

[xicor]

Regardless of what Light was trying to do, he wasn't trying to control anyone. Light was judging people, and he did nothing more than trying to replace the entire legal system with himself alone.

I personally dont believe in free will as being a reductionist but...

I believe Paul is saying that with Light's method of doing this by using the Death Note, he is controlling others and changing the events that the world would naturally take if those people who died could have reacted and made chooses(meaning the violation of free will). It isn't like a sniper killing off someone since you as the sniper dont control the path of the other person FULLY(however their death is most likely certain). According to the free will people, in this episode when the biker gang started to abuse the poor lady and then Light made one of them get hit by a trunk, the biker's path was changed to dying that way without him having any control over it at all, thus taking away his free will.

[Conan-san]

But then you have to say to yourself "He was a complete sleezy so and so who, frankly, wouln't be missed by greater society if he were hit by a truck"

Even though it was unwittingly at this point, Light did the world the service by geting rid of that guy before he did rape some girl and the legal system did nothing at all to recify it. To speak the blindingly obvious, the conviction rate for such a thing is practiacly non existant because of a lot of factors (not-to-mention the unwillingness on the victim's part to talk about it. Hehe, it's a painful version of not stiching...). I'll be frank, I'd probably get into more trouble (if I were to be) downloading licened anime.

[xicor]

Well, I was more explaining of what the Death Note does and why it denies the concept of free will to Vallen, the biker gang was just an example. I'm not looking through the eyes of Light thinking society wont notice such a small change(before his god complex arises) when I say this. I'm just making general observations of the Death Note itself from what I saw of this episode, which does conflict with the concept of free will by nature which some people such as Paul may criticize/hate.

As for me, I see it as the biker deserves to die/punished as much as anybody else were to deserve it. For me he is just a learning and behaving entity living in his world which as a result makes it desirable for him to harm others physically.

[Conan-san]

That's all fine, cept uh, Light was scared crapless and going "Oh no, it won't be ignored".

Of course, it was irational thinking and thus he wasn't taking into account that people won't know that the guy died due to him being taken out by a magical mcguffin.

Just a small adjustment to your comment, the rest is good.

[MessyB]

Even though it was unwittingly at this point, Light did the world the service by geting rid of that guy before he did rape some girl and the legal system did nothing at all to recify it.

That rapist was going to turn his life around and cure cancer, you monster.

[Dark Moridin]

That rapist was going to turn his life around and cure cancer, you monster.

I don't think the theme of this series is to allow someone to get their 'jollies' doing something bad just to come back and save the world, well, except for the main character, that is.

[Ykwia]

Death notes not realy an "action show" its more of a "Battle of wits and inteligence show", youl see.

(some could see it as a thriller shown through the eyes of a villain though, but not me)

Well I don't know yet.
The wits and inteligence are countered by the fact that the Death Note seems cliche, the plot seems cliche (a guy willing to rule out all corruption in the world) and the fact that a book that allows you to kill anyone is totally Japanese.

[Desensitized]

It's a friggin' noir, people. Of course it's dark.

Once the plot truly kicks in, it hits the ground running. One of the best parts of the show is getting yourself confused over what's right and wrong and who is bad and who is good. IMO, of course.

Hopefully this does well enough to give Monster a chance. That's even better than Death Note.

[Conan-san]

That rapist was going to turn his life around and cure cancer, you monster.And what of the woaman, who quite possibly dies of some STD from said rapist, probably ends up gives birth to a child due to that, possibly ends up cast out by her family (If aplicable) and ends up on the streets because she can't keep herself and the baby?

Am I a monster now?

I can live with pie in the sky 'what ifs'. They're lottery wins as far as I'm concerned. All I see is an arsehole geting his ironic cumupance.

[MessyB]

If you agree with what Light is doing, then yes.

[Vallen Valiant]

If you agree with what Light is doing, then yes.
Keep in mind, of course, that at the time of the truck incident, Light wasn't yet convinced that the notebook had any power at all. He chose to use it at the incident because it was an opportunity, not because he was desiring the biker's death.

Up to and including the end of this episode, the only people Kira willfully killed were hard-core criminals.

But of course...
What made him a clear villain in the end had nothing to do with this, but what he does in the episodes coming up.

So it isn't a matter of wether the biker deserved it or not; it was made clear in the manga that Light did not believe the biker deserved death. He merely made the decision to let bygones be bygones, instead of justifying it, because he has work to do.:evil:

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

It's a friggin' noir, people. Of course it's dark.

Once the plot truly kicks in, it hits the ground running. One of the best parts of the show is getting yourself confused over what's right and wrong and who is bad and who is good. IMO, of course.

Hopefully this does well enough to give Monster a chance. That's even better than Death Note.

With the market the way it is now, I have strong doubts Monster will ever be brought over (the anime that is).

Death Note at least has the emo designs and the fantasy/horror/mystical factor going for it. It's actually a very popular show with teens. Monster has less going for it, and is more of a straight up adult show.

[Conan-san]

Keep in mind, of course, that at the time of the truck incident, Light wasn't yet convinced that the notebook had any power at all. He chose to use it at the incident because it was an opportunity, not because he was desiring the biker's death. Which makes that idiot's death even more ironic and even worse, he began the twisted path of a mass murderer.

With his death, he condemed millions.

Oh that guy is going to burn up NICE.

[macattack]

With his death, he condemed millions.

Oh that guy is going to burn up NICE.


Ah, ah, ah! *shakes finger*

Humans who've used the Death Note "can't go to heaven or hell", remember? :evil:

[Malex]

Ah, ah, ah! *shakes finger*

Humans who've used the Death Note "can't go to heaven or hell", remember? :evil:

Conan-san was referring to the biker.

[Captain Zechs]

If you agree with what Light is doing, then yes.


Hmmm. Does it make me a bad person that I agree with Light? Throughout the whole series...

[Cheetatron]

I may be in a slow mindset at the moment, but "Rebirth" of what?Rebirth of Light, Ryuuk, or better yet the world.

I'm just gonna copy and paste what I had to say on the subject from another forum:
I don't have any complaints whatsoever, I honestly liked all of the voices. I hope it does well on AS cause if so Viz or ADV or Bandai might bring over the anime "Monster" next which might prompt the company that licensed and animated that Manga to do "20th Century Boys" next as they are by the same Author.

Anyway I especially liked how the old Vegeta Va voiced Ryuuk. I found myself wanting Ryuuk to say "I have heard of Death notes landing in the human world before but no human has ever written this many names yet you... you... have written OVER NINE THOUSAND!!!" Ocean Group dub Vegeta for the win


Hmmm. Does it make me a bad person that I agree with Light? Throughout the whole series...No it simply means that you believe the ends justify the means I do too. I personally side with Light the whole way and acknowledge that the sacrifices he made were neccessary to reach his envisioned Utopia.

[Conan-san]

Ah, ah, ah! *shakes finger*

Humans who've used the Death Note "can't go to heaven or hell", remember? :evil:


Conan-san was referring to the biker.
Yes...just the biker...exactly.

[MessyB]

Hmmm. Does it make me a bad person that I agree with Light? Throughout the whole series...

Well, as Brian from Family Guy said: Yes. Yes, it does make you a bad person.

[silverfox1027]

I don't necessarily agree with Light, but I can understand why he went about his plan the way he did. It's impossible to judge what you yourself would do in a position of absolute power unless you've actually had it, so I can't honestly say that I wouldn't have been corrupted by the Death Note either. It's easy to trash someone else's actions when you're just the outsider looking in.

And...Light is my favorite character. Yep. :D

[Jacob T. Paschal]

I don't agree with Light, I don't care if he 'sacrificed his humanity' to do the job, he's a criminal and he deserves what he has coming to him...that is, if what Ryûk said is true.

[New Noise]

FUNimation has nothing to do with this title, Viz Media is the license holder.

That was a stupid mistake by me. For some reason, I'm always getting those two companies mixed up. :sad:

[Space Cadet]

Like I said in the first post, please refrain from posting major spoilers. That includes characters from future episodes.

[Desensitized]

With the market the way it is now, I have strong doubts Monster will ever be brought over (the anime that is).

Death Note at least has the emo designs and the fantasy/horror/mystical factor going for it. It's actually a very popular show with teens. Monster has less going for it, and is more of a straight up adult show.
True, but I meant in comparison that both shows don't feature straight up action and are more 'talky' (barring spoilers of future events, of course). Even if they both are quite different otherwise.

[Conan-san]

I don't agree with Light, I don't care if he 'sacrificed his humanity' to do the job, he's a criminal and he deserves what he has coming to him...that is, if what Ryûk said is true.And what of soliders who sacrifice thier own humanity to kill the enemey? Are they criminals?

[poncho]

And what of soliders who sacrifice thier own humanity to kill the enemey? Are they criminals?
No. The crucial difference being, of course, that when they kill the enemy they aren't breaking any laws. ;)

I've always kind of found it troubling that (relatively) so many people seem to agree with Light when they watch this show. Frankly, I think it's exactly the kind of people that think it's OK to impose their own will on others this way, who most deserve to be entered in a Death Note. Yes, I'm aware of the irony of that statement.

[Conan-san]

No. The crucial difference being, of course, that when they kill the enemy they aren't breaking any laws. ;) Roman Catholic understanding of the Fifth Comandment: thow shall not kill. Doesn't meen, "Thow shall not kill but it's ok if some guy somewhere tells you to kill."

Seems to break a law no matter how they slice it.


I've always kind of found it troubling that (relatively) so many people seem to agree with Light when they watch this show. Frankly, I think it's exactly the kind of people that think it's OK to impose their own will on others this way, who most deserve to be entered in a Death Note. Yes, I'm aware of the irony of that statement. It makes for awesome fourm talk though.

[Vallen Valiant]

Roman Catholic understanding of the Fifth Comandment: thow shall not kill. Doesn't meen, "Thow shall not kill but it's ok if some guy somewhere tells you to kill."
History of the Papal States claimed otherwise.:sweat:

Anyway, th'ats got nothing to do with Death Note.

There is only one condition, for those who believe Ends justify the Means; you need to win to have the Ends, so if you don't win you end up with nothing. There is no consolation prize; failure means vilification for eternity. Those who follow this path, and lose, are just losers.

Those who place importance in the Means, though, can afford to lose out yet back away gracefully. To win is a bonus, not a requirement.

Of course, there is a high chance those who value the Means too much ended up never getting anything done. It's all about balance.:)

[poncho]

Roman Catholic understanding of the Fifth Comandment: thow shall not kill. Doesn't meen, "Thow shall not kill but it's ok if some guy somewhere tells you to kill."

Seems to break a law no matter how they slice it.

Well, Death Note is hardly a Christian show. ;)

I just meant that unlike soldiers, Light is literally a criminal in this case because he's breaking his country's laws. As for deserving whatever "he has coming to him", I don't know about that, but he's a dangerous and self-absorbed guy for sure.


It makes for awesome fourm talk though.
Indeed. It also makes me glad that the vast majority of people have no way of obtaining any sort of real power. :p


There is only one condition, for those who believe Ends justify the Means; you need to win to have the Ends, so if you don't win you end up with nothing. There is no consolation prize; failure means vilification for eternity. Those who follow this path, and lose, are just losers.

Those who place importance in the Means, though, can afford to lose out yet back away gracefully. To win is a bonus, not a requirement.

Of course, there is a high chance those who value the Means too much ended up never getting anything done. It's all about balance.:)

IMO Death Note has little to do with Machiavelli, because Light's ends are just as bad as his means. I mean, to "become a god of the new world"? Come on, guys. Fascism just ain't cool.

[Wervyn]

I feel like I have to respond to this now or it's going to bother me forever, but if you're going to bring the Mosaic commandments into an argument about right and wrong, you'd best make sure you're quoting the right commandment. "Thou shalt not murder" is number six. Number five is "Honor thy father and mother". And a little bit about how you'll have long life if you do.
I also want to make clear that "murder" is a better translation for this commandment than "kill", given the number of commands in the rest of Mosaic law that end with "...he must be put to death." For example, and directly relevant to this very argument, "if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death" (Exodus 21:14, NIV). To make sure we're all on the same religious page, the sort of killing being forbidden here is that which is intentional, often involving a plot or scheme, and notably not sanctioned by (Mosaic) law. Which is to say, purposeful killing which is unjust or illegal. So pretty much what Light is doing.

All that aside, I'd like to make an observation that Light (and probably the people who admire him) out to be properly classified as Moralists, with all the negative connotations that implies in today's tolerant and pluralistic society. This classification readily applies to anyone who looks down upon and judges others for not living according to his or her own personal standard of right living. My personal favorite example of this is snobbish drug-users who look down on non-drug-users for not being enlightened and using drugs. It's especially ironic when such people call the target of their ridicule "moralistic."

Other than that, I do welcome the chance to give this show a full run from the beginning, since I never did sit down and watch it before.

"But if you did that, you'd be the only bad person left."

[JTurner954]

This is the first time I've watched an anime after reading some of the manga and Viz did a good job. I'm really enjoying the soundtrack; it doesn't have that "typical anime music" vibe I get from other openings and endings. I also liked how they used the Death Note instructions for the eyecatchers.

To the people who call this a great/good show: Have you seen the entire series or have you only seen a little bit of Death Note and base your judgement on that material? I've read Volume 1 and liked it, but I am tired of shows where it starts off good and then falls flat on its face (i.e. Witch Hunter Robin, Tokko). I sincerely hope this doesn't happen with Death Note.

To the people who didn't like this show: Does this have anything to do with the removal of Bleach or did you truthfully not enjoy this? I'm starting to believe this is like Case Closed-Inuyasha all over again.

I also have to chuckle when there are people who want more "adult" shows on the schedule, Death Note comes along with some mature subject matter, and people say it's too much. I'm also surprised that people are using words like "boring" and "slow" to describe Episode 1. IMO, this episode had more going on than the average episode of Bleach. If this episode is really considered one of the slowest, then Death Note will be the best anime of the year.

I'll end with one general question: There has been some conflict over using the word "shinigami" in Death Note and not in Bleach. Do Viz DVD's have a subtitle track with literal translations and if so, does "Shinigami" appear on the Bleach DVD's?

[Prdgn]

Now that I think about it, you know what scene would be nearly impossible to do right in the dub, no matter how good it is?

SAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJO!!!!!!!!

[Cheetatron]

IMO Death Note has little to do with Machiavelli, because Light's ends are just as bad as his means. I mean, to "become a god of the new world"? Come on, guys. Fascism just ain't cool.Come on he doesn't mean it in the I will be worshiped like a pharoh kind of way he intends to be the "god of a new world" literally via his divine intervention and leadership from the shadows.

[Conan-san]

Now that I think about it, you know what scene would be nearly impossible to do right in the dub, no matter how good it is?

SAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJOSAKUJO!!!!!!!!That's Quite some time away...

Anyway, Wow, I didn't think my crack about Fist of the North Star would of been sig'd...

[Ikwig]

Although I'm coming in a little late on this one, I really wanted to respond to the notion that Light and his Death Note are somehow impacting others' free will: not many people get to decide the mode and moment of their own death; other than suicides, it's always some outside force (disease, old age, God, another human) who chooses it for us. In this show, Light is that outside force. Period.

As for this episode (which is my first contact with Death Note ever), I'm intrigued and mildly disturbed. Being the type of person who will rescue an ant who falls in a sink full of water and will move a caterpillar off the road, the whole concept of the Death Note and the idea that any person would be willing to use it is kinda scary. On the other hand, I love mysteries, puzzles, intellectual quandries, and generally any philosophical issue where you can see both sides; and this show looks like it's going to be chock full of instances requiring that kind of thinking. So I'm definitely up for watching more (even if some part of me is going to be cringing)!

[livingfruitvirus]

Looks like Death Note is going to end the week with 214,000+ hits. Not bad for a debut.

Now let's see if it beats that next week.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Fist of the North Star is an underrated "bad" show. It's utterly hilarious and the show actually gets even better as it goes along.

[poncho]

Come on he doesn't mean it in the I will be worshiped like a pharoh kind of way he intends to be the "god of a new world" literally via his divine intervention and leadership from the shadows.
Does it make a difference? Light and "violent, lazy, unproductive people unfit for society" = Adolf Hitler and "racially/genetically impure and evil people unfit for society". Not just in terms of getting rid of social undesirables, but also doing it with a blatant interest in gaining absolute power over others.

And don't say anything about Godwin's law, cause the comparison is totally legit in this case. ;)

[Jacob T. Paschal]

This is the first time I've watched an anime after reading some of the manga and Viz did a good job. I'm really enjoying the soundtrack; it doesn't have that "typical anime music" vibe I get from other openings and endings. I also liked how they used the Death Note instructions for the eyecatchers.

To the people who call this a great/good show: Have you seen the entire series or have you only seen a little bit of Death Note and base your judgement on that material? I've read Volume 1 and liked it, but I am tired of shows where it starts off good and then falls flat on its face (i.e. Witch Hunter Robin, Tokko). I sincerely hope this doesn't happen with Death Note.

To the people who didn't like this show: Does this have anything to do with the removal of Bleach or did you truthfully not enjoy this? I'm starting to believe this is like Case Closed-Inuyasha all over again.

I also have to chuckle when there are people who want more "adult" shows on the schedule, Death Note comes along with some mature subject matter, and people say it's too much. I'm also surprised that people are using words like "boring" and "slow" to describe Episode 1. IMO, this episode had more going on than the average episode of Bleach. If this episode is really considered one of the slowest, then Death Note will be the best anime of the year.

I'll end with one general question: There has been some conflict over using the word "shinigami" in Death Note and not in Bleach. Do Viz DVD's have a subtitle track with literal translations and if so, does "Shinigami" appear on the Bleach DVD's?

I have read the entire series and I must say it only gets better from here on out, in fact, the tension is constantly rising.

[ToliverChap]

Are they using some kind of remix of Aphex Twin's Cliffs (the first track off his Selected Ambient Works vol. 2) in the soundtrack?

[Dark Fact]

A little late on the dub discussion but here are my thoughts:

-The dub, first off, is absolutely fantastic. Brad Swaile really hit Light Yagami on the mark. Brian Drummond as Ryuk, put me off at first when I first heard it, but as the episode progressed, I got accustomed to his voice more and more. It seems like the actors really gave it their all for this dub and it shows.
-The actual atmosphere of the show is one of great disturbance but mesmerization. I had my eyes glued to the screen the whole time with my heart actually pounding in anticipation. Really moody stuff.
-The scenes with Light using the Death Note done along with the Gregorian choir was absolutely beautiful. Favorite part of the episode. :)

With that, I get onto my second episode review in the next thread.


Although I'm coming in a little late on this one, I really wanted to respond to the notion that Light and his Death Note are somehow impacting others' free will: not many people get to decide the mode and moment of their own death; other than suicides, it's always some outside force (disease, old age, God, another human) who chooses it for us. In this show, Light is that outside force. Period.
The debate here is outside intelligent forces deciding the moment of our deaths, not nature or acts of God Almighty.

[Draven]

Well, there you go. This is Fist of the North Star...FOR THE MIND!

I think I agree. Death Note punches your brain, and after a second, it EXPLODES.